Microcosmology Atom in Jain Philosophy and Modern Science

Author(s): Jethalal S Zaveri, Mahendramuni
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati

Page 194

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Microcosmology : Aton
By Jains (i) Paramāņu (ii) Pradeśa (iii) Skandha
Classification of matter by Jains into 23 groups called varganus in general and the matter belonging to 8 groups which interact with and serve useful purposes for the living beings, in particular, merits requires further examination.
Five out of the cight groups viz., (1) Audārika (2) Vaikriya (3) Ahärka (4) Tāījas and (5) Kārmana groups go to make five different kinds of gross and subtle bodies (šarira) for thc living being. The first two kinds are gross and the remaining three are subtle ones.
Material of the audūrika group is composed of all the organic and inorganic objects that we cncounter in our ordinary life. All the necessities of our daily life, food, clothing and shelter are made up from the stuff belonging to this group. Our own bodies and the bodies of all animals and plants, in fact, of all living organisms known to us, organs as brain, heart and stomach, tissucs of skin, muscles ctc., and the biological atoms called cells are all made up from the audārika group. When the life becomes cxtinct, the lifeless body that is left bchind is audārika śarīru. It either becomes food for some living beings or clse rots, putrcfies and decomposes into its constituents.
Bodies of celestial and infernal beings are made up from 'vaikri ya group. The traditional Jain term for the word 'celestial beings is devas or heavenly people. According to the Jain belief, sun, moon, stars etc., are one of the four categories of devas viz, jyotişka deva meaning light-radiating or luminous deva. The life-spans of devas, though very very long compared to hunan beings are nevertheless finite and at the end of the life-span, the soul of deva lcaves his lifeless vaikri ya body behind. It is, however, believed that the stuff making up the vaikri va body docs not rot or putrefy like the audārika body but disintegrates rapidly into its components. A vaikri va body does not cast a shadow.
Science also considers sun, moon, planets and stars cclestial or heavenly bodies. Sun is nothing else but a star, planets are