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THE SACRED BOOKS OF THE JAINAS.
116. Of the celestial, hellish and human souls, twentysix, twenty-five, and twelve lacs of crores kinds of bodily materials should respectively be known.
या य कोडिकोडी सत्तारणउदी य सदसहस्साइं । पराणं कोडि सहस्सा सव्वंगीणं कुलाणं य ॥ ११७ ॥ एकाच कोटिकोटी सप्तनवतिश्च शतसहस्राणि । पञ्चाशत् कोटिसहस्राणि सर्वाङ्गिनां कुलानां च ॥ ११७ ॥
117. The total kinds of bodily materials of all bodied souls are one Koda-Kodi (one hundred million, 10 m. x 10 m.), ninety-seven lacs, and fifty thousand crores.
Commentary.
Physique (Kula) is natural constitution. Its characteristics are dependant upon the kind of material molecules of which the physical (audúrika) and fluid (vaikriyika) bodies are made. The distinction of physique is due to the operation of the high and low subclasses of the family-determining Karma (Gotra Karma)-This Karma is ever operative along with the body-making, the age-determining, and the feeling Karma (Náma, Ayu, and Vedaniya).
This simultaneous co-operation is obvious. The age Karma is a sort of winding up of the whole machinery. Its existence means the existence of the age vitality. It being exhausted, the whole machinery of a particular mundane condition of existence comes to stop. The body making Karma determines the condition of existence, the genus of beings, their bodies, limbs, formation, molecular bondage, interfusion, figure, osseous structure of the body and their various functions, capacities, and effects at-rest and in-motion. The family-determining Karma (Gotra) determines the high or low class of family in which the soul takes birth. The principle of heredity seems to be recognised by Jainism here. In developing its body and senses the soul chooses and assimilates the kinds of material molecules which are in consonance with the character of the family determined for its birth by the family-determining Karma (gotra). The different sorts of constitution of the material molecules of which the physical and fluid bodies are formed are the different physiques mentioned here. A rough obvious observation may be made in this connection by seeing that the constitution of the material body of dog, deer, goat, sheep, lion, man, different kinds of women, plants,
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