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380 : Scientific Contents in Prākrta Canons
symbolism replacing factualism55, the term 'Prāna' also seems to have been spiritualised to mean a force or energy making it indefinable in physical terms. It became spiritual air or even Brahma for Vedāntins56. That is why it has been translated through many terms in English. The Yogis have also a term called 'Prānic energy'. At times, the common air or oxygen was called 'Prāņavāyu'. For simplicity, we have to be better factual. Thus, we have the term vitality or vital airs representing the most appropriate meaning for various types of fluids or gases so necessary for different types of physico-chemical activities including the respiratory one which is the most essential or direct proof of livingness. The Samskrta-Hindi dictionary also supports this meaning. However, the term should not only mean the respiratory activity but any process essential to life and supplying the necessary energy for functioning, maintainance and growth of various organs of the body. Thus, vitality, rather than the vital airs should be the preferred term in English for 'Prāņas'. Normally, the processes occurring in body for defining the livingness have been mostly found to be exothermic chemical reactions. More recently, Gurudatta's commentary on Nyāya-sūtra 58 maintains that air and 'prānas' are synonymous and mean inner energy rather than physical material. The livingness is the functional aspect of 'prānic' energy. This statement requires revaluation. Astānga-sangraha mentions 'prāna' to mean blood which has never been a generally acceptable view.
Because of the difference in meaning of Prānas in various systems, one finds different numbers of vitalities in various systems as shown in Table 6. This does not require further discussion.
As the Jainas have wider meaning of the term 'Prāna' and there seems to be duplication of the terms of senses, respirations etc., the pro-canons have clarified between the senses and sense vitalities. The sense vitalities are due to destruction-cum-subsidence of conation-obscuring karma while
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