Disclaimer: This translation does not guarantee complete accuracy, please confirm with the original page text.
## **Pinḍaniyukti**
**The Consciousness of Stationary Bodies: A Discourse**
In the Vedic tradition, Earth, Water, Fire, etc. are revered as deities. In the Nāstika and some other schools of thought, they are accepted as the five elements. Mahavira, through his direct knowledge, declared them to be living beings, stating, "Earth, Fire, etc. are themselves living beings. Many Trasa and stationary beings reside in them. Stationary beings are conscious without the need for weapons. One who harms stationary beings also harms many subtle Bādar, as well as sufficient and insufficient beings residing in them."
Witnessing the scientific exposition of the six categories of living beings (ṣaḍjīvanikāya), Ācārya Siddhasena exclaimed, "O Lord! Your omniscience is evident in your exposition of the six categories of living beings. The presentation of the ṣaḍjīvanikāya is a unique contribution of Mahavira to the entire Indian philosophy." In the Ācārāṅga Niyukti, the Niyuktikāra has presented many logical and practical arguments for the consciousness of stationary bodies. A detailed description of this is provided in the introduction to the Niyuktipañcaka.
In Pinḍaniyukti, the author, in the context of explaining the word "Pinḍa," presents a novel perspective on the conscious, unconscious, and mixed states of Earth and other stationary bodies. The consciousness of stationary bodies is dense, and they are always influenced by a state of partial sleep (styānārddhi nidrā). Therefore, it is extremely difficult to determine their conscious, unconscious, or mixed state based on external signs. Only a specific knowledgeable person can describe this. The departure of the soul from a conscious object occurs according to a fixed time or due to the use of opposing weapons. The Niyuktikāra has meticulously presented the conscious, unconscious, and other states of stationary bodies from both the perspective of certainty and practice. Here, some specific references presented by him are being presented:
**Earth Body**
The Earth bodies of hell like Ratnaśarkara, etc., and the central parts of great mountains like Meru, Himalayas, etc., are undoubtedly conscious. Unhindered forests, where there is no movement of humans and animals, and no dung, etc., are practically conscious. Trees like Banyan and Asvattha are called Kṣīradruma. Due to their sweetness, there is a lack of weapons there. Under these trees, some Earth becomes unconscious due to cold, etc., which are weapons, while some remain conscious. The Earth outside a village or city is also mixed.
1. Daśa 4/4 Annatthasatthaparinaenaṁ. 2. Āyārō 1/27, Āni 102, 103. 3. Dvātriṁśad Dvātriṁśikā 1/13. 4. See Niyuktipañcaka Introduction, pp. 88-93. 5. Pini 10. 6. Mavṛ p. 8.