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A SOURCE-BOOK IN JAINA PHILOSOPHY
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one samaya or at the most within infinite part of avalikā.1 And after the infinite number of points of avalikā the paramāņu will definitely start motion.
The atoms are unobstructible (apratighālī) and they can penetrate any object of any type. For instance, atoms can penetrate a thick wall built of cast iron. Even the mountain like Sumeru cannot obstruct the movement of paramāņu.
Sometimes the movement of the paramāņu may be arrested by the particles of matter due to its contact with matter. But at that time paramāņu also affects the matter to which it has come in contact.
THE SUBTLE NATURE OF PARAMĀŅU The special characteristic of paramāņu is that it can occupy a point of space and the same point of sapce can be occupied by another paramāņu without any resistance. Similarly, the subtle form of molecule consisting infinite paramānus can occupy the same point without any resistance. This is the special characteristic of paramāņil. In this connection Acārya Pujyapāda has pointed out that there is no difficulty in atoms and molecules in occupying same point of space without friction or resistance because they have no visible extension and they are subtle in nature. For this reason, infinite number of atoms and molecules can remain in one pradeśa without any difficulty.
For instance, a lamp lights a room to the fullest extent and this room can also merge the light of many other lamps. Similarly, the light of the lamp illumines the room fully; but if it is covered by a small pot, it restricts its illumination to the pervasion of that very pot. It is clear from this, that the material aspect of the atoms of matter have the characteristics of contraction and expansion. For this reason and because of the power of contraction etc.,
1. Avalikā is 16777216th part of 48 minutes. 2. Jainadarśana aur Adhunika Vijñāna, (Hindi), p. 37. 3. Sarvārthasiddhi, 5, 16. Pujyapāda. 4. Tattvārthasūtra, 5, 16.
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