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“A substance is that which has qualities and modes.'
On the basis of the commentary Sarvārthasiddbit his definition can be explained thus. The basic idea is that in a substance the qualities and modes exist. The qualities of a substance are always associated with the substance (dravya). But the modes arc not always associated with dravya. Pujyapada says-'That which makes distinction between one substance and another is called a quality, and the mollification of a substance is called a mode. A substance is associated with these two. Further, it is of inseparable connection and permanent. “The qualities are the distinguishing features of a substance and the lack of qualities would lead to intermixture confusion of a substance.
When this definition is applied to soul and matter, the distinguishing features are clear to understand. Soul has the quality of consciousness, while matter has not got it. So.‘souls are distinguished from matter by the presence of qualities, such as, knowledge, while matter is distinguished from souls by the presence of form (colour) etc. Without such distinguishing characteristics. there can be no distinction between souls and matter'. So knowledge and conciousness are the qualities always associated with souls, whilc forms; i.e. colour etc. are associated with matter. The Relativity of Knowledge:
The Anekānta teaches us the principle of the relativity of knowledge, which is an important contribution to the domain of truth. An example of this partial truth is found in the Udānasūtra of the Pali canon as well as in philosophical treaties of the Jains. This is the story of the Parable of the Blind Men and the Elephant' (popularly known as andha-gaja-nyāya). There were certain blind men who experienced an elephant, and when they were asked to describe the elephant, each of them described the elephant in accordance with the experience they had with regard to the limbs of the elephant which they happened to have felt. Each one is right with regard to their experiences of the blind men. but they are not the whole truth. The Udānasūtra says -
imesu kira sajjaħti eke samana-brāhmaṇā / Viggaha naṁ vivadamti janā ekānga-dassino //
TAREA ŞI TU-JA, 2008
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