J. L. Jaini Memorial Series—Vol. IX. THE SACRED BOOKS

OF THE

JAlNAS

Vol. XIII THE JAINA UNIVERSE By

RAI BAHADUR J. L. JAINI, M.A. (Oxon),

Bar-at-Law, some time Chief Justice, Indore High Court, and later President Legislative Assembly, Indore State, Author of Outlines of , Jaina Law, Jaina Gem Dictionary, and Editor and translator of Tattwartha-dhiguma Sutra, Gommatsara Jiva Kanda and Kanda, Atmanushasana and Samayasara and founder and Editor of the Jaina Gazette.

Published by Pandit Ajit Prasada, M.A., LL.B., Director, The Central Jaina Publishing House, Ajitashram, Lucknow () 1948

By the Publisher.

This brochure by Mr. J. L. Jaini, is the result of a close study for years. The unthinkable vastness of the subject, the staggering complexity of calculations, and yet the concise, definite statement of size, age, complexion, bodily constitution and social organisation, prevailing in the Heavens above, would be found interesting to a research scholar. Mr. J. L. Jaini, revised this work for the last time on the 8th November, 1926, at Indore, where he was the President of the Legis­ lative Council. The delay of 22 years in its presentation to the public requires explanation. J. L. Jaini died suddenly in July 1927. By his will he left the whole of his estate to a Board of Trustees with directions to apply the income thereof for the propagation of Jaina Literature. Gommatsara Jiva Kanda and its companion volume Karma Kanda by Shri Nemichanclra Siddhanta Chakravarti were published with preface, exhaustive introductions, English translation and commentaries by J. L. Jaini himself in 1927, at a cost of Rs. 2,200/- and Rs. 1,500/- respectively paid by J. L. Jaini himself, as volumes of V and VI of the Sacred Books of the Jainas series. Purushartha Siddhyupaya with an introduction, translation and commentaries in English by my humble self was published in 1933 as volume IV of the Sacred Books of the Jainas, at a cost of Rs. 1,000/- paid by the Trustees of J. L. Jaini Memorial Trust. Atmanushasana and Samayasara by J. L. Jaini, Niyamsara by Uggar Sain of Rohtak, and Gommatsara Karma Kanda Part II by Brahmachari Sital Prasada and Pandit Ajit Prasada, and Pareeksha Mukham by Mr. S. C. Ghoshal were published respectively in 1928, 1930, 1931, 1937 and 1940 costing Rs. 750/-, 1,225/- 800/-, 2,000/- and 1,900/- respec­ tively, as volumes VII, VIII, IX, X and XI of the Sacred Books of the Jainas Series. The total cost of Volumes IV to XI paid by Mr. J. L. Jaini himself and by the Trustees after his death has come up to Rs. 11,375/-. World War conditions have unduly delayed the publication of the ‘Jaina Universe’.

Ajitashram, Lucknow : AJIT PRASADA. Vir Samvat 2474=1948, • • i M s «% t • ■

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• ■ WRI 3.

/ TAe Map of the iLTuw&m ( Th* Three Worlds)

Scale '~ v I sc+Le of Hell& .*- fjf » i*$ooi> Km*w4*

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PLATE.1 Explanation of the Map of the Universe, Plate I.

The Mobile Channel. SMnnMS, the square-sectioned rectangle, is the Mobile Channel. The map represents only a section of the Universe taken in the middle of its East to West side. In its North to South side, the Universe has an uniform thickness of 7 Rajus, i.e., the Universe has the form given in the Map, if we look at it facing its East to West side. If we look at it facing its North to South side, we face a uniform thickness of 7 Rajus. The Mobile Channel [Teas a Nali or Nadi) is that part of the Universe to which Mobile (Trasa) Souls are limited. That is, ordinarily, Mobile Souls are not found outside the Mobile Channel. This Channel is a square-sectioned-rectangle, its section being a square of one Raju, and it has a height which is generally given as 14 Rajus. In the Map S n has a length of 13 Rajus and 8,000 Yojanas only, because the lowest, the Seventh Earth, which is the Thule of Mobile Souls, is 8000 Yojanas thick. But the height is given as 14 Rajus, for easy memory or for the reason that the highest embodied souls in the highest Heavens have a visual knowledge, Avadhi Jnana, which extends down to 13 Rajus 8,000 Yojanas in the Mobile Channel and then to one Raju minus 8,000 Yojanas of below it, thus making a total of 14 Rajus.

