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THE JAINA GAZETTE 2. Vaikriyika-The gods and the hellish beings have the Vaikriyika or the fluid body which is capable of assuming any form at any time.
3. Aharaka_This subtle body shoots forth from the head of a sage who feels any doubt about any fact of reality and who stretches out this Aharaka body to a wiser sage in order to have a satisfactory solution of his doubt.
4. Taijasa_It means literally, a shining body.
5. Karmana-This is the subtlest of material bodies, con. stituted of fine Karmic matter.
Of the above five material bodies, each succeeding body is subtler than the preceding one. The last two bodies are attached to every soul from the beginningless time and drop down only when it is finally emancipated. This does not mean that these bodies remain unchanged; as a matter of fact, they are changing every moment by the assimilation of fresh Matter and discarding of old. These bodies being very subtle can penetrate the world from end to end. A soul has the first kind of boby only when it assumes a gross form. Beings who are born in wombs (Garbha) or by spontaneous generation (Sammurchchhana) can have the Oudarika body. Devas and the hellish beings are born by Upapada i.e., instantaneous rise and have the Vaikriyika bodies. In exceptional circumstances, special austerities can give a being a Vaikriyika body. Special austerities may give a peculiar Taijasa body also. Such a Taijasa body is either Benevolent or Malevolent. When a Taijasa body issues forth from the right shoulder of a saint and is intended for some good purpose 0.g., for removing famine or diseases from a place, it is Subha-Taijasa ; otherwise, it is Asubha-Taijasa.
(To be continued.]
Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
