Prepared By: Shruti Jain

Six Dravyas

Who created the universe?

If there was a creator, then who created the creator?

Six Dravyas (Substances)

What is Guna (Attribute)?Something that exists in all parts of a substance and in all its modifications.

What is Dravya?The mass of infinite inseparable attributes (gunaas) is called substance or dravya.

Six Dravyas (Substances)

What is paryay (mode)?Each attribute keeps on changing continuously and uninterruptedly. The constant ongoing modification of a substance is called paryay.

Six Dravyas (Substances)

The whole cosmos consists of 6 dravyas, namely:

Dravya

Jeev

(Living and conscious)

Ajeev

(Non-living; unconscious)

Pudgal Dharma Adharama Aakash Kaal

Six Dravyas (Substances) – A BRIEF

1. Jeev (soul) – which has power of knowing; consciousness

2. Pudgal (matter) – which possesses touch, taste, smell and colour

3. Dharma (ether or principal of motion) – which is a passive cause in the motion of jeev and matter

4. Adharma (anti-ether or principal of rest) – which enables jeev and matter to remain stationary at one place

5. Aakash (space) – which provides accommodation to all the other five dravyas

6. Kaal (time) – which possesses the characteristic attributes of time substance , changes and modifications are achieved through progress of time

Six Dravyas (Substances) – Characteristics

1. Jeev (soul)

- Essential characteristic is consciousness

- Infinite in number

- Total number remain the same in the entire universe

- Neither dies nor ever takes birth

2. Pudgal (matter)

- It has form , i.e. can be touched, tasted, smelled, seen & heard. Only this dravya possesses this characteristic.

- They are infinite in number

- Does not have consciousness or knowledge

- Smallest particle of matter is known as parmanu(Atom)

Six Dravyas (Substances) – Characteristics

3. Dharma (medium of motion)

- This substance helps in the movement of soul and matter

- It is a single entity

- It does not have any form, colour, taste, smell or body

- Doesn’t have knowledge or consciousness (non-living)

4. Adharma (medium of rest)

- Helps to rest soul and matter

- It is a single entity

- It does not have any form, colour, smell or taste

- Doesn’t have knowledge or consciousness (non-living)

Six Dravyas (Substances) – Characteristics

5. Aakash (space)

- Provides room to other substances.

- It has no form, colour, taste, smell, and touch.

- It does not perform any action (inactive), however it does give accommodation to soul and matter.

- It pervades everywhere and is one and whole, i.e. indivisible (akhand). However it has Two Types:

The portion of space where all substances are found is called Lokakash (or universe).

The empty infinite space outside the universe is called Alokakash (or non-universe).

Six Dravyas (Substances) – Characteristics

6. Kaal (time)

- Passive cause in the functioning of self-functioning substances like soul and matter.

- It has no form, colour, taste, smell, and touch.

- The smallest indivisible portion of time is called Samaya.

- They are innumerable and exist in whole of universe.

Six Dravyas (Substances) – Key Takeaways

None of these dravyas can be created or destroyed and they have no creator

They have their existence from the beginning (aadi) and will be there until infinite time (anant)

The forms (paryay) of these dravyas change continuously

Three dravyas viz., medium of motion, medium of rest and space are single entities while time, matter and soul are numerous

Six Dravyas

How would knowing about these substances

help us?

Sahajanandi, Shuddhswaroopi,

Avinashi Hu, Atma Swaroopi

I am a happy, pure, everlasting

soul