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158 : Śramaņa, Vol 57, No. 3-4/July-December 2006
Although the real reason for the use of the term guna may be a matter of speculation, it is nonetheless quite likely that its introduction is due to both the reason given above, viz., for the purposes of philosophical detail and clarification, as well due to the influence of Nyāya-Vaiseșika terminology in the context of Indian thought as a whole. This paper attempts to deal with the categories of dravya, guna and paryāya as they are used in selected texts in order to see how the Jaina tradition, and particularly Kundakunda, dealt with them.
Kundakunda's starting point in the discussion on dravya, guņa and paryāya may be said to be related to the question concerning what constitutes the objects of knowledge, which is the subject matter of the second chapter entitled jñeyatattvādhikāra of his Pravacanasāra. In introducing this topic the commentator Amstacandra says that Kundakunda “Sproperly explains in it the essential nature of dravya, guna and paryāya of a padārtha”? In common Jaina parlance padārtha is a synonym for tattva and refers to the seven basic truths or fundamental verities, which form the basis of Jaina metaphysics. Only the first two tattvas are also called dravyas, namely entities or substances that exist eternally and throughout maintain their dravyatva (substantiality). In the very first gāthā of this section Kundakunda introduces the theme, which makes up the subject matter of most of the section, his statement is quite clearly made;
arthaḥ khalu dravyamayao dravyāņi guņātmakāni bhanitāni/ taistu punaḥ paryāyāḥ..., Pravacanasāra (PrS)Țīkā II, 1.
The object of knowledge is made up of substances, which are said to be characterized by qualities, and with which, moreover, are (associated) the modifications.
Thus it is clear that Kundakunda recognizes the categories dravya, guna and paryāya. By way of giving a definition of dravya he says :
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