The Abode of the Liberated. S S is the Sidha Shila or Kshetra or Abode of the Liberated. It is self-luminous with the light of Infinite, Pure Liberated Souls. It is the Home, Sweet Home, of the mundane, deluded soul. It is the only place which is absolutely wantless, imperfectionless, defectless, full of perfection and of all that can be desired. It is the only country from which no traveller ever returned. It may be asked. Why the absolute, pure, liberated Soul does not go beyond this or come down from it? The answer is: It is tlie free soul’s nature to move upward. Being freed from the weight of Karmic non-soul matter, there is nothing to bring it down. It also cannnot go beyond as the Beyond is all pure non-Univcrse Space (Aloka-Akashia)which contains no substances, including , the necessary medium of motion. Therefore the SOULS rest in pure soulhood in -Shild. S S is one Raju square, it is in the Sth earth; and it is 8 Tojanas thick. The Upper World. S M M S represents the Upper World or Celestial region. It consists of 16 Heavens, 9 Graiveyakas, 9 Anudishas, and 5 Anuttaras, with a total of 63 layers. The layers 1 to 52 represent the 16 Heavens. The spaci enclosed is a square of one Raju with a height of 6 Rajus. E E is the middle and the broadest part of the Upper World. It represents the top limit of the 16th Heaven. It is 5 Rajus broad. It is situated 3| Rajus below Siddha Shila, and 3j Rajus above the Middle World. “ E E represents the Space between the elbows of the headless man, standing akimbo with legs wide apart, which is the figure of the Universe as given in Jaina books. The 9 layers 53 to 61 arc the 9 Graivcyakas. The layer 62 represents the 9 Anudishas. The last layer 63 represents the 5 Anuttaras. Explanation 1 :—The dots in the breadth of the Mobile Channel represent the many vehicles, abodes or cars (Vimanaj of the Celestial beings. The Celestial region has no layers of Earth like the Abode of the Liberated, the Middle and Lower Worlds. Explanation 2 :—It is easy to understand the arrangement of the Upper World by remembering the following:— The upper world has in all 63 Patala, strata or layers. Each layer is co-extensive with the mobile channel (Trasa Nadi), which is a square of one Raju or W of the height of the whole Universe. In the centre of each Patala is the centre abode or car or Indraka Vimana. The Indraka Vimana of the first patala is a circle of a diameter of 45 lacs yojanas; then it goes on decreasing in size till it becomes a circle of one lac yojanas diameter in the sixty-third Patala. In the 4 Cardinal directions of these 63 patalas, there are other Vimanas. In the first patala there are 62 in each direction; in the second 61, and so on till in the sixty-second we have only 1 in each direction. In the sixty-third also there is only one. In the intermediate directions and all over the rest of the Patala, there are a great number of other Vimanas. The 16 heavens have 52 layers (patala) i.e., 31, 7, 4, 2, 1, 1 res­ pectively for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th pairs of heavens and 6 for the 7th and the 8th pairs. There are 9 for the 9 Graiveyakas. 1 for the 9 Anudisha. I for the 5 Anuttara. There are thus 63 layers ^patalaj in all.

The Middle World. M M is the Middle World, with its innumerable rings of Continents and Oceans, with Mount Meru, in its Centre. iii It is 7 Rdjus below Siddha Shila and 7 Rajus above the Base or foot of the Universe. The Upper World begins immediately at one hair’s breadth height from Mount Meru, which is 99040 Yojanas high, 40 Yojanas of which are tapering to the top; and 1000 1 Yojanas of it are embedded in the Earth. Lavana Samudra, the Salt Ocean, has four huge Patalas or Reservoirs in the four Cardinal points. Each of these is 1 lac Yojanas deep. The surface of the Reservoirs is level with the lowest point of Meru on the Earth. Therefore the Middle World may be said to be 990404-100000 = 199040 Yojanas thick.

The Lower World. M Ei Ej M is the first Earth. It is 180000 Yojanas thick. It has 3 parts. (1) Khara Bhaga or the crust part, 16000 Yojanas thick; (2) Panka Bhaga, clay or mud or soft part, 84000 Yojanas thick; and (3) Awahula Bhaga, or the lowest part 80000 Yojanas thick. H4 H4 is the first Hell one square Rdju of 78000 Yojanas thickness, with its 13 layers {Patalas'}. E2 E2 is the second Earth. It is 32000 Yojanas thick. H2 H2 is the second Hell, one square Rdju 30000 Yojanas thick with 11 layers. Es E3 is the third Earth, 28000 Yojanas thick* H3 H3 is the third Hell 26000 Yojanas thick with 9 layers. E4 E4 is the fourth Earth, 24000 Yojanas thick. H4 H4 is the fourth Hell, 22000 Yojanas thick with 7 layers. E5 Eg is the fifth Earth, 20000 Yojanas thick. H5 H6 is the fifth Hell, 18000 Yojanas thick, with 5 layers. E6 E6 is the sixth Earth, 16000 Yojanas thick. H6 He is the sixth Hell, 14000 Yojanas thick, with 3 layers. E7 E7 is the seventh Earth 8000 Yojanas thick. H7 H7 is the seventh Hell, 4000 Yojanas thick, with 1 layer. In their length, all the 7 earths touch the North and South sides of Universe.

