Tattvartha Sutra

Author(s): Umaswati, Umaswami, Manu Doshi
Publisher: Shrutratnakar Ahmedabad

Page 67

MADHYALOK JAIN CONCEPT OF GEOGRAPHY
These sutras state that Madhyalok (the middle world) consists of series of islands and oceans named as Jamboodweep, Lavansamudra etc.. Those islands and oceans alternate each other and lie in concentric circles. The diameter of each succeeding circle. is double the size of the preceding one. Jamboodweep is the central island and it has a diameter of 100,000 Yojans (one Yojan is equivqlent to about eight miles). The mountain Meru lies exactly in its center.
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तत्र भरतहैमवतहरिविदेहरम्यक हैरण्यवतैरावतवर्षा: क्षेत्राणि ॥३ - १० ॥ तद्विभाजिनः पूर्वापरायता हिमवन्महाहिमवन्निषधनीलरुक्मिशिखरिणो वर्षधरपर्वताः ॥ ३-११ ॥
3.10: Tatra Bharathaimvatharividehramyakhairanyavatairävatvarshäh Ksheträni
3.11: Tadvibhäjinah Poorväparäyatä Himvanmahähimvannishadhneelrukmishikharino Varshadharparvatäh
(There are continents known as Bharat, Haimvat, Hari, Videh, Ramyak, Hairanyavat and Airävat: also there are mountain ranges known as Himvan, Mahähimvan, Nishadh, Neel, Rukmi and Shikhari. They extend from east to west and separate those continents.)
Jamboodweep is divided into seven continents known as Kshetras or Varshas, each of them spanning the entire width of Jamboodweep from east to west. From south to north, those continents are known as Bharat, Haimvat, Hari, Videh, Ramyak, Hairanyavat and Airävat (commonly known as Airvat). They are separated from one another by six mountain ranges known as Varshadhars, which also span the entire width of Jamboodweep. The range that separates Bharat and Haimvat