Philosophy In Jain Agams: Trasa and Sthāvara (Mobile and Immobile beings)

In the first chapter of Ācārāṅga, sastra parijṇṇā (comprehending and giving up of weapon of injury), there is a description of the six categories of beings like pṛthvīkāya etc. but their sequence is different from the traditional one. Earth, water, fire, vegetation, mobile beings and air- such sequence is mentioned here whereas in the ninth chapter of the same text, the traditional sequence is also available.^[1] Whether the Ācārāṅga divides ṣaḍjīvanikāya into sthāvara and trasa or not - cannot be known from the first chapter. There trasa beings are mentioned but the word sthāvara is not found. In the whole text of Ācārāṅga the word sthāvara has been used twice, but in a single sūtra.^[2] Both the trasa and sthāvara terms are used in combination. It shows that the whole group of living beings can be divided into two groups i.e. sthāvara and trasa. This fact is available in Ācārāṅga in another way that pṛthvīkāyika etc. are sthāvara jīva and all the beings besides them i.e. two sensed living beings etc. are trasa. There is a mention of ṣaḍjīvanikāya in Daśavaikālika Sūtra.^[3] In this text also, ṣaḍjīvanikāya has not been divided into two parts, such as trasa and sthāvara, but in the fourth chapter of the same āgama, there is a mention of trasa and sthāvara in the context of ahimsā mahāvrata (great vow of non-violence).^[4] It shows that apart from trasa the pṛthvīkāya etc. are sthāvara. Even there the division of trasa and sthāvara is not found directly.