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III. 32–34 ]
CHAPTER III
( 147
the worldly souls as well as those occurring in independent atoms (Paramaņus) are not at all referred to ? In solution of this doubt the author, it seems, has to offer two opinions. The discussion of artificial and natural production or destruction is made here chiefly against the theory "God is a door" and therefore those substances only are here considered behind the production and destruction of which God's power to do is supposed by some to exist. And therefore atom (Paramāņu) or any sentient substance is not touched here. Because one believing in the theory of God's power to do does not believe that an atom or a sentient substance is a product (Janya-Dravya). Vaiseșikas believe that anything consisting of component parts is produced by God and Aupanişada system of philosophy recognizes Ãkāśa to have been produced by God. And therefore an atom which represents corporeal substances and soul which represents incorporeal substances have been excluded from discussion here." A substance which is a composite physical body forms the central part of the discussion here. An atom is not at all a composite physical body. Soul, just like A kāśa is no doubt one endless physical body consisting of Pradeśas, but the discussion about its production and destruction is not done here because it occurs in the seventh verse. It itself creates its own condition and therefore the production and the destruction of its modificatory changes are artificial in view of its own effort to create them.
1 For this see Tattvartha Bhasya Vștti pp, 389-390.
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