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word Pudgala refers to things which constantly undergo change and hence, causes pleasure and pain. These pleasures and pains result in anger, attachment, avarice and pride which ultimately bind the Jiva.
Dharma is Ajiva. Dharma does not mean "religion" as commonly understood. The Jain concept of Dharma is that the intrinsic nature of everything is its own Dharma. For example, Dharma of sugar is its sweetness. If it loses its sweetness, it ceases to be sugar. Similarly, if the intrinsic nature of Jiva is pure consciousness or pure knowledge, the Dharma of each Jiva is to remain in pure consciousness without being coloured by attachment (Raga) or aversion (Dwesha). Jiva can progress only if it remains in its own Dharma. The Function of Dharma is to help a thing in its movement just as water helps a fish to have movement. Here the utility of water is merely useful in the movements of a fish but an effort must be made by the fish, water is only a medium. Similarly, Jiva itself has to make an effort in order to move but the movement can only be progressive if it is made with the help of its own Dharma.
Adharma is when movement is at rest. Just as a branch of a tree serves the place of rest for a flying bird, Adharma is a place of rest for Jiva. Rest represents the want of movement which in turn means want of progress. Thus, in Jainism, the words Dharma and Adharma have very peculiar meanings which are quite unconventional.
The term Akasha means space and the term Kala means time. All progress, or want of it, requires space and time. Both of which have no life and hence are Ajiva. An important thing to be noted according to Jainism is, the things which are immobile are not necessarily Ajivas simply because they are immobile. A lump of earth has lives of Nigoda, having only one sense. It is for this reason that most of the Ajivas are merely conceptual - the things which can be conceived only in mind.
The finding of one sense Jivas in the things like earth, air, water etc. was a great discovery in the field of religion, which is now proved through physical science in its theory of atomic composition of electrons, protons and neutrons which generate energy. Energy is dynamism which is an other name of Jiva. (Ref: pg 71-75)
013. When did Jiva and Ajiva come into existence?
A13. Jains answer this by saying that they are eternal - with no beginning or end. Science also holds that matter is indestructible.Jains further believe that Jiva and Ajiva are associated together. When Jiva, by its own cfforts separates itself from Ajiva, it obtains salvation called "Moksha".
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