Jain Darshan Ke Sandharbh Me Pudgal - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Jain Darshan ke Sandharbh me Pudgal" by Ramesh Muni, based on the provided pages:

This text explains the Jain concept of Pudgal, a foundational term in Jain philosophy that has a unique meaning within Jainism compared to other philosophical systems.

Key Aspects of Pudgal:

Definition and Etymology: The word "Pudgal" is derived from "Pud" (meaning to assemble or become complete) and "Gal" (meaning to dissolve or separate). This etymology reflects the nature of pudgal as substances that constantly combine and disintegrate, join and break apart, throughout the universe.
Contrast with Other Philosophies: While the Buddha used "pudgal" to refer to the stream of consciousness (alaya-vijnana), other philosophers and modern science refer to what Jainism calls "pudgal" as "matter" or "bhautik padarth" (material substances).
The Sole Material Substance: Out of the six eternal substances (dravyas) in Jainism, five are considered formless (amurta) and only Pudgal is material and has form (murta). This is why the visible world is called the material world and the science related to it is termed "Material Science."
Ubiquitous and Diverse: Pudgal is described as a "wondrous substance" that constitutes all visible matter, including earth, water, fire, air, plants, and creatures. The variety of pudgal is so immense that enumerating all its forms is impossible.
Connection to Living Beings (Jiva):
- Jainism categorizes all matter into six categories (shatkaaya), five immobile (sthavara) and one mobile (trasa). These categories, while related to jiva (soul), are fundamentally descriptions of the bodies or forms (kaya/sharir) that jivas inhabit.
- A significant point is made that all physical objects were once the bodies or forms of living beings. Bricks, stones, diamonds, gemstones originate from earth-bodied beings (prithvikaya). Rain, dew, vapor, and ice are forms of water-bodied beings (jalakaya). Gases are forms of air-bodied beings (vayukaya). Wooden furniture and clothes are derived from plant-bodied beings (vanaspatikaya). Even products like milk, ghee, curd, silk, leather, and ivory toys are the deceased bodies of beings from different categories.
- The five elements (earth, water, fire, air, and space) combine to form substances. The dominance of one element determines the state of the substance (solid, liquid, fiery, airy, or empty).
Inseparability from Jiva: From the perspective of "nishchaya naya" (ultimate truth), jiva and pudgal are distinct. Jiva is formless, while pudgal has form. However, from an "vyavahar naya" (conventional truth) perspective, jiva and pudgal have been intertwined like milk and water for an infinitely long time. Despite this close association, neither substance loses its fundamental nature – pudgal never becomes jiva, and jiva never becomes inert matter.
Manifestations of Pudgal: Pudgal manifests in various forms like sound (shabd), darkness (andhakar), light (udyot, prabha), shadow (chhaya), heat (dhoop), color (varna), smell (gandh), taste (ras), and touch (sparsh). These are considered different transformations or attributes of pudgal that can combine and separate.
Spatial Extent and Structure: Pudgal is described as having a spatial extent and being composed of parts. Some pudgals have one part, some two, and some have countless parts.
Classifications of Pudgal:
- By Touch:
  - Ashtasparshi (Eight-Touched): Pudgals possessing color, smell, taste, form, and eight types of touch.
  - Chatuhsparshi (Four-Touched): Pudgals possessing only cold, hot, sticky, and dry/rough touches.
- By Composition:
  - Skandha: Aggregates of atoms.
  - Desh: Conceptually divisible parts of a skandha.
  - Pradesh: The smallest divisible part of a skandha or desh that cannot be further divided.
  - Paramanu: The ultimate, indivisible, uncreateable, indestructible, and unalterable particle of pudgal. While within a skandha it is a "pradesh," when separated, it is a "paramanu." A paramanu has one color, one smell, one taste, and two types of touch.
- By Substance, Space, Time, and Mode (Dravya, Kshetra, Kaal, Bhav): Pudgal is infinite in substance, pervades the entire universe (lokakash), is without beginning or end in time, and possesses color, smell, taste, and touch in its mode.
- By Color, Smell, Taste, and Touch: Scriptures describe 530 classifications of pudgal based on these attributes.
Subtle and Gross Forms: Pudgal exists in both subtle and gross forms throughout the universe. Atoms up to four-touched skandhas are considered subtle. Karmic and mental matter (karmic vargana, manovargana) are in this subtle category. Subtle pudgals can only be perceived by those with special knowledge. When atoms combine to form skandhas, they become perceptible to the senses.
Transformations of Pudgal in Relation to Jiva: Pudgal undergoes three types of transformations concerning jiva:
1. Prayog Parinat: Pudgals transformed into various substances through the actions of mind, speech, and body, driven by the jiva's intention.
2. Mishra Parinat: Pudgals abandoned by the jiva, such as hair, nails, excreta, and deceased bodies.
3. Visrusa Parinat: Pudgals that transform on their own without the help of jiva, like clouds and rainbows.
The Cycle of Samsara: The relationship between jiva and pudgal is eternal. A jiva accepts new pudgals after discarding old ones. This very connection is the cause of Samsara (the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth). The soul's wandering in the world is primarily due to its association with pudgal.
Eight Categories of Pudgal Associated with Jiva (Vargana): These are the types of subtle matter that souls absorb and use to form their various bodies and functions:
1. Audārika Vargana: Pudgals for the gross physical body.
2. Vaikriya Vargana: Pudgals for forming diverse forms and transformations.
3. Āhārak Vargana: Pudgals for the illuminating body.
4. Tejas Vargana: Pudgals of electrical energy.
5. Kārmaṇ Vargana: Pudgals that mature into karmas.
6. Bhāṣā Vargana: Pudgals suitable for speech.
7. Manovargana: Pudgals that form the mind.
8. Śvāsochchvāsa Vargana: Pudgals for respiration.
Pudgal Paravartan: The text mentions "pudgal paravartan," referring to the countless cycles of acquiring and discarding these various types of pudgals by a soul during its worldly existence. This signifies the vastness of the soul's journey through Samsara.
Comparison with Modern Science: The text draws a distinction between the scientific understanding of an atom and the Jain concept of a paramanu. The scientific atom, with its electrons and protons, is considered a cluster of many atoms (a skandha) from the Jain perspective, as it can be split, combined, and observed with instruments. In contrast, the Jain paramanu is indivisible, unobservable by any instrument, and of ultimate subtlety.
Conclusion: The author emphasizes the profound and extensive contemplation of pudgal in Jain literature, suggesting that a detailed treatise would be monumental. The presented insights are a brief overview intended to inspire further study.

In essence, the text elaborates on pudgal as the sole material substance in Jainism, highlighting its pervasive nature, its role in constituting the universe and the bodies of all beings, its intricate relationship with the soul, and its fundamental importance in understanding the cycle of worldly existence (Samsara).