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11. NANDISVARA-DVIPA
Nandiśvara-dvipa is known to both the sects. It is the last of the numerous concentric island-continents of Jaina cosmography, the first or the central one being the Jambù dvipa. The Nandiśvara is a land of delight of the gods with gardens of manifold designs, adorned and honoured by the visits of gods devoted to the worship of the Tirthankaras. In its central parts are the four Añjana mountains of black colour, situated in the four directions--Devaramaņa in the east, Nityodyota in the south, Svayamprabha in the west, and Ramaniya in the north. On their tops are temples of the Arhats (Tirthankaras), one hundred yojanas long, half as wide and seventy yojanas high, each shrine having four doors. Within the temples are jewelled platforms, sixteen yojanas long and wide, and eight yojanas high. On the platforms ( manipithaka ) are daises ( devacchandaka) of jewel whose length and width exceed that of the platforms and on whom are one hundred and eight eternal statues (Sāśvatabimba) each of the four Eternal Arhats ( Śaśvata-Jina) named Rşabha, Varddha. māna, Candránana and Värişena in the paryanka-posture, made of jewels, attended each by a beautiful retinue consisting of two Nāgas, two Yaksas, two Bhūtas and two pitcher-carriers while behind each statue is a figure of an umbrella-bearer. On the daises are incense-burners, wreaths, bells, the eight auspicious marks, banners, festoons, baskets, boxes and seats as well as sixteen ornaments such as full pitchers etc.
There are gleaming entrance-pavilions (mukha-mandapa) of the size of temples, theatre-pavilions (preksă-mandapa ), arenas (aksavātaka ), jewelled platforms, beautiful stūpas, and statues, fair caitya-trees, indradhvajas and divine lotus-lakes in succession.
In the four directions from each of the Añjana Mountains there are big square lotus-lakes, Nandiseņa, Amogha, Gostupa etc., and beyond them are great gardens named Asoka, Saptaparņa, Campaka and Cúta. Within the sixteen lotus-lakes are the crystal Dadhimukha mountains, each having a SaśvataJinālaya with images of Sāśvata-Jinas described above. Between each two lakes are two Ratikara mountains making a total of thirty-two Ratikara moun
1 Trişastiśalā kāpuruşacarita, I (GOS. Vol. LI), pp. 395-397; Irişaşți. prvas II-III (GOS. Vol. LXXVII), pp. 120 ff.; Harivamśa of Jinasena, sarga 5, vv. 647-685, pp. 122-124; Trilokasāra of Nemicandra, vv. 960 ff. Kirfel, Die Kosmographie der Inder, pp. 253 ff; Ramacandran, T.N , Tiruparuttikunram and its Temples, pp. 181; also see, Sthânānga Sütra, 4.2. sū. 307, Vol. I, pp. 229 ff; Avaśyaka Cūrņi, p. 397 f.
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