Scientific Secrets of Jainism

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

Page 278

Directions In Jain Agamas
philosphy which is soul-oriented. Man's soul and every soul has been transmigrating since beginningless time. In order to know where he was, in what surroundings, he was in the last birth, it is necessary to know the form situation of the universe. As a part of it, the form of directions is described here. Here is a reference given by the scripturist as under :
• Here in this world, some people do not know whether they (their souls) have come here from the east, from the west, from the north, or from the south or from sub-directons (fafem) or from the upward direction or from the downward direction. "13
Śri Bhadrabahusvāmi, the author of Niryukti on Acārāngasūtra represent the science of directions as a special explanation of this sūtra. There is a special method of composing commentaries on Jain canonical scriptures. i. e. Āgamas. The name, representation and especially the obvious and intrinsic aspects of every word or component of a compound word are explained in detail. Similarly, the directions mentioned above are general directions that are famous in all societies and men. They are called in Jain techanical term Dravyadisā (f) i.e.obvious aspect. While for the scripturist and monks and nuns who are learning, only intrinsic directions Bhāvadiśā (af) are important. They are also eighteen in number. A detailed explanation these Bhāvadisā is found in the Niryukti of Sri Bhadrabāhusvāmi and commentary of Sri Silänkācārya on Acarangasūtra. Being irrelevent, it is not given
here.
247
References:
1, इंदग्गेई जम्मा य, नेरूती वारूणी य वायव्या ।
सोमा ईसाणावि य, विमला य तमा य बोद्धव्वा ।। (आचारांग नियुक्ति गाथा-४३)
आसामैन्द्री विजयद्वारानुसारेण शेषाः प्रदक्षिणतः सप्तावसेयाः ऊर्ध्वं विमला तमा चाघो
टीका
बोद्धव्या ।
imdaggēi jammā ya, nērūti vārūņi ya vāyavyā.
sōmā īsāṇāvi ya, vimalā ya tamā ya bōddhavvā .. (ācārānga niryukti gāthā
43)
ṭīkā - āsāmaindri vijayadvārānusārēņa sēṣāḥ pradakṣiņataḥ saptāvasēyāḥ ūrddhvam vimalā tamā cadhō bōddhavyä.