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Biology in Jaina Treatise on Reals
observed to be the substratum of many living organisms. Thus, they may also be called as formally living on the basis of substratum-substrate relationship. The next aphorism is intended to describe the ownership of other senses among the living beings:
Kṛmi-pipilika-bhramara-manuṣyādīnām-ekaika-vṛddhāni
2.23
The worms, ants, the black bees and men etc. have senses gradually increasing one by one in order.
1.
The duplication of word 'one' (eka) in the aphorism 2.23 should be taken to indicate succession.
2.
There is plural number here with respect to all the senses. They increase one by one.
Q. Which of the senses are first and which are the later? 3 A. In this aphorism, the sense of touch is supplied from the earlier aphorism 2.22. Thus, it is undoubtedly clear that the senses increase one by one beginning from the first sense of touch onwards.
Q.
How they increase one by one, then?
4 A. The successive sentences originate from the above basic construction. Just as a word, 'fruit or stem of a specific tree' leads to many sentences like 'eat the fruit of the tree', 'cut the tree' or 'make the dice out of the stem'. Similarly, here too, many sentences could be formed. They may be such as- the worms etc. have one sense of taste more than the sense of touch (i.e. they have two senses). The class of ants has an additional sense of smell more than the above two (i.e. they have three senses). The living beings of the class of bees have an additional sense of sight more than the above three senses (i.e. they have four senses). The class of men has an additional sense of hearing more than the above four senses (i.e. they have five senses).
5.
The word 'adi' (etc.) in 2.23 has a dual meaning in terms of kinds and order. When scriptures are not intended, it means kind. Thus, the 'worms etc.' means different kinds of worms. However, when scriptures are intended, it means the order as mentioned in them.
The origination of different senses would be treated in the same way as that of the sense of touch. However, there should be realisation of all-destroying supervariforms of subsequent remaining senses besides other relative factors. Supplementary Notes
1.
The commentary deals with the following points:
(a) The (physical) senses observed in different types of living beings have been mentioned in this aphorism.
(b)
The different senses are manifested due to the destruction-cumsubsidence of corresponding sence-obscuring and energy-obstructing karmas and realisation of
(i) All-destroying supervariforms of the remaining senses
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