Nigoda. N n n N B B is Nigoda. N n n N is at a distance of 1 Raju minus 8000 Yojanas from the Base of Univesse. It represents the lowest limit of the existence of Mobile (Trasa) souls. Mobile Souls are not found below NnnN, except in very few and most exceptional cases. This region of Nigoda has a thickness of 1 Raju minus 8000 Yojanas and a length of 7 Rdjus at bottom and about 6 Rdjus on the top. iv To understand the meaning of Nigoda, we must have at least a very elementary knowledge of Jlva-Samasa or Soul classes. Broadly speaking, souls a,re (1) Liberated, found in Siddha shild, or (2) Embodied, found in the rest of the Universe. These mundane souls are of 2 classes; (1) those who have one sense only, namely that of Touch and are called Immobile (Sthdvard); and (2) those who have more than one up to 5 senses and are called Mobile (Trasa'). The Immobile are of 5 kinds, earth-bodied, water-bodied, fire­ bodied, air-bodied and plants (or vanaspati). Plants are 2 kinds (1) Pratyeka or Individual, i.e. plants which have only one soul in one body; (2) Nigoda or Sddhdrana or Common or Group-souled plants, where many souls live a common-group- life, in one body. They take birth, eat, breathe, live, languish, flourish, and die together. These are called Nigoda. They are of two kinds: (i) Mitya Nigoda ever-group-souled, those who have never been anything but group-souled. These are the lowest kind of unliberated, mundane souls. (it) Itara-Nigoda, Re-group-souled, those who attained a higher status by being embodied in higher forms of life, but have returned to their group-souled life once again. The Nigoda region is thus pakced full of these, our lowest embodied brethren. It is surrounded on all sides by the three atmospheres of a thickness of 60000 Yojanas, included in its measure­ ments given above. In this region, as also in the whole of the rest of the Universe, there are other Immobile Souk the earth, water, fire and air bodied mundane souls. B B is the base or bottom of the Universe. Of course its lowest line is the line of the outer-most-atmosphere or Vata-Valaya, which at the bottom and sides of the Nigoda region is 60000 Yojanas thick.

SIDE VIEW OF THE UNIVERSE.

B PLATE K Explanation to Plate II.

Viewing the model from the side, we see only a rectangle 14 Rajus high and 7 Rajus broad with SS, EE, MM, and BB represent­ ing the 7 Rajus length of the lines in which are situated the Siddha Sila, the 6th Heaven at the Elbows of the Universe, the Middle World and the Base of the Universe respectively.

- ' - PLATE Explanation to Plate HI.

On the top of the cube PQRS, on the front and back sides mark from P, 1,3, and 4 Rajus at F, G, and H and at bottom mark from Q, 1 and 3 Rajus at 1 and J. At K mark the exact half of GJ. Join FK, IK, and HR. The 5 solid parts are.

A, i.e., PQJKFfkiqp B, i.e., FKGgkf C, i.e., IKJjki D, i.e., GKJRHhrjkg, and E, i.e., HRSsrh.

These 5 put together form the Universe. ______

Explanation to Plate IV.

The Model of the Universe.

A solid model of the Universe can be formed as follows.

The Volume of the Universe is 343 cubic Rajus. It is repre­ sented by a solid cube of 7 Rajus side.

It is required to cut this cube into a minimum number of parts to form the. Universe. This is done as follows by cutting the cube into 5 parts, A, B, C, D, and E.

THE JAINA UNIVERSE. We live in the Universe. It is called Loka. The space Akasha, which it occupies is Lokakasha. Beyond it, on all sides, there is the non-Universe Space (Alokdkasha.}

Lokdkdsha, and it alone, has 6 eternal, uncreated, individually independent, and yet inter-related and interpenetrating, co-existing Substances, . The grandest of these is, of course, Soul, the only Living and Knowing Substance Jeeva Dravya. The other five are all non-Living, Ajeeva. Jiva alone has Consciousness, Chetand, the capacity of being Attentive, IJpayoga, conation or perception, Darshana, and knowledge Jnana. The other 5 have the common cha­ racteristic of being substances without consciousness, Achetana Dravva. They are matter, Pudgula, Principle of Motion, Dharma, Principal of Rest, Adharma, time Kala and space Akasha.

Matter is characterised by 8 kinds of touch, hot or cold, soft or hard, smooth or rough, heavy or light; 5 kinds of taste, sweet, saline, acid, pungent or bitter; 2 kinds of smell pleasant or unpleasant, and 5 kinds of colour, white, yellow, red, blue or black.

Dharma the Principle of Motion; and Adharma the principle of Rest, are passive but are the essential concomitants of motion and rest respectively. They have the function of enabling soul and ■ matter to move or to cease to move. Time makes substances and their infinite modifications possible, by enabling substance to continue or to change or grow old or new etc.

Space has the function of making things manifest by giving them location. The function of Jivas is to help one another.

All the 6 substances, except Time, fill the universe at all points, have extent, are . embodied, i.e., have a body, Aslikava i.e., occupy more than one point of space. Time has no extension, and is mono-dimensional.

There is an infinite number of souls-infinite pure or liberated souls with their intangible forms touching the top of the Universe; and also infinite souls in the rest of the universe.

