Sarira or different types of bodies (Tattvárthasütra)

Types of Bodies

Meaning

Description

Features

Subtleness

Purpose (Upabhoga)

Association with the soul

AudSrlka

Gross body

Visible buRy body made from suitable class of material clusters

Possesses cognitive organs and other bodiy parts

Humans, animats or plant forms

Gross. Subject to resistance while moving

To experience pleasure and pain, to perform actions, to suffer or enjoy consequences of the prcvsoos karmas

From birth to death when soul takes birth in human or animal form Emerges at the time of txrth out of womb or txrth by way of aggMmation

Vaikriyaka

Protean'

transformable

body

Body that can assumo supernatural forms in various sizes and shapes

Possesses cognitive organs and other bod iy parts

AS heavenly beings, infernal be¡ngs and in very rare cases some exceptional human beings

Subtler than audSnka Subject to partial resistance on movement Tneysulfer no resistance only in a pait of loka catod trosanMi

Similar to uudSriko. but also used to assume various forms, shapes and sizes.

From birth to death when soul takes birth m heevens or hess II this case it created by sudden manifestation on birth of heavenly and heüish beings It can also be created artificially by supernatural powers acquired by humans in form of penances and sometimes available to some humans since birth

AhSreka

Commuting

body

Made up of auspicious clusters of meteríais which are white and pure.

Possesses cognitive organs and other bodJy parts

Monks in sixth

stage of

gunaslMna

(spiritual

development)

and versed in the

wpOrvas

Subtler than votknyako. Subject to partial resistance on nwemcnt They suffer no resistance only in a part of loka (unwrse) caBod trosonodi

When a monk harbours a doubt and there is no omniscient being in hts world he creates an ShSraka body that allows him to travel to a different world tiaving an omniscient being and get his doubts resoVed It is done within a perkxl of -18 minutes.

Temporarily and artificialy created by a monk for the specific purpose of travoiing to other worlds to moot the omniscient bemgs in order to answer certain questions.

Teijasa

Fiery or body made oí energy

Made up of fiery particles

Devoid of cognitive organs and other bodiy parts

A! wortcTy living beings

Subtler than Шгока Suffers no resistance. Can mow throughout the loka

Helps in digestion of consumed food and gr.«s a glow. It also provides energy for other bodtfs to function in case of ascetics with supernatural powers due to penances, teijasa body can be used to burn down the person with whom they are angry and to shower calm on the person with wtiom they are pteased

Associated with soul since begmningfess time and also present at Iho Un» of transmigration

Kérmana

Karmic body

Cofloction of karmas attached to the soul

Devoid of cognitwi organs and other bodiy parts

A3 worldly living bemgs

Most suWJo. Suffers no resistance Can move throughout the loka

The кйгтапз body is categonsed as mwpabboga as it is not an enabler in any activity or purposo of a living bomg The karmic body is the field that holds al the karmic particles of the soul It is the basts for ai other bodies

Associated with soul since begmnmgsess time and also present at the time of transmigration.