Property of Matter in Jain Canons

Author(s): N L Jain
Publisher: Z_Kailashchandra_Shastri_Abhinandan_Granth_012048.pdf

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investigated properly. Structural studies of tasteful materials have also shown some promising results.
The science of smelling?? has also made a great stride over the scriptural period, Perfumery science and technology has aided this advance. Though classification of cdors is still arbitratory, still nine classes of odors have now been recognised. Their smelling quality can also be quantitatively expressed in terms of olfactory coefficients. Structure versus odors relationships have also been observed in many cases. The modern age seems to have gone much deeper in the knowledge of taste and smell attributes.
The color feeling is a light phenomena. Modern science agreed to seven rainbow colors in the past which excludes white and black colors. Now they have thought of basic colors and they are only three. Other colors are just various permutations and combinations of them. The scriptures seem to express the commonly experienced colors rather than basic colors. Now quite a good knowledge has been obtained about the experience of color and appreciation. The scriptural fact that colors have innumerable varieties in fully substantiated by current experiments as each color represents a specific frequency of light.
Jaina philosophy maintains that the above four qualities are always coexisting. If any one of them is clear, the others may also be there, sometimes in an indistinct form. This statement is a great progress over the Vaiseșikas who have a defferring opinion about it. The Jaina view is substantiated by current experimental findings.
Sciptures classify shapes in many ways but the total types of shapes counted seem to be ten in number in various sources. Nowadays, about 232 types of shapes are agreed and each has an example18. This is dealt with in geometry and crystallography which has grown enormously. Conditions have been ascertained to obtain any specific type of shape or even a single crystal by experiment. The scriptural descriptions suggest that the shapes mentioned therein belong to natural substances. It is now also possible to change their natural shapes by various technics. Theoretical basis of shapes has also been prepared. Modifications in Attributes
All the specific attributes described above undergo modifications. These are called Paryayas. They are not coexistant like general attributes. For example, color will always be there in matter, but yellow or green color is changeable. Thus, attributes are said to be permanent while their modification are temporary. Thus the matter will always be associated with attributes and their modifications. These modifications are called consecutive properties. Grossness, fineness, binding and dividing capacity are found in material bodies while heat, cold, light, sound, shadow, darkness are caused by energies. The material modifications are described in literatures. The modifications of energy
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