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Tattvārthasūtra
What are the special marks (laksana) of the matter (pudgala)?
स्पर्शरसगन्धवर्णवन्तः पुद्गलाः ॥२३॥
[ स्पर्श रस गन्ध वर्णवन्तः ] स्पर्श, रस, गन्ध और वर्ण वाले [yçe: ] Gud elder
The forms of matter (pudgala) are characterized by touch (sparśa), taste (rasa), smell (gandha) and colour (varņa).
What is touched or touching alone is touch (sparsa). It is of eight kinds, namely, soft (komala), hard (kațhora), heavy (bhārī), light (halkā), cold (thańdā), hot (garma), smooth (snigdha) and rough (rūkşa). What is tasted or tasting alone is taste (rasa). It is of five kinds: bitter (tītā), sour (khattā), acidic (kaduā), sweet (mithā) and astringent (kasailā). What is smelt or smelling alone is smell (gandha). It is of two kinds: pleasant smell (sugandha) and unpleasant smell (durgandha). Colour is of five kinds: black (kālā), blue (nīlā), yellow (pilā), white (safeda) and red (lāla). The foregoing are the principal divisions. And the subdivisions of each of these may be numerable (samkhyāta), innumerable (asamkhyāta) and infinite (ananta). These - touch, taste, smell and colour - are always associated with the matter (pudgala). For instance, we speak of the (Indian) fig tree possessing milky juice. A question is raised. In sūtra 5-5, it has been said, 'Things which have form - rūpi – constitute the matter (pudgala).' And, it has been explained that form (colour) includes taste, smell and touch also. Thus the characteristics of the matter have already been established. This sūtra, therefore, is unnecessary. But this is untenable. Sūtra 5-4 says, *The substances (dravya) are eternal (nitya), fixed-in-number (avasthita) and colourless (arūpī)'. That would imply that matter also is non-material - arūpī – like the rest. Sūtra 5-5 was intended to
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