Astronomy and Cosmology

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

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In the centre of the Jambū island has been supposed a type of celestial axis, Meru83 mountain, perfectly symmetrical, having a height of one lac yojana, in the forms of various frustrums of cones, joined at different heights, and having a lowermost base with a diameter of 10090 14
11 yojanas, where as the uppermost base has a diameter of 1000 yojanas. That is how, the motion of all astral bodies around it, or placed at rest in far off islands, suggest the idea of a celestial diagram of a complex nature.
SHADOW PLANETS
Due to the postulation of two suns and two moons along with the families in both parts of their celestial sphere, one in each half, placed at diametrically opposite ends, the mystery resembles that in China, Greece and Babylon.84 which has not been explained so far, whether its purpose was some mathematical convenience for calculations of the motion and positions of the invisible bodies in the other half.85
In astrological Jaina texts, like the Jñanapradipikā, there has been use of invisible planets, with different types of orbits, say in Jinendramālā,86
83. Cr. T. P. G., vv. 7.1780 et seq. Compare this description with that given
by Aryabhata -I. Cf. Jain, L. C., Āryabhata -I and Yativīşabha -a Study in Kalpa and Meru, I. J. H. S., vol. 12. no. 2., nov. 1977, pp.
135–146. 84. Needham and Ling remark, “But as we shall seel, the Chinese had
themselves imagined, from ancient times, the existence of a counterJupiter' which moved round diametrically opposite the planet itself. There was a Greek parallel to this in the strange Pythagorean theory of the counter-earth', apparently due to Philolaus of Tarentum (late -5th century), which was devised either to bring the number of planets up to a perfect number, 10, or to explain lunar eclipses, m Perhaps both originated from a more ancient Babylonian Theory."
Op. cit., p. 228, vol. III. 85. Cf. Jõānapradipikā, trans. ed. by R. V. Pandeya, Arrah, 1934, vv.
8, 9, pp. 3,4 for invisible planets, named as dhūma, vyatipāta, pariveşa,
indradhanu and dhvaja. 86. Ed. S. Singh, Bombay, 1958. pp., 2, 3, 4, for setting of opposite rāzis and
planets, cf. pp. 14, 15, 18, 19. The English translation of this text was published at Madras by N. C. Aiyar, as stated by Singh. In both, Jinendramātā and Jñānapradipikā, astrological consideration has been given to invisible planets, or shadow planets.
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