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CLASSIFICATION OF BEINGS ON THE BASIS OF THE SENSES 67
While the possessor of the senses has to be described, the possessor of the first sense of touch is ascertained first.
वनस्पत्यन्तानामेकम् Vanaspatyantānāmekam
(22) 22. Up to the end of plants (there is only) one sense.
One means the first. What is it? It is the sense of touch. By whom is it possessed ? It is possessed by souls inhabiting earth, water, fire, and air bodies and plants. The cause of its origin is mentioned. The one sense of touch arises on the destruction-cum-subsidence of energy-obstructive and touchobscuring karmas, on the rise of karmas which totally obscure the other senses, on the attainment of physique-making karma and on the rise of name karma of the class of one sensed-beings. Who are the beings possessing the other senses ?
कृमिपिपीलिकाभ्रमरमनुष्यादीनामेकैकवृद्धानि ॥ २३ ॥ Krmipipilikābhramaramanuşyādināmekai kavrddhāni (23) 23. The worm, the ant, the bee and man, etc. have each one more sense than the preceding one.
The repetition of 'one' (eka) in the sutra is to denote successive action. The increase of the senses one by one is increase one by one. We commence with the worm and the sense of touch and increase the senses one by one. The term etc. is added to each. The worm and similar creatures possess the sense of taste in addition to the sense of touch. The ant and similar creatures possess the sense of smell in addition to the senses of touch and taste. The bee and creatures of that class possess the sense of sight in addition to the senses of touch, taste and smell. Man and the beings similar to him possess the sense of hearing in addition to the former four. Their accomplishment is as in the case of the sense of touch explained already. In each case there is the fruition of the intense karmas (sarvaghāti prakriti : all-destructive karmio matter) of the subsequent sense or senses.
The mundano souls are of two divisions (the mobile and the immobile) On the basis of the sonses they are of five kinds.
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