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The Middle Universe -
According to Jaina cosmology, this part of the universe, which is also known as Tiryak-loka is one Rajju wide and 1800
Yojana thick (900 Yojana above the middle level and 900 Yojana below it). It has innumerable oceans and continents in the form of concentric rings. Right in the middle is the continent called Jambū-dvīpa that is one hundred thousand Yojana in diameter and, which is surrounded by the Lavana-samudra or the salty ocean, which is two hundred thousand Yojana in diameter. The outermost ring of the Madhyaloka is the ocean known as Svayambhū-ramana samudra. This middle universe is the habitat of the human-beings as well as the creatures of the animal kingdom. One of the subcontinents of the Jambū-dvīpa is Bharatksetra or the land of our residence. The Bharataksetra -
Our subcontinent of Jambūdvīpa is somewhat more than 526 yojana wide which is divided into two halves by a great mountain range known as Vaitādhya that runs from east to west. The northern half of the subcontinent is irrigated by two great rivers called Gangā and Sindhu that flow eastwards and westwards respectively and finally into the Lavaņa-samudra. These two rivers and the Vaitāļhya mountain divide the Bharatkşetra into a total of six parts, by conquering which a king could earn the title of Cakravartī. The land of our habitation is supposed to be in the south-central part of this subcontinent, which is known as the Ārya-ksetra or the land of the noble people. This is the part of the subcontinent on which the Jina Prophets take births and prophesy the right-faith from time to time in the eternal timecycles. Mahāvidehaksetra -
There is yet other subcontinent, called Mahāvidehaksetra, which is ever blessed with the presence of Jina Prophets. It is
KSETRA LOKA (SPATIAL UNIVERSE): 231
