Jain Darshan Me Pudgal Aur Parmanu - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Jain Darshan me Pudgal aur Parmanu" by Sagarmal Jain:

The book delves into the fundamental Jain philosophical concepts of Pudgal (matter) and Parmanu (atom), presenting a detailed analysis of their nature, characteristics, and classifications within Jain ontology.

Key Concepts and Themes:

Pudgal as a Fundamental Substance: Pudgal is identified as one of the six essential substances (astikayas) in Jainism. It is defined as the only material and perceived substance, the cause of the manifest world. Its characteristics are perceived through senses like sound, color, smell, taste, and touch. Pudgal is the sole element that can be experienced by the senses. While Dharma, Adharma, and Akasha are considered single substances, Pudgal exists in multiple forms and entities.
The Nature of Pudgal: Pudgal is described as the building block of the entire material universe. Everything that is tangible or perceptible to the senses is a manifestation of Pudgal. The text highlights that while other philosophical systems might have different views on the ultimate constituents of matter, Jainism firmly establishes Pudgal as the primary material principle.
Pudgal and the Material World: The visible universe is seen as an extension of various combinations of Pudgal. Multiple Pudgal atoms combine to form skandhas (aggregates), and it is these skandhas that constitute all objects in the world. Changes in the world occur through the creation, organization, and disintegration of these skandhas.
Forms of Pudgal: Skandha and Parmanu: Jain philosophy categorizes Pudgal into two primary forms:
- Skandhas (Aggregates): These are formed by the combination of atoms. Skandhas can be further classified based on their properties and interactions.
- Parmanu (Atoms): These are the ultimate, indivisible, and fundamental constituent particles of Pudgal. Each atom possesses inherent qualities.
Qualities of Atoms: An atom, in its fundamental state, possesses:
- One color (varna)
- One smell (gandha)
- One taste (rasa)
- Two touch qualities (sparsha): one from the pairs of cold/hot and unctuous/dry.
Categorization of Qualities: The text details the specific categories of these qualities as recognized in Jainism:
- Colors: Five types (red, yellow, blue, white, black).
- Smells: Two types (fragrant and foul).
- Tastes: Five types (bitter, pungent, astringent, sour, sweet).
- Touches: Eight types (cold, hot, unctuous, dry, soft, hard, light, heavy).
Gradations of Qualities (Taratamta): A significant aspect highlighted is the concept of taratamta (gradations or degrees) within each quality. For example, redness can exist in varying intensities, from subtle to extremely intense, potentially extending to infinite degrees. The same applies to smell, taste, and touch. This nuanced understanding of qualities is presented as being consistent with modern scientific understanding.
Subtlety and Grossness (Sukshmatva and Sthulatva): These are discussed as relative and absolute concepts. Absolute subtlety and grossness apply when a quality cannot be relatively perceived, whereas relative applies when it can be compared. For instance, an atom's subtlety is absolute, while a large aggregate's grossness is relative to smaller aggregates.
Form (Sansthan): Form is categorized as either itthantva (comparable form) or anitthantva (uncomparable form). Forms like spheres or triangles are itthantva, while the unorganized form of clouds is anitthantva.
Sound (Shabda): Sound is considered a specific modification of Pudgal related to bhashavargana (language-matter). It can be produced by sentient effort (prayogik) or naturally (vaikshasik). Various categories of sound are described, including vocal sounds, instrumental sounds, etc.
Bonding (Bandha): The formation of skandhas involves the bonding of atoms or aggregates. This bonding occurs due to the inherent unctuousness (snigdhatva) and dryness (rukshtva) of Pudgal particles.
Types of Skandhas: The book enumerates six types of skandhas:
1. Sthula-Sthula (Gross-Gross): Solid substances that do not rejoin after being broken.
2. Sthula (Gross): Substances that rejoin after being broken.
3. Sthula-Sukshma (Gross-Subtle): Objects that cannot be broken down but are perceptible to the eyes, like light, shadow, and darkness.
4. Sukshma-Sthula (Subtle-Gross): Imperceptible to senses but causally effective, like fragrance and sound.
5. Sukshma (Subtle): Imperceptible to senses, such as karmic matter, mental matter, and linguistic matter.
6. Ati-Sukshma (Very Subtle): Extremely small aggregates like the dyhanuka (a two-atom aggregate).
The Nature of the Atom: The atom is the smallest, indivisible part of Pudgal. It is eternal, indestructible, yet possesses the capacity for change. The text emphasizes that while the atom itself is indivisible, the process of combination and disintegration leads to the formation and dissolution of skandhas.
The Concept of "Avaktavya" (Unutterable): The text also touches upon the concept of avaktavya, arguing that while the ultimate reality of existence might be beyond complete verbal description (unutterable), it is not entirely unknowable. Jain philosophy maintains a nuanced view where reality is partially describable and partially indescribable, aligning with the principle of Syadvada (conditional predication).
Scientific Parallelism: A significant portion of the text draws parallels between Jain concepts and modern scientific discoveries. It suggests that many Jain assertions, such as the material nature of light, darkness, sound, and the atomic theory, are increasingly being validated by contemporary science. The book cites examples like the concept of subatomic particles (quarks), energy transformation, and the nature of space and time to support this claim.

In essence, "Jain Darshan me Pudgal aur Parmanu" provides a thorough exploration of the Jain understanding of matter and its fundamental building blocks, highlighting the detailed classification of qualities, the structure of aggregates, and the philosophical implications of their existence. It also makes a strong case for the scientific relevance of these ancient Jain teachings.