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## First Understanding: Description of Earth-bodied Beings
Those subtle earth-bodied beings who consume **pudgalaskandhas** with color, smell, taste, and touch are in contact with their **atma-pradeshas**. They do not consume **pudgalaskandhas** that are not in contact. They only consume those **pudgalaskandhas** that are deeply embedded in their **atma-pradeshas**, not those that are not deeply embedded. Touch can extend beyond the area of deep embedding, while deep embedding occurs within the same area. Therefore, different questions and answers have been given.
There are two types of deeply embedded **pudgalaskandhas**: **ananta-avagadh** and **parampara-avagadh**. Those that are uninterruptedly present in their **atma-pradeshas** are **ananta-avagadh**, and those that are present with the interruption of one, two, three, etc. **pradeshas** are **parampara-avagadh**. Subtle earth-bodied beings consume **ananta-avagadh pudgalas**, not **parampara-avagadh**. These **ananta-avagadh pudgalas** are both **anu-rupa** (with few **pradeshas**) and **bahya-rupa** (with many **pradeshas**).
These subtle earth-bodied beings consume both types of **pudgalas**. The earth-bodied being consumes the **pradeshas** located above or sideways within the area where it is deeply embedded. In the **antar-muhurta** time period in which the being consumes consumable substances, it consumes them at the beginning, middle, and end of that **antar-muhurta** time period. These subtle earth-bodied beings consume **pudgalaskandhas** that are suitable for their nourishment, not those that are unsuitable.
These subtle earth-bodied beings consume **pudgalas** that are in accordance with their **svavishaya** (own nature), not those that are not in accordance. This means they consume **pudgalas** that are close by, not those that are distant. These subtle earth-bodied beings consume the **pudgalas** that are close to them from all six directions if there is no obstruction. If there is an obstruction, they consume **pudgalas** from three, four, or five directions.
Obstruction means slipping from the **alokakasha** (non-luminous space). This is explained as follows: When a subtle earth-bodied being is located in the **lok-nishkuta** (the last edge) in the **praag-neya** corner of the lower **pratar**, there is a lack of **pudgalas** in the downward direction due to the absence of **alok** below. Being located in the **agney-kona** (south-east corner), there is an influence of **pudgalas** from the east and south directions. In this way, the downward, east, and south directions are filled with **alok**, so there is a lack of **pudgalas** in these directions. Therefore, it is only possible to consume **pudgalas** from the remaining three directions.
Therefore, it is said that these subtle earth-bodied beings consume **pudgalas** from three directions due to obstruction. When the same being is present in the west direction, its east direction becomes more prominent. The south and downward directions are filled with **alok**, so the being consumes **pudgalas** from four directions: upward, east, west, and north.