Scientific Secrets of Jainism

Author(s): Nandighoshvijay
Publisher: Research Institute of Scientific Secrets from Indian Oriental Scriptures Ahmedabad

Page 268

Light: Animate Or Inanimate?
tradition of tapagaccha, dealing with literature of failure of conduct of monks, nuns and lay-persons and in the Sēnaprasna.
Both the texts (references) are as under :
1. If the lightning and light of lamps touch the body of man, it causes a failure-of-conduct.
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2. (1) Question: If lightning touches the body of man while he is performing the ritual of Pratikramana in the rainy season, does it cause a failure-ofconduct (Aticāra)?
Answer: It has been heard from Rev. Śrīvijaya Hirasūriji and Rev. Śrīvijaya Dānasūriji that while one is performing the ritual of Pratikramana or Yoga (a special type of ritual process) in the rainy season or in the rest of the seasons, if the light of lightning falls, there is a failure-of-conduct and Kālagrahaṇa (a special type of ritual process) fails.
(2) Question: If the light of lamps etc. touches the body of man in moonlight, does it cause a failure-of-conduct?
Answer: It is traditionally believed that if the moon-light touches the body of man, the light of lamps etc. does not cause a failure-of-conduct, but if the moon-light does not touch the body of man, the light of lamps etc. causes a failure-of-conduct. The book Sandeha-dōlāvali-prakarana written by Acārya of Kharatara sect also says same thing.
In the beginning of the 14th century of the Vikrama era, Śri Jinadattasūriji, the disciple of Sri Jinavallabhasūriji wrote the book 'Sandeha-dōlāvaliprakaraṇa'. This book is in the question-answer form. The reference to this point is found in the commentary on verse 41 and 42 and it seems that traditional belief that light contains life started from that time, though no such meaning is derived from the original verses of this 'Sandē ha-dōlāvaliprakaraṇa'. But the bruhadvrtti written by Vacanācārya Śrī Prabōdhacandra Gani gives a detailed discussion of this. A summary of the discussion is as under :
If a man (monk or nun or layman or laywoman) while performing Sāmāyika, Pratikramana, touches electricity, a lamp etc. twice, thrice, four times or many times, he should make confession (Alōcana) of it. Here the word 'etc." means other living beings such as earth-bodies etc. It means that living beings