________________
188
Jaina Biology The reference in Jaina Biology to the covering of the body (or skeleton) with skin, fat and muscles suggests that "the epidermis with several layers is the portion which is tanned to make leather and below this and connected with the underlying muscles is a layer composed of many fat cells and a more loosely woven network of fibers. 24 This part of the dermis is one of the principal depots of body fat.
“This fat helps prevent excessive loss of heat and acts as cushion against mechanical injury. The dermis is richly supplied with blood and lymph vessels, nerves, sense-organs, sweat glands, oil glands and hair follicles.25
Outgrowths of the Skin :
The hair 26 and pails27 of man, the feathers28 of birds, scales29 of fish, snake, etc., claws30 of some animals, hoofs31 and horns32 of other Vertebrates are actually derivatives of the skin. The entire skin, except the palms of the hands and soles of the feet, is equipped with lakhs of hair follicles33-in-pocketing of cells (romakupas) from the inner layer of the epidermis.
23.
22. Samvegarangaśālā Sūtra 1860, P, 146, Bahim tu tāe Vedhie atthire /"
"Atthiyakadbine siranhārubamdhane mamsacammalevam mi/", Tandula Veyaliya p. 41.
Biology. p. 338. 24. lbid. 25. Biology, p. 338. 26. Bhagavati Sūtra, 1.7.61 ; Tandula Veyaliya, 2, p. 6. 27. Ibid. 28, Tattvārthadhigama Sūtra II. 34 (Comm.) "Pakşiņām ca lomapakşāņām" ;
* Lomapradhānāh pakşā yeşām te lomapakşāh/" Ibid., (Tikā). 29. Matsya (fish), sarpa ( snake ), etc. as mentioned in Jaina Biology. bave got
scales. 30. Sanapphada animals have got claws, such as simha (lion), Vyāghra (tiger), etc.
Pannavadā Sutta I, 74. 31. The hoofed animals have hoofs ; they are ckakşură (solidungular animals),
e. g. horse ; dvikşurā (biungular animals) e. g. cow see Pannavaņā Sūtra, 1. 71-72.
Cows and deer have horns. 33. It is stated in the Tandula Veyaliya (2, p. 6,) that there are 35,000,000
romakupas ( hair follicjes ) with hairs and 9900000 (hair follicles without hairs. "Navanauim ca romakūvasaya sahassaim nivatteti viņa kesamamsuņā sata Kesamamsuņā addhutthao romakūvakodio, nivatteti /” Tandula Veyaliya, 2, p. 6. That is, except the palms of the hands and soles of the feet, the entire skin is equipped with lakhs of hair follicles-inpocketings of cells from the inner layer of the epidermis.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org