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Jainism: The Cosmic Vision
multiply themselves to a dangerous number. Sons will hardly serve their parents. Donation, good conduct, austerity and good feelings will gradually become rare. Quarrelsome mentality, violent temperament, passion for revenge, etc. will grow in intensity and extent. People - rather traders - will largely use false weights and measures to deceive their customers. The excellent things of excellent colour, smell, flavour and touch will vanish."
Then Mahavira described conditions of the coming fifth division of the current half Time-cycle. He said, "In the endpart of the fifth division of the current half Time-cycle, there will flourish a Jain Acharya Duhprasaha, a Jain nun Phalgushri, a Jain householder Nagila, a Jain lay-woman Satyashri, a king Vimalavahana and his minister Sumukha. Human body will be nearly three feet in height. Human life-span will be of twenty years only. On the last day of the fifth division of the current half Time-cycle, in the morning, the observance of monastic code of conduct will completely disappear, in the noon the practice of kingly duties will completely disappear, and in the evening fire will completely disappear."
Then Mahavira drew a picture of the coming sixth division of the current half Time-cycle. He said, "On the completion of the fifth division made up of twenty one thousand years, there will set in the sixth and last division, called Dushama-dushama, of the current half Time-cycle called Avasarpini (Descending). In this sixth division, conditions will deteriorate even further to a great extent. Religion, society and government system will become completely extinct. There will be nothing like family. Father-son relationship and all behaviour based on it will come to an end. In the beginning of this division, there will blow
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