Book Title: World of Conquerors
Author(s): Natubhai Shah
Publisher: Natubhai Shah

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Page 200
________________ have a social structure of princes, ministers, courtesans, bodyguards, police, troops, citizens, servants and country people. Kalpaatitas are themselves like 'heavenly kings' and do not have need of any social structure. Their needs are fulfilled simply by their wishes. The first twelve kalpas are symbolised by animals: deer, buffalo, boar, lion, goat, leopard, horse, elephant, cobra, rhinoceros, bull and antelope. Occasionally, celestials pass from one part of the world to another. Sometimes they pay visits to those who were their friends in earlier existences, either to guide them or to help them in the consecration ceremony of a recently born humans designated to be tirthankaras. Sometimes they are pleased with the sincere devotion to them and may help their devotees with material wealth. They possess miraculous chariots in which they travel, hence their description in Jain texts is as 'celestial-charioteer'. The serenity of the inhabitants of the paradises increases gradually as one goes upward through the levels of the upper world. Their lifespan, power, radiance, morality and the sphere of their sensory and supersensory knowledge, differentiate celestial beings from each other, which increase proportionally as one moves up the ladder of the heavens. Female celestials are born only in the two lowest heavens. Their movements are restricted as far as the eighth paradise. The sexual enjoyment of the two lowest celestial beings is similar to that of humans. The higher the level of the celestial beings, the more subtle is their sexual life. It is sufficient for them to touch, or to see or simply to hear goddesses, to satisfy their sexual urge. The celestials of the tenth and eleventh paradises can satisfy their urges by imagining the object of their desires. Finally, beyond the twelfth paradise they are rid of their passions. They are pure, satisfied and serene. The first four and the last four paradises are usually grouped in pairs. The celestial world also contains matter and darkness, since water and vegetable particles arising from one of the large seas of the middle world spread right up to the fifth heaven, Brahmaloka. In this level of the fifth heaven, eight dark masses (krisnaraajis), or conglomerations are found. In these masses are the lower forms of life, every living being is born several times on the cycle of transmigration. In it asura and naaga celestials produce rain or thunder. The nine 'gods of the limits of the world' (lokaantikas), the guardians of the four cardinal directions, and the four intermediate directions and the zenith. reside in the fifth heaven. There are sixty-two layers of 'celestial chariots' in the heavens and beyond, arranged to prevent collisions. Jain texts describe thirteen layers in Saudharma and Isaana, twelve in Sanatkumara and Mahendra, six in Brahmaloka, five in Lokaantika, four in Mahusukra, four in Sahasrara, and then four in Anata and Pranata, and four more in the Aarana and Acyuta regions of the heaven. There are nine layers in graiveyakas and a single layer in anuttara. The nine graiveyakas and the five 'unsurpassables' (annuttaras) reside in the thirteenth and fourteenth heavens. Annuttaras are very close to that final perfection which they will attain after two human births. Under the crescent of siddha silaa, the 'all-accomplished' celestials (sarvarthasiddha) reside and they 200

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