Epitome of Jainism

SR No.: 006737
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: K B Jindal
Publisher: Munshiram Manoharlal Publisher's Pvt Ltd New Delhi
Publication Year: 1988
Total Pages: 248
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 13 MB

Page 46

34.
An Epitome of Jainism
various mythic and fantastic conceptions relating to beings of Hell and Heaven. Eliminating all these as irrelevent, we still have considerable material to enable us to have an insight into the ancient ideas about life and living beings.
One important conception that would strike the reader in the very beginning, is the organic unity of the plant and animal world. Vegetable kingdom is distinctly organic. Its nature was accurately observed and carefully described. The whole plant world is included in the class of organisms having one sense, i. e., the sense of contact. Then the world of animals and insects is classified according to the same principle of sense organs. The animal world beginning with such insects as earthworm and ending with man is brought under four main groups-organisms with two, three, four, and five senses.
Associated with organisms, there is the conception of prâņas or the essential characteristics of living beings. These are mainly four. Balapráṇa, indriyaprâṇa, ayuh-prána and uchḥvása-niśvása prana. Every organism implies certain capacity of spontaneous activity. This capacity for action is balapráṇa or life potency. Every organism must possess some kind of sense awareness. This implies the possession of a sense organ and the capacity to apprehend the environment through that sense. The number of sense organs is different according to stages of organic development. Next is ayuh práṇa or duration of life. Every living organism has a limited duration of life. This organic capacity to persist through a certain duration is ayuh prana. And lastly respiration. There is no organism without this prana of uchḥvása-niśvása. These four main pranas are the essential attributes of organic beings.
One other interesting point is the enumeration of the different means of birth of organisms. Young ones may be produced from garbha. These are garbhajas young ones, produced from the womb. Then the andajas, the young ones produced from eggs. Thirdly, sammûrchḥana or spontaneous generation. This refers to minute crganisms. And lastly they speak of upapâdikas in the case of devas and narakas. The last one of course we may treat as beyond scientific pale. The recognition of spontaneous generation is a point deserving special emphasis.
Another fact deserving notice is the early recognition of the existence of microscopic organisins. These are called sûkshma ekendriya jivas or microscopic organisms having only one sense. These are said to fill the earth, air, water and fire. The possibility of microscopic organisms in fire seems a little too fantastic.* But in the case of the other three, we need have no hesitation as they are fully established by modern science.
In this connection it is necessary to point out that Hermann Jacobi's conjecture that Jainism is very ancient, though historically true, rests on an unwarranted assumption as to these jîvanikayas. He interprets (vide his tran
For the verification of this, one must look to the result of further scientific investigation.