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CHAPTER FIVE
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for stoppage—these two respectively are the functions of the substances dharma and adharma. 17.
To act as an occasioning cause for the provision of room is the function of ākāśa. 18.
Dharma, adharma and ākāśa-all these three are suprasensuous, and so their existence cannot be proved on the basis of ordinary preception. It is on the basis of scriptural testimony that their existence is admitted but a reasoning is also available which lends support to the scriptures and proves the existence of the substances in question. The reasoning runs as follows: In the universe jīva and pudgala these two are the substances that are liable to undertake motion as also stoppage-subsequent-to-motion. Now even though motion and stoppage, being the states and functions of the substances in question, are born to those substances themselves—that is, the material cause of motion and stoppage are nothing save jīva and pudgala, yet an occasioning cause, which is invariably required for the production of an effect, must be different from the concerned material cause. Hence in the form of an occasioning cause for the motion of jīva and pudgala dharmāstikāya is proved to exist, while in the form of an occasioning cause for their stoppage adharmāstikāya is proved to exist. It is with these considerations in view that theoretical treatizes define dharmāstikāya as 'that which is an occasioning cause for the motion of things liable to move and adharmāstikāya as 'that which is an occasioning cause for stoppage.
All the four substances' dharma, adharma, jīva and pudgala must stay at some place or other; that is to say, to act as occupant or to seek room is a function of theirs. But to provide room-a place—within itself is the function of ākāśa; hence it is that the provision of room is admitted to be a defining characteristic of ākāśa.
1. The reading gati-sthityupagrahau too is found at places, but on consulting the bhāsya the reading gati-sthityupagraho appears to be more proper. In the Digambara tradition the reading gatisthityupagrahau alone is unanimously approved.
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