Jaina Epistemology

SR No.: 006738
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Indra Chandra Shastri
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith
Publication Year: 1990
Total Pages: 516
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 21 MB

Page 112

The General Conception of Knowledge 87 soul from ignorance and delusion to the state of perfection.
(1) Jiva-Samāsa (Soul classes): From protoplasm of the germ-cell to a full-blown human being, there is an infinite number of mundane souls or living beings in the universe. The protoplasm has no senses other than the touch. The human beings have all the five senses and the mind. The beings that come in middle of these limits possess two, three, four or all the five senses. Thus, they can be divided into six classes :-- The evolution of senses occurs in the order of the senses of torch, taste, smell, sight and hearing. The mind comes at the last. The one-sensed beings will have the sense of touch only. The two-sensed will have those of the touch and the taste. The three sensed will have the sense of smell also. The four-sensed gets one more, i.e. the sense of sight. The five-sensed have all the five. Some of them possess mind while the others do not. Those with mind are known as samjñis while others are asamJñins. All the animals having less than five senses are asamjñins; while the five-sensed are both samjñins as well as asamjñins. The one-sensed beings are again divided into fine (sūksma) and gross (bādara). They have another division of Pratyeka (one soul with one body) and sādhārana (many souls with one body). One-sensed animals are further divided into five kingdoms of earth, water, fire, air and vegetables.
Some mundane souls when attacked or in fear of something or some.one, can voluntarily move from one place to the other place. A man attacked with a sword can run away. Similar is the case with many other beings like dogs, ants etc. But a tree cannot move from its place. The ability to move voluntarily from one place to the other place divides the souls into two classes of Mobiles (trasa) and Immobiles (sthāvara). All the one-sensed animals are immobiles. According to another view, fire and air are mobiles. All the animals having more senses are mobiles.
There are four kingdoms through which the soul passes. The three kingdoms of hell, human beings and divine beings possess generally all the five senses with mind. In the sub