Studies on Biology in Tattvartha Sutra

Author(s): N L Jain
Publisher: Z_Sumanmuni_Padmamaharshi_Granth_012027.pdf

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Glory of Jain Culture
spiders and ants besides reptiles.20 There is no mention of this type of explanation in T.S. commentaries by Digambaras. If
Sammurchina'is defined as a-sexual with two meanings of the prefix 'a', a better scientificity could be attached to the birth process of 1-4 sensed ones. All the Indian philosophies have devised theories for the livingness produced through non-living entities by assuming seminal fluid or sexcells as non-living which does not seem to be correct in current days. (b) Growth :
The T.S. does not have details about growth. But other texts like Dhavala-6,
Gommatasara and Tandulveyaliya give some details about the growth process of plants and human beings. They also give growth of foetus upto delivery. This has been omitted by T.S. as it does not serve any spiritual purpose. It is said that plants grow mostly vertically by assimilating sap from soil, water, air, fire and even other plants through their roots and shoots to build up their body parts. Similarly, the human beings grow by assimilating and metabolishing food materials into blood, flesh, fat, bones, bone marrow and semen. During growth, it passes through ten stages of growth described in decadic years in two ways as below (Table 8).
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Table 8: Growth stages of human beings S.No. Decad
Growth-1 0-10 yrs.
Child age 11-20 yrs.
Sportive age 21-30
Slow growth 31-40
Youth or strength 41-50
Family breeding 51-60
Adulthood 61-70
Old age 71-80
Contracting stage 81-90
De-sexed stage 91-100
Sorrowful stage
Growth-2 Sacraments and celebrations Age of education Age of enjoyment Age of earning experience Age of weakening eye sight Age of weakening strength Age of de-sexing Age of weakening knowledge Age of bending body Age of departure/death
in order to move towards immortality (c) Death
The Jaina seers could think of an average worldly life of 100 years. It is clear that these are external observations and no factors responsible for different stages have been given. The biologists have tried to do that. They are also trying to lengthen the life by chilling, undereating, medication, meditation and telomer control bucklecter (clustar) etc.
Death is the natural process of termination of functioning of ten vitalities of cognitive senses, respiration, life-span karma and strength. Akalanka in his commentary on 7.22 points out that death
Studies on Biology in Tattvartha Sutra (Formulae on Reals)
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