Studies In Umasvati And His Tattvartha Sutra

Author(s): G C Tripathi, Ashokkumar Singh
Publisher: Bhogilal Laherchand Institute of Indology

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140 Studies in Umāsvāti as related in any way to the world process. Tattvārthasūtra has solved these difficulties by conceiving nimitta theory of causation.
C. Relation of Mind and Matter (a) TS: Ts describes mind and matter as distinct entities and one cannot be reduced to or derived from the other. Mind or soul is characterized by consciousness, while matter is unconscious.
Umāsvāti gives consciousness (upayoga) as the defining characteristic of the jīva.21 It is a function (vrtti) of soul. Knowledge is grouped as direct(pratyakşa) and indirect (apratyakşa). Direct means that which is determined by soul itself, hence it is independent of non-soul.22
(b) YS: Patañjali states the praksti as a primeval cause of matter on the one hand, and mind, the senses and ego on the other. So matter and mind are nothing more than two different kinds of modifications of praksti . He distinguishes from them a self intelligent principle, which he calls puruşa or drașā. Matter considered only of three primeval qualities or substantive entities, which are called sattva, rajas and tamas. These are the only three elements, regarded as forming the composition of all phenomena, mental and physical.
The purusa is neither quite similar to the mind not altogether different from it. The mind is constantly undergoing modifications accordingly as it grasps its objects one by one. The act of having a perception is nothing, but its own undergoing of different modifications and thus an object sometimes comes within the grasp of buddhi and again disappears as a patency (samskāra), yet again comes into the field of the understanding as memory (smrti). Therefore, it is changing (parināmin). But the puruşa is constant seer of buddhi. The buddhi is unconscious, while the puruşa is pure light of intelligence. Buddhi is nothing but a modification of the three guras, which are non intelligent. So mind is a modification of matter, but in its active aspect, buddhi