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## Third Chapter: The Existence of Substances in the Ratnaprabha Earth
**[203]** **Lord!** How thick is the *apbahulkaanda* of this Ratnaprabha earth? **Gautama!** It is eighty thousand yojanas thick. **Lord!** How thick is the *ghanodadhi* of this Ratnaprabha earth? **Gautama!** It is twenty thousand yojanas thick. **Lord!** How thick is the *ghanavaat* of this Ratnaprabha earth? **Gautama!** It is countless thousands of yojanas thick. Similarly, the *tanuvaat* and the *aakash* are also countless thousands of yojanas thick. **Lord!** How thick is the *ghanodadhi* of the Sharkara-prabha earth? **Gautama!** It is twenty thousand yojanas thick. **Lord!** How thick is the *ghanavaat* of the Sharkara-prabha earth? **Gautama!** It is countless thousands of yojanas thick. Similarly, the *tanuvaat* and the *aakash* are also countless thousands of yojanas thick. Just as the thickness of the *ghanodadhi*, *ghanavaat*, *tanuvaat* and *aakash* of the Sharkara-prabha earth has been stated, so should it be known for all the remaining earths (up to the seventh earth).
**Discussion:** Earlier, the external dimensions of the hell earths were stated. In this sutra, the three *kaanda*s of the Ratnaprabha earth and the external dimensions of the *ghanodadhi*, *ghanavaat*, *tanuvaat* and *aakash* have been explained. The *kaanda*s are only present in the Ratnaprabha earth. There are sixteen divisions of the *kharakaanda* and the external dimension of each division has been stated as one thousand yojanas. The total external dimension of the sixteen *kaanda*s is sixteen thousand yojanas. The *pankabahul*, the second *kaanda*, has an external dimension of eighty-four thousand yojanas and the *apbahul*, the third *kaanda*, has an external dimension of eighty thousand yojanas. Thus, adding the external dimensions of all three *kaanda*s of the Ratnaprabha earth, the thickness of the Ratnaprabha earth is one lakh eighty thousand yojanas. Below each earth, there is successively the *ghanodadhi*, *ghanavaat*, *tanuvaat* and *aakash*. Therefore, their external dimensions have also been stated. The external dimension of the *ghanodadhi* is twenty thousand yojanas. The external dimension of the *ghanavaat* is countless thousands of yojanas. The external dimension of the *tanuvaat* and the *aakash* is also countless thousands of yojanas each. The external dimensions of the *ghanodadhi* etc. of all the earths are the same.
**The Existence of Substances in the Ratnaprabha etc.** **[73]** **Thus, Lord!** In the Ratnaprabha earth, which is eighty thousand yojanas thick, are there substances like black, blue, red, yellow, white, fragrant, odorous, foul-smelling, sweet, bitter, astringent, sour, salty, hard, soft, heavy, light, cold, hot, dry, wet, round, square, triangular, rectangular, and other shapes, which are bound together, which are interlocked, which are dense, which are bound together by mutual attraction, and which are in mutual contact? **Yes, there are.**