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444
STUDIES IN THE BHAGAWATI SUTRA
[Ch. VII
Besides this system of Mahakal pas of Ajivikism as revealed in this canonical work, it also contains the theory of cosmic progress and decay of time (i.e. measurement of time upto Sagaropama) similar to that of the Nirgrantha religion, for Gośāla proclaims himself as the twenty-fourth Tirthankara of the Avasarpini age (or aeon of decline).1
Sannigabbha (Saṁjñīgarbha = Sentient birth)
It has already been pointed out that soul transmigrates through eighty-four Mahakalpas, seven celestial births, seven heavenly bhavanas (samyuthas), seven sentient or human births (sannigabbhas) and seven reanimations till the attainment of its final emancipation.
Thus it is explained that soul (or being), giving up the body is born from infinite samyuthas (devabhava) as god in the upper Manasasamyutha (devabhava) where it passes time by enjoying the celestial enjoyments. After the decay of the span of its life and duration it is born from there in the first human womb as five-sensed human being; from there immediately after its death it is born as god in the Manasa-Samyutha (devabhava), having Manasa-Sara-pramāṇa-āyuṣ (span of life having the period of Manasa-Sara) from that celestial world again it is born as human being in the second Samjnigarbha; from that state of existence after its death, it is born in the lower Samyutha (devabhava), having Manasa-pramāṇa-äyus. Then falling from that celestial state of existence it it born in the third Samjni-garbha as human being, from there after death it is born in the highest Samyutha (devabhava) having Manuṣottarasara-pramāṇa-length of life; having fallen from that celestial state of existence it is reborn in the fourth Samjnigarbha as human being; from there immediately after death it is born in the middle Samyutha (devabhava), having Manusottura-Sara-pramana-length of life; having fallen from that divine state of existence it is reborn in the fifth Samjnigarbha as human being; from that state of existence it is reborn in the lower Manusottara Samyutha, there
1 BhS, 15, 1, 554.
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