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154
A SOURCB-BOOK ÎN JAINA PHILOSOPHY
to Jainism, however, the minutest part of the pot is also a skandha. It does not change the characteristic of a pot in the skandha, as long it does not reach the stage of an atom. The minutest parts of an aggregate are aggregate. SKANDHA-DEŠA:
Skandha (aggregate of atoms) may be considered as one unit. This unit can be measured intellectually as one unit (through out our intellect) and is called skandha-desa. If we imagine that this is a part of one pencil or a book it is considered to be ekadesa skandha. It means that deśa and skandha are not separate. They are only discriminations made due to intellect. If they actually are separated, then they become separate skandhas. SKANDHA-PRADEŠA ::
The inseparable unit of a skandha is called skandha-pradeśa. It means the paramāņu having the capacity to combine may be considered as skandha-pradeśa. It is the indivisible part, most subtle and which cannot be further divided. PARAMĀŅU :
The indivisible unit of a skandha is called paramānu. As long as it has the tendency to combine, it is considered to be pradeśa and if it becomes separate and remains separate, it is called paramāņu. The commentators on Jaina sastra have explained the nature of paramānu in different ways. Paramāuu pudgalai (matter), is indivisible (avibhājya), is indestructible (acchedya), cannot be pierced (abhedya), adāhya (cannot be burnt), agrāhya (cannot be grasped). We cannot have divisions of paramānu by any means even with the sharpest of the instruments. It can remain on the tip of a sharp sword and remain uncut. Fire cannot burn it. The rains cannot make it wet. The great Ganges cannot wash it away. The paramāuu as the minutest particle has no parts, does not occupy definite space and has neither beginning nor end. It is neither long nor short, neither big nor small. It has one definite form. As it is subtle, it is
12 Bhagavati 5, 7. 13 Bhagavati 5, 7--Paramāņu poggale nam bhante ! kim sa-addhe,
samajjhe, sapaese udāhu-aņaddhe amajjhe apaese ? Goyamā! anadąhe, amajjhe, apaese, no sa-aďdhe, no samajjhe, no sapaese.
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