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64
THE SACRED BOOKS OF THE JAINAS.
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संखावत्तय जोणी कुम्मुण्णय वंसपत्तजोणी य । तत्थय संखावत्ते णियमा दु विवजदे गब्भो ॥८१॥ शंखावर्तकयोनिः कूर्मोन्नतवंशपत्रयोनी च । तत्रच शंखावर्ते नियमात् विवय॑ते गर्भः॥८१ ॥
81. Nucleus or womb (Yonj), (is of three kinds); conch-circled (Shankha-varta, with circular gradations like the inside of a conch), tortoise-high (Kurmonnata, high like the back of tortoise) and bamboo-leaf (Vanshapatra), (long like the leaf of a bamboo). Of these in the conch like circular nucleus, as a rule, Uterine birth.is denied.
___ Commentary. Necleus may be divided according to its form, (Akāra) or characteristic (Guna), The above 3 divisions are according to the form, and the divisions, according to characteristic, are given in Gatha 83.
There is no uterine birth in the conch-circled nucleus. It is found in goddesses and in some of the wives of (Chakravarti) Rajas.
कुम्मुण्णय जोणीए तित्थयरा दुविह चकवट्टी य । रामावि य जायंते सेसाए सेसगजणो दु॥८२॥ कूर्मोन्नतयोनौ तीर्थंकराः द्विविधचक्रवर्तिनश्च । रामा अपि च जायन्ते शेषायां शेषकजनस्तु ॥२॥
82. In the tortoise-high nucleus, Tirthankaras, the two kinds of Chakravartins and also Balbhadras are born. In the remaining (bamboo-leaf like nucleus) other human beings (are born).
Commentary. Tirthankaras-are the proclaimers of liberation and the guides on the path to it. Their number is twenty-four in each cycle of time in each of the Bharat, and Airavata-kshetras.
Chakravartins--are the monarchs of all the six parts of Bharat kshetra or Airavata kshetra. They are twelve in each cycle of time in each of the two regions.
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