The six Dravyas, called as substances are one of the most important tenets of jainism. These six substances are in nutshell ,what the universe is comprised of.They are called Astikayas to denote their existences or as realities.
Substance is substrate of qualities ; the qualities are inherent in one substance.Dravyashraya Nirguna Guna! (Tatvartha sutra) but the characteristic of developments is that they inhere in either (viz.substances or qualities). (Uttaradhyan sutra 28th chapter,Dravya ,guna paryaya).
They are enumerated as follows:Dharmastikay,Adharmastikay,Akashatikay(Space),Kaal(Time),pudgalastikay(Matter),and jeevastikay(living thing or soul)
The Characteristic of dharmastikay is the medium which facilitates motion or dynamism and Adharmastikay,immobility or the medium which facilitates to remain static.
Dharma, adharmastikay and akashastikay (space) are each one substance only but time ,matter and souls are infinite number of substances.
The characteristic of space which contains all other substances, is to make room or (Avagaha) accommodate everything.(Uttaradhyan sutra Ch.28)
The characteristic of time is duration (past,present,future) or change.Vattana Lakhano kaalo !(Uttaradhyan suutra Ch.28)
The characteristic of jeev (soul or living thing) is consciousness (upayoga),perception,conduct (Act) feelings of happiness or misery.From the development view pont its knowledge,perception,conduct,austerites,energy,and realisation of its developments.
The characteristic of matter (Pudgal,Expanded as puran-galan) is sound ,darkness,lustre,light,shade, colour, taste, smell,touch.From the development view point it is singleness,separateness,number, form,conjunction,and disjunction.
Comments:
One should bear in mind the scientists are yet to come out with a proven explanation of the origin and nature of universe.Many theories have been advocated in the past but only to be replaced or rejected by another.One of the meanings of theory is hypothesis which means yet to be proven, keeping this in mind let us examine the six substances explained in the sutras and ponder upon.
Regarding Dharmastikay and Adharmasikay the following Quote of Sir Issac newtons Mathematical principle of natural philosophy and his system of the world:
“It is inconceivable, that inanimate brute matter, should, without the mediation of something else, which is not material,operate upon and affect other matter without mutual contact.That gravity be inate, inherent and essential to matter so that one body may act upon another at a distance thro’ a vaccum without the mediation of anything else, by and through which their action and force may be conveyed, from one to another, is to me so great an absurdity that I believe no man who has in philosophical matters a competent faculty of thinking can ever fall into it.Gravity must be caused by an agent acting constantly according to certain laws;but this agent be material or immaterial, I have left to the consideration of my readers”
Further it is inconceivable that all thing are in a permanent state of motion or in a static state.Its all a matter of relative view points. (Anekant Drishti)One also observes that there is both order and chaos in the universe depending upon view points.Entropy is also a related topic for indepth study.
Space and Time: Acharang sutra the first chapter itself mentions the basic six directions with regard to space points (The intermediate space points are infinite) or can be inferred as the three dimensions.Albert einstien adds time as the fourth dimension.
The definition of space in the sutras is that which accomodates,it encompasses the recent theory of warping of the universe.(String Theory)
The definition of time in the sutras qualifying it as essence of change is both objective and subjective.
One must be aware of the fact that passage of time depends upon our state of motion.(All these are to be thoroughly pondered upon to understand)
Moreover all philosophical questions and inferences are explained in the sutras with regard to substance (dravya), space (kshetra), time (kaal), modifications or attributes (bhava) (which can be infinite).
When one attempts to study very deeply it can be mind boggling, as there can be infinite dimensions. (to be pondered)
Matter (pudgalastikaya). The definition in the sutras is all encompassing. Uttaradhyayan sutra 28th chapter, seperately mentions darkness and light (darkness not as absence of light but presence of it) confirming with modern particle theory. Further defining from development view point, singleness, separateness, conjunction and disjunction etc. It describes the nature of atom (confirming with the modern physics electrons, protons, neutrons etc.).
One must remember it is also mentioned in thanang sutra in the 6th sthaan, among the 6 impossibilities there is one impossibility to divide, penetrate, burn, annihilate, cremate (to make it to nothing) the primordial matter (parmanu pudhgal) (Related study: Hadron collider).
Jeevasthikay (Living thing or the soul). The definition of the living thing or soul is very general (vyavahar naya). One must ponder (Anupeha) what is that energy or power behind the various qualities described as knowledge, perception, conduct etc. Any attempt to describe the ultimate, eternal is bound to fail because we are dependent on sound (matter, ajiva) modified into language to describe non-matter or living thing. One should also know that which is common in one sensed to five sensed beings with or without mind (ekendriya to panchindriya, sangni and asangni).
Acharang sutra 5th chapter (Loksar). 6th udhesak has the following explanation: “All sounds recoil thence, where speculation has no room, nor does the mind penetrate there. The ‘oe’ (the enlightened who is free from attachment and aversion, Love and hate or vitraag) knows well that which is without support.
It is not long nor small nor round, nor triangular, nor quadrangular, nor circular, not blue, black, red, yellow, white, neither good or bad smell, not bitter, sour, pungent, astrigent, nor sweet, neither rough or soft, heavy or light, cold or hot, harsh or smooth, it is without body, without resurrection, without contact of matter, it is not masculine, feminine or neuter, it perceives, knows, but there is no analogy, its essence is without form, there is no condition of the unconditioned, there is no sound, no colour, no taste, no touch- nothing of that kind“.
Thus I say (Thi bemi).
