Scientific Secrets of Jainism

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

Page 330

Jainism And Science : Solutions of Some Problems
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also. Then what is the reality regarding the classification of genders of living beings according to Jain philosophy?
This is a good question. But in order to find an answer to it, we should, properly, minutely and elaborately study and contemplate on Jain scriptures. First of all, we should coordinate from various view-points, mutually contradictory statements found in Jain scriptures. Talking of genders of all living beings in the whole universe Vācaka Umāsvāti, well versed with Purvas, the author of Tattvārtha Sūtra says in the second chapter of the Tattvārtha Sūtra that " pravi fant HT 114911 7 dal 114311 " nārakasammürcchino napumsakāni ..51.. na dēvāḥ ..52.. Living beings born in hellish Yoni and all living beings born asexually belong to the neuter gender. No god belongs to the neuter gender. All celestial beings (gods) belong either to the genders of the gods (males) or goddesses (females). Embryonic human beings and other five-sensed embryonic beasts have any of the three genders.
The Tattvārtha Sūtra shows three types of birth (1) sammūrcchima janma (asexual birth) (2) garbhaja janma (sexual birth) (3) upapāta janma (asexual birth of celestial and hellish beings). Celestial and hellish beings are born only asexually. The sexual birth is of three types- (1) jarāyuja - birth with wrapper which contains blood (2) andaja - birth through eggs (3) põtaja- birth without a wrapper. Human beings, cows, buffaloes, horses, deer etc. are born with wrapper containing blood. Snakes, cuckoos, fishes, tortoises etc. are born through eggs. The goose, the parrot, the pigeon, the hawk, the crow, the peacock etc. are also born through eggs. The mongoose, the hare, the mouse etc. and the vampire, the bat, etc. are born without a wrapper and they all are five-sensed. Apart from these, one-sensed to four-sensed living beings are all asexual i.e. sammūrcchima.
On the other hand, the 'Kalpasūtra' edited by śrutakēvali Caturdaśapūrvadhara Ācārya sri Bhadrabāhusvāmi describes five types of subtle eggs:
से किं तं अंडसुहमे ? अंडसुहुमे पंचविहे पण्णते तं जहा - उदंसंडे, उक्कलियंडे, पिपीलियंडे, हलियंडे, हल्लोहलियंडे । (कल्पसूत्र, सामाचारी)
sē kim tam amdasuhumē ? amdasuhumë pañcavihē pannattē tam jahā - uddamsandē, ukkaliyandē, pipiliyandē, haliyanqē, hallöhaliyaņņē.
(Kalpasūtra. Sāmācāri)