Dr. Samani Mangal Pragya
Astikāya is constituted of Pradeśa.[1] Kāla (time) is devoid of pradeśas and that's why time is not an astikāya.[2] That which has nature of asti, composed of attributes and different modes and that which has originated in all the three planes of cosmos are called astikāyas.[3] These astikāyas exist in all three times, hence, are eternal.[4] Sat (existence) is the nature of astikāya. They are the cause of the universe and their existence is definite and eternal. All the other existents (asti) do occupy the same space units in space, but, even then their own existence remains different. Inspite of being able to enter into one another, their nature is not interchangeable.[5] Pañcāstikāya has been discussed at many places in āgamas, which we will discuss here briefly.
It is a very important fact that the term jīvāstikāya has been used extensively in Agamas but this term is not found in Tattvārtha sūtra and its commentaries (Bhaṣya). Dharma, adharma, ākāśa (space) and matter are called ajīvakāya by Acharya Umaswati and in the commentary, the word 'astikāya' has also been used for them.[6] Jīva i.e. soul has been regarded as a substance[7] but the word 'astikāya' has not been used with it. When this problem is seen through Bhagavatī, it can be noticed that Bhagavatī has used the word jīvāstikāya for referring the conglomeration of all the souls. The post- Tattvārtha treatises call a single soul as Jīvāstikāya.
Hence, we can assume that the period of Tattvārtha is a transition period from first conception to second conception. Here, the author is using the term jīva but not jīvāstikāya. Jīva is considered as a substance in the period of āgama and even in the post āgama period. Umasvati has no problem in considering the soul as an independent substance.
