Jain Journal 1969 01

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

Page 38

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JAIN JOURNAL
its surface at least, is very thorough. It is simply interesting to note how people in ancient times had viewed it when communication was pre difficult. But it has been the curiosity of the human mind in all ages and countries to know his abode with whatever equipment is handy to him. In this connection, the interested reader may look for Ptolemy's map of the same printed in McCrindle's Ancient India, Calcutta, 1927. In the Indian continent, however, there were current alternative views. According to the author of the Vişnupurāņa, to the south of Sumeru, there are three mountains, Himavana, Hemakuta and Nisadha and to the north another group of three, viz., Nila, Sveta and Srngi. Jambu-dvipa is thus divided into seven parts called Bharatavarsa, Kimpurusa, Harivarsa, Ilabrta, Ramyaka, Hiranmaya and Uttarakuru. According to the same authority, Bharatavarsa is the holiest of all (śreștha-bhūmi) because its soil is congenial to spiritual ascent through effort (karma-bhūmi). Here one has the time cycle, kyta, tretā, dvāpara and kali (cf. the utsarpini and avasarpini of the Jainas) indicating the measure of spiritual activity ; but more than that in the holiest of all holy lands, the flow of mystics which has elsewhere gone dry, continues unabated to this day. The Jaina view has some striking similarity with the view mentioned in the Vişnupurāņa, though it may be difficult to say as to which of these two is really prior to the other.
According to the Jaina view, at the centre of the Jambu-dvipa there is the Meru mountain. Jambu-dvipa is divided into seven zones (kşetras), viz., Bharatavarsa, Haimavatavarsa, Harivarsa, Videhavarsa, Ramyakavarsa, Hairanyavatavarsa and Airavatavarsa, demarcated by six world mountains running from the east to the west, viz., Himavana, Mahahimavana, Nisadha, Nila, Rukmi and Sikhari. The Meru Mountain is to the north of all the varsas, i.e. to the left hand side if one is to face the rising sun.
Turning further to the details of the geography of this sphere, the central of the seven kşetras, viz., Videhavarsa or Mahavideha or simply Videha is divided into Purva-Videha which is east of the Mount Meru and Avara-Videha which is to its west. It is again subdivided into Vijayas, sixteen in Purva and sixteen in Avara Videha. To the south and to the north of Mount Meru are Devakuru and Uttarakuru. The abundance of the black-berry tree is particularly to be noted in Uttarakuru from which the whole island derives its name as above. In the centre of world-mountains are long lakes from which originate the large river systems. From the lakes of the Himavana and the Sikhari there flow three rivers each-into Bharata the Ganga in the east, the Sindhu in the west and northward into Haimavatavarsa, the Rohitasya ; into