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The Jaina View of Darkness

By Himanshu Shekhar Acharaya

Vol. 181992-93pp. 71–73English

Summary

Himanshu Shekhar Acharya examines how Jain philosophers conceive darkness (tamas). Unlike Hindu schools that see darkness as absence, Jains treat it as a positive quality of matter (pudgala). The article surveys canonical texts and commentaries, explaining that darkness consists of subtle particles and is distinct from shadow (chāyā). Acharya analyses works like Hemacandra’s Yogaśāstra and Vijayānanda’s commentaries to show how Jains explain natural phenomena such as night and eclipse through material darkness. He compares Jaina theories with Nyāya and Buddhist views, arguing that the Jain position offers a consistent account of sensory experience by granting ontological status to tamas. The paper concludes that the Jaina view integrates cosmology, physics and epistemology, revealing the sophistication of Jain natural philosophy.

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Conclusion

The study demonstrates that, for Jains, darkness is a material quality rather than mere absence. By examining canonical texts, Acharya shows that tamas plays a role in cosmology and perception. This insight enriches comparative philosophy and highlights Jain contributions to ancient physics.

Key passages

Chosen by AI from the article's text. Each one is checked word for word against the text before it is shown.

  • “The Jainas accept darkness (famas) as one of the qualities of Pudgala'.”
  • “To conclude, tamas according to Jainas is a quality being a mode of pudgala and it can be considered as a substance since a mode (parydya) is not different from a substance.”
  • “Pujyapada, Nemichandra etc. hold darkness to be the factor obstracting our visual perception besides being a mode of pudgala.”

Works cited in this article

  1. BDS _: Brhaddravyasamgraha of Nemichandra, ed by Monoharalal Shastri, Srimad Rajachand Ashram, agas, 1966.
  2. SAMBODHI : Bhagavatisiitra with Abhayadevasiiri's com. ed. by N. V. Vaidya, Vijaydeva-siiri Samgha Series : Bombay.
  3. : Pancastikayasdrah of Kundakundacharya ed. by A. Chakravarti Nayanar, Bharatiya Jnanapitha Publication, Varanasi, First edition, 1975.
  4. : Samkhyakdriki of Iswarakrishna with commentary Sirabodhini of Sivanarayana Shastri with Sdmkhyatattvakaumudi of Vacaspati Mishra, Nirnayasager, Bombay, 1940,
  5. : Syddvadarahasya of Hemachandrasiri, ed by, Yasovijayjnaniswara, Bharatiya Pracya Tattva Prakashan Samiti, Pindwada, 1974.

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In this issue

Vol. 18
1–32Bhartrhari’s Perspectivism (3): On the Structure of the third Kanda of the VakyapadiyaJan E. M. Houben33–43Natyasastra and Indian TheatreRadhavallabh Tripathi44–47Later Paramaras of AbuRam Vallabh Somani48–53The Apabhramsa Passages of the DharmaratnakarandakaHarivallabh Chunilal Bhayani54–60Akho: The poet of protest in the seventeenth century GujaratR. L. Raval61–70The concept of change, as treated in BuddhismBhavana Trivedi71–73The Jaina View of DarknessHimanshu Shekhar AcharayaCurrent article74–76The Date of the Devendrastava: An Art-Historical ApproachLalit Kumar77–84Indian Concepts of Time and ArchaeologyRatilal N. Mehta85–88भारतीय दर्शन में अभाव की समस्याHemlata Srivastava89–91લાડોલની આરસની જિનપ્રતિમાઓના દસ અભિલેખLakshmanbhai Bhojak92–95કિશોરલાલ મશરૂવાળાનો કર્મિવિચારMadhusudan Baxi96–100કવિ લીંબોકૃત ઝષભદેવ ફાગ : એક પરિચયKanubhai V. Sheth101–102હાસલપુર (સા.કાં.)નો સપ્તમાતૃકાપટ્ટ - નવીન ઉપલબ્ધિRambhai Thakar Savaliya103–122शुभविजयगणिकृता प्रमाणनयतत्त्वप्रकाशिका स्याद्वादभाषाNarayan M. Kansara123–124ચોલુક્ય ભીમદેવ બીજાનું અપ્રસિદ્ધ તામ્રપત્ર (વિ.સં. ૧૨૬૩)Lakshmanbhai Bhojak125–125Review: Prof. K. D. Bajpai Commemoration Volume 2Narayan M. Kansara125–127ReviewNarayan M. Kansara126–127Review: Samskrta Shataka-Parampara Aura Acharya Vidyasagara ke SatakaNarayan M. Kansara128–130Review: The Clever Adulteress and Other Stories: A Treasury of Jain LiteratureNarayan M. Kansara131–131Review: Materials for an Edition and Study of the Pinda- and Oha-Nijjuttis of the Svetambara Jain TraditionNarayan M. Kansara134–135Review: Bhoja and Haravijaya of Sarvasena by Dr. V. M. KulkarniNarayan M. Kansara136–136Review: The Dharma-ratna-karandaka of VardhamanasiiriNarayan M. Kansara137–139Review: A Treasury of Jain TalesNarayan M. Kansara—The Astrological Works of DasabalaNarayan M. Kansara

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