Jainism For Beginners Level 03

Author(s): Sayampurnashreeji
Publisher: Sayampurnashreeji

Page 20

beings. Examples are flames blaze, lightening, forest fire, hot ash, etc. They have fire bodies, hence the name Teukaya, which is derived from the Sanskrit term for fire, which is Tejas.
Jainism explains that innumerable souls (Vanaspatikaya Jiv) live in every plants, trees, fruits and vegetables. And a single cell of every plant contains one soul or many souls. Depending upon this, plant life is further divided into the following two sub-categories:
इयत्परावात
महावात
प्रत्येक वनस्पति
वाउकाय
काय
फल
फल
con
पत्तियों
पथ्यवात
मंदवात
छाल
b) Pratyeka Vanaspatikaya Jiv
d. air Bodied Jiv or
Vayukaya eemingly inanimate forms of air
are actually living beings. Examples are wind, whirlwinds, cyclones, etc. They have air bodies, hence the name Vayukaya, which is derived from the Sanskrit term for air, which is Vayu.
Living beings - 6 substances /
Dratyeka means each or one. Such
plant lives have one soul exist in a single cell of a plant. Therefore, they are called Pratyeka Vanaspatikaya. Trees, plants, bushes, stem, branches, leaves and seeds, etc., which grow above the ground are all examples of Pratyeka Vanaspatikaya Jiv. Each plant of Pratyeka Vanaspatikaya possesses innumerable number of cells hence innumerable number of souls exist in every plant.
e. Plant Bodied Jiv Vanaspatikaya
It is well known that plants grow I and reproduce and hence they are accepted as living beings. Trees, plants, branches, flowers, leaves, and seeds are some examples of plant life. The Sanskrit term for plant is Vanaspati and therefore such Jivas are called Vanaspatikaya Jiv.
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