Matter, i.e., the atoms and molecules of matter are numerable, innumerable and infinite in number. ( 2 ) Dharma and Adharma, each, is one, and is co-existensive with the Universe.

Time is like a heap or line of infinite points of time, each occupying only one point of space, Pradesha. An instant or point of time is called a time-atom kalanu. The Jaina books say Time is like a heap of rubies, each of which exists separately, ^but is j in close contact with others.

The Universe itself has a height of 14 Raids, and a square base of 7 Rajus, i.e., with a breadth of 7 Rajus and a length of 7 Rajus. It is 7 Rajus thick, in all its height. It gradually rises up to a top of 7 square Rajus, i.e., it is 1 R.aju broad and 7 Rajus thick, at a height of 7 Rajus from the base. It again begins to expand, and at a further height of 3| Rajiis, i.e., at 10| Rajus, from the base and 3| Rajus from the top of the Universe it has an acrea of 35 square Rajiis i.e., it is 5 Rajus broad and 7 Rajus thick. Once more it begins to grow less and less till at the top it has again a thickness of 7 Rajus and a breadth ot 1 Raju. The base-line is 7 Rajils. It is called Jagat Shreni. Its cube is the volume of the Universe. The volume of the Universe is thus 73 or 343 cubic Rajus.

(See Trilokasara by SArz Siddhanta Chakravarti, Gathas 3, 4 and 5).

The Form of the Universe.

The form of loka is like that of a man standing akimbo, i.e., with his legs wide apart and his hands on the hips. In a side view, the Universe is? like one and a half mridanga (longish drums) put together, i.e., the half being placed below and with its sounding side upwards next to the lower sounding side of the full drum. It is not hallow but is solid, as if stuffed full of flags, in the curious language of Triloka Sara. Gatha 6.

The Raju. The Raju is really indescribable. It is equal to a seventh part of the base of the Universe. To understand the details, one must have some idea of the four terms Pal/va, Asa'nkhyata, Ghanangula and Ardhachchheda. ( 3 ) The Jaina measures of time and space are as follow i-—

As explained below Vvavahara Palya is used for numbering the hair-ends, Uddhara Palya for numbering Continents and Oceans, and Addha Palya for calculating the duration of ■ Karinas, and of the ages of celestial or hellish beings.

An atom, is defined as the smallest particle of matter, which can not be sub-dividc-d by water, fire, or any of the finest or sharpest instrument, or by any force of nature.

oc is the sign of Infinity, like an 8 placed horizontally.

oc2 represents infinite X infinite matter atoms=la, Avasannasanna.

(Avas.anna=limit terminal)—

Ava as a perfix means small, and Sannam literally means a small quan­ tity.

A'=a a is also used as a diminutive prefix.

Ava-Sanna-Asanna is thus a very very small quantity. And an atom is un-ima- ginably small. The modern chemical or physical atom is infinitely large compared to an atom as postulated by Jains. Jain philosophers have again dealt at brain­ racking length with millions of innumerables multiplied by innumerable fold of infinity. The modern mathematics stop at infinity; whereas Jain mathematics begins with infinity as a unit. Literally speaking therefore, Jain mathematics begins where modern advanced mathematics ends. ( 4 ) To proceed— 8 Avasanna-sanna is denoted by a 8a ~ 1 Sannasanna s is denoted by .s 8a = 1 Tritarenu t is denoted by t. 8t = 1 Trasarenu tr. is denoted by tr. 8tr = 1 Ratharenu r is denoted by r. 8r = 1 Hair-end of a 7 days old lamb, born in Uttama-bhoga-bhumi (h.u.') o II. U. = 1 ,, ,, ,, Madhyama-bhogabhumi (/z. nz.) 8 II. Til. = 1 ,, ,, ,, Jaghanya-bhoga-bhumi (Ji. jj 8 h> j‘ ~1 » 55 55 „ Karma-bhumi, (h. k.) 8 /z. k. =1 Nit. (leek) n. 8 n. =1 Sarson, Rape-seed, r. s. 8r.s. =1 Barley (b). 8 b. =1 Utsedha finger (u. f.); utsedha (literally height, thickness, fatnees, protruding, rising upwards or outwards). 500 w./.«=l Pramana finger (p. f.) It is used in measuring continents, oceans, rivers and lakes etc. 1 Atma-angula, own finger (o. f.). It is the own finger, at “any particular time, of people in Bharata and Airavata regions. Bows, utensils, ornaments, houses, gardens etc. arc measured by this. Wc shall use (f) for this. 6/ ==1 pada foot (p.) 2 p =1 span (sp.) 2 sp = 1 cubit (r). 2 c =1 visa (r). ' 2v =1 bow, (dhl). 2000z//z=l kosa (£). 4 k =1 yojana. ' Dig a pit in depth and diameter=l Pramdna Yojana or maha- yojana=2000 utsedha Kosa. Fill it extremely tightly packed with h. u. s. (z.r., hair-ends of a 7 day’s old lamb of uttama-bhoga-bhumi} level with the earth’s surface* The volume of the pit is (where r=radius and h=depth). tt r2h. In Jain works n has been taken to be equal to yTO. This is a surd or irrational quantity. Its exact value can never be obtained. The approximate fractional value is obtained according to the rule stated below:— To find out the value of a square root surd, take the nearest part of the quantity which will on extracting the square root yield

i ( 5 ) n integral result, ancl add to it the remainder divided by twice hat integral result. 1 1 19 t = 3+2x3 ~3 + 6"? According to the algebraical rule for expansion of a Binomial quantity.

