On Indian Sect of Jainas

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Jas Burgess

Page 38

"Two individuals of the greatest size reach perfection (simultaneously), four of the smallest size, and one hundred and eight of the middle size. Four individuals reach perfection (simultaneously) on high places, two in the ocean, three in water, twenty underground, and where do they go on reaching perfection? Perfected souls are debarred from the non-world (Aloka); they reside on the top of the world; they leave their bodies here (below) and go there, on reaching perfection.
"Twelve yojanas above the (Vimâna) Sarvârtha is the place called Ishatpragbhâra, which has the form of an umbrella; (there the perfected souls go). It is forty-five hundred thousand yojanas long, and as many broad, and it is somewhat more than three times as many in circumference. Its thickness is eight yojanas, it is greatest in the middle, and decreases towards the margin, till it is thinner than the wing of a fly. This place, by nature pure, consisting of white gold, resembles in form an open umbrella, as has been said by the best of Jinas.
"(Above it) is a pure blessed place (called Sîtâ), which is white like a conch-shell, the ankastone, and Kunda-flowers, [2] a yojana thence is the end of the world. The perfected souls penetrate the sixth part of the uppermost krośa of the above-mentioned) yojana. There, at the top of the world reside the blessed perfected souls, rid of all transmigration, and arrived at the excellent state of perfection. The dimension of a perfected soul is two-thirds of the height which the individual had in his last existence.
"The perfected souls considered singly--égattêņa (as individuals)--have a beginning but no end, considered collectively--puhuttêņa (as a class)--they have neither a beginning nor an end. They have no (visible) form, they consist of life throughout, they are developed into knowledge and faith, they have crossed the boundary of the Samsara, and reached the excellent state of perfection."
Like both the Brâhmans and Buddhists, the Jainas have a series of hells--Narakas, numbering even which they name--
1. Ratnaprabha: 2. Sarkarâprabhâ; 3. Vâlukâprabhâ; 4. Pankaprabhâ; 5. Dhûmaprabhâ; 6. Tamaprabhâ; 7. Tamatamaprabha. [10]
Those who inhabit the seventh hell have a stature of 500 poles, and in each above that they are half the height of the one below it.
Everything in the system as to stature of gods and living beings, their ages and periods of transmigration is reduced to artificial numbers.