Studies in Jainism

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

Page 76

JAINA CONCEPTION OF SPACE AND TIME
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Ākāśa has ananta space-points22. But this number ananta is fixed in the sense that there is no possibility of increase or decrease of even a single space-point. The space-points are conceived as inseparable parts or avayavas of äkāśa. Thus ā kāśa is an avayaviastikāya23. Avayavas or parts (pradeśas) of ākāśa are as much objectively existent as akaśa of which they are parts. Were it not so, the two cities say, Ahmedabad and Poona which, like the two mountains, the Himavat and Vindhya, Occupy different locations of space, would, the Jainas affirm, tend to be at one location, which is an absurd position.24. They maintain that the partless ākāśa can never be a favourable receptacle for the objects having parts. Thus they contend that a kaśa too must have parts; for, when the table exists in space, it does not cover the whole space, as case other things cannot exist at all anywhere; the table exists not in all space but in that part of space where it does actually exist, leaving room for the other objects to exist elsewhere; all this clearly implies that space too has parts; space is an avayavi. To be an avayavi does not necessarily mean that it should be produced from its avayavas put together at some point of time
5. Divisions of Àkāśa
Akāśa is ananta (infinite) in extension. That portion of it, which contains all substances, is called Lokākāśa (universe-space) and that portion of ākáša, which has no substance to accommodate in itself is called Alokākāśa (Space- beyond- the Universe). Ākāśa is one only. Lokākāśa and alokākāśa are not two individual ākāśas. Thus this division is not in a kasa itself but it is due to its relation with other five substances 25.
6. Lokākāśa
Lokākāśa has asamkhyāta (innumerable) space-points.26 This number is fixed. That is, there is no possibility of increase or decrease of the space-points of lokākāśa. Though lokākāśa has asamkhyāta space-points it accommodates ananta material atoms. The number ananta is infinite times greater than the number asar khyāta. So, there arises a question as to how the space of asamkhyāta space-points can accommodate ananta material atoms. The answer to this question is there in the Jaina belief that, under certain conditions, one space-point can accommodate more than one material atoms27.