Tattvartha Sutra (with commentary)

by Vijay K. Jain | 2018 | 130,587 words | ISBN-10: 8193272625 | ISBN-13: 9788193272626

This page describes divisions of other substances which is verse 5.6 of the English translation of the Tattvartha Sutra which represents the essentials of Jainism and Jain dharma and deals with the basics on Karma, Cosmology, Ethics, Celestial beings and Liberation. The Tattvarthasutra is authorative among both Digambara and Shvetambara. This is verse 6 of the chapter The Non-living Substances and includes an extensive commentary.

Verse 5.6 - Divisions of other substances

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of Tattvartha sūtra 5.6:

आ आकाशादेकद्रव्याणि ॥ ५.६ ॥

ā ākāśādekadravyāṇi || 5.6 ||

Up to the space (ākāśa), each substance (dravya) is an indivisible whole (i.e., single continuum). (6)

Hindi Anvayarth:

अन्वयार्थ: [आ आकाशात्] आकाश पर्यन्त [एकद्रव्याणि] एक एक द्रव्य हैं अर्थात् धर्म द्रव्य, अधर्म द्रव्य और आकाश द्रव्य एक एक हैं।

Anvayartha: [a akashat] akasha paryanta [ekadravyani] eka eka dravya haim arthat dharma dravya, adharma dravya aura akasha dravya eka eka haim |

Explanation in English from Ācārya Pūjyapāda’s Sarvārthasiddhi:

Do other substances, like the medium of motion (dharma), have divisions like the matter (pudgala)?

The substances must be taken in the order in which these are mentioned in sūtra 5-1. Hence the medium of motion (dharma), the medium of rest (adharma) and the space (ākāśa) are taken. The word ‘eka’ denotes number, and it qualifies the word ‘dravya’. The word ‘dravya’ (substance) is included in the sūtra in order to specify that oneness (single continuum) is with regard to substance (dravya) only and not in regard to place (kṣetra), time (kāla), and nature or condition (bhāva). In regard to place (kṣetra), the medium of motion (dharma) and the medium of rest (adharma) are seen to be innumerable-fold (asaṃkhyāta). In regard to place (kṣetra) and nature or condition (bhāva), the space (ākāśa) is seen to be infinite-fold (ananta). Still, the medium of motion (dharma) or the medium of rest (adharma) or the space (ākāśa), each, is one in regard to substance (dravya); not many, as the souls (jīva) and the matter (pudgala) are.

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