Jain Journal 1990 10

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

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The old literature does not contain much about alcohols and medicinal waters. These form the subject of other faculties. However, it has been pointed out that they should not be used for better health and spirits. Amritacandra has described alcohol as a source of many microorganisms and it causes intoxication and idleness.34 Butter is also produced by a similar process. One does not have much description about liquid oils. However, butter and oils form a class of liquids which are water insoluble. Many other liquids are water soluble. They are described to some extent in Ayurvedic texts.
JAIN JOURNAL
It seems from the above that there were three types of liquids in use in olden times. The number of liquids is enormous today. Their properties vary. The earlier description of general properties show that quite a good number of properties of liquids are found in cannons. The Vaisesikas85 have sea, river, dew and ice water with many other varieties not mentioned. This is much less than what is described in Jain literature. The Buddhists have also a similar case as with the earths.
The Air or Gaseous Skandhas
As earlier, the air should represent the gaseous class of substances. They move obliquely. Formerly only colorless gases might be known which could not be visible to the eye but other senses could sense them by their blowing, flowing or smell. It seems, however, that no other gas except air was known in canonical periods. That is why only various types of air are described in this category. The earths and water fare a little better in this regard.
Air has been classified differently in different periods as shown in Table 4. The Daśavaikalika classifies it in seven types-a common sense view. But there is a peculiarity. Air from mouth is also included in it which is now taken as chemically different from normal air in the sky. Other airs may be called non-violent airs or breezes. Prajñāpaṇā has a better classification of air consisting of seventeen varieties depending on direction, velocity, action or physical state. Santi Suri has eight varieties which include air from mouth and some other Prajñāpaṇā varieties. It has excluded all directional winds. Battaker and Amritacandra have seven varieties excluding mouth air. All these categories do not include air from nose without which our life would be in danger.
34 Amritacandra Suri, Purusarthasidhyupaya, D. J. S. N. Trust, Songarh, 1978, p. 61. Prasastapadacarya, op. cit., p. 96.
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