Aspects of Brahmanical Influence On Jaina Mythology

Author(s): Shaktidhar Jha
Publisher: Bharat Bharti Bhandar

Page 76

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Aspects of Brahmanıcal Influence on the Jaina Mythology
and Pratisarga characteristics of the Brahmanıcal definition have as their object the treatment of the nature and position of the three worlds at various stages of their origin, development, decay, death and resurgence In view of the above points of agreement the Ksetra of the Jaina definition may conveniently be taken as comprehensive of the subjectmatter of both the Sarga and Pratisarga
Now let us turn to the exposition of Kāla, the second characteristic of the above definition This term as well as the Kalāvatāra and Traikālya-sangraha is used here in the sense of eternal time, broadly divided into two cosmic periods of immense duration 57 These periods are styled Utsarpint and avasarpini according to the increasing and decreasing stature, strength and life-span of the contemporary people 68 Each of these periods is again subdivided into sis stages 69 The stages of the Utsarpint period are called (1) Duhsamā-dulsamā, (2) Duhşamă, (3) Duhsamä-suşamā, (4) Susamā-duhşama, (5) Suşamā and (6) Susamā-suşamā 60 The course of the stages of
57 The incalculability of thesc periods can be assessed by the fact that
thc third stage of Avasarpini alone, 1C Su sama-duh samā, is said to have comprised all the Manvantaras , and the life-span of Náble, the four tcenth Manu, though reportedly much less than that of the previous Manus, is said to have been one Pürvalolt. viz. 70560000000 10000000 ycars —VPC, III 50 56 , JHV, 00 484 86, MP 3217 228, and comp, Ibid 3 62, 63 64, 78-79, 91 92, 103 104, 109, 113,118, 121,
120, 130, 135, 140 68 "TE ET facts, TJATE qut I
उस्मप्णिी विवड्ढइ एव अवमप्पिणी हाणी ॥ VPC III 49, RPC, III, 73; The AP thus explains उत्सपिण्यवपिण्यो द्वो भेदी तस्य कोतिती। उत्सदिपसच्चि बलायुर्देवमणाम् ।।"
--III 14 See also JHV, 7 56 59 , TSPC, 1 2 112 59 VPC, 20 68 72 , Also see VH, P 157 GO Reversal of the 4Jasarpın order makes thcsc successive ages, as is
indicated by "SET #Shfquut raquet faggyt." AP, HII 18, and of note 61 below