________________
BACTERIA, ALGAE AND FUNGI AS FOUND IN THE
JAINA LITERATURE
J. C. Sikdar
Bacteria :
Occurrence of Bacteria :
The account of the types of plants-subtile and gross as given in the Jaina Agamas throws a welcome light upon the plant kingdom, touching upon the life of both subtile and gross plants, and bacterial living in plant's body, as there are not many places in the world devoid of bacteria2. They are also mentioned as individual earth-lives, water-lives, fire-lives and windlives. These earth quadrates of the Jainas are called bacteria in modern Biology and their life is explained in the following manner :
“They have been found as 16 feet deep in soil, they are most numerous in the top 6 inches of soil, where it is estimated that there are about 100,000 per cubic centimeter. They are found in fresh and salt-water, and even in the ice of glacier. They are abundant in air, in liquids, such as, milk, and in and on the bodies of animals and plants both living and dead."4 The Jaina view on the earth quadrates is well supported by Biology as it appears from the study of their life.
It is further stated in the Jaina Agamas that earth, roots, bulbs, stems, branches, twigs, barks, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds of plants are
I "So nunam mūlā matajivaphudā..biyajivaphuda," Bhagavati sūtra, 7.3.275.
"Älue mulae...jāva anamtajivā vivibasattā,” Ibid., 7.3.276. "Tiviha rukkha pannattā, tamjahā-sarkhejjajiviyā asamkhejjajīviyā anamtajiviya', Ibid. 8,3.324. 'Uttaradhya yana sülra 36.96, e.g. aluka, mülaka, etc. contain bacteria, Pannavanā sülra, I. 40,ff. "Mūlā vi asamklejjajīviyā....pupphā anegajīviyā 1" Gomma/
asāra, (jivakanda), v. 189, p. 117. 2 Bhagavatī sūtra 33, 1. 844. Uttarādhya yana 36,68, the earth quadrates and plant
bacteria are found throughout the world, Biology, p. 132, C, A, Villee. 3 "Pudhavi ya āu agani ya vāu," Sūtrakytānga, Book I, Lecture 7. I, p. 153. Bhagavati
süfra, 33.1. Utrarādhyayana sāfra, 36,70, 84, 92, 108, 117, Paunavanā sūtra 1.19.55, Ekendriyajīvapannavanā, pp. 13-27. Gommaļasära, (Jivakānda), v. 89, p. 68. Lokapra
kāśa, 4th Sarga, v. 25, 5th Sarga v, 1, ff, 4 Biology p. 132
