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

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Page 260
________________ 244 DOCTRINE OF THE JAINAS pleasures which, however, decrease in intensity according to the height of the divine abode, since it must be remembered that the mutual intercourse of the sexes is executed in ever nobler ways, until beyond the Kappa regions all desires have come to cease (Thān. 302a; Pannav. 547b; T. 4, 8 to 10).1 When the gods make their appearance in the centre world it is to serve the veneration of the Titthagaras in the great moments of their lives for the Titthagara rules the worlds : just as his birth, his departure into monkhood, his inspiration by supreme knowledge, all lighting up the whole world (lo’ujjoya) -while his decay and that of his teaching bury it in darkness (log'andhayāra), so they shake the seats of the gods and cause them to send rains (Viy 634b) and to draw near in veneration. Comp. Thān. 116 a ff Jambudd V. In the same way the future cakkavațți on his campaign of conquest acts on the local deities, comp. Jambudd. III By sympathy and apathy a god remains attached to the world (Thān. 144b). In the beginning of his career also private inclinations lead him back to the centre world · his gratitude towards his former teacher, his veneration for an ascetic, the display of pomp in front of his family, an appointment with a friend (Thān. 142b, 253a). As to his faculty of crossing the world a god knows of no limits, but his interest in doing so dwindles the more the higher he is seated (Viy. 752a; comp Umāsvāti on T. 4, 22). In order to make their appearance in the centre world the gods betake themselves to the continent of Nandissara to the south-eastern Raikara hill (Jambudd 402a). The place where Camara manifests himself is the silver mountain of Tıricchakūda which does not taper off but, narrowing at half of its height, offers a plane on its top measuring about three quarters of the width of its base. It rises to 42,000 joy. from the Aruna sea to the south of the continent bearing this name (Viy. 144a) From the 1. Gods have intercourse (samvāsam gaccchar) with Asuras, Rakkhasas, humans and beasts of either sex This discrimination pertains to the popular belief, not to dogmatics Humans (mānusa) as well as beasts seem to be called chadi (Thân 193a, 274a ) 2. Both passages also contain the cases where the celestial enjoy ments arrest him in spite of such a natural desire.

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