________________
Jaina Biology
“Some beings, born in water, come forth in water bodies, in the water produced by other water bodies."'18
“Some beings born in water, come forth as movable creatures."19
“Some beings come forth as fire-bodies in the manifold animate or inanimate bodies of movable or immovable creatures.”20
"Some beings are born as wind-bodies, grow in wind bodies and come forth in wind-bodies.''21
“Some beings are earth, gravel, sand, stones, rocks, rock salt, iron, copper, tin, lead, silver, gold and diamond, orpiment, vermilion, realgar, sāsaka, antimony, coral, abhrapatala (mica ? ), abhravāluka, hyacinth, natron, arka, crystal, lohitākşa, emarald, masāragalla, bhugamokaka, sapphire, candana, red chalk, hamsagarbha, pulaka and sulphur, candraprabha, lapis lazuli, jalakänta and suryakanta 22 ( a kind of gem )."
It is not clearly explained by the Jainācāryas how does the reproduction of bacteria - earth quadrates and plant bacteria take place. But it is suggestive from the reference to their birth and death with remarkable speed at the rate of innumerable one-sensed bacteria per instant (or moment) (samaya ), of infinite bacteria in common plant body, e. g. those of äluka ( white patato, surana, etc. )23 and of nigodas (micro-organisms = viruses ? )24 that bacteria generally reproduce asexually by simple fission-the cell simply divides into two cells, etc.
The Jaina view on the reproduction of bacteria is supported by modern Biology in the following manner : " Bacteria generally reproduce a sexually by simple fission-the cell division occurs in bacteria with remarkable speed, some bacteria dividing once every twenty minutes. At this rate, if there were plenty of food and nothing to interfere, 18. Sūtrakstānga, 11. 3,59. "Sattā udagajoņiyāņam.........udagajoniesu udaesu udagattác
vsutarti/". 19. “Sattā udgajoniyaņam...... tasapāņattāe viuttamti /", Ibid. 20. "Ihegatiyā sattā.. .. aga nikayattae viu tamti /", Ibid., II. 3.60. 21. “Thegatiyā sattā.... vayakkāyattāe viuftamti!”, Ibid. 22. Ihegatiyā sattā.... puļbavittae sakkarattāe......jāva surakamtattae viuttamti/",
Ibid., II. 3,61. 23." Anusamaya-masamkhijja, egimdiyā humti ya cavamti!", Candrasūri, Bphat
sāmgrahani, 1st edition, V.S. 1993, v. 274, p. 28; “Vanakāio anamta ikkikkão bijam nigoyao. Niccäni-masamkho bhāgo, aņāmtā jivo cayai l”, etc., Ibid, v. 275, p. 28. Ibid., v. 275, p. 28. See also other editions of Bțhatsangrahaņi by Mastar Umecand Raychand for this reference, “ Anusa mayamasam-khijja-egimdiyā humti ya Cavārti", v. 435, p. 243; “ Vaņakāio anamta ikkikkão vijam ņigoyão / Niccām masamkho bhāgo anamtajivo cayai ei 1/", Ibid., v. 436.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
