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Jai Mahavir ji
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Bharata Ksetra
Of infinite attributes of living beings,
the foremost one is 'Jňāna' or knowledge just as natural as fire
is characterized by heat. The knowledge approaches its completion
as we move from lower to higher species. Consequently, as Śri
Samantabhadra remarks that the minute, antique and distant objects
are being observed by some one or the other, there must exist an
'Omniscient, Sarvajňa (loZK)
deva *. Here we mean by minute a paramānu, antique as Rama and
Rāvana, and distant as Sumeru parvata. Our five senses are
inadequate to judge the particle (Parmānu). Past, future, and
complete knowledge of objects can only be had through extrasensory
perception. Those who are blessed with the divine faculty of
extra-sensory perception are omniscient and words spoken by them
form the text of Jinagama the holy scriptures of the Jainas.
Beyond the competency of modern
scientists to understand soul, supreme soul, paraloka, paradise,
hell, life and death, there lie many secrets which are
unraveled through holy scriptures. Just as we, unlike direct
observation and estimation, have to accept the existence of our
forefathers on the basis of propagation of species through
generations, so should we accept the existence of three lokas,
madhyaloka, uncountable islands and oceans, Jambūdvipa,
Nandīsvara dvipa. Knowledge of Sumeru, Videha, Himavān,
Vijayārdha, Bharata ksetra, Āryakha in Jambūdvipa leads us to
believe the places of existence of living beings.
As enunciated by Lord Mahāvira, the
Jināgamas include satkhandāgama, Kasāyapahuda, Tiloyapannatri,
Trilokasāra, Tattvārthasūtra, Slokavārtika etc.
Bharata ksetra, 1/190th part
of Jambūdvipa in Madhyaloka, is stretched over 526-6/19 yojanas.
It has six regions.
*Refer Devagamstotra
Editor Note:
In this portion numerous changes have
been made by the translator and some descriptive part was left by
him
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34 Jaina
Geography
Gangā river originating from Padma
Sarovara (lake) (1000 yojanas long and 500 yojanas broad) at Hima
vāna parvata, falls at the basement of Himavāna parvata into Gangā
kunda (pool). Gangā kunda is stretched· over 60 yojanas and it has
an island (10 yojanas long, 8 yojanas broad and 2 kośas high)
having a Vajramaya parvata (breadth at base 4 yojanas, middle 2
yojanas and top 1 yojana). At the top of this
10
yojanas high parvata there exists a
palace 'Gangākuta' having a breadth 3000 dhanusas at base, 2000
dhanusas at middle and 1000 dhanusas at top and height 2000
dhanusas. It has a vedika, four gopura gates, a Jina temple and a
beautiful courtyard. There lives Devi Gangā. At the kūta of Devi
Gangā there exist statues of Jinendra with hairy crown, in the
lotus pose. The living beings who remember Lord Jinendra are
liberated. (See Tiloya pannatti, 4.23, Jambūdvipa pannatti, 162
and Triokasāra, 590.) Gangā River passing through the southern
door of the Ganga kunda enters the cave of Vijayārdha parvata.
At the central portion of Bharata ksetra,
there is situated Vijayārdha parvata, 25 yojanas high and 50
yojanas broad, 9748-12/10 yojanas long (i.e. touching
Lavanasamudra in east-western direction). At a height of 10
yojanas over this parvata there exists a srenī of Vidhyādharas on
both sides .each. There are 50 and 60 towns in northen and
southern shrenīs respectively.
Ten yojanas higher than Vidyādhara srenīs,
there exist srenīs of ābhiyogya devas where vyantara devas of the
caste used as vehicles by Saudharma Indra reside. Five yojanas
higher than here there exist the top (with 10 yojanas breadth) of
Vijayārdha parvata. It has 9 kūtas. There is a Jina temple at the
kūta in the eastern direction and palaces of gods and goddesses
are built on rest of the eight kūtas.
At the bottom of this parvata, throughout
its length, there exist, on both sides, two forests having a
breadth of 2 gavyūtis each. The vedikā of the forests is 500
dhanusas broad and 2 kośas high and has torana (pylon) gates.
There are two caves each 50 yojanas long, 8 yojanas high and
12
yojanas broad, called as Timisra cave in
the east and Khandaprapāta cave in the west, having vajramoya
gates.
