Astronomy and Cosmology

Author(s): L C Jain
Publisher: Rajasthan Prakrit Bharti Sansthan Jaipur

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4. COSMOLOGICAL CONCEPTS
Certain fundamental ideas have already been related in the introduction. The first curiosity is now as to what is a rajju through which the enormous distances of the ends of the loka (universe) are measured. EVALUATION OF RAJJU
In some Jaina works, a rajju is defined as the diameter of the Svayambhūramaña ocean 37. In Ratnasañcaya prakarana, a rajju is defined as follows : "A god can go 100,000 yojanas in the winking of an eye. The distance travelled by him, thus in 6 months is a rajju.”38
Rajju has also been defined as follows :
“If a powerful god were to throw down forcibly an iron ball heated and weighing one thousand bhāras, the distance which it could travel in six months, six days, six praharas, and six ghaţikas is equal to a rajju,”39
G. R. Jain, however, opines that the above definition can not be subject to computation, for the law of the falling of bodies is not known. He goes further to correlate the radius of finite universe of Einstein's theory of relativity, with the rajju as follows : 40 37. Cf. L. P.. (I, v. 65). 38. Joaņa lakkha pamāṇam,
Vimesa mitteņa jāi jo devo. Chammāseņa ya gamaṇam,
Eyam rajjū pamāņeņam. 11 483 11. (Cf, R.S.V.,P. 483, p. 189) 39. Milhal suhumāi koi suro,
A golo a ayamao ḥittho, Bhāra sahassamayam so, Chammāse chahim dişehim pi. 111911 Cha pahare cha ghadiya, Jāvakammal jaivi evaiyā. Rajjū tatth pamāņo,
Divasamuddā havai eya. 1/2011 Cf. R. S. P., vv. 19,20. 40. Cf. Cosmology, old & new, op. cit. pp. 105-117.
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