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such as amaurotic idiocy (bālatva or mandatva ) becomes evident in early childhood and still others, such as, cough, phlegm, bending of the body, feeble sense-organs, etc. 8 develop only after the individual has reached maturity. The Inheritance of Mental Abilities :
“The inheritance of mental ability or intelligence is one of the most important, yet one of the most difficult problems of human genetics''9 as indicated by Biology. The reference to the fact in the Jaina works that the mental capacities of people form a continuous series from idiot (manda or Jada ) to genius ( manisi )10 suggests that "intelligence is inherited by a system of polygenes10a brought about by Karma, 11 other evidence12 substantiates this hypothesis. According to modern Biology, "The inheritance of feeble-mindedness (maídatā or Jadatā or bālatva) is due to a single recessive gene.”, 13
It is now evident that the inheritance of mental defect is much more complex. Feeble - mindedness may be caused by diseases, 14 or by other environmental factors,15 but “the majority of cases are due to inheritance."
7. Ibid, p. 15 (Prathāmã and Trtiyadaśā) 8. Ibid, p. 16 (havani - 6th daśa', Pavarca (7th daśa ), Samkulyavalicammo
8th daśā !, etc. 9. Biology, p. 504. 10. "Menisimanda", 1st Karmagrantha with sopajñaţikā by Devendrasūri. p. 2. 10a The term 'polygenic inheritance' or multiple factor inheritance is applied when
two or more independent pairs of genes affect the same character in the same
way and in an addictive fashion, e.g. skin colour in man, Biology, p. 47. 11. Manisijada yo......... Karmanibandhanam.
Karmagrantha I, with Sopajñaţikā Devendra Sūri, p. 2. 12. "Kļambhydranka kayormanişijadayoḥ, sadrúpanirūpayoḥ, śrīmaddurgatayorbalaba
lavatornirogarogārttayoh // Saubhagyāsubhagatvasangamajuşostulye 'api hrtve yat tat karmanibandh nam ta dapi no antaram, Jivar vina yuktinat/" Ibid. (comm.) Polygenic Inheritance : Many human characters - height, body, form, intelligence and skin colour etc.... cannot be separated into distinct alternate classes,
and are not inherited by a single pair of genes, Biology p. 470. 13. biology, p. 504. 14. Biology, p. 514; Micchabhava xtarakevalagelannapamadamatiņā ņaso / Aha
kimattham näsati kimivätotayam bhinnar 1,537), Viseşāvašyakabhasya, gatha (53 L. D. Series ; ( Id Ed. (540), s. :13 "Aperasya tu glānāvasthāyām anyasya kimapunaḥ pramadadinā iha bhave api tasya śrutajñānasya, não bhavati / Ibid Vrtti on 54. p. 291. i. e. frutajñana gets destroyed because of
feeble mindedness caused by diseases. 15. Vises avasya kabhäsya, 537.
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