Studies in the Bhagavati Sutra

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

Page 600

Sec. I]
STUDIES IN THE BHAGAWATI SUTRA
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denies its plurality (neha nānāsti kiñcana)', while Jainism holds that souls exist in all living beings. Its doctrine of plurality of souls is in accord with those of the Nyāya, Vaišesika and Sankhya Schools which propound the theory that there exist different souls in living bodies.
As regards the activity of the soul. Jaina Philosophy maintains the view of Kriyāvāda (i, e. soul exists, acts, and is affected by karmas) in common with the Nyāya and Vaibesika Systems. According to the Nyaya, the soul, being impelled by desire, aversion and infatuation (rāga and dvesa) acts as an agent for good and bad ends and enjoys the fruits of its karma which leads it to undergo the process of birth and rebirth in the mundane world.
In respect of pudgala (matter), such as, earth, water, fire, and air, Jaina Metaphysics bears some similarity with the Vaiseșika which propounds nine categories of real substances, viz, earth, water, light, air, ether, time, space, soul and mind. The particular difference between them is that Jainism does not regard earth, water, light and air as ultimate substances as admitted by the Vaiớesika, but the theory of space, time and soul as ultimate substances is accepted by both the Schools.
-LOOIS.
Beings
Soul is the principle of life of all beings. It is asserted that there exist as many jīvapradešas (smaller points of individual souls) as there are space--points in the Universe.
This view of the BhS is explicitly expressed in the Tattvārtha Sutra thus-"If the space is divided into innumerable points, the size of a soul can be so small as to occupy one or more of these
parts."
"By the contraction and expansion of pradešas, the soul occupies space like the light from a lamp."
“Pradeśasaṁhāra-visarpābhyām pradīpavat."
i Bhs 8, 10, 358 ? Tattvārtha Sutra, V, 15. 8 ]6, V, 16 ; See Rāja. Su and comm, to BhS,