Vaishali Institute Research Bulletin 2

Author(s): G C Chaudhary
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

Page 72

JAINA CONCEPTION OF REALITY, 1.E, DRAVYA 63 As “Dravyo ayar rājaputrah” (how nice is this prince), “Dravyo ayam manavakaḥ,"23 In both the aphorisms the affix 'yat' appears after the word 'dru' in the sense of product or part.
The second derivation means that "just as a straight and clean piece of wood can be given, without an effort, any desirable form, so also a prince or the like when subjected to education, etc., becomes possessed of any number of good qualities,"24 Here the interpretation is that the prince or the like is to be characterized as 'dravya' because of his containing in himself all the desired requisites to be excellent. Similarly, money is to be called 'Dravya' for having its value of 'doing a number of good things to men like piece of wood'.
In the Kşdanta section, the word 'Dravya' is derived from the ‘Dru' (meaning an attainment) by adding the suffix (Karmarthika prat. yaya) ‘yat' to it, denoting an object. Thus 'dru+yat' =Dravyaṁ.25
The substitution of av and av for o and au also takes place before an affix beginning with 'ya'.:6 According to this derivative explanation, the word 'Dravya' denotes “Capable of attaining", i. e. 'that which is capable of attaining various states'.
These three derivative explanations of 'Dravya' given by Aștā. dhyāyī convey almost all the meanings in which it was used subse. quently in other Indian literatures or philosophical works.
In the Jaina Agamas the word 'Davva', Skt. ‘Dravya', even if covering all the above explained meanings, is also used in a different sense from that adopted in other Indian systems of thought.
In connection with the discussion on the division of 'niksepa' (casting) into nāma (appellation), sthāpanā (representation), - dravya (substance or potentiality), bhāva (actual state). etc. 27, on the aspects of dravya (substance), Kșetra (field or locus), kala (time), bhāva (state or mode), etc.,28 on the Dravyārthika and Paryayārthika Nayas29 (substantial and modal points of view or logic) on the Dravyācāryaso, Bhāvācārya, etc., on Dravyakarma”), Bhavakarma, etc., the Jaina texts use this word !Dravya' (according to the Jaina definition) in a different sense in each different case depending on the context. The meanings in all cases come very near to the sense given by the Taddhita derivative explanation in the Aștādhyāyi of Pāṇini, on which explanation "a Dravya is that which is capable of becoming this or that,” “Dravyam ca bhavye83". That is to say, the different meanings of it are only different ways of communication of the idea of capacity to become this or that88."
The word 'Dravya' is defined in Jaina Philosophy in the sense of fundamental entities or reals (Sarvadravyas34) viz. Dharmāstikāya