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Jaina Biology
Marine Life Zones :
The ocean (samudda )52 is one of reservoirs of living things. It is clear that the total weight of living things (biomass) in the ocean far exceeds that of all living things on land fresh water as it is suggested by the sthānas (habitats) of all beings from one-sensed to five-sensed animals.
“The scas are continuous one with another and marine organisms are restrained from spreading to all parts of the ocean only by factors, such as, temperature, salinity and depih. The currents of the water of the sea not only influence the distribution of marine forms but also have marked effects on the climates of the adjacent land masses”.54
The study of the habitats of Tiryancajivas from one-sensed beings except vāyukāyajivas and Tejakāyajivas up to five-sensed animals in Jaipa Biology reveals that like the land the ocean ( samudra ) consists of regions characterized by different physical conditions and consequently inhabited by specific kinds of plaints55 and animals.56 Fresh Water Life Zenes :
As described in the Jaina literature, fresh water habitats of plants and animals may be divided into two zones, viz. standing water-lakes ( dahesu ), ponds (pukkhariņisu ) and swamps (vāvisu ? ) and running water - river (nadisu ), creeks (bilesu ?) and springs ( ujjharesu - nijjharesu),57 each of which may be further sub-divided. It is noted in Jaina Biology that biotic communities58 of fresh water habitats are in general more familiar than the salt water ones of the ocean.
52. Ibid 5. Ibid, 24. Biology, p. 591. 55. Samuddesu....badaravanassaikaiyãņam pajjattanam thāņā pannatta, etc.
Paņņayanā, 2, Țhāņapayam. 56. lbid. 57.Thâņa payam, Paņņavana Sutta 2, 151-153.
"Talaesu 'nadisug dahesu Vāvisu pukkhariņisu dịhiyāsu gumjāliyāsu saresu sarapamtiyasu sarasarapamtiyāsu bilesu ... ujjharesu nijjharesu cillalesu pallalesu vappiņesu divesu samuddesu savvesu ceva jalāsaesu jalathanesu 4, etthanam badara āvkkaiyāņam pajjattāņam phāņā paņņattā / Ibid. 1.163 ; 1.164, 1.165
1.166. 58. See the second chapter, fourth section A and B.
"Types of plants" and the third chapter 'Classification of Animals''
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