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84
THE JAINA
PHILOSOPHY
parămanu pudgala On ultimate analysis thewhole material universe is paramānu As we have seen paramānus have the innate capacity of uniting with one another to form composite bodies The union of paramāņus may be the result of some psychic activity (prayogic) or it may be natural (vaiśrasika) The union is subject to certain definite rules as all types of paramāņus are not eligible to participate in the union The composite bodies are liable to the process of decomposition (again subject to rules) and the united pai amānus may become free particles and thus the association and disassociation goes on eternally The paramānu is the ultimate cause kāraṇa anu as well as the ultimate end product - antya anu Kāraṇameva tadantya sükşmo nityaścha bhavati paramāņu
Ekarasa - gandha - varņo dvisparśaḥ kāryalıngascha The above verse defines the paramāņu in the following terms
1 It is kārana ie it is the cause of the creation of the material universe
2. It is antya ie it is the ultimate end product of the material universe
3 It is sūkşma 1 e infinitesimally fine
4 It is nitya ie indestructible It does not lose its individuality even when participating in a union 5 It possesses one rasa, one gandha and one varna 6 It is dvisparsi ie it possesses two
sparsa either
dryness or unctuousness and hot or cold 1e it is either dry cold or dry hot, or unctuous cold or unctuous hot
7 It is kāryalinga ie it can be cognised by inference only through the effects of collective actions Its qualities can also be cognised through the qualities of the composite bodies In short, by itself it is
