Mahavira and his Teaching

SR No.: 008019
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: C C Shah, Rishabhdas Ranka, Dalsukh Malvania
Publisher: Bhagwan Mahavir 2500th Nirvan Mahotsava Samiti
Publication Year: 1977
Total Pages: 509
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Biography, Religion, & Principle
File Size: 12 MB

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PROF. G. R. JAIN
equal to 4,320,000 years. Therefore the number of years in a Kalpa is equal to 4,320,000 X 1000=4,320,000,000 years. This is the duration of Brahmā's day and a similar figure for Brahmā's night. In other words, corresponding to our 24 hours, Brahmā’s day is of 8640 million years. According to Hindu Purānas, Brahmā creates the universe afresh at the beginning of a day and the universe is submerged into water during the night, the disappearance of the universe in this manner is called Naimittika Pralaya. In this phenomenon the entire matter of the universe is concentrated at one place but is not destroyed. During one such Pralaya the great sage Mārkaņdeya alone was alive and all other celestial and terrestrial objects ceased to exist. There was water and water everywhere and the sage wandered through the empty space. He saw a baby in yogic sleep on a banyan leaf. The sage was all the time wondering as to the fate of the rest of of the Universe. The baby opened his mouth wide enough for the sage to enter. On entering the mouth, he saw all the three worlds inside the stomach, thus proving that during a Pralaya all objects merge into the Supreme Being. He then releases all these objects at the time of new creation.
Lord Visņu has a sankha and a Cakra in two of his hands. In a Sankha all lines drawn on its suface end at its centre and it is therefore indicative of Pralaya, whereas in the case of a Cakra lines radiate in all directions from the centre towards the periphery and it therefore symbolises an act of creation of the universe.
An account of universal Deluge is also found in the Old Testament, in the Genesis, when the whole world was submerged under water, although historically it is not known when it occurred. The survivers of the great Flood were removed into Noah's Ark for safety. When the floods subsided, all the surviving creatures spread themselves all over the world and multiplied. Thus the new creation started again.
There have been such occurrences about four times since the beginning of the earth, is a fact accepted by the modern