Jaina Biology

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

Page 19

Jaina Biology
It is stated that there are ten kinds of prāna 20 (living material or life force), viz. five indriyaprānas (life force of five senses), ucсhvāsaprāņa (life force of respiration ), āyuprāna (life force of length of life ), manovāk-kāyaprānas (life forces of mind, speech and body ).
Actually speaking, these ten prāņas are almost contained in six paryā ptis, e. g. indriyaparyapti contains five indriyaprānas, ānaprānaparyäpti = ucchvasaprāņa, śarīraparyāpti = kāyaprāņa, bhāṣāparyāpti = Vākprāņa, mana haparyāpti=manahaprāna, only āyuprāna appears to be an addition.
Thus it is found that most of the paryāptis and the prānas have common names. So the question is whether there is any difference between them. The Gommațasāra explains the difference in this way that paryāpti is attainment of the capacity of developing body, mind, speech and five senses, while prāna is the activity of those functionaries.21
It is further explained that one-sensed beings possess four präņas or balas (life-forces ), viz, sense of touch, respiration, length of life and body; two-sensed beings have six prānas, viz. senses of touch and taste, respiration, length of life, body and speech, three-sensed beings have seven prāņas, viz. senses of touch, taste and smell, respiration, length of life, body and speech; four-sensed beings have eight prānas viz. senses of touch, taste, smell and sight, respiration length of life. body and speech. In asmjñi pañcendriya jivas (five-sensed beings having no physical mind) but psychical mind there are nine prāņs viz. senses of touch, taste, smell, sight and hearing, respiration, length of life, body and speech, while there are ten prāṇas in Samjñi pañcendriya Jivas (five-sensed beings having physical mind and psychical mind ). viz, senses of touch, taste, smell, sight and hearing, respiration, length of life, body, speech and mind.22
According to the Cārvākas, life (as well as consciousness ) is a result of peculiar chemical combinations of non-living matter or the 20. Dasahā jivuņa pāņā imdiusāsāujogabalarūvā/
egimdiesu cauro, vigalesu cha satta axheva || (42) Asanni-sanni-pamclimcimdiesu nava dasa kamena boddhavvā 43, Jivavicāra,
Parca vi imdiyapānā maņavaeikayesu tiãāi balapāņā / 21. Gommațas āra, Jivakāņda, p. 90. 22. Jivavicāra, vv. 42-43.
“Ekendriyeşu-Pșthivyadişu catvaraḥ prāņāḥ sparsanendriyocchvāsāyuḥkāyabalarüpah dvindriyesu catvārasta eva Vāgbalarasanendriyayutah sat prāņā bhavanti tatha trindriyeņu sat prāņāsta eva ghranendriyanvitāh sapta bhavanti tathā caturindriyegu saptaiva cakşurindriyasahitā aştau prāņā bhavanti/tathā asamjñipancendriyeşu aştau ta eva srotrendriyayuta nava prānā bhavanti/ththā samjñi pañcendriyeșu ngvata eva manoyuktā daśa präņā bhavanti/"
Ibid., (Commentary), p. 27.