Jain Journal 2004 04

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

Page 29

230
JAIN JOURNAL : VOL-XXXVIII, NO. 4 APRIL. 2004
b. the six units of avasarpiņi, regressive half-cycle
i) suşamā-suşamă, extremely happy ii) suşamā, happy iii) suşamā-duşamā, more happy than unhappy. iv) dușamā-suşanā, more unhappy than happy. v) duşamā, unhappy
vi) dușamā - duşamā, extremely unhappy. At the end of utsarpiņi kāla, the ascending half-circle, the revolution of the age reverses and from there on the period of avasarpiņi kāla, the descending half-circle commences. The process goes on in unbroken succession.
The concept of Suşamā and Duşamā eon reminds us of the concept of the yugas of world of Krita, Tretā, Dvāpara and Kaliyugas, in which the living conditions deteriorate from better to worse, and where the position and status of human life is almost identical.
Curiously, the Bhārata-Kșetra, our earth, is, at the present time, in an avasarpiņīkāla, the regressive half cycle, which commenced 3 years and 34/, months after Vardhamāna Mahāvīra's nirvāņa, release from bondage, in 527 B.C., and it is of 21,000 years duration.
Thus in the last three stages of utsarpiņi period and in the early three stages of the avasarpiņī period, human beings were benefactors of celestial gifts from the kalpa-vrkșa, wish-fulfilling tree, and hence enjoyed life without physical labour. But difficult days set in the other stages, since the Punya-bhūmi and kalpa-vrkșa disappeared paving way for the Karma-bhūmi. [Adipurāņa 9.35-51).
During the period of suşamā-duşamā of avasarpiņīkāla, the process of degeneration had set in, but yet it was still a bhoga-bhūmi. Being conscious of the deteriorating conditions, man began to wake up to his enviornments. For the first time he felt the necessity of seeking proper guidance. Thus, fourteen kulakaras (Manus), Law-givers, born one after another guided human beings. Nābhirāja, last of the Kulakaras, and Marudevi, his consort, became the parents of Rşabha (s. a. Ādideva, Ādinātha, Purudeva), the 15th Manu and the first Tīrthankara, expounder of Jaina Religion (Ādipurāņa 3. 152; 11.9).