Verse 2.50 - Neuter-sex (napuṃsaka)

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of Tattvartha sūtra 2.50:

नारकसम्मछिनो नपुंसकानि ॥ २.५० ॥

nārakasammachino napuṃsakāni || 2.50 ||

The infernal-beings (nārakī) and the spontaneously-generated (sammūrcchina) are neuter-sex (napuṃsaka). (50)

Hindi Anvayarth:

अन्वयार्थ: [नारकसम्मछिनो] नारकी और सम्मूर्छन जन्म वाले [नपुंसकानि] नपुंसक होते हैं।

Anvayartha: [narakasammachino] naraki aura sammurchana janma vale [napumsakani] napumsaka hote haim |

Explanation in English from Ācārya Pūjyapāda’s Sarvārthasiddhi:

Thus, the mundane beings possess bodies as indicated. Now, do the three genders obtain in all the four conditions of existence, or is there any rule regarding this? Yes, there is.

The infernal regions are described later. Those who are born in the infernal regions are infernal-beings (nārakī). The beings who are born by spontaneous generation are the spontaneously-generated (sammūrcchina). The conduct-deluding karmas have two sub-divisions–passions (kaṣāya) and quasi-passions (nokaṣāya). Owing to the rise of the quasi-passion (nokaṣāya) called the neuter sex sign–napuṃsakaveda, and of the inauspicious (aśubha) name-karma (nāmakarma), these–the nārakī and the sammūrcchina–are born as neither men nor women, but as neuter-sex (napuṃsaka). As a rule, the infernal beings and the spontaneously generated beings are neuter-sex (napuṃsaka) only. These do not enjoy even the slightest pleasure which the men and women derive from sweet sound, smell, colour (form), taste and touch.

If it is determined thus, it would imply that the mundane beings other than these are of the three sexes. Those who are not neuter-sex (napuṃsaka) are mentioned next.