Sambodhi 2009 Vol 32

Author(s): J B Shah, K M patel
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 68

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Pooja Chandel
SAMBODHI
forms and aspects. It is constituted of six substances (Dravyas) viz. soul (jīva), matter (pudgala), principle of motion (dharmāstikaya), the principle of stationariness (adharmāstikaya) space (akāśā) and time (kāla). The Jaina concept of god is quite different from that of the Hindu trinity as he is not considered as a creator, ruler or regulator of the world which is looked upon as uncreated and eternal. Creation implies desire on the part of the God who wants to create and desire implies imperfection. Jainism believes that every individual human experiences the pleasure and pain according to his own desserts. Jainism does not agree with the Nyaya conception of Ishvara as a dispenser of karma. The historicity of Tirthankar Pārśva has been unanimously accepted. He preceded Mahāvīra by 250 years. He was son of King Ashvasena and Queen Vāmā of Varanasi. The Jaina literature Acharanga, Kalpsutra, Samvayanga and some portion of Bhagwati deals with the concept of Tirthankara .. Nature of Reality
The Jaina thinkers have mentioned the word 'sat', 'tattva', 'artha', 'padārtha' and 'tattvārtha' as synonyms for the word reality. They generally did not make any distinction among substances, reality, existence etc. The other Indian systems did not do so in the same sense. In the Vaišesika-sútra, all the six, viz., substance, quality, action, generality, particularity and inherent relationship are called padārthas, but the term artha is reserved only for three padārtha, viz., substance, quality and action. The Naiyāyikas call the sixteen principles by the name of 'sat 2. The Sāmkhya system regards Prakrtî and Purusa as tattvas.
According to Umāsvāti, the definition of reality is ‘sat' i.e. existence. He did not use the term 'tattva' but used the word 'dravya', i.e. substance for reality. Reality is substance and substance is reality. In this way, the primary and essential criterion of reality is existence or sattā. That which exists is real. In other words, existence is reality or reality is existence. Considering from this point of view, it can be asserted that 'all is one because all exists'.4 This view is taken to be very much similar to that of the Upanisad's" sarvam ekam sad visesāt". In Jaina canons, there are some references that indicate this view. As we find in the Sthānāñga-sūtra : 'One Soul,' 'One Universe' etc. This concept of oneness is considered to be valid only from the view-point of the