Book Title: Doctrine of Jainas
Author(s): Walther Shubring, Wolfgang Beurlen
Publisher: Motilal Banarasidas

Previous | Next

Page 239
________________ 223 Unfortunately these names as well as the others are given next to no support by the commentary We but mention the Saga, Javana, Cilāya, Pārasa, Hūna, and Romaga The list of the royal household which, next to some curiosities, includes even ladies of foreign nationalities, is much shorter (Viy 457a, 557a, Nãyādh § 117; Pannav. 14a; Uvav. § 55). About the places void of Karman and their people we are told next to nothing (§ 119). The inhabitants of these intermediate continents (antara-divaga) are strangely shaped they are onelegged, they do not speak, they have tails and horns, the ears and mouths of horses, elephants, cattle, etc, radiant teeth, etc etc. Their 28 different kinds on the southern continentseach bearing one-repeat themselves on the northern Their cultural state is that of paradise They are vegetarians and eat but every second day. They live in trees and know of no communal life Their character is the best one can think of They have neither masters nor servants, neither parents nor children, neither enemies nor friends, no harmful animals and nothing evil from whatever side. Their outward appearance (they are 800 dhanu tall) is of every possible excellence, and as to the mentioned abnormities, they apparently do not stand in its way.1 The beauty of their wives is most extraordinary. The mountain-banks as well as the different mountain ranges and hills are considered not to be inhabited by humans, and to get there or to the oceans of Lavana and Kaloya ( § 122) they can only do so by transposing themselves (Umāsv. on T. 3, 12). §118 All over the centre world we find the animals of any shape. The one-sensed kinds have been mentioned above already, since the smallest particles of earth, water, fire, wind and plants occur in all parts of the world, no matter whether they are solid or subtle. The two-sensed kinds which are COSMOGRAPHY I The description in Jiv 350a ff. equals on the whole that of Mahavira's Uvav 16, but since it concerns beings of common standing, it goes in the opposite direction, 1 c from below to above (just so Āyār. 2, 23 ff ). In either case the procedure is contrary to Brahman usage.

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309