Scientific Secrets of Jainism

Author(s): Nandighoshvijay
Publisher: Research Institute of Scientific Secrets from Indian Oriental Scriptures Ahmedabad

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Scientific Secrets of Jainism
words are used for different sub-directions. This shows that the Indian literature has a vast vocabulary. There being no special words for bisections of sub-directions in English, it is thought that they are shown only for convenience. But Ācārānga, the holy Jain canonical scripture mentions these bisections of sub-directions. Also, the nature and kinds of directions are fully discussed.
Generally, the outer space is thought to have no directions. The direction from which the Sun rises on the earth is considered to be the east direction, but in outer space there is no sunrise or sunset.
The Jain canonical scriptures also consider that direction to be the east from where the Sun rises. But they do not accept that the outer space is quite directionless.
Since eight rucaka pradēśas (i.e. space points or space units ) which are of the shape of a cow's teats and which are at the centre of the universe and they are the orgin of all directions and sub-directions, the outer space, too, has directions. 2
Generally, the Jain canonical scripture entitled the Ācārānga, describes a figure for showing directions and it has thirteen space points or space units. It is represented as shown in figure No. 2.3 Jain scriptures also show how directions and sub-directions are formed. The four principle directions are as wide at an origin as two space points. As the directions go one space point further from the centre, their width increases by two space points and the four sub-directions go one space point further in a straight line in their respective corners. They are shown in figure No. 3. The directions upwards and downwards are in a series of four space points.
Describing the shape of all the four directions and sub-directions, sri Bhadrabāhusvāmi, the author of Niryukti on Ācārāngasūtra, says that all these four principal directions are of the shape of the yoke of a cart because these four principal directions are narrow at their origin and as they go further, they become wider. The four sub-directions are like an unbroken string of pearls. The directions upwards and downwards are like upward and donward line of four rucaka pradēśas (space points) each.“
The directions in respect of the eight rucaka pradēśas ( space points) at the centre of the universe as shown above, are the real directions. Also,