Scientific Vision of Lord Mahavira

Author(s): Chaitanyapragyashreeji
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati

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Scientific Vision of Lord Mahāvīra
the measurement of the compartment of the universe in numerical figures. The figures are found in the latter works.63 Accordingly, the whole universe in height is of 14 and in breadth 49 Rajju.*
(i) The Upper Section
The upper part of the universe is somewhat less than 7 Rajju.94 The upper universe comprises of heavenly abodes, for the gods and more and godlier in succession from the initial first to the twenty-sixth. The Bh.S mentions the upper section of fifteen types including nine Graive yakus and five Anuttaravimānass and also the uppermost carth named 'Isatprägbhāra'. 66 In total the heavens are twenty-six in numbers. (See figure-7 in appendix) Sarvārthasiddhi, a commentary on Tattvärtha, accepts thirty-nine heavens.“ (See figure-8 in appendix). The names of heavens are clear from the figures. The highest heaven is Sarvārthasiddhi. Ișatprāgbhāra, one of the carths and the abode for the liberated beings, is situated twelve yojanas above the heaven Sarvārthasiddhi.68 It measures 45 lake yojanas in length and breadth. The circumference of it measures a little more than the breadth by three times. In the center it measures 8 yojanas.69 It is white and pure like the conch or the pearl and therefore, it is named as “Sītā'. Another name for it is 'Siddhaśilā' because in the uppermost one-sixth portion of this earth, the liberated souls reside. 70 One yojana above there is the end of the universe. Therefore, it is recognized by the name 'Lokānta' or 'Lokāgra' i.e. the summit of the universe also.” (ii) The Middle Section
The middle universe is the abode for the humans and animals. The middle section (region), in elevation, is eighteen hundred yojanas and in extension, equivalent to the dimension of innumerable islands and oceans.72 The islands and ocean have special names such as Jambu island, Lavana ocean and so on.73 According to the scriptures and the later works 74 the islands and oceans are concentric rings, the succeeding ring being double the preceding one in breadth. At the center of all these islands and oceans is the round island of Jambu and Mount Meru is at its navel (See figure-10 in appendix).
Jambu Island is perfectly round like a potter's wheel. It is just in the center of the middle region of the cosmos. The diameter of the island is 100,000 yojanas75 (909,000 miles). Mount Meru in the middle of the island is 99000 above and 1000 yojanas below the earth. The base of Mount Meru touches the top of the first infernal land and its peak touches the bottom of the celestial region above. 76
Jambu is ringed by the Lavana ocean (salt ocean) which is twice as wide as Jambu. The Lavana occan is ringed by Dhātakikhanda island. Similarly it # Rajju: A rajju is a conceptual measure consisting of innumerable pramana Yojanas,
each pramana yojana being almost equivalent to eight thousand miles.