i(|_l) (i_2) 1 , | Ll A93_r...... / = 3 / , . 1 | Confining; the calculation to the first two \ ’*'2x9/ terms of tthe expansion, the succeeding terms being very small quantities. -3_n 3 i 1 19 3 + 2x9“3+2x3 ----6.

The first approximation of y'10, expressed fractionally, accord­ ing to the rule enunciated by"Jain has thus been shown to be the same as obtained by modern zMgebraical calculation.

The volume of the cylindrical pit is n r2 h, where 77 = -\/10=,9 r is the radius, and h the height.

Substituting the values given above, the volume is 6“X (j)2X 1 = ’-y X|=ff- cubic, yojans. The h. u. s. in it are— (4x2000x2x2x2x2x6x500x87)3 (43x 6x87x 106)3 =6-^4 (6x4x4ax87xl0«)3 =€^4 X 6x 4x 62x 42x 46x 821 X 1018 = 19x 62x 24x 212x 263x 1018 = 19 X 62X 216X 263X 1018 (216 is called. Pannathi.) — Pannathi x 32x 22X 263x 1018x19 = Pannathix 32x 264x 2x 1018x 19 246 is called Ekathi, = Pannathix Ekathi x 18 x 1018x 19 = 65536x 18446744073709551616X 342x 1018 = 413452630308203177749512192 with 18 zeros after it. ( 6 ) Take out one hair encl (h. u.) in 100 years. The time occupied in emptying the pit in this manner is called one Vyavahara Palya. It is 41345263030820317774951219200000000000000000000 years, viz., a terms of 47 figures with 20 zeroes, which can hardly be expressed in words. Paly a, means a sack of corn; and Sagara, an ocean. Vyavahara paly a is reckoned in the manner detailed above; and the time thereby occupied is called Vyavahara Palyopama, and is used for calculating age.

To calculate an Uddhara Palya. Break up each hair end in the above pit into as many parts as there arc instants in a period of innumerable years. Then take out each broken hair-end in 100 years. The time taken up in emptying the pit is an Uddhara Palya. Reduce the years into instants {Samayas) on the data given below. 1 year == 2 ay ana (six months). 1 Ay ana = 3 ritu (season). 1 ritu = 2 masa (months). - 1 masa = 30 ahoratra (day and night). 1 ahoratra — 30 muhurta. 1 mulidrta = sankhyata avali. 1 avali = Jagahanya Yukta-Asankhyata Samaya (Instants). Addha Palya. Take the instants of Ksankhyata years; multiply by the instants of Uddhara Palya. The product is the number of Samayas of Addha Palya. The years in an Addha Palya are thus a very big innumerable, quantity. Sagara, 10 crore crore Palya of any kind make a Sagaropama of the corresponding kind. The Sagara is also of the three kinds mentioned with reference to Palya, viz. Vyavahara Sagara, Uddhara Sagara and Addhb Sagara. Suchyangula {Linear finger'}. Addha P'alya being raised to the power of its number of halvings {ardhachhedas} is one Suchyangula. It is the number of spatial units in that part of space which is one Pramanangula long and one spatial unit {pradesha) in breadth. Pratarangula. (square finger) is the square of Suchvangula. Ghannagula. (cubic finger) is the cube of Suchydngula. ( 7 ) Jagat Shreni. Divide the number of halvings of one Addha Palya by innumerable Ghanangula raised to the power of the quotient. It is Jagat Shreni=7 Rajus. Jagat Pratara is the square of Jagat-Shreni—A§ square Rajus. Loka Ghana is the cube of Jagat-Shreni—'iA'i cubic Rajus. Asankhyata is an innumerable number. There are many kinds of Asankhyata. For details see Jain Gem Dictionary Appendix B. Ardhachheda of a number is the number of times that number can be divided by two: i.e., it is the number of its halvings, or simply its halvings. Now let Addhh Palya =* P Asarikhyata Ardhachheda ofP =P. h. Then Ghana-Ahgula =cube of a Suchi-Angula= (PPH)3 Now we get the base .of the universe, If we raise a Ghana- angula to the power of the quotient obtained by dividing the halvings of an Addha Palya by Aasankhyata. Base of the universe or Jagat Shreni is thus—

