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Notes Bk. II
277
of the air-bodies and the infernal beings. The first five are relevant of the celestial beings and the five-organ animals. Human beings alone have all the seven, of which ordinary beings with lapse have six and the last one is relevant only of the omniscient beings.
19.
The relevant portion of the Sütra reads as follows :
pudhavi ogāhittä niraya sanghānameva bāhallam vikk hambhaparikkhevo vaņņo gandho ya phäso ya
(Worlds (Hells) are seven, which are, Ratna-prabhā, Sarkarā-prabhā, Vālukā-prabhā, Parka-prabhā, Dhūma-prabhā, Tamah-prabhā and Tamastamah-prabhā.)
Ratna-prabhā has an expanse of 1,80,000 yojanas. Leaving aside 1,000 yojanas at the top, and 1,000 yojanas at the bottom, the remaining 1,78,000 yojanas shelter 30,00,000 cells which are the abodes of the infernal beings. And like this in all the worlds. Their expanse is as follows :
Sarkarā-prabhā Vālukā-prabhā Panka-prabhā Dhūma-prabhā Tamaḥ-prabhā Tamastamah-prabhā
1,32,000 yojanas 1,28,000 1,20,000 1,18,000 , 1,16,000 , 1,08,000 »
Ogâhitta-distance of the hells.
Santhāna—structure or shape. The infernal abodes inside the avalika are round, triangular or quadriangular. The rest are of diverse shapes.
Bahalla—width or thickness. It is 3,000 yojanas for each, the bottom 1,000 yoyanas being solid, the middle 1,000 yojanas being alluvial and the top 1,000 yojanas being contracted.
Vikkhambhaparikkhevo--length and breadth. Some of the infernal abodes are stretched over dimensions which are measureable, while some others are stretched over dimensions which cannot be stated.
