Jain Journal 1990 10

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

Page 35

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colored and others colorless. They could be liquefied and solidified. They could be put to large number of uses.
The Vaisesikas 38 also have obliquely moving air which is recognised by touch and inferred by a hot a cold touch, production of sound and vibrations and by causing lighter bodies to float in sky. Despite mentioning its innumerable varieties, they have pointed only inhaling and exhaling air present in all parts of the body. Its obstruction has also been mentioned. It is said that it causes biochemical processes to proceed and the body to run, a fact not mentioned by the Jainas. The Buddhists have air as a primary matter with not much details about it.
The Fire or Taijasa Skandhas
The fire or taijasa skandhas represent various types of energy particles. Some of them like light are visible by sense of sight while others are perceived by senses other than sight. Basically sun-rays or fires are called taijasa. They are hot by nature-a point not mentioned in literature but observed physically. That is why sound energy has not been called taijasa. The Prajñāpaṇā" classifies these skandhas in two-fine and gross forms. It is the gross variety that has been classified in canons and shown in Table 5. The flames (with or without light) are the known forms of gross fires. Daśavaikālika 40 gives seven forms of fires while Prajñāpaṇā describes at least twelve forms. Others mention their own numbers. But if one takes pure fire as fire produced without fuels (i.e. by striking stones, rods or bamboos and gems (fire-burning through glass or gems) and star burning, electric lightning etc. are all included in the ulkā variety, then there is not much difference in the varieties of fires by different authors. It may be guessed that those mentioned ones are not the only fire skandhas, but there may be many others as the authors use the term etc. They have done so in case of water and earths also.
JAIN JOURNAL
The above taijașa skandhas have three aspects: heat and/or light and electric lightning which is produced by difference in charges. Thus, it may be inferred that the term taijaşa has included energies (of today) known during the canonical periods. The important point to be noted here is that the electric lightning or its forms in the sky have been taken as fire skandhas. These are natural forms of electricity. All these are described in Physics rather than Chemistry of today.
Prasastapadacarya, op. cit., p. 118-20.
39 Vacak Syama, Arya, op. cit., p. 46.
40
Muni Nathmal, op. cit., 26, p. 112.
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