Tattvartha Sutra

Author(s): Umaswati, Umaswami, Manu Doshi
Publisher: Shrutratnakar Ahmedabad

Page 55

JEEV THE SENTIENT ELEMENT
(modal organ). Its capacity to know depends upon the extent to which the defiling Karmas are overcome. That capability is exercised by applying it to the objects of physical senses, viz. touch, taste, odor, sight and sound. Their jurisdiction prevails in the realm of intellect. Moreover there is the mind, which is an internal organ. Its capability prevails in intellectual as well as scriptural realm. Since it relates more to the latter, it is said here that the scriptural realm constitutes the jurisdiction of mind.
वाय्वन्तानामेकम् ॥२-२३॥ कृमिपिपीलिकाभ्रमरमनुष्यादीनामेकैकवृद्धानि ॥२- २४ ॥
संज्ञिनः समनस्काः ॥२- २५॥
2.23: Väyvantänämekam
2.24: Krmipipilikäbhramarmanushyädinämekaikavrud
dhäni
41
2.25: Sanjninah Samanaskäh
(Those up to gaseous state are one-sensed beings, those like earth worms, ants, bees and humans have increasingly one additional sense; those with mind are intellectual beings.)
Depending upon the number of sense organs, living beings are divided in the following five categories.
i) One-sensed beings: There are five types of one-sensed beings. Shells, corals, etc. are earthly beings; snow, hail, waves etc. are aqueous beings; fire, lamp, lightening etc. are lustrous beings; wind, tornado etc. are gaseous beings; trees, plants, bushes etc. are vegetable beings. All of them have only the sense of touch.