The Doctrine of the Jainas, Described after the Old Sources c8.96

c8.96

§68. Speech, so Pannav. 255b says, originates in the soul, while it becomes manifest in the body in the shape of a thunderbolt, and it ceases to be at the end of the world (bhāsā jīv'āiyā sarīra-ppabhavā vajja-samthiyā log'anta-pajjavasiyā). Most probably the designation of its shape is due to a simile laid down in some other connexion. But what Prajn. actually means is that the world which would be pierced by atoms of speech would then appear in the shape of the vajja. All one-sensed beings lack the faculty of speech. For further details see §§61 and 74. Āyār. II 92, 3f. wants to make it quite clear that speech is existent only the moment when being spoken (*bhāsijjamāṇa bhāsā*), but neither before nor after, and this is equally being stated by Viy. 103 b, 621b and 622b. The process of speech as such is dealt with at great length by Pannāv. 260b ff. This process is, to put it briefly, the ejaculation (*nissarai, nissjati*) of substances (*davva*) taken in (*genhai*) previously now being ready either for use or on store). They consist of *os* atoms (*ananta-paesiya*), occupy the space of *a* units, last for 1 *sam.* and own all qualities possible with reference to colour, smell, taste and sensation. Their reception is meant to bring about a close contact (*puṭṭha, ogāḍha*), i.e. with the units of the soul (*āma-padesa*, Prajn.), and to it both fine and coarse particles (*aṇu* and *bāyara*)¹ are subjected which is discussed circumstantially. The reception takes place either with or without interruption (*antara*) in that either reception or ejaculation, or both reception *and* ejaculation occur within 1 *sam.*, and then the particle ejected as speech will invariably be the same particle as taken in within the foregoing *sam.*, and, by the way (267a), they will belong to the same content of speech (true, false, etc.) for which they were taken in. Their destiny depends on the intensity of speech. As we learn from Praja. on Pannāv. 262b. and from Vy. on Viy. 612 b, when speaking low the particles of speech leave the mouth in coarse portions (*abhiṇṇa*), but they do not reach far and will perish soon, whereas when speaking loud they are finely divided (*bhinna*), and in this case speech will increase infinitely and reach the boundaries of the world.²