Studies in the Bhagavati Sutra

Author(s): J C Sikdar
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

Page 382

Sec. III] STUDIES IN THE BHAGAWATÍ SÚTRA 357
They are again further divided into different groups thus : the Andajās and Potajās are of three classes, viz. female (stri), male (purusa) and third sex (napursaka), while the Sarmūrcchimās are stated to be only the third-sex.?
The Jivābhigama Sutra classifies the five-sensed lower animals into two main groups, viz. Sarimārcchima-tiryag-yonika and Garbhavyutkrāntika-Pancendriya-tiryag.yonikas, i. e. lower animals born without the sexual union of the male and female and those born from the foetus.
The first group is further divided into three natural categories, viz. acquatic (jalacara), terrestrial (sthalacara), and aerial (khe cara).
There are stated to be five kinds of the Sunmürcchima acquatic animals viz. fish, tortoise, crocodile, allegator (goha) Susumāra,and two kinds of terrestrial animals, viz. four footed terrestrial Samürcchina-five-sensed lower-animals and ParisarpaSammūrchima. The first group is further classified into four Categories viz. ekakhurā, dvikhurā, gandipadā and sanapakaya.
The second group (sthalacara sarmūrcchima) is divided into two classes viz. Uragaparisarpasanmūrochima and Bhujagaparisar. pasanmircchima, (i.e. those animals which move on their breast and those on arms), e.g. the snakes belong to the first group, while the allegator and mongoose, etc., to the second.
The five-sensed aerial lower animals are stated to be of four classes, viz, Carmapaksī, Lomapaksī, Samudgapaksī, and Vitatapaksi; the Bāguli (bat) etc., belonged to the first one, Hansa (swan), Dhankā (crow), Karkā (heron), etc., to the second, Samudgapaksī, (birds shaped like a round casket) to the third and Vitatapaksi (birds having extended wings) to the fourth respectively.
A very scientific study of the possession of poision by some beings in one particular part of their bodies shows a
1 Jivūbhigama Sütra, 3, 1, 96. 1b, 1, 33. 3 Ib, 1, 34.
4 16, 1, 35. * Ib, 1, 35.
6 Ib, 1, 36.