Tattvartha Sutra (with commentary)
by Vijay K. Jain | 2018 | 130,587 words | ISBN-10: 8193272625 | ISBN-13: 9788193272626
This page describes atoms of the lowest degrees of attributes (jaghanya-guna) which is verse 5.34 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 34 of the chapter The Non-living Substances and includes an extensive commentary.
Verse 5.34 - Atoms of the lowest degrees of attributes (jaghanya-guṇa)
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of Tattvartha sūtra 5.34:
न जघन्यगुणानाम् ॥ ५.३४ ॥
na jaghanyaguṇānām || 5.34 ||
Combination does not take place between atoms of the lowest degrees of the two attributes. (34)
Hindi Anvayarth:
अन्वयार्थ: [जघन्यगुणानाम्] जघन्य गुण सहित परमाणुओं का [न] बन्ध नहीं होता।
Anvayartha: [jaghanyagunanam] jaghanya guna sahita paramanuom ka [na] bandha nahim hota |
Explanation in English from Ācārya Pūjyapāda’s Sarvārthasiddhi:
Combination of atoms takes place by virtue of these attributes of greasiness (snigdhatva) and roughness (rūkṣatva), in general. The following sūtra highlights the exceptions.
Here, ‘jaghanya’ means the lowest and ‘guṇa’ means degree (of the attribute). Those which possess the lowest degree of the attribute are the lowest degree. There is no combination between atoms which are characterized by the lowest degree of greasiness or roughness. It is as follows. There is no combination of one degree of greasiness with one, two, numerable, innumerable or infinite degrees of greasiness. In the same manner, there is no combination of one degree of greasiness with one, two, numerable, innumerable or infinite degrees of roughness. Similarly, it should be understood with regard to one degree of roughness.
If so, it would imply indiscriminate combination among all degrees of greasiness and roughness other than those of the lowest degree. The next sūtra mentions further exceptions.