Jain Rup Mandan

SR No.: 001961
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Umakant P Shah
Publisher: Abhinav Publications
Publication Year: 1987
Total Pages: 466
Language: English
Classification: Book_English & Art
File Size: 27 MB

Page 67

Jaina-Rupa-Mandana Rohitāmśā), Harit and Harikäntä, Sita and Sitoda, Nārī and Narakāntā, Suvarņakūlā and Rūpyakūlā, Rakta and Raktodā.9
To the north of the Nişadha Mts. and to the south of Meru are the Vidyutprabha and Saumanasa Mts. in the west and in the east. Between them are the bhogabhumis or enjoyment-lands known as Devakurus. In the Devakurus, on the east and west banks of the river Sitoda are the mountains Citrakūta and Vicitrakūta, on which are temples of the Jinas. To the north of the Meru and to the south of the Nila Mts. are Gandhamädana and Malyavat Mts. between which is another bhogabhumi known as the Uttarakurus, where, on the banks of the river Sita, are two Mts. known as Yamaka.
To the east of the Deva and Uttarakurus are the regions known as the East Videhas, while to the west are the West Videhas, each of the Videhas being divided into sixteen provinces.10
In the centre of the Bharata, parallel to the Himavan, is the Mt. Vaitäḍhya or Vijayardha, dividing the Bharata kşetra into northern and southern regions. The northern one is peopled by the Mlecchas.11 The southern region is divided into western, middle and eastern parts, the Mlecchas again live in the treme east and west sections. the middle section, peopled by the Aryas (noble, worthy, respectable ones), is known as the Arya-khaṇḍa.12
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On the northern and the southern slopes of the Mt. Vaitäḍhya are cities of the Vidyadharas, fifty in the south and sixty in the north. 13 At ten yojanas above the abodes of the Vidyadharas are two rows adorned with abodes of the Vyantaras. Above these again are nine peaks. There are two caves on the Vaitāḍhya, known as the Tamisra-guha and the Khandaprapata-guha. Kṛtamālaka a Vyantara god is the superintending deity of the first while Narttamälaka, another Vyantara god, rules over the second. There are similar Vidyadhara cities in the Airavata and Videha kṣetras.
In the Bharata and the Airavata kṣetras, in the extreme south and north of the Jambu continent, there is an increase and decrease of age, height, bliss, etc., of their inhabitants, in the two chief Eras of Time-utsarpiņi and avasarpini-while in the other five kşetras there is no increase and decrease of any sort.
In the centre of the Jambu-dvipa is the Mt. Meru, golden and having the shape of a truncated cone. At the base of Meru is a grove Bhadrasala resembling a surrounding wall. At five hundred yojanas from Bhadraśāla, on a terrace, is the grove called Nandana. On a second terrace, at a certain distance above Nandana is the grove Saumanasa, while the Sundara-vana (grove) is on a third terrace. On the peak of Meru is the garden Pundarika. In the last grove is performed the Janmabhiṣeka kalyāṇaka (birth-bath ceremony) of the Tirthankaras.14 Each of the above-mentioned groves has four Säśvata-Jina-Bhavanas.
The continent of Jambu-dvipa has a fortification wall (jagati) of diamond, with a lattice work above it which latter is surmounted by a beautiful terrace (vedika) named Padmavara, the pleasure ground of gods. In the fortification wall are four gates in the four cardinal points. They are: Vijaya, Vaijayanta, Jayanta15 and Aparajita with gods of the same name superintending over them. Over each gate is a dvaraprāsāda, with various pavements, excellent väraṇakas, shining with jewel lamps, having pillars adorned with various salabhañjikās, jewelled minarets and flags. It appears beautiful with various sculptures and painting and excellent curtains. On these gates are the images of Jinas sitting on lion-seats and adorned with haloes, umbrellas, fly-whisks etc. 16
The cities of Mahoraga gods situated in the vedi have costly palaces of square and rectangular plans, and of white, ruby, golden or various colours. These mansions contain various apartments, such as the olagaśälä (?), mantra-sälä, bhūṣaṇa-śälä, abhişeka-śāla etc. The Tiloyapanṇatti further says that Vyantara cities of the Jambudvipa have various types of gṛhas, namely, sämánya-grha, citra or caitya-gṛha, kadali-gṛha, garbha-gṛha, latä-gṛha, näda-gṛha, and asana-gṛha. In the beautiful palaces of the city are various types of seats, of the shape of elephants, lions, parrots, peacocks, crocodiles, eagles, swans, etc. 17
The Lord of the Jambudvipa is a Vyantara god called Anadṛta or Anādara.18 Similarly there are lords of kşet ras, samudras and mountains.
Besides the seven mountain ranges (varṣadhara-parvatas) noted above, there are other similar but smaller mountains in different kṣetras. All the mountains have various peaks (kutas). The Vaitäḍhya, for example, has nine peaks known as siddhayatana-kūta, dakṣinardhabharata-kūta, khandaprapata-k., manibhadra-k., vaitadhya-k., pürṇabhadra-k., tamisraguhá-k., uttarabharatardha-k., and vaiśramana-k., the