Dr. Samani Mangal Pragya
The abbreviated name of Dharmāstikāya is dharma and adharmāstikāya is adharma. In Indian philosophy, dharma and adharma are generally used to refer good and bad activities in ethics. In metaphysics, these two terms are used significant to refer to two ontological entities -dharmāstikāya and adharmāstikāya, which are exclusive to Jain philosophy. Four substances out of six are mentioned in other philosophies too, but the acceptance dharma and adharma as a substance is unique to Jain philosophy. Dharma and adharma are incorporeal, nonliving, eternal and stable entities. Both are in the form of aggregate, so each is considered as one independent substance from substantial viewpoint. They are spread in the whole cosmic area from spatial point of view and are eternal from temporal viewpoint. All the units of dharmāstikāya and adharmāstikāya are capable of indirectly assisting motion and repose (passively) respectively to soul and matter.[1]
Dharmāstikāya and adharmāstikāya have innumerable units.[2] They assist in movement and repose respectively to living and non-living beings. However, they are not precursors of movement and repose since they are dormant or inactive entities in themselves.[3] Although there is no availability of direct description of their activeness or inactiveness in āgamas, in Tattvārtha, it is clearly stated that they are inactive. Bhagavatī considers them as one substance from substantial view point and from spatial consideration, they are cosmos-pervasive.[4] If we hold both of them to be numerically one and cosmos pervasive, then the possibility of their activeness comes to an end. In the post canonical literature, the functionings of dharma and adharma are exemplified with the example of movement of a fish in water and person being stationary on earth which acts as a base etc.[5] Such illustrations are not available in the āgamic texts.
