Jain Journal 1968 07

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 12

JULY, 1968
as Suryabhadeva in heaven who, as noted above, had come to visit Mahavira and was performing before him.
The third Upārga, Jivājīvābhigama, is a dialogue between Mahavira and Gautama Ganadhara on jiva and ajiva. Contained here is very exhaustive treatment of this fascinating subject. Not only does it give an exhaustive catalogue of names of precious stones, weapons, minerals, liquor, pottery, ornaments, buildings, dress, sweets, habitations, royal hierarchy, categories of slaves, social ceremonies and religious festivities, dramatic personages, vehicles, evil omens, types of quarrel, war, disease, etc., etc.; it contains also an exhaustive geography of Jambudvipa. In all it contains nine pratipattis or chapters which are duly noted.
The fourth Upānga, Prajñāpanā, has 349 sūtras, establishing 36 padas, all very exhaustive. Its form is a dialogue between Mahavira and Gautama Indrabhuti. It deals both with jiva and ajīva, containing exhaustive treatment of such diverse items as spheres as discussed in modern cosmology, variety of flora and fauna, only a part of which may be known to modern sciences, a lot of biological information, including animals moving on the earth, in the water or flying in the air. These thirtysix padas are so to say an encyclopaedia.
These days there is so much unsuccessful attempt at reaching the moon so as to get a fuller knowledge about the earth's only child. But the Jaina savants, through their deep spiritual insight, have recorded their findings about the sun and the moon in two of the Upārgas, Suryaprajñapti and Candra-prajñapti. The form is that of a dialogue between Mahavira and Gautama Indrabhuti. According to the findings of the Jaina savants, there are two suns, and two moons one in the southern hemisphere and the other in the northern, though modern science knows only of one sun and one moon. This is not merely a surmise but the details about their speed, distance, etc., are recorded. It does not seem likely that these early works on cosmology are mere cock-and-bull stories; as is acknowledged in so many spheres of learning, science, with all its amazing growth, is still in its infant stage, handicapped in tools and limited in interest.
Another Upānga, again a dialogue between Mahavira and Indrabhuti Gautama, gives an exhaustive treatment of Jambudvipa in which lies this sacred land of Bharata. The description contained may differ a lot from our own geographical knowledge, but what is amazing is the exhaustiveness of the treatment at a period when modern survey equipments must have been totally unknown. The interest is not