________________
The concept of Mahāpralaya in Jain theory is a different story. The cycle of time here is divided into two parts called Avasarpiņi and Utsarpiņi. During the first, there is a gradual decline while during the second, there is a gradual progress. Utsarpiņi comes again and so on alternately. Each epoch is further divided into six parts. At the end of Avasarpini, there is a situation like Khand Pralaya for 49 days and then creation starts again with the seven day rains of water, milk, butter, amrit and sweet juice respectively.
The following points of difference should be noted between the Hindu and the Jain concepts regarding the Universe :
(1) According to the Hindus, the whole earth is submerged under water 15 times during one kalpa whereas according to the Jains, it is only once during each epoch and that too partially.
(2) According to Hindus, at the time of Mahāpralaya, all matter, space and time are engulfed into the Supreme Being and then it is He who unfolds the Universe again, whereas according to Jains, the nature of the Universe is such that after it has completely run down, it regenerates itself by carrying out the cycle in reverse order.
According to modern science, the Universe is gradually running down in the material sense of the word. The scientists say it as that the entropy of the world is tending towards the maximum. This has been proved mathematically by Maxwell from the second law of thermodynamics. In nature, heat is constantly flowing without interruption from a body at a higher temperature to a body at a lower temperature and air automatically flows from a region of high pressure to that of low pressure. Thus, there is tendency towards equalisation of temperature and pressure all over the universe. Efficiency of a heat engine is greater if the difference of temperatures between the source and the exhaust is large, i.e. greater the difference of temperatures, the higher is the efficiency. In other words, we can say that the availablity of energy for doing work is becoming less and less every moment and when the temperature and pressure will become the same everywhere, the available energy for work will become zero and the entire universe will come to a stand still, The sum tot il of the energy in the universe will be the same as before but it will not be available for work. Living beings will neither be able to move nor to breathe. Blood will not circulate in their veins. Life of all forms will be extinct.
What next? is a glaring question before the scientists. They believe that the universe cannot end as declared by Einstein in his Cylinder theory referred to in the beginning. Some unknown force must rewind the clock of the Universe so that it may be set running once again. According to Hindu belief, the rewinding is done by the Almighty God whereas according to Jains, the process is automatic.
There is another line of thinking in science. According to this, sun is the source of energy for all life on earth. According to the principle of equivalence
- 384 -
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
