Notes on Modern Jainism

Author(s): Mrs Sinclair Stevenson
Publisher: Oxford

Page 65

JAINA DOCTRINE
53
The names are also recorded of Twenty-four Tirthankara who preceded those of the present age, and of Twentyfour who will succeed them; other sets of Twenty-four Tirthankara will follow these, and so on in endless succession.
arga.
Jaina Eschatology. The Jaina have preserved the Hindu doctrine of Transmigration, though they subdivide the Eighty-four Lakhs (i, e. Eighty-four hundred thousand) of rebirths, through which a soul may pass, by an elaborate classification of their own. This doctrine, together with that of Karma, which they also hold in common with the Hindus, colours all their eschatology. The Jaina heaven, Svargu (2901), is attained by those
who have acquired great merit, but who
are still subject in some measure to Karma. In Svarga both happiness and pain are experienced, but happiness preponderates.
Svarga is divided into twenty-six heavens, which are grouped as follows :
Devaloka ( 89913), or the twelve lower heavens, where the gods and goddesses, ( Deva, Devi * 89, N) who resemble those of the Hindus, dwell. At the head of these Deva and Devi are the god Indra and the goddess Indrāni.
Next above these heavens come the nine heavens called Greveyikie (2048); but before a Deva can pass from Devaloka to Greveyika, he must descend to our world and become a man. The gods in these nine heavens are all equal and without a ruler.
* Devi only attain to the lower of these twelve heavens.