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position in Jainism. Also they let the kala cakra run not only over five Bharatas but also over five Airavatas located in samaya kşetra, so as to keep a proportional balance in the cosmographical outlook. The rest of the regions are assumed to be permanently pervaded by the fixed modes of periods, e.g., Videha by the susamasusama period, Hari-Ramyaka regions by the susama period, and so on. Thus in samaya kşetra, only the beings in Bharata and Airavata are doomed to face the inevitable forces and effects brought about by this time cycle. This concept of dharma cakra pertaining to the 24 tirtharkaras in each half cosmic time cycle was then extended to the continuous birth of the other great personages such as the 12 cakravartis, who came into vogue in the late canonical stage, in order to exhibit the eternal strength, peace and order prevailing in the Jaina world.
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The concept of time cycle evolved in this way in the final canonical stage in the trends of establishing the Jaina church chronology and Jaina-centred world view. All texts under our consideration must fall in the fifth canonical stage.
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