Scientific Contents in Prakrta Canons

SR No.: 001670
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: N L Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith
Publication Year: 1996
Total Pages: 608
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Science, & Religion
File Size: 9 MB

Page 391

Definition of Living : 369
of Virasena described its characteristics as given in Table 2. Though not referring them as general or specific, yet containing many general and a number of specific properties. Acārānga describes the property of sensitivity, irritability or consciousness (in terms of feeling for pain when weapon-operated ), killer weapons and method of attaining soul-hood by the Jiva in the first instant. This concept gets modified there itself with reference to plants indicating some nine points mostly proving the material nature of Jiva. These points grew to a maximum of 23 in Bhagavati (increasing from six marked with asterisk in Table 2) with 17-20 in Pañcāstikāya18 and Dhavalā 19. The terms 'Atma' and 'Antarātmā' connote different meanings in these characteristics from their general meaning. When this change of meanings did occur-is a matter for scholars to dive deeper.
Some duplication is visible because of similar meanings of a few terms. However, only three terms represented as the non-observable, most of them represent observable properties when karma particles are taken as material. The facts have been dealt in detail in Pañcāstikāya, Dhavala commentary and Nava-padartha of Bhikhanaji20. Moreover, Bhagavati, Tandulaveyaliya and some other canons also mention the size, weight, reproduction and adaptability characteristics of the living21.
Contrastingly, Kundakunda and Dhavala give 17-20 attributive terms, many of them have similar meanings as in Bhagavati with minor differences. Quite a good number of terms assume non-materiality, weightlessness, thought activities, physical body, size and the like to the living hitherto not mentioned by the canons like Acārānga and Bhagavati. Its reason may be that the early canons assumed it a nearly material in contrast to Kundakunda's presumption of basically non-material nature of living. That is why he has not mentioned birth and growth of the living while in Dhavala these terms are mentioned.
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One could currently equate sensitivity or irritability with