Answer

Yes, in Jain Dharma, Prithvikāy jīvas are one-sensed living beings connected with the earth-body category. They are classified as ekendriya jīvas, meaning beings with only one sense: touch.

However, it is important to understand carefully:

Not every ordinary stone is automatically treated as a living jīva in the simple everyday sense. Jain scriptures speak of earth-bodied souls living in earth, minerals, clay, stones, metals, etc., but the visible material object and the soul associated with earth-body must be understood through Jain metaphysics.

Explanation

In Jain classification, ekendriya jīvas include:

• Prithvikāy – earth-bodied beings
• Apkāy – water-bodied beings
• Teukāy – fire-bodied beings
• Vāyukāy – air-bodied beings
• Vanaspati-kāy – plant-bodied beings

Prithvikāy jīvas are souls whose body is made from earth-substance. Jain tradition includes substances like soil, clay, stone, minerals, gems, metals, and similar earth-forms under this category.

They have only the sense of sparśa, touch. They do not have taste, smell, sight, or hearing.

Spiritual Understanding

This teaching shows the depth of ahiṃsā in Jain Dharma. Jainism teaches that life exists in very subtle forms, not only in animals and humans. Therefore, unnecessary destruction, digging, breaking, burning, or harming earth substances can involve violence toward prithvikāy jīvas.

For this reason, Jain conduct encourages:

• Carefulness in using natural resources
• Avoiding unnecessary harm
• Respect for even subtle forms of life
• Awareness that life is present beyond what ordinary eyes can see

Takeaway

Yes, Prithvikāy jīvas are ekendriya jīvas. Stones and earth-substances are connected with the category of earth-bodied life in Jain thought, but we should understand this according to Jain metaphysics, not merely as “every visible stone behaves like an animal-like living being.”