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## Third Chapter: Explanation of the Gotir
173. If, Venerable Sir, in the Salt Ocean, with a circumference of two hundred thousand yojanas, there is a wheel-shaped island with a diameter of fifteen hundred thousand yojanas, and one thousand yojanas are added to it, and then sixteen thousand yojanas are added to it, and then seventeen thousand yojanas are added to it, making a total of forty-four thousand yojanas, then, Venerable Sir, how is it that the Jambudvipa island in the Salt Ocean does not sink, nor is it submerged, nor does it even become one with the water?
Gotama: Venerable Sir, in the Jambudvipa island, in the Bharaherava Vasas, there reside Arhants, Chakravartis, Baladevas, Vasudevas, Charanas, Vidyadharas, Samanas, Samanis, Savagas, Saviyas, Manuyas, Pagai-Bhaddayas, Pagai-Vinis, Pagai-Uvasantas, Pagai-Payanas, those who are free from anger, pride, delusion, and greed, those who are free from malice, those who are virtuous and wise. Due to their merit, the Jambudvipa island in the Salt Ocean does not sink, nor is it submerged, nor does it even become one with the water.
In the Ganga, Sindhu, Ratnatar, and Tavi rivers, the Devas and Mahiddhiyas reside, up to the Pali-Oshti-Iyas. Due to their merit, the Salt Ocean does not even become one with the water.
In the Chulla-Himalaya peaks, in the Vasahara-Pabbvas, the Devas and Mahiddhiyas reside. Due to their merit, in the Hemvata-Arannava Vasas, the Manuyas, Pagai-Bhaddayas, etc., reside.
In the Rohitamsa, Suvarna-Kula, and Ruppa-Kula rivers, the Devas and Mahiddhiyas reside. Due to their merit, in the Saddava-Ivi-Dava-Ivi-Vatta-Veyadda-Pabbvas, the Devas and Mahiddhiyas reside, up to the Pali-Prova-Matti-Iyas.
In the Maha-Himalaya-Ruppis, in the Vasahara-Pabbvas, the Devas and Mahiddhiyas reside, up to the Pali-Ova-Matti-Iyas. In the Hariya-Sarambha-Vasas, the Manuyas, Pagai-Bhaddayas, etc., reside.
In the Gandhava-Ivi-Malavanta-Pariyas, in the Batta-Veyadda-Pabbvas, the Devas and Mahiddhiyas reside. In the Nisa-Ni-Lavanta-Vasahara-Pabbvas, the Devas and Mahiddhiyas reside. All these Devas are worthy of being praised.
In the Paumda-Hati-Giccha-Kesari-Daha-Vasanas, the Devas and Mahiddhiyas reside. Due to their merit, in the Putya-Videha-Avara-Videhas, in the Vasas, the Arhants, Chakravartis, Baladevas, Vasudevas, Charanas, Vidyadharas, Samanas, Samanis, Savagas, Saviyas, Manuyas, Pagai-Bhaddayas, etc., reside. Due to their merit, the Salt Ocean...
In the Siya-Sita-Udaga rivers, the Devas and Mahiddhiyas reside. In the Deva-Kuru and Uttara-Kuru, the Manuyas, Pagai-Bhaddayas, etc., reside. In the five Mandaras, the Devas and Mahiddhiyas reside.
The number of yojanas in the Salt Ocean is fifty thousand thousand yojanas. This is the number of yojanas in the Salt Ocean, as calculated by the Dhanaganita. // 3 //
Here, there is a doubt that the Salt Ocean is not seventeen thousand yojanas deep everywhere. In the middle, its depth is only ten thousand yojanas. How then is this Dhanaganita consistent?
This doubt is true. But when a straight line is drawn from one edge of the Salt Ocean to the other, passing over the Salt Peak and both the Bedikantas, the waterless area in between is also considered to be filled with water, according to the Karana-Gati. In this regard, the example of Mount Meru is relevant. It is said that Mount Meru has a loss of one-eleventh of its height everywhere. But this loss is not the same everywhere. It is more in some places and less in others. Only when a line is drawn from the base to the peak, the space in between, which is filled with air, is considered to be part of Mount Meru.
Considering this, the mathematicians have stated that there is a loss of one-eleventh of the height everywhere. Jinabhadragani Kshamashraman has also said the same thing in his book Visheshnavati: "Thus, from both the Bedikantas, sixteen thousand yojanas are added to the Salt Ocean. The waterless area in between is also considered to be filled with water. Just as in the case of Mount Meru, the air in between is considered to be part of the mountain, even though there is a loss of one-eleventh of its height, so also in the case of the Salt Ocean."
The meaning of this is clear from the previous explanation. -Vrittikara