Studies in the Bhagavati Sutra

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

Page 601

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STUDIES IN THE BHAGAWATI SÚTRA [Ch. X The minute living beings in the Universe are the Nigodas: which are the collections of infinite number of souls, making minutest groups, having common breathing in and out and experience of pain. They, longing for development continue their evolution of life through the successive jivaparyāyas (modes of soul) and they provide an infinite supply of souls. Thus the Universe does not and will not be empty of living beings.*
There are two kinds of souls, viz. liberated souls and worldly souls, having its purity and power convered with a veil of karma-matters which are accumulated into them. The worldly souls are classified into two categories, viz. trasa moving) and 8thāvara (non-moving). These two classes are further divided into different species in accordance with the number of senseorgans possessed by them, viz. one-sensed-(ekendriya), two sensed (dvindriya), three-sensed-(trindriyu), four-sensed-(caturindriya) and five-sensed beings (pañcendriya jīvas). One-sensed beings come under the category of the non-moving beings and they are divided into five classes, viz. earth-bodied (prthvīkāya), water-bodied (apakāya), air-bodied (vāyukāya), fire-bodied (tejakāya) and plantbodied beings (vanas patikāya).
Thus it is revealed that four-elements of Nature, viz. earth, water, air and fire are animated by souls. Some plants are ekajīvas (endowed with one soul or one germ of life) ; some are samkhyātajīvita (animated with numerable souls or germs of life); some are asankhyātajivita (animated with inumerable germs of life or souls) ; and some are anantaj,vita (endowed with infinite souls or germs of life).*
The moving beings (trasas) are classified into four divisions, viz. two-sensed, three-sensed, four-sensed and five sensed beings according to the number of senses possessed by them, e. g. worms, having two-senses, viz. touch and taste ; and ants endowed with three senses of touch, taste and smell ; bees, having four senses of touch, taste, smell and sight (vision) ; the vertebrates
i BhS, 25, 5, 749, 3 Ib, 33, 1, 814.
2 lb, 12, 2, 443. 4 16, 8, 3, 324.