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Āryikās: The Digambara Sadhvis
from the next by an ocean. .100 In the middle of these continents and oceans is to be found the island of the Jambu and, in the centre thereof, Mount Meru. 101 The island takes its name from the vast jambu (tree), situated near the summit of Mount Meru. This everlasting tree is of earth. 102 The island is divided into seven kṣetras, regions running crosswise: Bharata, Haimavata, Hari, Videha, Ramyaka, Hairaṇyavata and Airāvata. These regions are separated from each other by six chains of mountains. 103 At the summit of each of these mountains there is a lake and, in the middle of each lake, a lotus-flower with this particular feature, namely, that each lake and each lotus is double the one before in size. 104 At the heart of each of the six lotuses is a palace in which resides a nymph: Śri, Hri, Dhṛti, Kirti, Buddhi and Laksmi.105 Out of the afore-mentioned six lakes flow rivers, two for each region, fourteen in all,106the rivers of Bharata being the Ganga and the Sindhu with their numerous tributaries. 107 Bharata-kṣetra is divided int six khandas (parts); one ārya-khaṇḍa, a land where dwell men capable of pursuing a spiritual quest and five mleccha-khaṇḍas, countries of barbarians;108 we belong to the arya-khaṇḍa. Bharata, Airavata and Videha are karma
100 Cf. TS III, 7.
101 Known in the texts under the name of Mamdara; it has also 14 other names; cf. PPN, pp. 539-540.
102 Cf. TS III, 9.
103 Ibid., III, 10-11.
104 Ibid., III, 14; 17-18.
105 Ibid., III, 19.
106 Ibid., III, 20
107 Ibid., III, 23.
108 Ibid., III, 36.
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