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Davya, Guņa and Paryāya in Jaina Thought : 159
aparityakta-svabhāvenotpāda-vyaya-dhruvatva-samyuktam/ gunavacca sa-paryāya yattadravyamiti bruvanti//Prs sīkā II, 3
That is called a substance which is endowed with qualities and accompanied by modifications and which is coupled with origination, destruction and permanence without leaving its nature (of existence).'
This gāthā is a summary statement of three characteristics of dravya, namely, that it is inextricably associated with guna and paryāya, that it retains its dravyatva despite the changes it apparently undergoes and, thereby, that it is existent or that it exists. The inseparability of these three terms is explicitly stated in PrsTīkā II, 18; Nāsti guņa iti vä kaścit paryāya itīha yā vinā dravyam, “There is nothing as a quality nor as a modification in the absence of a substance.” That they are nonetheless distinct aspects is clearly asserted when Kundakunda says (PrsȚīkā ii, 16):
yaddravyaṁ tanna guņo yo'pi gunaḥ sa na tattvamarthāt / eșa hyatadbhāvo naiva abhāva iti nirdistaḥ//
“Really speaking what is substance is not quality, nor what is quality is substance; this is a case of non-identity and not of absolute negation”. Although paryāya is not mentioned here specifically it may be assumed that it is also a distinct aspect that applies in the context under discussion here. It is significant to note also that the distinctness of the terms does not imply that they are exclusive of each other; hence one can speak of them as being inseparable.
The fundamental category that is the basis of the discussion at hand is dravya and what this category entails is stated in PrSȚīkā II, 35;
dravyam jāvo'jvo jivaḥ punas-cetanopayoga-mayaḥ pudgala-dravya-pramukho'cetano bhavati ca-ajīvaḥ// Substance comprises jīva, the sentient principle, and ajīva,
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