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358
STUDIES İN THE BHAGAWATŤ SÚTRA
(Ch. Vi
stage of development of Zoology at that period of the BhS, as it is evidenced by the fact that it classifies the animals possessing poison in their teeth into four groups, viz. Vrścika-jāti-aśćvisa (scorpion, etc.), Manduka-jātī-āsīvişa (frog), Uraga-jātiāšīvisa (snake), and Manusya-jāti-āšīvişa (human beings).
This analysis of the existence of poison in the teeth of these four classes of beings fully agrees with the result of the scientific researches of the present day about the problem of the life of poisonous animals.
It is further explained that the scorpion and the frog are endowed with the power to inake the bodies equal to the sizes of the half of Bhāratavarśa affected by their poison and to rend them asunder individually.
And the snake and the human being possess the capacity to make the bodies equal to the sizes of Jambūdvāpa island and Samayaksetra (the human world) poisonous respectively.
But none of them applied or applies or will apply their powers in this regard.
These statements of the extent of the capacities of the four classes of beings to poison the bodies by biting require a scientific research to verify the truth lying in them.
It is found from the general observation that whenever a poisonous snake bites a man, the poison immediately spreads throughout his body.
Cause of the sound of a running horse The BKS throws light upon the physiological function of the body of a horse by explaining the cause of the sound of a running horse thus that there is born in between the heart and liver of this animal an air called Karbata (or Karkata) (while running) due to the presence of which the sound Khukhu' is heard."
The cause of this sound requires a proper scientific research to ascertain the truth of the above statement.
1 BKS, 8, 2, 316,
· 16, 10, 3, 407.
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