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Bhagavai 5:9:254-255
- 329:
In' that age, at that time, the honourable elderly monks of the order of Pārsva reached the place where the Ascetic Lord Mahāvīra was residing. Having reached there, they stood neither too far nor too near from the Lord and said thus: O Lord! in this cosmos of innumerable number of space-points, did infinite number of nights and days occur, they are occurring or will they occur? Have they passed away, they are passing or will they pass-away? Or there occured limited number of nights and days, or are they occurring or will they occur? Have they passed away or are they passing or will they pass away? Yes, O Noble Ones! in the cosmos of innumerable number of space-points, there occured infinite numbers of nights and days, are occurring ...... up to
will pass away. 5.255 se kenatthenam jāva vigacchissamti vā?
se nūnam. bhe ajjo! pāseņam arahayā purisädānieņam sāsae loe buie-anādie anavadagge paritte parivude hetthā vicchinne, majjhe samkhitte, uppim visāle, ahe paliyamkasamthie, majjhe varavairaviggahie, uppim uddhamuimgākārasamthie. tesim ca ņam sāsayamsi logamsi aņādiyamsi anavadāggamsi parittamsi parivudamsi hetthā vicchinnamsi, majjhe samkhittamsi, uppim visālamsi, ahe paliyamkasamthiyamsi, majjhe varavairaviggahiyamsi, uppim uddhamuimgakārasamthiyamsi anamtā jīvaghanā uppajjittā-uppajjittā nilīyamti, parittā jīvagha ņā upajjittā-uppajjittā niliyamti. se bhūe uppanne vigae parinae, ajīvehim lokkai palokkai, je lokkai se loe? hamtā bhagavam! se tenatthenam ajjo! evam vuccai asamkhejje ioe anamtā raimdiyā tam, ceva. tappabhiim ca nam te pāsāvaccejjā therā bhagavamto samanam, bhagavam mahāvīram paccabhijanamti savvannā savvadarisi. For what reason is it so ......... up to will pass away? O Noble Ones! your Predecessor, Arhat Pārsva, the most respectable among men, has described the eternal cosmos as without beginning, without end, finite, encircled by trans-cosmos, expanded at bottom, contracted at middle, and again vastly expanded at the top. It is, at bottom of the configuration of one sitting in the posture of cross-legs; at middle, it is shaped like an excellent vajra (which is thin at the middle); and at the top it is of the shape of a vertically placed drum. In that eternal cosmos which is without beginning, without end, finite, expanded at bottom, contracted at middle, and again vastly expanded at the top, which is, at bottom, of the configuration of one sitting in the posture of cross-legs, at middle shaped like an excellent vajra, and at the top of the shape of a vertically placed drum, infinite number of souls, residing in a common body, each of which is a compact collection of infinite number of modes, are again and again born and die; individual souls occupying separate body, each of which is a compact collection of infinite number of modes, are again and again born and die. That (cosmos) is really
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