Tattvartha Sutra (with commentary)
by Vijay K. Jain | 2018 | 130,587 words | ISBN-10: 8193272625 | ISBN-13: 9788193272626
This page describes the lifetimes of subhuman beings which is verse 3.39 of the English translation of the Tattvartha Sutra which represents the essentials of Jainism and Jain dharma and deals with the basics on Karma, Cosmology, Ethics, Celestial beings and Liberation. The Tattvarthasutra is authorative among both Digambara and Shvetambara. This is verse 39 of the chapter The Lower World and the Middle World and includes an extensive commentary.
Verse 3.39 - The lifetimes of subhuman beings
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of Tattvartha sūtra 3.39:
तिर्यग्योनिजानां च ॥ ३.३९ ॥
tiryagyonijānāṃ ca || 3.39 ||
The lifetimes of subhuman beings–tiryañca–are the same. (39)
Hindi Anvayarth:
अन्वयार्थ: तिर्यंचों की आयु की उत्कृष्ट तथा जघन्य स्थिति उतनी ही (मनुष्यों जितनी) है।
Anvayartha: tiryamcom ki ayu ki utkrishta tatha jaghanya sthiti utani hi (manushyom jitani) hai |
Explanation in English from Ācārya Pūjyapāda’s Sarvārthasiddhi:
The lifetimes for subhuman beings are mentioned next.
‘Tiryagyoni’ is the seat-of-birth (yoni) of subhuman beings. It means the birth attained on the rise of name-karma (nāmakarma) of the subhuman (tiryañca) state of existence. Those born in the subhuman (tiryañca) yoni are tiryagyonija. The maximum lifetime of tiryagyonija is three palyopama, and minimum is antarmuhūrta. Between these two extremes, there are many grades.