The Conception of Dravyas in Jaina Philosophy

Summary

Kamal Chand Sogani’s article investigates the Jaina doctrine of dravya (substance) and its role in Jaina metaphysics. Jaina philosophy divides the universe into two everlasting categories: Jīva (sentient soul) and Ajīva (non‑sentient entities). Ajīva is further classified into five dravyas—pudgala (matter), dharma (the principle of motion), adharma (the principle of rest), ākāśa (space) and kāla (time). Although this division implies a dualistic universe, Sogani notes that Jaina metaphysics is also pluralistic because each dravya has unique characteristics. Yet from a synthetic point of view, Jaina thinkers maintain that all substances share a common existential substratum. Drawing on authorities such as Kundakunda and Samantabhadra, the article emphasises that while all substances partake of universal existence, their distinctive attributes produce substantive differences. The Kā́rtikeyānuprekṣā observes that substances are one from the standpoint of substance but distinct from the standpoint of their differences. Samantabhadra endorses this view, and Padmaprabhamaladharideva names this pervasive unity “Mahāsattā,” which permeates all things but remains tied to individual objects. Amaracandra distinguishes between svaprūpasatta (intrinsic existence) and sadrasyasatta (generic existence), reinforcing the notion that unity and plurality coexist. Sogani cites Vimaladāsa’s Saptabhaṅgītaraṅgiṇī to show how the doctrine of anekāntavāda and the sevenfold predication of syād‑vāda allow Jaina thinkers to articulate these nuances. The article then analyses each of the five non‑sentient dravyas in detail. Pudgala (matter) possesses touch, taste, smell and colour; its atomic units combine to form perceptible objects. Dharma and adharma dravyas are unique Jaina concepts: they are passive conditions that respectively enable motion and rest. Space (ākāśa) provides room for all substances and is divided into the inhabited lokākāśa and the empty alokākāśa. Kāla (time) is treated as a real and objective substance that not only assists its own change but also conditions the change of other substances. Sogani distinguishes between paramārtha kāla (real time) and vyavahāra kāla (conventional time); the latter includes samaya and āvali and is associated with change, motion and the feelings of being young or old. Each samaya is the minimal duration required for a primary atom to traverse from one spatial unit to the next. Through this exposition, Sogani argues that Jaina metaphysics skilfully balances unity and plurality. The classification of dravyas demonstrates a pluralistic ontology, yet the doctrines of anekāntavāda and syād‑vāda allow Jains to recognise a shared existential substratum and to express the complex nature of reality from multiple viewpoints.