________________
•
As the human body is subject to birth, so the plant-body exhibits signs of birth. As the human body grows up, so does the plant-body. As the human body is endowed with consciousness and is possessed of the power of cognition, so is the plant body.
In this way the characteristics of birth, growth, nutrition, metabolism, death, disease, the states of childhood, adulthood, and the like consciousness are the most obvious items are described. The comparison of the plant body with human organism in this context attracts the attention of the modern scholars. Suffering is to be avoided; happiness is to be sought for, is the theme of the ethics of conduct. Acharanga, therefore describes the details of weapons hostile to the immobile beings.
(ii) Hostile Weapons
Jivas
Weapons
Earthly
Water
Fire
ploughs, and axe, a spade etc. Sprinkling, filtering, cleansing etc. Sand, water, wet plants etc. Fans, aroma, fire, hostile air etc. Scissors, axe, stone, fire, stick etc.
Air
Plants
Contact with hostile weapons makes them dead. The description of the doctrine of the weapons of injury to the living beings opens up a new vista of research in this field. For example, in case of Apkaya (water), there are many varieties of weapons that kill the water-bodied beings. In Niryukti, (6) the weapons described are:
If water is drawn from a well by means of a vessel, straining through a thick smooth piece of cloth, washing cloth, pot, etc., The river water is the weapon of pond water. Earth, soil, alkali, fire, etc., are the weapons of water-bodied beings.
The Churni mentions some other varieties of weapons also, such as, change produced in colour, taste, smell and touch. For instance, water when heated becomes slightly brown in colour, smoky in smell, insipid in taste, and hot to touch. The imperfectly boiled water is not lifeless. If the salty, sweet and sour water are mixed together they work as weapons to each other.
In the Upanishads there are discussions about the existence of soul, but the doctrine of six classes of living beings is an absolutely original contribution of the Jains. They are prathavikaya, apkaya, tejaskaya, vayukaya, vanaspatikaya, traskaya. First five are immobile beings. By postulating animated character of the plants and other souls, Jain ethics prohibits the killing or injuring these non-human species.
144
