________________
In the scriptures this is asserted with great emphasis. Thus in Sūtrakrtānga Sūtra we come across the terms, ‘Kammovaga'' and ‘Kammaniyaneņam',? which respectively means ‘under the influence of karman' and because of the karman’. These are expounded as under: the birth, life-span and activities of each and every living organism are the result of the fruition of its own karman. e.g. a plant comes into existence because the conscious principle of the plant, due to the rise and fruition of specific sub-species of the body-building (nāma) karman and lifespan determining (āyusya) karman provide the necessary impetus for its metempsychosis as a plant in a particular place, i.e., in a particular soil. Fruition of karman is the causal force which guides and brings about as its effect the existence of the plant. In short, the species, the place or location and time are all determined by karman. Nidāna in the second term means causal potency. While the conscious principle of the plant is eternal and uncreated, the body of the plant comes into existence because of the karman associated with that soul in the form of a karmāņa śarīra. It is this subtle body-kārmaņa sarīra—which is the causal force for producing the gross physical body which is seen as a plant or an organ of a plant.
In Biology, seed is the fertilized and ripened ovule of flowering plants, containing embryo capable of developing into a plant by germination. Seed, like other parts of the plant, is an animate or living organism. According to Jains, the process of germination proceeds because of the kārmaņa śarīra of the soul in the seed. This is indicated by the terms, ahābieņam, ahāvagāseņa, etc..? The souls which on account of their karman are to be born as trees may be embodied in the seed or in earth
1. Sūyagado Vol. 2, Ch. 3 Sūtra P 261. 2. Ibid., Vol. 2 Ch. 3 Sūtra 2 p 262. 3. Sūyagado Vol. 2, Ch. 3 Sūtra 2 P. 183—tesia ca ņam ahabienam ahāvagāsenam ihegahiyā satta pudhavijoniyā pudhavisambhavā pudhavikassa, tajjoniyā tassambhavā tavvakkama kammovaga kamaniyanenam tathāvakkama nānāvihajoniyasu pudhavisu rukkhttăe viuttanti.
According to the kind of) seed and place (of growth of these plants, some organisms-born in earth, originated in earth and grown in earth, having in it their birth, origin, and growth, being impelled by their karman and coming forth in it on account of their karman, growing there in particles of earth, the origin of various things—come forth as trees.
JAIN BIOLOGY
-
103 :
Jain Education International
For Personal & Private Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
