Jain Biology

SR No.: 006905
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jethalal S Zaveri, Mahendramuni
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati
Publication Year: 2008
Total Pages: 152
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 13 MB

Page 126

2. Corm -a round fleshy stem which grows upright underground; common examples are: elephant's foot, sword lily.
3. Stem tuber is the swollen tip of an underground branch. Potato is the best example of stem tuber.
Bulbs of onion and garlic are in reality modified shoots with food stored in leaf bases and the buds respectively. A rule of thumb is-(a) whatever grows underground, roots bulbs tubers; (b) immature leaf in which central vain or mid rib is no discernible-are organs in which a common physical body is shared by infinite souls. This is the reason why onions, garlic etc., are regarded as taboo by Jains. Plants which grow from plants (vrkṣayonika vṛkṣa) treated in Sūtrakṛtānga Sūtra, refer to 'epiphytes' and 'parasotes' of biology. According to the former epiphytes and the like grow not only from trees but also from grasses, herbs, shrubs, and all other kinds of plants except 'kuhanas' such as Aya, Kaya, Kandu, Uvvehaliya, etc., because there are no Ayas originating from Ayas but only through their seeds. Again there is similar exhaustive treatment for water plants in the former but not much importance given to them as a special category in Biological treatment. The scripture gives the following varieties of water plants:
Udaga, Avaga (agrassy plant growing in marshy land-Blyxa Octandra), Sevalā. (Vallisneria), Kalambuka (kadamba-Nauclea Kadamba), Kacchabhaniya, Kaseruka (Scripus Kysoor), Utpala, Padam, Kumuda, Nalina (all four being well-known varieties of lotus, Subhaga, Saugandhika, Puṇḍarika, Mahāpuṇḍarika, Śatapatra, Sahasrapatra, Kalhara, Kokanada, Aravinda and Tamarasa (all varieties of lotus), Kamalamūla, kamalanāla, Puskara (stalks and fibres of lotus).
Morphologically, the Scriptures enumerate the following plant organs: roots, bulbs, stem (trunk), branches, twings, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds. Beyond giving the names, the scriptures assert that each of these organs are animated by one or many souls. We do not come across much information about different types of roots such as true and adventitious roots; epiphytic and parasitic roots etc as given in Biology. Same is the case with the other organs.
JAIN BIOLOGY
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