Jaina Biology

Author(s): J C Sikdar
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 17

CELL STRUCTURES AND FUNCTIONS
As defiued, Biology is the science of living substances (jivadravayas). The field of Jaina Biology differentiates the living from the non-living by using the word 'Jivatthikaya '1 (organism) to refer to any living things, plant or animal, just as modern Biology does. So it is relatively easy to see that a man,2 a Sala tree,3 a creeper4 and an earthworm5 are living, whereas pieces of matter (pudgala ), e. g. earth, stones, etc., are not so. But according to modern Biology, it is more difficult to decide whether such things as viruses are alive."7
1. The Fabric of Life
Jaina Biology, states that the fabric of life of all plants and animals is paryapti8 (Sakti Vital force) or Prana9 (life force) in another way, i. e. paryapti appears to be the actual living material of all plants and animals. There are stated to be six kinds of paryapti10, viz. ahāraparyapti (vital force by which beings take, digest, absorb and transform molecules of food particles into khala (waste products) and rasa (chyle=molecules of nutrients or energy )11, sariraparyapti (vital force) by which chyle or molecules of nutrients (= rasibhutamāhāraṁ) are utilized by beings for the release of energy, the building of blood, 1. Bhagavati Sūtra, 20. 2. 665.
2. Bhagavatt Sutra, 33. 1. 844; Uttaradhyayana Sutra, 155; Tattvärtha Sutra, II. 24. 3. Bhagavati Sutra, 22. 1. 692.
4. Ibid., 23. 4. 693.
=
5. Tattvärtha Sutra, II. 24.
6. Bhagavati Sūtra, 2. 10. 118.
7. Biology, p. 16, Ville, c. 4.
8. Pajjatti Paryapti, Navatatta Prakaraṇa, v. 6; Dharmavijay, p. 12.; Gommaṭasara
Jivakanḍa, vv. 118-119; Lokaprakāśa, Vinayavijaya, Pt. I, 3rd Sarga, vv. 15 ff.
9. Jivavicāra, vv. 42, 43; Gommatas ära, Jivakāṇḍa, v. 129.
10. Navatattvaprakaraṇa, v. 6.
Ahara-sarira-imdiya, pajjatti aṇapāņa bhas-amane /
Cau-pamca-chappiya, iga-vigala asanni-sanninam //" 6,
Navatattva Prakaranam, Dharmavijaya and also see Lokaprakaas, Vinayavijaya,
Pt. 1, 3rd Sarga, vv. 15 ff; Gommaṛasara, Jivakāṇḍa, 119.
11. Tatraiṣaharaparyaptiryayadaya nijocitam nayet /
Pṛthakkhalarasatvenaharam pariṇatim nayet // Lokaprakāśā, 1. 3. 17.