Agam 05 Ang 05 Study Of Bhagvati Vyakhya Prajnapti Sutra

Author(s): Suzuko Ohira
Publisher: Prakrit Text Society Ahmedabad

Page 105

SECTION A
COSMOLOGY
Part 1 Cosmography
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The Jaina authors usually deal with the topic of loka-aloka in two aspects, i.e., cosmographical and cosmical. From the cosmographical aspect loka-aloka are deemed the eternal physical masses provided with their cosmographical details in structure and feature, but from the cosmical aspect they are deemed the mere spatial backgrounds or loci for jivas and ajivas to exist in. Both aspects are frequently considered together in the Bhagavati, and many sutras pertaining to the latter aspect are to be handled in Sections B and C on ajiva and jiva. The materials in this part can largely be divided into four topical groups, i.e., (1) Loka-aloka, (2) Loka(-aloka-shape, size and regions, (3) Tamaskaya and Krsnaraji, and (4) Theory of directions, which will be dealt with in due order.
(1) Loka-aloka
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A conspicuous feature of the Jaina cosmography is that it postulates the existence of aloka or non-universe by which loka or universe is supported. In the Bhagavati 1.6.51 it is stated that loka lies amidst aloka, a continent amidst the ocean and an ocean amidst the continent, inasmuch as a boat floats in the water, a hole exists in a piece of cloth and a shadow remains in the sunshine. These are expressed in terms of spar'sa or the external extension of one thing touching that of the other. The Jainas could not accept the idea that the universe exists by itself as conceived by the other systems of thought, because even a hole exists in a non-hole. It thus forces us to assume that the universe must exist in a non-universe. With this logic behind it, the Sutrakrta II.5 instructs the Jainas to maintain that loka-aloka exist. Our text above describes the ring-shaped continent-oceans, the idea of which is reported to make its first appearance in Patanjali's Mahabhāsya.' The outline of the Hindu cosmography as such was therefore already known by the 2nd century B.C., the period in our second canonical stage. The text above shows that the Jainas had already adopted the ring-shaped structure of the continent-oceans from the Hindus. The rudimentary discussion above shows that the text belongs to the earliest layer of the Jaina cosmography, which we can place in the late second to early third canonical stages.
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Then 1.6.54 considers the eightfold bases (sthiti) of loka, namely, that air rests on space, water on air, earth on water, jiva on earth, ajiva on jiva, jiva on karma, jiva on ajiva and karma on jiva. Ajiva here obviously means pudgala. This theory as a whole is justified by proof of the former half by an experiment which shows that water in a leather bag is held in the air, and that a man with an air-filled leather bag can remain on the water. The intention