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yielding variety of products to cater to all needs of human beings and animals. Following excerpts from Tilloyapannati describe the conditions during Sukhma-Sukhma era:
सुसमसुसमम्मि काले भूमी रज- धूम- जलण- हिम रहिदा | कंठिय अब्भसिला- विच्छियादि कीडोवसग्ग परिचिता। | 324।।
णिम्मल- दप्यण सरिसा,णिदिद दव्वेहि विरहिदा तीय | सिकदा हवेदि दिव्वा, तणु- मण- णयणाण सुय जणणी । | 325।।
तीए गुच्छा गुम्मा, कुसुमंकुर- फल- पवाल- परिपुण्णा | वहओ विचित्त-वण्णा, रूक्ख समूहा समुत्तुंगा। | 327 | |
वग्घदी भूमिचरा, वायस-पहुदी य खेयरा तिरिया | मंसाहारेण विणा, भुंजते सरतरूण महुरफलं । | 396 ।।
In subsequent periods (eras) Sukhma, Sukhma-Dukhma, Dukhma-Sukhma, Dukhma, and Dukhma-Dukhma the conditions gradually deteriorated because of the increasing needs of rising population and corresponding increase in consumerism. Pressure on Kalpavrikshas went on increasing and they were badly degraded by the end of Sukhma-Dukhma. According to Jain Chronology present era is Dukhma, beset with serious problem of land, water and air pollution, which if not checked will accentuate further. The gradual deterioration of conditions has been described in detail by Yati Vrishabhacharya in Tilloyapannati and by Jinsenacharya in Adipurana. This conforms to the phenomenon defined as retrogression in modern ecology and forestry. The trees catering to needs of people dwindle with declining yields. The higher varieties of trees yielding edible fruits, flowers, seeds and nuts were replaced by lower varieties of vegetation of shrubs and grasses. The consequences were also manifest in climate change, storms, erratic rains, erosion of productive land and pollution.
सुरतरूं -लुध्दा जुगला, अण्णोण्णं ते कुणंति संवादं । | 458 | | कद्दम- पवह- णदीओ, आदिठ्ठ- पुवाओताव दट्टणं | | 492 | |
कप्पदुम्मा पणठ्ठा, ताहे विविहो सहीणि सस्साणिं ।। 504 | | सालि-जव-वल्ल तुनरी-तिल-मास-प्पहु विविह छण्णाई। 1507
[Tilloyapannati part2 Section 4]
कल्पवृक्षोचितं स्थानं तान्यध्यासित स्फुटेम | | 184 ।।
षाष्टिकाः कलमबीहियवगो घूम कङ्गव | श्यामाकको द्रवोदार नीवारवर का स्तथा । | 186।।
The plant varieties of grains, cereals, oil seeds and others mentioned above are botanically grasses am d lower forms of plants than trees.
Arresting Cyclic Changes:
Hopefully, in Tilloyapannati it is interesting to note that certain geographical areas viz. Harivarsa, Hemvata, Hairanyavata; Kaccha Videh etc. have been mentioned as areas immune from cyclic changes involving retrogression. This means that people there controlled their numbers and needs (consumption) within the carrying capacities of natural
