LASSEN ON THE JAINS,

SEPTEMBER, 1873.]

liar manner the geographical system of the Brahmans.

As it would lead too far if I were

here to enter into a comparison of the cosmo graphy of the Jainas with that handed down in the Mahābhārata and the Purúnas, I shall confine myself to an outline of the cosmography

259

the former.: According to the Jaina view, the earth consists of two and a half parts of the world and of two seas; the former are called

Dh a t t i ka k h and a , Jam bid vipa, and A n dra push k a ; the latter are the sweet water ocean and the salt ocean.S. Of the re

of this sect.

maining geographical notions only one more

According to their opinion, the world, which is eternal, is compared to a spindle resting on part of another.” Other authors of the Jainas compare the world to three cups, the nethermost whereof is turned upside down, and the uppermost, with the middle one, touch each other at their circumferences. Lastly, others describe the world as a woman sitting with folded arms. Her body, or, according to the second representation, the middle cup, is the earth. The uppermost cup, or the upper body

deserves to be pointed out here, namely that Bhārata, Air à v at ta, and Videh a with the exception of Kuru, are countries noticed in their works. The prominence of the coun try Videha above other Indian countries might be explainable from the circumstance that

of the woman, answers to heaven, and is the

habitation of the gods. The nether spindle, the lowest cup, or lastly the inferior portion of the woman, represents in this cosmographical system the subterranean regions. The world is en closed on its outermost circumference by the Lok a lok a mountains, and the earth consists

of seven dvipas or islands separated from each other by oceans, the centre whereof consists of Jambādvipat This island, as is well

it is specially particularised in the older history of the Buddhist religion." The system of the gods of the Jainas is a creation peculiar to this sect, and departs from that of the Baudd has as well as from that

of the Brahmans, although they have, as the Buddhists before them, appointed a subordinate station in their Pantheon to the Brahmanic

deities.* The higher part of the world, or, according to their expression, the uppermost spindle, is the habitation of the Jinas ; after them follow five regions called vimāna, by which name, as is well known, the Brahmans designate the

chariots of their gods; the centre is formed by

known, has obtained its name from the Jambit tree, which botanists call Eugenia. Jambolana.

the region Sarv art h a siddha, and the re gions are called A parajita, Jay a n ta, Vaijay a n ta, and Vijaya, all of which

In the Jam b tid vipa, Bhār at vars h a forms the innermost and chief portion of the world, and has a circumference of 100,000 yo janas; the six remaining portions of the world have either received other names among the Jainas than among the Brahmans, or appear among the latter in another order than among

regions have acquired these habitations by the highest cognition and by the most perfect virtue. Beneath these regions follow nine worlds like steps, arranged in terraces, inhabited by divine beings and bearing the following names — Āditya, Prith u karma, S a u må n as a,

• Colebrooke, Misc. Essays, II. p. 194 and p. 226. The

writings consulted by him are the Sangrahantratna and the Lokanātha's ſtra, both in Prākrit.

+ Some Remarks on the Relation that subsists be fireen the Jaina and Brahmanical systems of Geography.

names intimate that the inhabitants of these

For Lokakalaka I read Lokáloka, because this name de

signates, according to my remarks in Z. f. d. K. d: M. VII. p. 325, a mountain surrounding the outermost of the oceans and forming the boundary of the world. As this mountain is named in the Purúnas, the Jainas have borrowed this idea from them.

By the Rev. J. Stevenson, D.D. in the Jºr. of the Bº. B. of the R. As. S. II. p. 410 seqq, with a map. The numbers communicated by him are the following, wherein

† These differences, which are of little consequence here, have been collected by A. Weber in his Satruijayawā

it is to be observed that Mount Meru forms the centro

hātmya, pp. 19, 20.

also in this system, and that S u v ar nab h (1 m i is the ex tremest country and the playground of the gods:Radius of the circle enclosing the deſpas.................. 25,350,000 Extent of Suvarnabhūmi ......... 15,750,000 Extent of Lokáloka .................. 125,000,000

166,100,000

jayannáhátmya.

yojanas.

of the whole ........................ 250,000,000

83,900,000

These three names are adduced also by Colebrooke,

isc. Essays, II. p. 222, and to this division also, according to A. Weber's remarks (ut suſp. p. 90), the expression tri khanda relates, which occurs several times in the Satruń

Subtracting this from the radius Remain ..................

§ According to J. Stevenson's note to the Kalpasſ tra, . 94.

yojanas.

| Hemachandra, IV. v. 946, p. 76. Air à vata is the name of a varsha or part of the world, and its mention here is not clear, nor is that of the name Kuru.

• According to A. Weber, ut sup. p. 90.
• Colebrooke, Misc. Essays, II. p. 221 seqq. On the

Buddhist system of the gods see Ind. Alt. III. p. 387 seaſ.