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(3) The Jyotiskas : These are divisible into five groups and represent the suns, moons, planets, naksatras and fixed stars. Only for the human world they appear to be in a continuous state of motion. The peculiarity of the Jaina doctrine regarding the plurality of suns and moons needs some explanation here. Especially in regard to Jambūdvīpa it is considered to have two suns and two moons. “They proceed from the idea that in the course of twenty four hours the sun as well as other heavenly bodies can only make half of the circuit of the Meru, that therefore, when the night in Bhārata-varsa (India) reaches its end, the sun, whose light had given the preceding day, has only reached the north-west of Meru. The sun which rises actually in the east of Bhārata-varşa cannot, therefore, be the same sun which set the previous evening, but is a second, different sun, which however cannot be distinguished by the eye from the first. On the morning of the third day there reappears the first sun which has reached, at about this time, the south-east corner of the Meru. For the same reason the Jainas presume the existence of two moons, two series of nakșatras, etc. All heavenly
dies are thus doubled; but as only one member of this pair appears always in Bhārata-varsa and as both members completely resemble one another, nothing in the phenomenon is thereby changed."11
(4) The Vaimānikas which have a two-fold division kalpopapannas & kalpātitas. Kalpa means 'abode of gods'.12
(5) The Infernal State of Existence (Nāraka) : This is the state of existence of the jiva which is born in hell. It is constantly tormented by heat, cold, hunger, thirst and pain. Hatred is their innate quality and it impels them to entertain bad thoughts and inflict pain on others.
The ‘hell beings' inhabit seven successively descending regions underneath the earth.13 The deeper the layers the jīva inhabits, the more horrible is its appearance and the more unbearable are the
Rākşasa, Bhūta and Piśāca.
11 G. Thibaut, Astronomie (in Grunoriss der indo-arischen Philologie, Vol. III Nv. 9), p. 21 seq.
Cited in Helmuth von Glasenapp, The Doctrine of Karman in Jaina Philosophy, p. 59
12 Tattvārtha-Sūtra, IV. 1-27
13 The seven hells' are: Ratnaprabhā, Sarkāraprabhā, Valukaprabha, Pankaprabhā, Dhūmaprabhā, Tamahprabhā, and Mahātamahprabha.
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