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Bactreria, Algae and Fungi as Found in the Jaina Literature
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Inbabited by bacteria". So they absorb sap or minerals from the soil by the combined action of the suction force which is connected with transpiration pull and root pressure. Roots, bulbs, barks, tendrils, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds, when clean breaking, are host (individual souled plants), when not clear breaking ( they ) are (non-host) individual."
Cell Structure or Figure and Size of Earth Quadrates.
The bodily figures of the earth quadrates (i.e, earth-, water-, fire-, and air-bacteria), are respectively speaking ( circular ) like masura grain (lentil), (round like a drop of water; (cylindrical like a bundle of needles, (and oblong like) a flag. The bodies of plants and mobile bacteria are of various sorts. The size of the body of earth-, water-, fire-, and air-bacteria is the innumerable part of a cubic-finger, Therefore, these are not visible as separate entities but in masslo only.
The Jaina views regarding the figure and size of earth quadrates are supported by modern Biology in the following manner : "Bacteria cells are very small, from less then 1 to 10 microns in lengh and from 0.2 to 1 micron in width. The majority of bacterial species exist as single celled forms, but some occur as filaments of loosely joined cells, Because of their small size and
5 Bhagavatī sūtra, 7.3.275. Pannavaņā sūtra 1.40, 41.
"Kamdassa vă mulassa vā sālākhamdhassa vāvi bahulatari / Challi sāna mtajiyā patteyajiya tu tanukadari //"
Gommalasāra, Jivakānda v. 189, p. 117. 6 Bhagavatı sutra, 7.3.275
Mülam syāt bhumisambaddhaṁ tatra kandaḥ samāsritaḥ I Tatra skandha iti mitho bijāntāh syuryutā same 5.107. "Ataḥ prthvīgatarasamaharanti....phalasaṁgatarin,' 5.108.
Lokaprukāša, 5.302–33; 5.107-108. 7 Mule kamde challipavālasāla dalakusumabije I Samabhamge sadi namtā asame sadi homti patteya II.'
Gommaasāra, Jivakanda, v, 188, p. 117 8 'Masuramyubimdusuikalabadhayasanniho have deho I
pudhavi ādi caunham', Gommaļasāra (Jivakända), v. 201 9 Ibid., "Tarutasakāyā aņeyavihā l' v. 201, p. 122. 10 Ibid. (Comm,), p. 122.
Take a glass of a fresh water. Every drop of it is a mass of water-bodied bacteria which are obviously invisible to us. Under a microscope a drop of water is seen to possess many minute animalculae. These are not water-bodied bacteria, Waterbodied bacteria have water and that alone as the matter of their bodies. These ani. malculae are two or more sensed beings which live in water,
