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A SOURCE-BOOK IN JAINA PHILOSOPHY
77
ātman is the prāna and all functions of the life are possible because of ātman.1 In the Chāndog ya Upanişad it has been said that prāna is life force in the universe.?. Brhadāranyaka Upanişad describe that prāna is the god of gods3 But Nāgasena has refuted the theory of prāna as the soul in the Milindapanha.
The sense-organs have an important function in the body. Some identify the ātman with the sense-organs, but philosophers have criticised this theory of identifying the ātman with sense-organs. In the Chāndog ya Upanişad also there is a criticism of the theory as the story of Indra and Prajāpati continues. In the Brhadāranyaka Upanişad, it has been said that at death, the sense-organs cease to unction, but prāņa which is the source of the energy of the senseorgans is not destroyed. Therefore, indriyas function because of the prānas and indriyas have been described as prānas 5
In the Jaina literature, there is the mention of ten prānas (life forces), in which the sense-organs are also included.
Vācaspati, while discussing the vaik stika bandha, as accepted by the Samkhya, has suggested that there are views which mention that indriyas are the puruşa. These are the views which identify puruşa with indriya. They are Indriyātmavādins.
In this way, there have been several views which may be considered as materialistic in nature as they identify the ātman either with the body or the sense-organs. This is one of the views which is equally important in Indian thought. The materialistic view of the ātman as presented by the Cārvāka has been recognised as a separate darśana in the current of Indian philosophy.
5 ATMAN AS MIND (MANOMAYA ATMA)
It has been observed that the sense-organs do not function in the absence of the mind. The body may remain in a place resting for sometime, but the mind moves about. Therefore, the mind is more important than the sense-organs and some have suggested the theory that mind is the ātman. Paņdit Dalsukha Mālavaņiā says that
1 Tattiriya Upanişad, 2, 2, 3; Kauşītaki, 3, 2. 2 Chāndog ya Upanişad, 3, 15, 4. 3 Brhadāranyaka, 1, 5, 21. 4 Āimamīmārnsā, edt. Dalsukh Mālavaņiā, p. 13. 5 Brhadāranyaka Upanişad, 1, 5, 21. Si mkhyakārikā, 44
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