Jaina Biology

SR No.: 001543
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: J C Sikdar
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad
Total Pages: 340
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Science, Biology, & Philosophy
File Size: 19 MB

Page 190

The Organisation of the Human Body
179
on again by vāyu (bio-motor current) and the fat-forming metabolic heat (medo'agni) in the menstruum of lymph (Kapham samāśritya) receiving viscosity and whiteness forms the fat tissue. This fat in the chyle (or blood ) or rather its grosser part replenishes the fatty tissue of the body but its finer essence in the flesh in the blood in the chyle, acted on by vāyu and the marrow-forming metabolic heat, in the menstruum of lymph (Sleşmaņāvrta ), becoming hard produces bone.88 The essence of fat which fills the hollow channels of the bones gets transformed into marrow,90 being acted on again by vāyu (bio-motor force ) and metabolic heat. The marrow becomes similarly transformed into semen.91
It is to be observed that rasa ( chyle) of fluid in the chyle or blood mainly acts as the nienstruum throughout the metabolic process and each preceding elements of the body takes up the proper organic compounds from the food chyle to form the next element or tissue. In this process the chemical changes take place because of the metabolic heat which breaks up the compounds and recombines.
The successive formation of blood, flesh (blocks of muscle or tissue), fat, bone, marrow, semen, etc. as mentioned by Jaina Biology is fully corroborated and thus explained by the Indian Ayurvedas in details.
According to modern Biology, "there are many ways of sub-dividing the general field of metabolism, e. g. liver metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, fat metabolism, etc. Carbohydrates, fats and proteins are the three types of fuels of the organism from which its cells obtain biologically useful energy for metabolism and nourishment'92.
In Jaina Biology there is a clear reference to fats (moda, vasā), but not to carbohydrates and porteins. Human beings can adapt to a variety of diets. So it is suggestive from the evidences of Jaina Biology that they obtain carbohydrates from sugars and starches (rice, wheat, etc.),93 fats from oil, butter, clarified butter and proteins from pulses, meat, eggs, milk, etc. 88. Tata), suksmo bhāgah vyänavāyunā prerito dhamanibhiḥ śirabhiśca śaritāmbha
kāņi māmsani yāti /", etc., Caraka, vide Positive Sciences of the Ancient
Hindus p. 208. 89. Slesmanan ca samāśritya mamsam vāyvagnisamyutam, sthiratām prāpya saukal
yam ca medo dehe abhijayate / Caraka-Dridhavala Samhita quoted by Aruna
in his commentary on Vagbhat, vide Pusitive Sciences of the Hindus, p. 270. 90. Prthivyagnyanitadinäin samghatah sleşman ävytah, kharatvam prakarotyasya jayate
asthi tato nļņām / Ibid., P. 207. 91. "Karoti tatra sauşiryamasthnām madhye samiranah l,” meda sa tani Pūryante
sneho majjā tatah smştah /,” Ibid. 92. “Tasmānmajjñaśca yah snehah sukram samjāyate tataḥ /” Ibid. 23. Biology 94. Sūtrakstānga, 11-3.