Studies in Jainism

Author(s): M P Marathe, Meena A Kelkar, P P Gokhle
Publisher: Indian Philosophical Quarterly Publication Puna

Page 36

CONCEPT OF MATTER IN JAINA PHILOSOPHY
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Besides the bodies of mobile beings, organs of speech, 1504, mind 150y and respiration151 are regarded as meterial in mataphysics and physical sciences.
Paramāņu (Ultimate Atom) :
Jaina philosophy has conceived atomism on the basis of destruction and origination of the material world from the stand point of transformation taking place in it due to external and internal causes and made an analysis of it from the aspects of dravya ( substance ), ksetra (locus), kāla (time) and bhāva ( condition ).152 Paramāņus are infinite in number with regard to dravya, it is the finest particle of matter with regard to kşetra, it is momentary from the point of view of kāla and its quality is changing from the stand point of bhāva ( condition )153. Paramānu is both cause (kärana ) and effect ( kärya )154 of the material world from the point of view of transformation, not only the ultimate material cause of it (tadantyam kāranam ) like paramāņu of the Nyāya-Vaiseșika155. A paramāņu is abhedya ( impassable ), acchedya ( uncuttable ), avibhājya (indivisible) adāhya ( incombustible ), and agrāhya (non-receivable by soul).156 It is anardha ( without half part) amadhya ( without inner part) and apradeśa (partless ) from the point of view of kşetra157. It is itself beginning, it is itself middle, it is itself end158 Paramānus of Jaina philosophy are of one class only152. Paramānu can aasume any form in accordance with the causal condition. The paramāņu which has undergone change in to the form of earth can undergo transformation in to the forms of water, fire, etc. on the alteration of the materials160. The capacities-colour, taste, smell and touch, exist as equal in each and every paramānu and can change in to any form according to the cause161. Even though they are equal in all paramānus, the variousness of their tranformation occurs because of the difference of materials. Skandha formed by the combination of paramānus is not a new material substance, it is only one particular form out of the combination of Paramāņus. All paramānus are parmanent in their respective individual nature and their parināminityatā (permanence-in-change) is explained by accepting skandha (molecule), guna (quality) and paryaya (mode)161x as a result of transformation of paramāņus162. Thus skandha is accepted as somehow non-different as well as different from them. Infinite paramānus and infinite skandhas