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Biology in Jaina Treatise on Reals
sensed beings and some five-sensed subhumans and human beings have agglutinational birth. Hence, the stipulated order has been violated to compose a shorter aphorism 2.35 regarding aggutinationals after describing the uterine and special-bed birth.
12. The uterine birth of viviparous, oviparous and un-umbilical beings is directly perceived and proved. Hence, the affirmation of this fact again in this aphorism indicates the rule that the uterine birth is there only among those three types of beings. Thus, this aphorism is a regulatory one.
A.
Q. When the birth-regulatory rule is there, why there could not be such a rule that the oviparous, viviparous and un-umbilicals have uterine birth only ? This cannot be so, because the later aphorism 2.35 contains the word 'remaining' which indicates agglutinational birth also for the remaining living ones. This rule applies to the types of birth alone. Supplementary Notes
1.
(a)
The commentary deals with the following points
The three types of uterine birth have been properly defined. The designation of un-umbilical-born as one of the three varieties is not correct as there is no difference between the meanings of the two terms. The soul is itself transformed into the un-umbilical form.
(b)
The justification of the order of the three varieties of the uterine birth has been given on many grounds.
2.
The Svetambaras have a different version of this aphorism involving the word 'potaja' in place of 'pota'.
3. The uterine birth has been observed to occur in three different forms for various living beings. This aphorism has a two way rule- (i) the oviparous, viviparous and un-umbilically born living beings have uterine birth only and (ii) the uterine birth is found only in case of viviparous, oviparous and unumbilical living beings.
The Digambara commentaries have not given example under these categories. However, TSB mentions typical names under each category as below:
4.
(a) Viviparous (20) : (i) men (ii) cows (iii) bulls (iv) buffaloes (v) goats (v) sheep (vii) horse (viii) ass (ix) camel (x) deer (xi) pigs (xii) lion (xiii) antelope (xiv) tiger (xv) bear (xvi) dog (xvii) jackal (xviii) cat (xix) rhinoceros and (xx) special (camari) cow etc.
(b) Oviparous (19): (i) serpent (ii) leech (iii) lizard (iv) fish (v) tortoise (vi) crocodile (vii) alligator (viii) domestic cuckoo (ix) swan (x) parrots (xi) vulture (xii) Jay-bird (xiii) pigeon (xiv) crow (xv) peacock (xvi) falcon (xvii) heron (xviii) crane (xix) lucust etc.
(c) Un-umbilicals (12): (i) elephant (ii) hare (iii) rat (iv) leopard (v) mongoose (vi) fox (vii) skin-winged birds (viii) sārika (a bird) (ix) porcupine (sehi) (x) special cats (vidale) (xi) bhāranda (a fabulous bird) (xii) leech etc.
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