Answer

In Jain Dharma, the six dravya are the six fundamental substances that make up reality.

They are:

• Jīva — Soul or living substance
• Pudgala — Matter
• Dharma Dravya — Medium of motion
• Adharma Dravya — Medium of rest
• Ākāśa — Space
• Kāla — Time

Explanation

• Jīva: The conscious substance. Souls have knowledge, perception, bliss, and energy in their pure nature.
• Pudgala: Physical matter, including the body, speech, breath, and karmic particles.
• Dharma Dravya: Not religion here; it means the substance that helps movement, like water helps fish move.
• Adharma Dravya: The substance that helps beings and matter come to rest, like shade helps a traveler rest.
• Ākāśa: Space, which gives room for all other substances to exist.
• Kāla: Time, which allows change, sequence, and transformation.

Spiritual Understanding

Understanding the six dravya helps us see reality clearly. Jain Dharma teaches that the soul is distinct from the body and matter. This right understanding supports detachment, self-awareness, and progress toward liberation.

Takeaway

The six dravya are the eternal substances of the universe: soul, matter, motion-medium, rest-medium, space, and time.