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SIXTH CHAPTER
THE MECHANISM OF HEREDIIY
( First Section)
The Physical Basis of Heredity? It appears from the study of Jaina Biology that heredity is the tendency of individuals to resemble their progenitors' or the tendency of like to beget like. Each new generation of organisms from twosensed to five-sensed closely resembles their progenitors as is evidenced by the fact of the classification of animals in Jaina Biology on the basis of the senses and structures and certain distinctive parental characteristics3 which appear frequently in successive generations of a given family tree.
Althongh the resemblances between parents and offsprings are close, they are usually not exact. The offsprings of a particular set of parents differ from each other and from their parents in many respects to different degrees due to Karma.4 "These variations are characteristics of living things,"5 according to Biology. Some variations are inherited ; that is, they are caused by segregation of hereditary factors
1. “Pao mauyamgā pannattā, tamjahā - mamsey 1 soņie 2 matthulu mge 3 tao
piuyamgä pannattá, tamjaha - atthi/ athimimjá 2 kesamamsuromanahā 3," Bhagavati Vyākhyāprajñapti, 1.7.61 ; Tandula Veyaliya, 6 p. 10. That is to say, the individuals resemble their Progenitors structuraliy with some traits. Further it is stated in the Bhagavati Sūtra that the united body of the mother and father in the child lasts as long as its worldly body exists, but it comes to an end with the perish of the physique of the child at last after getting weaker and weaker, Bhagavati 1.7.61. Pannavanā Sūtra 1, 56-91 ( Beimdiyajivapaņņavanā up to Pamcimdiya - manussajivapaņņavanā 1 ; see Pannavanā Sutta 1.70 "Egakhurā dukhurā gandipadā saņappadā " Paņn vanã
1.70, p. 30. 3. Solidungular, biungular, multiungular animals, and animals, having toes with
nails (egakhura, dukhurā, gandipada and saņapphadā ; Uttaradhyayan3, 36.179 ; Pannavanā 1.70 ) have distinctive parental characteristics which appear in
successive generations. 4. Kşamabhsdrankakayor manişijadayoḥ sadrūpauiru ayoh, Srimaddurgata yorbalaba
lavatornirogarttayoh / Saubhagyasubhagatvasangamajuşostulye api Drive antaram, yat tat karmanibandhanam tadapi no Jivam vină yuktimat/I”, Ist Karm igrantha.
p. 2, Devendrasuriviracita - Svopajñarikopeiah" 5. Biology, p. 452. JB-32
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