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 561

Medical Sciences in Jaina Canons : 539
that demonology was one of the important learnings of those days. It is also a section of Ayurveda and Prāņāvāya. The demonical diseases are defined as those which are incurable by any type of medical treatment. They are supposed to be caused by eighteen different types of demigods32. The irreligious, deceitful and lonely people do suffer from these diseases. These could be treated by re-directing and strengthening the inner energy by incantational, meditational and austere practices. Per chance, the general and mastered medicines are not effective in such cases. The medical practitioner of canoni cal age was, thus, required to be proficient in demonology also. Currently, these are treated as psychological depressions and meditation etc. are taken as means to improve them. Anatomical Descriptions
Acārānga 33 gives names of 32 parts of human body and nine forms of excretions in comparişion to twenty in case of Dhanna monk34. There are no details about them, however, as to their structure and shapes etc. But canons like B. A., T. V. give us some anatomical details of human body as shown in Table 2 and 3. It contains some internal details too. It is said that in many cases, women have lesser number of parts. The comparative tables suggest that there is a good amount of similarity between Prānāvāya system and Ayurveda. But the details of Prānāvāya are more varied and quantitative. One can discern differences in number and weight in most cases between the old and current medical systems. However, it is surprising that datas either lack or are not easily available in current system in many cases, reported in canons. Here, the weight calculations have been given on the basis of
1 Pala = 4 Tolas = 46 gms. 1 Añjali = 4 Palas = 16 Tolas = 184 gms. 1 Prastha = 4 Añjalj = 16 Palas = 64 Tolas ~ 800gms. ~ 0.80 Kg.
The author hopes that scholars will be encouraged to express the qualititative contents in current units of length