= p! ph2=7 Rajus. yph2 .‘.One Raju=’ Pa To illustrate the huge extent of Raju, let P =16= 16 A == 22 Then Ph == 4,4, andand 22 One Raju =|X=|XP|Ph P'Ph2 2 =TX 161 16 = 1X1624 =|X296 =_>x 232x 264 = lx Badala x Ekatthi. Badala is the technical name for 2 raised to the power 32. Ekatthi is the square of Badala, i.e., 2 raised to the power 64. There is no lower countable number than 2, When the huge innumerable A is taken to be 2, and the huge Innumerable Palya is 16, then the Raju is the tremenduous figure above. When the true value of palya and asankhyata is considered, all that we can say of the Raju is, that it is indescribable, almost inconceivable, (Trilolqi-Sara Gathas 7, 8 and 92). ( 8 ) The Dimensions of the Universe. The height of the universe is 14 Rajus. Its breadth East to West is 7 Rajus at bottom, one at Middle, 5 at the upper middle and again one at the top. Its thickness North to South is 7 Rajus all through. From tjiis it is easy to arrive at the following conclusions. The Base Line, Jagat Shreni is 7 Rajus. The Base Area, Jagat-Pratara is 72=49 square Rajus. The volume of the universe Ghana-Loke is volume of the upper part-{-volume of the lower part—■ = 7/ 7x 5+1 7 7 | (7 x3) + (7x4) | =7 (49)

=7x 72=73=-. 343 cubic Rajus. The Siddha Kshetra., At the extreme summit of the Universe, there is situated Siddha Kshetra, the abode of the Pure Liberated Souls. It is the goal of all holy endeavour and the summum bonum of our wordly existence. Here there is the eighth Earth. It is called Ishat-Praga-Bhar. It is one Raju wide, 7 Rajus long and 8 Yojanas thick. In the center of it there is a space of a diameter of 45 lakhs of Yojanas, which is like a cupola or luminous inverted umbrella, 8 Yojanas thick in middle. The thickness grows less and less till at the edges it is like the finest feather of a fly. This is Siddha Kshetra. Its diameter is, of necessity, 45 lakhs Yojanas, as it is reached by Libera­ ted Souls directly after their Liberation from all , which can only take place in the human regions i.e., within the circle of the Manushottara or cis-human mountain which bisects the third continent {Dvipaj all along the width of its ring. The diameter of this circle is 45 lakhs Yojanas and it contains the first two Oceans and the first two -and-a-half Continents, and is therefore called Adhai or Dhai-Dvipa. The form of the Siddha Kshetra is like that of a canopy umbrella, a cupola or an inverted cup. It is 8 Yojanas in the middle. It is self lumnous. In it all Pure Souls abide in their eternal bliss, each occupying space a little less than that occupied by the body in which the soul last incarnated and from which it obtained Nirvana. Being freed from Karmas, the souls rush on to this limit of the Universe as there is nothing more, no weighing Karma, to keep them down in Samsara. They rush up straight to the end of the Universe, being assisted by Dharma, the principle or medium of Motion, which is one of the six eternal, uncreated constituent's of the Universe. This principle of Motion also coming to an end, on further motion is possible. Therefore the souls must rest here for ( 9 ) ever. This they do. Their connection with, and their journey in, the endless cycles of existence is over. Someone may ask; What is Siddha-Shila? Is it supportless or not? If it is so, how and why it is so? Is there light or darkness? If there is light whose light is it How does that limited space suffice for all the Jivas that are redeemed from mortal bondage? And lastly, why should all the Mukta Jivas go to the same place and not elsewhere? The answer is:— The Siddha-Shila is the abode of the Liberated Souls. It is the place in space in which all pure souls after shedding the last vestige of Karmic matter stay for ever in their pure soulncss, in their true and eternal, Omniscient and Omnipotent God-hood. This place is situated at the summit of the Universe. Space is divided into Loka (Universe) and Aloka (non-Universe). In the Universe there arc the two eternal, un-created indestructible Substances (), i.e., the Living (Jiva) and the non-Living (), which with the five forms of the non-living, namely Matter (), Time (Kala), space (Akasha), and the principles or Media of Motion (Dharma) and rest (Adharma) form the six constituents of the Universe. These six substances are found in the Universe, but not beyond it. There is no matter or soul, no motion or rest in the non-Universe. The non-Universe is a negative conception. It is not easy to describe it in positive terms. It is absolutely unlike the Universe, with which alone we are familiar; and in the terms of which alone we can affirm or deny anything about the non-Universe. Therefore the easiest and the only waly of forming some idea of the non-Universe is by considering the Universe and then denying of the non-Universe all that we affirm of the Universe. In one word, the non-Universe is the negation of the Universe. It is what the Universe is not in its constitution and character. Of course both are equally uncreated and eternal, as both arc part of the one Substance, Space. But beyond this the two arc entirely unlike each other. Souls in the world i.e., in the Universe below the Siddha-Shila, are weighed down with Karmic matter, like a clay-filled gourd at the bottom of a brook. As soon as the gourd is free from clay, it bobs up to the surface of the water. So the soul weighted with the clay of Karma is in the brook of Samsara (mundane existence). As soon a it is freed from Karma, it bobs up to the top of the Universe, which is the crown and glory of the Universe. The Siddha-Shila is the buffer space between the Universe, and the non-Universe. It is called the eight Prithvi or Earth. Like the other seven Earths, it is surrounded on all sides by the three envelopes of Ghanodadhi (Humid), Ghana (Thick), and Tanu (Thin), Vata-Valayas or sheaths of atmosphere. These three sheaths are its support and surroundings, as they are also of the other Earths. (For details, see Triloka Saraji)...... ( 10 ) Light and darkness as such are purely material phenomena. Light itself is only one of the six forms of matter, according to Jainism. Western science approaches the Jaina idea in its cor­ puscular theory of Light. Now, we have seen above that the soul is non-material (Amurta'). In its pure condition, it can be neither the subject nor the object of material circumstance. This is the ultimate difficulty which leads a weak confused soul to atheism. The right x viewpoint is to realise the essential difference between soul and matter, and between soul in its pure and in its embodied condition. The soul is living, Life. Matter is dead, non-life. The Pure Soul is all Pure Consciousness, Knowledge and Power; identical with God. The embodied soul is the ray of God ensnared in matter; the Purusha in the toils of Prakriti] the Para-Brahma deluded in the embrace of Maya or Avidya] the unlimited soul limited by matter. If these distinctions are not lost sight of, theological polemics disappear, and calm knowledge leads to sweet reverence and peace of heart, mind and intellect. Therefore to ask whether there is light or dark­ ness in Siddha-Shila is futile. Omniscience alone can answer its how or why. But our partial knowledge also can show that this question is really irrelevent, as by it we import material considera­ tions into a region which is not their proper domain. Whatever light and of whatever kind, knowledge may be said to possess, that light in its strongest, purest effulgence is ever the Light of Siddha- Shita- The kinds of Soul or Soul-classifications, or Jiva Samasas show us that the Soul with regard to space is infinitely elastic. The same soul can be co-extensive with the bulky body of a mammoth, whale or elephant, or with the small space occupied by a tiny animalcula or even the most microscopic and invisible earth, water, fire or air-embodied soul. Therefore the Siddha-Shila is surely enough for all Liberated Souls. A very rough and incomplete but graphic parallel is found in the material world also. The light of a small lamp fills the whole space of a room. If another lamp is put near the small lamp, its light also finds room in the same space. An electric torchlight also finds accommodation in the same room. The light from a passing motor, the broad beam of a searchlight from a passing dreadnought, the blue flash of lightning from a stormy sky may also come to crowd the room, and still no light is ousted. Light is matter and still its elasticity is most accommodating, very much unlike the teeming millions of the children of Adam and Eve, who can migrate and colonise only at the cost of their poorer or weaker sisters and brothers. From this it is not difficult to see how all pure souls can occupy Siddha-Shila, without any trouble, overcrowding or partitions.

