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VIMANAS IN JAIN TEXTS -- A GLIMPSE OF AERONAUTICAL SCIENCES
K. G. Sheshadri* INTRODUCTION :
Historical literature, myths and legends abound mentioning flying machines or devices. Some of them are the Biblical figures such as Ezekiel flying in magical cariots or Vimanas of ancient India and China. Mention of Aerial vehicles are found in Rgveda' RV [1.118.1]. [6.66.7), RV [1.116.3], Jaiminiya Brāhmaṇa? [1.173), Satapatha Brāhmaṇa, Post Vedic texts like the Epics - Vālmiki Rāmāyaṇa} [3.35.6-7], [3.47.6], [4.48.25-37], [4.121.10-30) and Vyāsa's Mahābhārata“ such as in the episodes of Uparichara Vasu Adi Parva 63.11-16), Arjuna's Indraloka visit (Vana Parva (168.1011), attack of Shalva on Dvaraka (15.23-24] and so on, the Purāņas, Bhoja's Samarāngaņa Sūtradhāra, Tamil text Jivaka Cintāmaņi mention about aerial vechicles. Maharși Bhāradvāja's
Vaimānikaśāstra classifies Vimanas broadly into Divyā (celestial) and Mānuşa (artificial). These are further classified into two types those driven by solar energy [Amśuvāhavargam) and those driven by smoke or steam [Dhūmayānavargam). Jain Canonical texts also have elaborate descriptions of Vimanas that are dealt in this paper. VIMANAS IN JAIN CANONICAL TEXTS :
The Jain canonical texts consists of the 12 Angas, 12 Upāngas, Chedasūtras, Mūlasūtras and Cūlikāsūtra with their commentaries. Of these, the Āgamas speak of several instances in the lives of Teertharkaras associated with aerial vehicles. The Rāyapaseniya Sūtra records an instance wherein God Sūryābha got a Vimāna prepared to go to earth to meet Bhawan Mahavir at Amalkappa,
*
IIsc, Proj. Asst., Bangalore.
