Studies in Jainism

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

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STUDIES IN JAINISM
asankhyeya of karma matters remain in the ātma-pradeśa in the state of bondage. A karma matter is naturally speculated as a very subtle substance. The Jainas assume eight varganäs which are the groups of atoms distinguished by their number, i.e., audarika, vaikriya, āhāraka, taijasa, bhāsā, ānapāna, manas and karma. The number of atoms constituting each varganā herein is supposed to become more in due order, while the space they occupy becomes less in due order. In other words á karma or karma sarira is surmised to be most compactly packed with the hugest number of atoms which are accommodated in the subtlest possible space. This clearly indicates that the atoms in a karmapradeśa are interfused but not interlinked. Suppose the atoms in these varganās were to interlink, a karma śarira must occupy the hugest space. In that case, the limited ātma-pradeśa wherein constant karmic bondage is at work immediately finds difficulty to accommodate the incessantly assimilating karma matters. The Jaina theory of karmic bondage enjoins here a rule that atomic combination has to occur in the mode of interfusion. The karma arira which bears all the karmas accumulated in the previous lives is the carrier of the soul to his new birth. Suppose the atoms were to interlink, this kasma śarira must be regarded as an enormously huge body, which is impossible, for it then could not take transit motions to its new body. Therefore it compels to lay down the rule that the atomic combination must take place in the mode of interfusion.
Jaina concept of atomic combination thus appears to have been evolved in the milieu of the theory of karmic bondage. Interfusion of atoms here produces compactness or density of the degrees of properties, but not dimension or shape. In reality, however, things are possessed of definite size and form, therefore, Jaina atomists had to solve the problem as to how these can be manifested as they really are. Here the concept of pradeśa seems to have been devised. The minimum size of all is that of an indivisible atom which has no beginning, middle and end. If this minimum sized units can interlink, it certainly gives rise to size and shape. This unit was called pradeśa. Whatever has extension and form is then measured by the interlinked pradeśas therein, thus the size and shape of jiva, ajiva, loka and aloka can be conveniently expressed by the number of their pradeśas. This idea, then extended to the other substances, namely, dharma and adharma, thus seems to have caused the evolution of the concept of five