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Chapter 3, Verse 7-18
53
The condition of human beings is considered supreme from a lifespan of three palyapas and is of the most inferior quality thereafter. Likewise, the condition of celestial beings is also the same.
Islands and Oceans: The shape of the middle world is said to resemble that of a reticulated net; this fact is clarified through the description of islands and oceans. There are innumerable islands and oceans in the middle world. They are arranged such that the islands come after the oceans and the oceans come after the islands, in that sequence. The names of all are auspicious. Here, the three aspects of the islands and oceans—dimension, composition, and shape—are described, through which the form of the middle world can be understood.
Dimension: The dimensions of Jambudvipa extend thousands of yojanas in the east-west and north-south directions. The saline ocean extends twice that. The saline ocean of Dhātakikhanda extends double compared to the saline ocean, and the dimensions of the eastern boundary of Dhātakikhanda, the boundaries from Pushkarvardvipa, and the saline ocean of Pushkar are also compared. This dimension leads up to the ultimate understanding; specifically, the ultimate islands are those that are self-contained, while the ultimate oceans are double the dimensions of those self-contained islands.
Composition: The formation of the islands and oceans resembles the shape of a disc; meaning, Jambudvipa is surrounded by the saline ocean, the saline ocean by Dhātakikhanda, Dhātakikhanda by Kalādhi, Kalādhi by Pushkarvardvipa, and Pushkarvardvipa is enclosed by Pushkaradhi. This sequence continues up to the self-contained ocean.