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importance to note that when our energies are directed to Himsaka (destructive) ends social development is obstructed and when our energies are directed to Ahimsaka (constructive) ends social development sets in. It will not be possible to talk of Ahimsā without a world of living beings. Social Ahimsā begins with the awareness of the 'other'. Like one's own existence, it recognises the existence of other beings. In fact, to negate the existence of other beings is tantamount to negating one's own existence. Since one's own existence cannot be negated, the existence of other beings also cannot be negated. Thus there exists the universe of beings in general and that of human beings in particular. The Jaina Āgama classifies living beings (Jīvas) into five kinds, namely, one-sensed to five-sensed beings." The minimum number of Prānas possessed by the empirical self is four (one sense, one Bala, life-limit and breathing), and the maximum number is ten (five senses, three Balas, life-limit, and breathing). The lowest in the grade of existence are the one-sensed Jīvas which possess only the sense of touch and they have only the Bala of body, and besides they hold life-limit and breathing. These onesensed Jīvas admit of five-fold classification, namely, the earth-bodied (Pệthivīkāyika), water-bodied (Jalakāyika), fire-bodied (Agnikāyika) air-bodied (Vāyukāyika) and lastly, vegetable-bodied (Vanaspatikāyika) souls. The two-sensed Jīvas posses six Prānas, i.e., in addition to the four Prānas of one-sensed souls, they have two Prānas more; namely, the sense of taste, and the Bala of speech; the three-sensed souls have the sense of smell additionally, the four-sensed souls have the sense of colour besides the above; and lastly, the five-sensed souls which are mindless are endowed with the sense of hearing in addition, and those with mind possess all the ten Prānas.12 Thus the number of Prāṇas possessed by the one-sensed to five-sensed souls is four, six, seven, eight, nine and ten respectively. This classification of Jīvas into five kinds is used for the measurement of the degree of Ahimsā. The more the senses, the more the evolved consciousness. As for example, two-sensed beings are more evolved than one-sensed beings, five sensed beings are more evolved than one, two, three and foursensed beings. Thus Ahimsā will be directly proportionate to the Ahimsā of the beings (Jīvas) classified. Now for the progress and development of these beings, Ahimsā ought to be the basic value guiding the behaviour of human beings. For a healthy living, it represents and includes all the values directed to the 'other' without over-emphasizing the values directed to one's own self. Thus it is the pervasive principle of all the values. Posit Ahimsā, all the values are posited. Negate Ahimsā, all the values are negated. Ahimsā purifies our action in relation to the self and other beings. This purification consists in our refraining from certain actions and also in our performing certain actions by keeping in view the existence of human and sub-human beings.
11. Pañcāstikāya, 112 to 117 (Rājacandra Āśram Āgas). 12 Sarvārthasiddhi of Pūjyapāda, II-14/288, (Bhāratīya Jñānapītha, New Delhi).
