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Reals in the Jaina Metaphysics
respect to what Haeckel calls "chief functioning", Ākāśa and Ether are different.
THE NYAYA THEORY OF SOUND, AS THE ATTRIBUTE OF ĀKĀSA
As stated above, Ākāśa is a material substance according to the Vedic school of philosophers. It is characterised by its attribute, Sound. In other words, the phenomenon which we call Sound is an attribute and not a substance or object. The Naiyayika's point out: a Sound can never be touched; it can pass through extremely gross substances; nothing pertaining to Sound is perceived either before or after the appearance of Sound; it does not move any of the subtlest of substances. All these show that Sound is not a substance but the attribute of a supersensuous substance.
We are led to the hypothesis of this supersensuous substance, the Akāśa from the nature of Sound. The author of the Bhāṣā Pariççheda has said:
सर्वः शब्दो नमोवृत्ति: श्रोत्रोत्पन्नस्तु गृहयते । वीचितरंगन्यायेन तदुत्पत्तिस्तु कीर्तिता । कदम्बगोलकन्यागोलकन्यायादुपे, कस्यचिन्मते ।। १६५-१६६
All Sound is due to Akāśa and is perceived when it is generated in our organ of hearing. Its origination has been described to be like waves. Some, however, say that it originates in the manner of Kadamba flower-tips.
आद्यशब्देन बहिर्दश दिगवच्छिन्नोन्यः शब्दस्त नव तेन चापरव्यापकः क्रमेण श्रोत्रोत्पन्नों गृहयत इति । दिक्षु दशशब्दा उत्पद्यन्ते इति भावः ।
शब्देन सद्दशों जन्यते, आद्यशब्दाद् दशसु एवं
- सिद्धान्तमुक्तावली
The commentator makes the meaning of these lines clear in this way:
It is pointed out that from the first original Sound, other Sounds are generated on all directions; from them again other Sounds and so on; when any of these waves, fa comes in contact with our sense-organ of hearing, we come
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