History and Doctrines of the Ajivikas: A Vanished Indian Religion c24.s1.32

c24.s1.32

*Nīlakēci* confirms most of the statements of *Maṇimēkalai*. Here, however, the elements are only five in number, and joy and sorrow are nowhere mentioned as being atomic in nature. Their characteristics are expressed somewhat differently. Here earth has all sense qualities except sound⁵; water, coolness (*taṉmai*); fire, burning (*erittal*), wind, blowing and howling (*ceritta virai-y oṭ*); and life, instructing and knowing (*arittal arital*).⁶ The elements are not said to combine in regular ratios, as in *Maṇimēkalai*. They are without *guṇa*,⁷ which the commentator Vāmaṉamuni translates as *iyalpu*, quality or characteristic. The sensual qualities of the elements thus do not appear to have been thought of as present in the individual atoms, but were latent in them, emerging only on their combination. Atoms could not interpenetrate.⁸