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Prajñāpanā. But Satkhandāgama employs the term samyaktva. We do not deem it necessary for Prajñāpanā to mention āhāra as a separate point-of-investigation because the whole topic itself pertains to āhāra. It seems to us that Prajñapană utilised a list of 13 dvaras which already existed at that time. And it is clear that a list of 14 dvāras being more systematic than the one of 13 dvaras, the former cannot be older than the latter.
The first point-of-investigation taken up for discussion in the first section is the question as to whether the food (ähāra) 3 of the living beings belonging to this or that class from among the 24 is sacitta (alive), acitta (not-alive), or both. In answer to this question we are told that the living beings possessed of vaikriya body take acitta food whereas the living beings possessed of audārika body take all the three types of food (1794). After this seven pointsof-investigation are discussed jointly. These seven points cover the following seven questions. Do the infernal beings have the desire to undertake feeding ? When do they desire to undertake it ? What do they take in their feeding? Do they transform all that they have received from all the directions? Do they undertake feeding of all the material particles which they have received or only a part thereof? Do they undertake feeding of all the material particles received by them? What happens to the material particles after they undertake them in their feeding ? After discussing these seven dvāras in connection with the class of infernal beings (1795-1805), Prajñāpanā discusses them in connection with the remaining 23 classes one by one (1806-52). The noteworthy facts that emerge from this discussion are as follows. Ahāra (feeding) is two-fold, viz. ābhoganirvartita and anābhoganirvartita. That is, here we find the distinction between voluntary feeding and involuntary feeding. Voluntary feeding involves different time-gaps (between one feeding and another) in different classes of living beings whereas involuntary feeding is incessant (1786 and 1806 etc.).
Living beings undertake feeding of material particles characterised by colour', flavour etc. The aggregate of these particles should be such as could have at least infinite atoms as its constitu
3. Dharala clarifies that by the term 'āhāra' are meant not the karala-ahara,
lepa-āhāra, uşma-āhāra, manah-ahāra and karma-ahāra but is meant the nokarma-āhāra. Book I, p. 409. The text proper, at this place, states that an aggregate proper for feeding is characterised by one colour etc. The commentator points out that this is said from the practical standpoint (vyavaharanaya); but from the definitive standpoint (niscayanaya) it does have all the five colours (folio 501).
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