Studies in the Bhagavati Sutra

Author(s): J C Sikdar
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

Page 583

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STUDIES IN THE BHAGAWATI SUTRA
[Ch. X Niscaya Naya (noumenal standpoint), it has got five colours, two smells, five tastes and eight touches.1
So Dravya is that which possesses gunas and paryayas (attributes as well as modes) and reveals permanence and change inherent in it to be real. It is Reality endowed with three potent factors, viz. permanence, origination and decay. There had been an evolution of this conception of Reality with the development of philosophical thought. In the Tattvartha Sutra', Umāsvāti conceives 'Sat' (existence) as the mark of Dravya i.e. Reality (Sat-dravya-lakṣmaṇam) and explains that this 'Sat' is endowed with three factors, viz. origination, decay and permanence (Utpada-vyaya-dhrauvya-yuktaṁ sat, which characterize Reality. Accordingly in a substance there are its origin and decay of its changing modes (paryāyas) and permanence the unchanging essence. It is further explained that Dravya is endowed with guna and paryaya (essential and accidental characters) "Gunaparyayavad-dravyam."
4
So there is no fundamental difference between the two definitions of Dravya as embodied in the BhS and Ta. Sū. respectively. Only the definition of Reality has been made more clear in the Ta, Su. with the evolution of philosophical thought.
6
The principle of Dravya is of two kinds, viz. Jīvadravya and Ajivadravya (living and non-living substance)." These living and non-living substances are infinite and they have infinite modes. Living substance is formless (arūpē), while non-living substances are classified into two groups, viz. rūpē-ajīvadravyas (corporeal non-living substances which are tangible to senses) and arupi-ajiva-dravyas (formless non-living substances which intangible to senses), "Rūvi ya arūvī ya." It is explained that matter (pudgala) is corporeal non-living substance, while the formless non-living substance consists of Dharmastikāya (principle of motion), Adharmāstikāya (principle of rest), Ākāśāstikāya (space)
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1 Bhs, 18, 6, 631. 8 Ib, 5, 30.
Ib, 7, 10, 305.
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2 Tattvärtha Sutra, 5, 29 Umāsvāti. 4 Ib, 5, 38.
7 Ib, 2, 10, 121.
5 Ib, 25, 2, 720. 8_9 Ib, 7, 10, 305.