Vaishali Institute Research Bulletin 7

Author(s): Nand Kishor Prasad
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

Page 50

39
Jaina Theory of Skandhas or Molecules variety of earth ranging between 21-40. However, this becomes a little doubtful when one finds that they have classified water, air and fire only in their naturally occurring forms. How they could overlook the enormous variety of liquids like oil, butterfat, asa vas etc. and gases—is a matter of surprise and clarification. Another fact stated in cannons is that all these skandhas are termed as living during their growth and development.26 Their hardness or adhesiveness has been taken as sign of livingness. However, they turn nonliving when heated or cut. We will describe them as in cannons.
Pu..
The Earth
The earth representing the class of solids is characterised by different degree of hardness. It has valuables under and over it. Acharang?? and Mulachar28 have classified the earth in the first instance followed by others later. The description is based on its assumption of being one sensed. It has been classified in four categories of earth, earth body, earth creature and earth soul. Out of them, the first and second are clearly nonliving, the third has been called living because of its being substratum for living entities, otherwise it is nonliving. The fourth variety seems to be the only living about which no clarification is available, Currently, it is debatable whether living characteristics apply to earth as a class. However, it has been shown to have many types.
The earliest carth classification is traceable in Dashvaikalika (i. e. 427 B. C.). It mentions only three types-bhitti, shila and binding materials. Later on these types have been expanded. Scriptures mention its two broad types—soft and hard. The soft one has five or seven coloured varieties as shown in Acharang and Pragya pana :29 A: Red, green, yellow, white, black earths. P: Red, green, yellow, white, black, pandu and earths.
Perchance these refer to various coloured soils found in nature. The hard types are shown in Table 2 as found in literatures. Though there seems to be a large amount of similarity in these types, still some additions and deletions forecast many inform ations. The Acharang earths contain all solids, the 14 gems being additional to the list totalling 35. In the second classification of about 250 years later, not only gems get included in list but their number also increases from 14 to 18. Moreover, Mercury is also added to metals. This is an exception to the class of solids. This suggsts that mercury was discovered or put to use between 300-500 B. C. Though Shantisuri follows Pragyapana, but it has curtailed the number to 21 by condensing the gems to 3 types and seven metals to one type. Some new substances like chalk and soda have also been added with the exclu