Basic Principles Of Jainism

Author(s): Narayan Lal Kachhara
Publisher: Narayan Lal Kachhara

Page 17

Akasastikaya (Space)
Akasastikaya is a real substance. It is the container of all other substances, stationary or moving. It is boundless / infinite, eternal and one indivisible unit. It is non material and so does not possess the qualities of touch, taste, smell and colour. The part of akasa which is occupied by other substances is called loka (cosmos). Loka is finite and is surrounded in all direction by aloka which is inert, empty pure boundless space. Beyond loka there is no object - animate or inanimate. No paramanu or Jiva can cross the boundary and go beyond the limit of loka. The dharma and adharma determine the boundary of the lokaakasa by their own finiteness and thus divided akasastikaya in two parts loka and aloka.
Loka is finite space in the centre of infinite akasa. Loka has a shape and volume. The Svetambara and Digambara literature differ in respect of the shape of loka. The shape of loka according to Digambara tradition is shown in fig 1. It is a prismatic shape having three divisions - upper loka, middle loka and lower loka. The shape of upper loka comprises of two trapezoidal prisms, one with a base of 5 rajju, top of 1 rajju, height of 3.5 rajju and width of 7 rajju, and the other with a base of 1 rajju, top 5 rajju, height 3.5 rajju and width 7 rajju. The lower loka prism has a base of 7 rajju, top of 1 rajju, height of 7 rajju and width of 7 rajju. The total height of loka is 14 rajju and the width is uniform at every height, equal to 7 rajju. As per this shape the volumes of upper loka and lower loka are 147 cubic rajju and 196 cubic rajju respectively and the volume of whole loka is 343 cubic rajju. Rajju is a very large distance whose exact value is
Aloka
Upper Loka
Region
Mobile
Beings (Trasa Nadi)
Alnka
Aloka
Middle Loka
Vata Valayas /
Lower Loka
Aloka
difficult to determine. 10
Fig 6.1: Loka in Digambara Tradition
10 One estimate puts its value equal to 1.45x10 miles but this is not generally accepted, the actual value may be much higher.