Agam 15 Upang 04 Pragnapana Sutra Part 02

Author(s): Shyamacharya, Punyavijay, Dalsukh Malvania, Amrutlal Bhojak
Publisher: Mahavir Jain Vidyalay

Page 426

... (297)...
skin (1859-60). The two-sensed up to the five-sensed human beings undertake the feeding through skin as well as mouth (1861). The one-sensed beings have no mouth. And though the vaikriya body possessed by infernal and celestial beings have a mouth yet its nature is such as they do not require the mouth in the process of undertaking feeding. Hence the beings belonging to these three classes undertake feeding through skin. This is the clarification offered by the commentator (folio 509). Again, he makes it clear that feeding through skin is possible only in the case of paryāpta living beings whereas it is not possible in the case of the aparyāpta (Commentary, folio 509).
The eleventh dvāra discusses the question as to which class of living beings undertakes pre-birth feeding (oja-āhāra) and which feeding through sheer desire. We are told that infernal beings undertake pre-birth feeding only; they do not undertake feeding through desire (1862). The same thing applies to all those who possess audārika body (1863). Celestial beings alone undertake both pre-birth feeding and feeding through sheer desire (1864). The desire of celestial beings to undertake feeding is fulfilled as soon as it arises in their minds (1864). To undertake feeding of the proper material particles at the place where a living being is to take its new birth is called pre-birth feeding. This pre-birth feeding alone is possible in the case of the aparyāpta. This, again, is the clarification offered by the commentator (folio 510). At the end of this discussion the commentator quotes the following Sūtrakytānga Niryukti gathās which contain the essence of the discussion.
sarirenoyähāro tayā ya phasena lomaähårol pakkhevāhāro puna kävaliyo hoi nāyavro || 171 || oyähārå jīvā savve apajjattayā muneyavval pajjattaga ya lome pakkheve homti bhaiyavvā || 1721 egimdiyadevăņam neraiyānam ca natthi pakkhevo sesāņam jivānam samsāratthāņa pakkhevo || 173 || lomāhārā egimdiyā u neraiyasuraganā ceva | sesänar āhāro lome pakkhevao ceva || oyahārā manabhakkhiņo ya savve vi suraganā homti
sesä havaṁti jīvā lome pakkhevao ceva || The last two gathas are not found in the text of Sūtrakrtānganiryukti.
The second section of the chapter is devoted to the discussion of the question as to whether or not living beings undertake feeding. This discussion is conducted here through 13 dväras (1865). The different types of feeding which we have met with in the first section are neither mentioned nor discussed here (1866-1907).