Part 1 - Poisonous beings

Q. 69. Bhante! How many types of poisonous beings are there?

A. 69. Gautama! There are two types of poisonous beings, viz., those by species/nature (jāti) and those by kārma.

Q. 70. Bhante! How many types of poisonous beings by species/nature are there?

A. 70. Gautama! Four types, viz., scorpion type, frog type, reptile type and human type.

Q. 71. Bhante! What is the extent of the capacity to poison of the scorpion type?

A. 71. Gautama! The scorpion type is capable of spreading through, and filling up with, its poison a body as large as half the size of the land of Bhārata. But this is only a capacity which, in reality, has never been used in the past, nor is it being currently used, nor will it ever be used in future.

Q. 72. Bhante! What is the extent of the capacity to poison of the frog type?

A. 72. Gautama! The frog type is capable of spreading through, and filling up with, its poison a body as large as the land of Bharata. But this is only a capacity which, in reality, has never been used in the past, till in the future. The reptile type is capable of spreading through, and filling up with, its poison a body as large as Jambudvīpa. But again this is only a capacity which, in reality, has never been used in the past, till in the future. Coming to the human type, he is capable of spreading through, and filling up with, its poison a body as large as the time sphere (where time sense exists, i. e., two isles and a half). But here also this is only a capacity which, in reality, has never been used in the past, till in the future.

Q. 73. Bhante! If there are poisonous beings by kārma, are they the infernal type, the animal type, the human type or the divine type?

A. 73. Gautama! There are the animal, human and divine types, but not the infernal type of poisonous beings by karma.

Q. 74. Bhante! So far as the animal type goes, are they with one organ of sense, till five organs?

A. 74. Gautama! There are no poisonous beings by karma among one, two, three or four-organ animals, but only among five-organ animals.

Q. 7. Bhante! If there are poisonous beings by karma only among the five-organ animals, are they born without mating or from the mother’s womb?

A. 75. Gautama! Repeat what has been stated in the Prajñāpaṇā Sutra [Prajñāpanāsūtra], Pada 21 on Fluid Body, till there are poisonous beings by karma among the five-organ animals born from the mother’s womb with a life-span limited and countable in years, and with full attainments but never with a life-span unlimited and uncountable in years, born without mating, and without full attainments.

Q. 76. Bhante! If it be the human type, then, is he born without mating or from the mother’s womb?

A. 76. Gautama! Not without mating, but from the mother’s womb, as stated īn the Prajñāpaṇā Sutra, ibid, till there are poisonous beings of the human type in the zone of spiritual activity (karmabhūmi) who are born from the mother’s womb with full attainments with a life-span limited and countable in years, but never with a life-span unlimited and uncoutable in years and without full attainments.

Q. 17. Bhante! If there are poisonous beings by karma among the gods, are they to be found among the occupants of the bhavanas, till among the Vaimānikas?

A. 77 Gautama! They are to be found among the Bhavanavāsīs, the Vyaṇtaras [Vyantaras?], the Jyotiṣkas and the Vaimānikas.

Q. 78. Bhante! If there are poisonous beings among the Bhavanavāsīs, are they to be found among Asurakumāras, till Stanitakumāras?

A. 78. Gautama! They exist among all categories, from Asurakumāras, till Stanitakumāras.

Q. 79. Bhante! Are these Asurakumāras with poison due to karma with full attainments, or without full attainments?

A. 79, Gautama! Not with full attainments, but without full attainments, and like this till Stanitakumāras.

Q. 80. Bhante! If there are poisonous beings among the Vyaṇtaras, are they the pisāca type, et seq?

A. 80. Gautama! They include all the species of the Vyaṇtaras starting with the piṣācās with poison due to karma but without full attainments; and so also the Jyotiṣkas, all without full attaiments [attainments?].

Q. 81. Bhante! If there are poisonous beings among the Vaimānikas, are they born within the limit of the kalpas or beyond the kalpas?

A. 81 Gautama! Only within the limit of the kalpas, not beyond.

Q. 82. Bhante! If they are born within the kalpas, do they belong to Saudharmakalpa, till Acyutakalpa?

A. 82. Gautama! They are born in Saudharmakalpa, till Sahasrāra, but not in Ānata, Prānata, and Acyuta.

Q. 83. Bhante! Are the poisonous beings born in Saudharmakalpa endowed with full attainments, or without full attainments?

A. 83. Gautama! Not with full attainments, but without, all through, till Sahasrāra.

Notes (based on commentary of Abhayadeva Sūri):

Q. 69. The word āśiviṣa stands for reptiles who have poison in their teeth. Some are poisonous reptiles by birth and others are by karma. The latter is a power derived by developed animals and human beings to do harm to others. Such souls cannot move up beyond the eighth heaven, and they are never developed. According to A. 73, such reptiles by karma may exist among the divine beings but not among the infernal beings, nor among one, two, three or four-organ animals. (A. 74)