All the liberated Souls must go to Siddha-Shila because it’, s their nature to rise up and up and up in a straight line. They thus rise to the highest point of the Universe, and rise no further as there is no medium of motion in the non-universe, ( n } The Three Atmospheres. The Universe is surrounded by three atmospheres of different thickness on all sides. The three atmospheres, or Vata-valayas, or wind-sheaths arc :— Ghanodadhi Vata-Valaya, very humid atmosphere, Ghana Vata-Valaya, thick atmosphere, Tanu Vata-Valaya, fine or rarefied atmosphere. In the lower world at a height of 7 Rajus there are 7 Earths at a distance of one Raju from each other. At the bottom of the Universe, i.e., one Raju below the 7th Earth there is the base-line, of the Universe. At the top of the Universe, there is the 8th Earth containing the Siddha-Kshetra. All these as also the middle and the upper worlds are enclosed in the 3 atmospheres. All the 3 atmospheres have an uniform thickness of 20,000 Yojanas each.. (1) Under each of the 8 Earths, (2) Under the base of the Universe, and (3) on the sides of the Universe from its bottom upto a height of one R£ju. Near the end of the 7th Earth, i.e., at a height of one Raju from the base, on the sides, the thickness of the three Atmospheres drops suddenly to the insignificant extent of 7, 5, and 4 Yojanas for the 3 respectively. That is, the total thickness of 3 is 16 Yojanas. Then it decreases gradually till a height of 7 Rajus from' the base, i.e., on the sides of the first Earth its total is 12, being 5, 4 and 3 reespectively for the 3 atmospheres. The total decrease is 16—12=4 Yojanas in a height of 6 Rifjus; therefore in one Raju it is 1 or j Yojanas. Therefore the the total thickness of the three at the side of the different Earths is as follows:— At the sides of the 7th Earth it is 16 Yojanas.

