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bigger than that measuring the thickness of similar rings situated below the first ground, and so on till we find that the thickness of the rings of dense air and rarefied air situated below the seventh hellish ground is grater than that of the similar rings situated below the sixth hellish ground. The same consideration applies to the rings of ākāśa situated below the different hellish grounds.
TATTVĀRTHA SŪTRA
The first ground, owing to a predominance of ratnas or jewels, is called ratnaprabhā. Similarly, the second, owing to a predominance of sarkarā or gravel, is called sarkarāprabhā. The third owing to a predominance of välukā or sands, is called vālukāprabhā. The fourth, owing to an excess of panka or mud, is called pankaprabha. The fifth, owing to an excess of dhūma or smoke, is called dhumaprabha. The sixth, owing to a marked possession of tamas or darkness, is called tamaḥprabha, while the seventh, owing to a high concentration of mahātamas or densedarkness, is called mahātamahprabhā. These seven are respectively designated gharmā, vaṁśā, śailā, añjanā, riṣṭā, māghavya and māghavi.
The ground ratnaprabhā has got three kāṇdas or parts. The upper most part-called kharakāṇḍa-has a predominance of jewels and is 16000 yojanas thick. The part down below it has a predominance of mud and is 84000 yojanas thick. The lower most part has a predominance of water and is 80000 yojanas thick. Thus the three parts taken together turn out to be 180,000 yojanas thick. However, the grounds beginning from the second and lasting upto the seventh are not thus divided into parts, for in their case the substance concerned-viz. gravel, sands etc.-is equally found at each place. In the case of ratnaprabha the first part stands supported by the second, the second by the third. The third part on its part, stands supported by the ring of dense ocean, the dense ocean by the ring of dense air, the dense air, by the ring of rarefied air, the rarefied air by ākāśa. However, the ākāśa stands supported by, nothing else; it is rather self-supported, for such is the nature of ākāśa that it stands in need of no other
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