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Dharma protects beings from falling into the hell or nether world and dharma alone makes one attain incomparable glory of omniscience.
The Universe
कटिस्थकरवैशाख-स्थानकस्थनराकृतिम् । द्रव्यैः पूर्ण स्मरेल्लोकं स्थित्युत्पत्तिव्ययात्मकः ॥१०३।। लोको जगत्त्रयाकीर्णो भुवः सप्तात्र वेष्टिताः । घनाम्भोधिमहावात-तनुवातमहावलः ॥१०४॥ वेत्रासनसमोऽधस्तान मध्यतो झल्लरीनिमः । अग्रे मुरजसंकाशो लोकः स्यादेवमाकृतिः ॥१०॥ निष्पादितो न केनापि न धतः केनचिच्च सः। स्वयं सिद्धो निराधारो गगने कि त्ववस्थितः ॥१०६॥
Meaning : Think of this loka as having shape of man standing akimbo, his hands over his waist, and full of matter having attributes of creation, subsistance, and destruction.
This loka (universe) can be segmented into three parts : upper, middle, and lower.
The seven worlds of hell are situated in the lower loka, enveloped within solid water, dense air, and thin air.
The lower loka is pyramid shaped; broad at the bottom and narrow at the top. The middle loka is like a girdle and the upper like a barrel. All these shapes combined make the complete loka.
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Yoga Shashtra
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