Tattvartha Sutra (with commentary)
by Vijay K. Jain | 2018 | 130,587 words | ISBN-10: 8193272625 | ISBN-13: 9788193272626
This page describes the substance of space (akasha-dravya) which is verse 5.9 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 9 of the chapter The Non-living Substances and includes an extensive commentary.
Verse 5.9 - The substance of space (ākāśa-dravya)
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of Tattvartha sūtra 5.9:
आकाशस्यानन्ताः ॥ ५.९ ॥
ākāśasyānantāḥ || 5.9 ||
The substance of space (ākāśadravya) has infinite (ananta) space-points (pradeśa). (9)
Hindi Anvayarth:
अन्वयार्थ: [आकाशस्य] आकाश के [अनन्ताः] अनन्त प्रदेश हैं।
Anvayartha: [akashasya] akasha ke [anantah] ananta pradesha haim |
Explanation in English from Ācārya Pūjyapāda’s Sarvārthasiddhi:
The extent of space-points (pradeśa) of the substance of space (ākāśadravya) is mentioned next.
Space pervades both the universe and the non-universe. Infinite means endless. What is infinite? The space-points (pradeśa) of space (ākāśa) are infinite. The idea of space-points is to be understood as already given: ‘a space-point (pradeśa) is said to be the space occupied by an indivisible elementary particle (paramāṇu)’.