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CHAPTER-11
COSMOLOGY
Introduction
We consider cosmology as a truly modern and advanced subject but at the same time it has ancient roots. Thinkers throughout the ages have explored the nature of the universe. The ancient religions of India, particularly the Vedic and Jain religions have described the model of the cosmos. The Jain picture of cosmos is so much popular amongst the Jain community that it figures extensively in traditional Jain art and forms a symbolic background to the Jain explanation of the meaning of life.
During Twentieth century various models of cosmology have been formulated by scientists under various assumptions. They are:
1. Static 2. Steady state 3. Evolutionary 4. Chemical.
At present, none of the models is wholly accepted nor totally rejected. We are not even sure whether the observed red-shifts are cosmological. Edwin Hubble's landmark Law is 'distant galaxies are moving rapidly away from us i.e. the universe is expanding. This infers also that objects were closer, in the earliest times, perhaps to a negligible point where the density of the universe was infinite. We just assume it in the absence of a better alternative. Even the most powerful optical and radio telescopes at present are unable to fathom the whole depth of the universe and whatever observations are obtained at large distances, the correct interpretations have quite often eluded the scientists. It is therefore, worthwhile to study the Jain model of Cosmos through which the origin and nature of the universe have been described.
Narration
In a book 'A brief history of time' S. Hawking mentions that once a lady said to Bertand Russel 'The world is really a flat plate supported on the back of a giant tortoise'. Russel asked 'what is the tortoise standing on?'
Most of the religions believe that god created the universe. Somebody asked the priest 'what did God do before he created the universe?' He could not reply to the question but desperately said 'certainly he was not preparing hell for those people who asked such questions.
