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ATÓM IN JAIN
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not an object of sensuous cognition Only transcedental and extra-sensory perception can cognise its qualities
PHILOSOPHY
Let us now see which of the properties of matter which were discussed in detail in the previous section are applicable to paramănu
1 Paramānu is a substance It is nitya (eternal) and avasthita (untransmutable) This is so because paramanu never loses its identity even though it participates in the union to produce composite bodies Thus nor a single paramānu is destroyed nor a new one created. The total number of paramānu is eternally
the same
2 It is ajeeva-devoid of consciousness It has a real existence By itself it is not kāya because it is solitary However, when united with other constituents of a composite body it is a participant of 'kaya'
3 It possesses four primary sensuous qualities-colour taste, smell, and touch but is devoid of samsthāna because it has no shape and it has no length breadth or thickness
4 It is capable of being active and dynamic When mobile it may have vibratory as well as migratory motions The activity of a paramāņu is not continuous but rather in the form of quantas
5 Individually ie by itself it is not fissionable The process of fission and fusion are attributes of composite bodies
6 It is parināmi By itself it is agurulaghu parınamı ie it has no mass The mutation is in respect to its innate qualities viz, colour, smell etc
7 It can assume a very high velocity, since it has no mass there is no upper limit to its speed It
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98 Eka sanaya lokānia prūpiņām-Bhagavatī Sūtra Vrin 168
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