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Biology in Jaina Treatise on Reals
The D-version agrees with the linear motion to have intake from both ends in the same Samaya. However, it does not accept the intake through the abandoned body in non-linear motions. No commentator has given any explantion for this. This text and others have also not indicated the cause of difference between the postulates of both the versions in this regard. The Sversion seems to be more consistent. 8 Though the Digambaras have taken karmas and quasi-karmas as varieties of intakes, but in this case, they do not presume them to be the forms of intake though they are continuously being intaken. It is pointed out that the intake must lead to long-span sustainance. The criterion does not apply to the karmic body intake. The question 'why' is not answered here too though the lifespan karma also is caused through these intakes. 9 The transmigratory motion has karmic activity and intake but no realisation of gross etc. body karmas .Hence, there is no intake of gross nature.
The worldly being is associated with karmic body involving good or bad effects. He undergoes two-fold linear or non-linear translational motion due to the activation by and experiences of earlier-earned karmas to acquire new body for his worldly life. The following aphorism describes the types of birth through which this body is acquired:
Sammũrchana-garbhopapădăh Janma
2.31 There are three kinds of births- (i) agglutinational, a-sexual or spontaneous (ii) uterine and (iii) special bed. (The birth is defined as acquiring a new body after leaving the earlier body). 1. The word 'sam-mûrchana' means formation of body parts by agglutination of mattergic atoms from all directions in the lower, upper or middle portions of the three worlds. 2. The womb (garbha) is the place in the woman's stomach (uterus) where the semen of men and menstrual blood of woman get mixed for procreation. 3. The womb may also be defined as a place where the food intaken by the mother is mixed and assimilated. 4. The word 'upa-pāda' is formed by suffixing the root 'pada' by locative suffix (upa). This is a special bed or seat which is the place of birth of celestial and infernal beings. The transformational mattergic particles present there cause this type of body-birth.
These are the three types of births of the worldly beings through which they are born on the realisation of earlier-earned good or bad karmas. 5. The agglutinated body is sufficiently gross and visible. Hence, it is placed first in the aphorism. Q. The uterine-born is grosser than the protean body. Why has it not been placed first here?
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