Dr. N.L. Kachhara
We know that ahara vargana constitutes the gross, fluid and migratory bodies of organisms. Scientifically, the functioning of gross body, which is made up of cells, depends on electrical energy. The electricity found in living bodies, zoological or botanical is known as bioelectricity. Biological cells use bioelectricity to store metabolic energy, to do work or trigger internal changes, and to signal one another. Bio electromagnetism is the electric current produced by action potentials along with the magnetic fields they generate through the phenomenon of electromagnetic induction. Bio electromagnetism is an aspect of all living things, including all plants and animals. Bio electromagnetism is sometimes difficult to understand because of the differing types of bioelectricity, such as brainwaves, myoelectricity (e.g., heart muscle phenomenon), and other related subdivisions of the same general bio electro magnetic phenomena. Bioelectricity is made of ions, and is different from bioelectrical energy made of photons (biophoton).
The origin of electricity as found in living organisms is still a detail of uncertainty for which there are several theories. Four such theories include, but are not limited to, the Diffusion theory, the Membrane theory, the Oxidation theory, and the Phase - Boundary theory. The Diffusion theory states that chloride from sodium chloride (NaCl) in water found in the body may move at a faster rate than its sodium counterpart, which provides for a negative charge. The Membrane theory claims that a membrane, which may possess selective pores permeable to only one type of ion, separates ions of different charge. The Oxidation theory challenges the other two theories by focusing on the loss of electrons as ferrous changes into ferric ions, which produces a positive charge. However, the last theory, the Phase - Boundary theory, is centered upon the oil membranes on every cell in a living organisms and proposes thus: potential charge may be found when electrically active materials are distributed unequally at the interface of water and oil, therefore a negative charge potential in a nerve may arise from the dissolving of acetylchlorine chloride (C7H16ClNo2, a powdered organic compound soluble in alcohol, decomposed by hot water) on one side of the nerve fiber's oil layer (surface). On the opposing side of the oil membrane, sodium chloride dissolves slightly in the oil. The potential across the oil layer is dependent upon the unbalanced distribution of the chloride.
The normal electricity cannot be converted into bioelectricity nor bioelectricity can be produced outside the body but the two kinds of electricity can mix with each other. Bioelectricity is much superior to normal electricity in the same way as a living organism is superior to nonliving matter. Bioelectricity is many times more powerful and effective than normal electricity. Science has not succeeded so far, in finding the right source of bioelectricity. Jain philosophy clearly pronounces that ahara vargana is responsible for functioning, development and growth of physical body of organism. Knowing that the vargana is electromagnetic we can infer that ahara vargana is the source of bioelectricity. These varganas are probably directly absorbed by the cells, which are known to be sensitive to a broad range of frequencies. Ahara vargana (bio-electricity) is responsible for synthesis of enzymes and proteins in cells, functioning and control of various organs and development and growth of the body of organism, from constituents taken through nutrition, respiration and environment. It is easy to see that electromagnetic ahara vargana also constitute the fluid body and migratory body, both of which are electrical and travel freely in space. All the three types of bodies can not be made without ahara vargana.
How ahara vargana performs its function is not clear. It may act independently or indirectly by improving the working of ions. It may assist and enhance the function of ions in some way so that ions become more energetic and powerful and perform in a superior and lively manner. It is possible karma or luminous bodies in their functioning also direct that ahara vargana. In any case, ahara vargana produce a form of electricity in the body of organism that performs various kinds of functions in the body.
According to Bhagwati canon the audarik, vakriya and aharaka vargana are eight- touch vargana and so the physical, fluid and migratory bodies must contain gross matter. This is also true. We know that physical body is made of GMV and ahara vargana provides the necessary energy for its construction. Similarly, the fluid body and migratory body may also contain a small amount of GMV and ahara vargana as a source of energy to construct these bodies. The GMV present in the last two bodies must be in subtle form making the bodies invisible.
