Answer

In Digambar Jain tradition, dravya means a real, eternal substance that forms the basic reality of the universe. Everything that exists is understood through dravya, guṇa (qualities), and paryāya (modifications or modes).

Digambar Jainism generally accepts six dravyas:

1. Jīva — soul / living substance
2. Pudgala — matter
3. Dharma — medium of motion
4. Adharma — medium of rest
5. Ākāśa — space
6. Kāla — time

These dravyas are beginningless and endless, but their states and forms keep changing.

Explanation

1) What is a dravya?

A dravya is something that:

• exists truly
• has qualities
• undergoes changes
• yet does not lose its basic identity

So in Jain philosophy, reality is not seen as only temporary events. There is a permanent substance behind all change.

2) The six dravyas in Digambar tradition

1. Jīva

• Jīva means the conscious, living soul
• It has awareness, knowledge, perception, bliss, and energy in its pure form
• Because of karma, the soul experiences birth, death, pleasure, pain, bondage, and liberation
• Every living being has jīva

2. Pudgala

• Pudgala means matter
• Everything physical belongs to pudgala: body, speech, mind-material, karma particles, objects, atoms
• It has form, color, taste, smell, and touch
• It is always subject to combination and separation

3. Dharma-dravya

• This is the medium that helps motion
• It does not itself move, but it makes motion possible for moving substances like jīva and pudgala
• A simple example often given is: water helps fish swim, but water itself is not the fish’s motion
• In the same way, dharma-dravya supports movement

4. Adharma-dravya

• This is the medium that helps rest
• It does not itself stop anything, but it makes resting possible
• Just as shade helps a tired traveler rest, adharma-dravya supports the condition of rest

5. Ākāśa

• Ākāśa means space
• It provides room for all other dravyas to exist
• Without space, no substance could be accommodated
• It is infinite, but only a part of it is occupied by the universe

6. Kāla

• Kāla means time
• It helps explain change, sequence, old and new states, and continuity of events
• In Digambar tradition, time is accepted as a real dravya
• It is not an astikāya, because it does not have spatial extension like the others

3) Important idea: dravya, guṇa, paryāya

In Jain philosophy, every dravya has:

• Dravya — the substance itself
• Guṇa — its permanent qualities
• Paryāya — its changing states

For example:

• A soul remains a soul, but its condition changes due to karma
• Matter remains matter, but it changes form continuously

This helps explain how something can be permanent and changing at the same time.

4) Astikāya and non-astikāya

Among the six dravyas:

• Jīva, pudgala, dharma, adharma, and ākāśa are often called astikāya because they occupy space and are extended
• Kāla is not an astikāya because it is not extended in space

5) Why dravya is important in Digambar Jainism

The doctrine of dravya helps us understand:

• what is real
• what is living and non-living
• how karma binds the soul
• how liberation is possible
• how the universe operates without a creator god

Spiritual Understanding

The teaching of dravya is not only philosophical; it is deeply spiritual.

• It reminds us that the soul is distinct from the body
• It teaches that karma is material, not moral in a vague sense
• It shows that the soul’s impurities are temporary, not its true nature
• It supports the Jain path of:

- right faith - right knowledge - right conduct

When a seeker understands dravya properly, attachment to the body and worldly objects becomes weaker, and the desire for liberation becomes stronger.

Takeaway

In Digambar Jain tradition, dravya means the fundamental eternal substances of reality. The six dravyas—jīva, pudgala, dharma, adharma, ākāśa, and kāla—explain the entire structure of existence. Understanding them gives clarity about the soul, karma, the universe, and the Jain path to moksha.

If you want, I can also explain each dravya with a simple table, or give a Digambar vs. Śvetāmbara comparison.