33 33 6th „ „

33 53 3 th ,, ,, 14f „

35 33 4th „ „ 14 „

33 33 3rd ,, ,, 13j „ 33 33 2nd ,, ,, 12f „ 53 33 1st ,, ,, 12 A Then from the middle world upwards, it gradually increases till at a height of 10| Rajus from the base, and 3| Rajus from the middle World, it is again a total of 16, he., 7, 5 and 4 Yojanas for each. { 12 ) The total increase being 4 in 3| Rajus height, the increase for one Raju is ®/7, for i Raju */? and for 1| Raju 12/7 Yojanas. Therefore we have the total thickness at the sides of different Heavens as follows:— At the end of 2nd Heaven it is 133/7 Yojanas.

»> 55 4 th ,, ,, 153/7 ,,

5 5 5 5 6 th ,, ,, 16 ,, Finally the thickness at the sides decreases gradually to 12 Yojanas at the top of the Universe. Therefore it is as follows:— At the end of 8th Heaven it is 15s/? Yojanas.

10th 35 55 H9/7

12th 55 55 14’/7

14th 55 35 13*/7

16th 55 35 13i/7 the Universe ,, 12 Above the 8th Earth at the end of the Universe. The Ghanodadhi is 2 Kosa thick (2000 Kosa=l Yojana). The Ghana is 1 Kosa The Tanu is 1 Kosa-425 bows= 1575 bows (as 2000 bows== 1 kosa).

The Mobile Channel. It is well known that Jainism recognises two very broad divisions of living beings, those who, such as men and animals, can flee from danger, i.e., move at will and therefore are called mobile (Trasa), and those who cannot move, are called immobile (Sthavara) like plants etc., etc. Now ordinarily and mostly, i.e., except under very exceptional circumstances the Mobiles are not found anywhere in the Universe, except in the Trasa Nadi, or Mobile Channel. This Mobile Channel is 13 Rajus and 8000 Yojanas high. It is generally said to be 14 Rajus high. But this is inaccurate, as beyond the 7th hell, there are no Mobile beings. It begins from the summit of the Universe and descends to the level of the last Hell in the last or the 7th Earth one Raju minus 8000 Yojanas above the base of the Universe. It is one Raju broad and one Raju long. Thus it is a square- sectioned rectangle. In the Map of the Universe it is represented by the space enclosed in the figure in the Centre and marked SMN, NMS. It is most important to note that the map gives (. 13 ) only a side-view of the Universe. It represents only a section of the whole, which is 7 Rajus thick. That is,we must imagine this view to go on extending solidly back for 7 Rajus to be a true re­ presentation of the Universe. The whole of the Upper, Middle and Lower Worlds lie in this Channel. Only the Nigoda forms of one-sensed living beings fill the whole Universe, including the regions of the Mobiles also.

The Three Worlds. The Universe as described above falls into three clear por­ tions : The Upper, the Middle and Lower Worlds. The Upper World is represented by the upper Mridanga or drum, or the headless trunk of the man akimbo, the elbows rep­ resenting the eastern and western limits of the last layer of the sixth Heaven in the Celestial region, which consists of 16 Heavens of 63 layers, 9 Graiveyakas, 9 Anudisha and 5 Anuttra. The Middle World is at the plane where the one full and the one-half Mridanga meet, i.e., between the Upper and the Lower World. This is the waist of the headless man standing akimbo. It consists of innumerable concentric rings of Continents and Oceans. The Lower World is represented by the lower Mridanga or the half-drum, or the lower half of the body of the man; the waist being one-seventh part of the height from the ground to the waist and of the distance between the two feet stretched wide apart. It consists of 7 Earths, with their Hells of 49 layers.

Conclusion. This account of the Universe is most unusual. It seems to be a ruthless negation of all our modern ideas of geography and Cosmography. I am aware of the scathing criticism of Macaulay about a century ago, when he wrote of Indian Geography as “made up of seas of treacle and seas of butter”. Of course Lord Macaulay was not an Orientalist except in the sense conferring the very fertile and far-reaching gift of English education on a portion of the Indian middle classs society. But the criticism is as superficial, as it is fatuous. The names of Oceans in Indian and Jaina Geography certainly bear the meaning of treacle and butter. But verily, here if nowhere else; “What’s in a name?” We have our Red Sea, White Sea, Black Sea, Yellow Sea, and Dead Sea, Mr. Fox, Hill, Stone, Merrryweather, Crowe, Waterhouse Black, Coward, Boys, Water-field, Cornwall, etc., etc., a thousand and one names bear­ ing meanings which can in no way be made applicable to the persons or objects which are called by those names. This use of words is recognised by Jainism as Nama-nikshepa or nominal aspect of a thing, and guards against the fatuous fallacy of arguing from the mere name of a thing. But my aim in giving the Jaina conception of the Universe in this small article is merely to record with accuracy a tradition, which is at least 3000 years old, and which has been handed down with an unbroken continuity and unimpaired wholeness in all its details. Whether it is true or untenable, whether it is true literally or only figuratively, the key of which figurative scheme is lost to us nowr need not deter us from seeing fully in all its exactitude the tradition itself. It is merely in this spirit that I have given the Jaina idea of the Universe.

Indore, November 8, 1926. J. L. JAINI.