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Directions In Jain Āgamas
245
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there are directions from the view point of the teller, (Parjñāpaka) who tells the directions. They are called Parjñāpaka - directions. There are also directions in respect of the region (kņētra) like Bharataksētra, Airavataksētra etc. They are called ksētra-directions. Fig. No. 4 Fig. No, 5
Fig. No. 6 S
Sāvitri Prajñavrtti Urdhja
Vāyavya Pariyādharmā
śyāmā
1
1śāna
Mia
Meru
Ahidharmā
Utthāni
Nairtya
Khēlidyā
Agni Kapila
Lavana
S
Ocean
According to Jain scriptures, Mt. Mērū in Jambūdvipa is at the centre of the whole of the Tiryak-Loka (madhya-Lõka) and the Sun, the moon, the planets, the constellations and the stars always go on moving around it in a circle. The direction of sunrise is called the east and the other directions are represented with reference to it. Since the Sun comes from the eastMahāvidēhaksētra, at the time of sunrise in the Bharataksētra, it is the east direction for Bharataksētra and Mt. Mērū is in the north. The south direction of Bharataksētra, is the east direction for the west-Mahāvidēhaksētra and Mt. Mērū is in the north to west-Mahāvidehaksētra too. The ksētra-directions of Airavataksētra is quite opposite to the directions of Bharataksētra. The east of Airavataksētra is really the west of Bharataksētra and the west of Airavataksētra is the east of Bharatakşētra. The north of Bharataksētra is the east of east-Mahāvidēhaksētra and the south of Bharataksētra is the west of the east-Mahāvidēhaksētra. Mt. Mērū is always to the north and the Lavanasamudra (Lavana ocean) is always to the south as shown in Figure No. 5.
The kşētra-directions of Bharataksētra are similar to the real directions of the whole universe.
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