Gangā river passing through 50 yojanas in
Timisra cave goes out through the southern gate. Gangā River
flowing 119-3/99 yojanas
in south Bharata turns towards east and having a family of 14000
rivulets reaches Magadha tīrtha and finally merges into
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Bharata Ksetra
35
Lavana samudra. The rivulets
originating from the kundas of Gangā river flow through the
Mlechha khandas and not in Āryakhanda at all (See
Tiloyapannatti, 245). The breadth of Gangā river being 6¼
yojanas at its place of origination increases to 62½ yojanas
when it merges into Lavanasamudra.
Description of Sindhu River is alike to
that of Gangā river except that Sindhu river originating through
the western gate of Padma Sarovara
(i|
ljksoj)
and falling at Sindhu Kuta
enters Khanda prapāta ([k.Mizikr)
cave. Getting out of the cave, Sindhu River after reaching
Prabhāsa tirtha merges into Lavana samudra.
Ganga and Sindhu rivers and Vijayārdha
parvata divide Bharata ksetra into six regions. Northern Bharata
and southern Bharata having 3 regions each. The middle region of
Southern Bharata is known as Āryakhanda (vk;Z[kaM),
rest of the five regions being
called as Mlcchsakhandas (eysPN
[kaM).
Vrsabhācala
(~o`"kHkkpy)
At the central portion of the middle
Mlechhakhanda of northern Bharata, there exists Vraabha mountain
over which cakravartīs celebrate their success. This mountain is
100
yojanas high, broad 100 yojanas at the
base and 75 yojanas at its middle and 50 yojanas at the top. An
angle called Vrsabha along with his family lives there in whose
palace there exists a universal Jina temple.
Cakravartis after winning over 6
regions of Bharataksetra become. Samrāta. Narāyāna Balabhadra
and Prati Nārāyana became Ardhacakrī after winning over three
regions respectively.
Six-Cyclic Change of Time
Avasarpini (volfZ.kh)
and utsarpani (mRlfZiZ.kh)
having six sub-divisions like susama-susama etc each go on
passing along the wheel of time. After elapsing asamkhyāta
cycles of avasarpini and utsarpini, there happens to be a
Hundāvasarpini (
gq.MkolfiZ.kh ) whose
indications are given as under:
At balance of some time of third period
in Hundāvasarpini (
gq.MkolfiZ.kh ), it begins to
rain and vikālātraya (fodkyk=;)
beings begin to take
birth. The kalpa trees become rare and
the dealings of karmabhūmi begin. First tīrthankara and first
cakravartī also take their births respectively. The victory
trend of cakravartī is disturbed and a few living beings
are liberated also. The dynasty of dvijas is also set in through
cakravartī. In the fourth period of dusamā-susamā, 58 śalākā
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36
Jo1niJ Geography
purusas are born. Religious devotion is terminated during the period of
7 tiīrthankaras counted from 9th to 16th, the 9th being not
included. Eleven Rudras and nine quarrelsome Nāradas do also
exist. Besides, there happens to be Upasarga (milxZ)
upon 7th, 23rd and the last tīrthankars respectively. In the
3rd, 4th and 5th periods, various types of devils and kulingīs (dqfyaxh)
are also born for destroying the religious order and castes
like cāndāla (pkaMky),
sābara (’kkcj),
svapaca (
’oip
).
Pulinda (
iqfyan),
lāhala (ykgy),
and kirāta also begin to appear. In dusamā period. 42 kalkīs and
upakalkīs are born. Some troubles like over-raining,
under-raining, earthquake and vajrāgni etc. also take place
during the period of hundāvasarpinī (see Trilokasāra). These
days the fifth period of hundāvasarpinī is going on in
Āryakhanda of Bharataksetra.
The six-cyclic changes of time are not found in any region other than
Āryakhanda. However, in five Mleksakhandas and srenīis of
Vidyādharas on Vijayārdha parvata, starting from 4th period up
to the end of avasarpini period, the good qualities go on
decreasing and they go on increasing from 3rd period up to the
end of utsarpinī period. In other periods, no change takes place
(see Trilokasāra). Alike Bharataksetra, the wheel of time goes
on in Airavata ksetra also.
The six-cyclic change of time takes place in Aryakhandas of two Bharatas
and two Airāvatas in Dhātakikhanda and Puskarārdha dvīpa each
(see Trilokasāra, 779).
This Martyaloka (eR;Zyksd)
spreading over 45 lakh yojanas,
has 5 Bharata ksetras and 5 Airāvata ksetras where the wheel of
time goes on with the six-cyclic changes. In other regions,
there happens to be no such change. Bhogabhūmis and karmabhūmis
retain their positions as such. (See Tattvārthasūtra-
Tābhyāmaprā bhūmayoavasthitāh—rkE;keijk
Hkwe;ksvofLFkrk%
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