Jain Journal 1978 01

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

Page 3

Notion of Obliquity of Ecliptic Implied in the Concept of Mount Meru in
Jambudvipa Prajnapti
S. S. LISHK AND S. D. SHARMA
Here a simple probe is rendered into the concept of mount Meru in Jambūdvipa Prajñapti, a Jaina canonical work of post-Vedānga preSiddhāntic period (also called dark period) in the history of ancient Indian astronomy. It is revealed that dimensions of Meru fit certain astronomical constants, e.g. obliquity of ecliptic. Thus Meru represents a tentative astronomical model of notion of obliquity of ecliptic. This model plays an important role in unearthing the meaningful concepts of Jaina notions like those of flat earth and samatala bhūmi ("earth having plane surface' denoting on earth a circular area with centre at the projection of pole of ecliptic) etc.
(a) A Historical View of Location of the Mount Meru:
There are sixteen name-variants of Meru viz.?
1. Mandara 2. Giriraja 4. Priyadarsana 5. Ratnoccaya 7. Manorama 8. Sudarsana 10. Uttama
11. Asta (Accha) 13. Svayamprabha 14. Vatanka
3. Meru 6. Lokanabhi 9. Disadi 12. Suryavarta
5. Lokamadhya 16. Suryavarana.
As regards astronomical significance of these names, only a few of them are meaningful, e.g. Lokanabhi (navel of the world or a division of universe), Disadi (meaning like something from which directions are indicated), and Lokamadhya (centre of the world). Other names are, more or less, literary types, e.g. Priyadarsana (beautiful), Uttama (best), Giriraja (king of mountains), etc.
1 Cf. Shastri, Balchandra (1962) Lokavibhaga (Hindi tr.), v. 1.327-329, p. 41.
This paper was presented at the 7th session of Jaina Vidya Parishad, Jaina Vishva Bharati, Ladnun (7-9 Oct. 1977).