________________
The World of Life : Plants
93
bunches of grapes (spherical bacteria which occur in such clumps are called staphylococci ). There are two types of spiral forms; the spirilla, which are less coiled and sometimes resemble a comma ( the one causing cholera looks like this ); and the spirochetes, which are highly coiled and resemble a corkscrew. The most widely known of the latter is the one causing syphilis."u
Reproduction of Bacteria
Bacteria-earth quadrates and bacteria in plants reproduce asexually (sammūrochima ).12 It is stated in the Jaina Agamas 13 that “Some beings are born in trees and grow in trees that are originated by trees, come forth as their roots, bulbs, stems, branches, twigs, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds.'14
"Some beings are born in earths and grow in earth particles that are the origin of various things and come forth as kubana."15
“Some beings are born in water, grow in particles of water that are the origin of various things and come forth as Panaga (fungus ), Sevāla (algae ), etc."'16
It has already been pointed out that numerable, innumerable and infinite bacteria inhabit the roots, bulbs, stems, branches, twigs, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds of some sādhāra na śarīra vanaspatis including kūhana, sevāla, etc. It is not clearly stated how the asexual reproduction of the plant bacteria takes place.
“Further some beings are born in water, grow in water and come forth as water-body, which is produced by wind, condensed by wind, it goes upwards, when there is an upward wind, it goes downwards, when there is a downward wind, it goes in a horizontal direction, when there is a horizontal wind; its varieties arc hoar-frost, snow, mist, hail-stones, dew and rain."17
11. Biology, p. 132. 12. Acaränga Sūtra, I. I. 81; Sūtrakstānga, I. 7. 1. 13. Sūtraktānga, II. 3. 46. “Satta rukkhajoniya rukkha sambhava........rukkhesu
mūlattae kandattae khamdattāe tayattāe salattāe pavālattāe pattattāe pupphattāe
phalattae bivattāe viuţtamti /". 14. SBE XLV, II. 3. 5. p. 390. One soul, jiva pervades the whole tree; it is the soul
of the tree, separate lives, however, reside in the roots, etc. as bacteria. 15. "Sattā pudhavijoņiya......... Kūhaņattāe/", etc., Sūtrakrtanga. II. 3.54. 16. "Sattā udagajoņiya.........panagattae sevälattāe /", etc., Ibid. 17. Sūtrakrtānga 11. 3.59. "Sattā ņāņāvihajoniya. ..... Vayasamsiddham .... vāyapari
ggahiyarn uddhavāesu uddhabhägi bhavati, a heväesu ahebhāgi bhavati, tiriyavāesu tiriyabhagi bhavati, tamjaha-osa himae.. ... .suddhodae".
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
