The Doctrine of the Jainas, Described after the Old Sources c8.29

c8.29

§59. The Atom. *poggala*, the word for atom,¹ is applied in its basic meaning as a "concrete body" in Viy. 176b, whereas in 240a it means the part of an individual. The atom is eternal (Viy. 65b) as is the substance of which it is the ultimate particle and among the fundamental facts it is the only one bearing any physical character (T. 5, 4). Owing to the fineness of its structure by which it eludes observation, it is beyond the grasp of tools and indivisible², but it owns the qualities of colour, smell, and taste at either 1 kind or 2 kinds of touch (Viy. 746b. 797a) among the possible 5, 5, 2 and 8 kinds of these four (Viy. 778 a), and such in an endless variety of different grades (*guṇa*). The qualities of touch are cold or warm in combination with smooth or rough.