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out, i.e., raw earth-minerals, rocks, metal ores, precious stones, clay etc.,—is animate, psychical order of existence, i.e., the molecules of raw earth are not dead matter. Every molecule is united with a conscious principle—a soul-as its physical body. 'Being animate' means it possesses a sense-organ and has the ability to experience pleasure and pain through it. The sense-organ is that of touch which is also that of pain. Thus digging of earth or handling or processing raw earth amounts to imposing pain on the earth-bodied organisms. When processed by fire, water, etc. the organisms are killed and the soul transmigrates and the product from the earth is rendered inanimate.'
Firstly, they are divided into subtle (sukṣma) and gross (bādara) and both of them are again divided into underdeveloped (aparyāpta) and fully developed (paryāpta). The subtle ones are distributed all over the entire cosmos but the gross ones are found in a part of it. [These divisions apply to all immobile organisms (sthāvaras)].
Then follow the division of gross and fully developed into two kinds: smooth and rough. Smooth ones are of seven kinds:
Black, blue, red, yellow, white, pale dust, and clay. The rough ones are of 36 kinds: Stones etc.— Earth, gravel, sand, stones, rocks, rock-salt; Metal ores-- Iron, copper, tin, lead, silver and gold;
Minerals–Orpiment (arsenious trisulphide), Vermilion (mercuric sulphide, Realgar (arsenic disulphide), Sasyaka (dhātu viseșa), antimony, coral, mica, micadust,
Precious stones—Diamond, hyacinth, natron, arka, crystal, lohitākṣa, emerald, masāragalla, bhujamocaka, sapphire,
The maximum duration (life-span) of the earth-bodied organisms is 22 thousand years, the minimum being less than 48 minutes (antarmuhūrta).
1. In āyāro and Acārāńga Niryukti, the weapons (sastra) are enumerated, which, when operated upon the different beings, kill them. See Ācārānga Bhāsyam, pp.34.
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