Jambudweep-The first Geographical Creation
presented by – Aryika Chandnamati
Hastinapur is the historical Pilgrimage centre, where histories of many great persons like Tirthankars etc.are connected. The first Jain Tirthankar Lord Rishabhdev had taken the first of his meals, that is the first Ahar of sugarcane juice here, crores of years back.
After a long span of time, three Tirthankars were born here, as Lord Shantinath-the sixteenth Tirthankar, Lord Kunthunath-the seventeenth Tirthankar and Lord Arahnath- the eighteenth Tirthankar.
The world famous war of Mahabharat, the history of Rakshabandhan and a number of other histories are associated with this Pilgrimage center. At present, Hastinapur is famous nationaly and internationally with the name of Jambudweep, the first marvellous structure of Jain Geography.
The Tourist department of the state has indicated Jambudweep as the index of Hastinapur and as the unparalleled man made Heaven.
First we have to understand the placement of Jambudweep in the Universe. As you know that the “Teen Lok” is the symbol of the Jain religion through out the world. Infact, according to Jain Philosophy, this is the structure of Universe, which is divided into three parts-Upper, Middle and Lower.
Jambudweep is the first Island among the innumerable concentric Islands of the Middle Universe (Madhya Lok).
Madhyaloka (The Middle Universe)
The middle universe is 1 Rajju wide and 1 lac 40 Yojans high. It has a shape like a bangle (circular). The middle universe consists of innumerable islands (DvÍps) and oceans.
In the center of this middle universe, there is the Jambö-dvÍpa which has a diameter of 1 lac Yojans or 40 crores of miles (1 Yojan is equal to 4000 miles). The Jambö-dvÍpa is surrounded by the Lavaàa Ocean (having salty water) with a diameter of 2 lac Yojans.
This ocean is surrounded by DhÂtakÍ-Khanda island having a diameter of 4 lac Yojans. This is surrounded by the KÂlodadhi ocean with a diameter of 8 lac Yojans.
This is surrounded by Puîkara island of 16 lac Yojan diameter. Following this, there is a series of oceans and islands surrounding each other having double the diameter from the preceeding ones. The name of the last island and ocean is Svyambörmaàa DvÍpa and Svayambhöramana ocean.
Jambödvipa
There is Sumeru (or Sudarshan Meru) mountain in the centre of JambödvÍpa which is 1 lac Yojan high and ten thousand Yojans wide. There are seven regions (Kîetras) and six principal and permanent mountains (KulÂchals) in it.
The names of these six mountains are:
| (1) HimavÂn | (2) MahÂ-himavÂn |
| (3) Niîadha | (4) NÍla |
| (5) RukmÍ | (6) êikharÍ |
The names of the seven regions are :
| (1) Bharata | (2) Haimavata |
| (3) Hari | (4) Videha |
| (5) Ramyaka | (6) Hairaàyavata |
| (7) AirÂvata |
The size of Bharata region is 190th part of JambödvÍpa. The size of HimavÂna mountain is twice that of the Bharata region. Similar is the case until the Videha region and later the size of regions and mountains becomes half.
There is the VijayÂrdha mountain in the center of Bharata region. It is 50 Yojans (2 lac miles) wide and 25 Yojans (1 lac miles) high. Its length touches the Lavaàa ocean on both the sides. On both the northern and southern sides above this mountain, there are cities of VidyÂdhars. VidyÂdhars are the humanbeings, who are proficient in superpowers by birth.
There are fifty cities in the south and sixty cities in the north. This VijayÂrdha mountain is silvery. A similar VijayÂrdha mountain is also there in the AirÂvata region which also has the same dimensions and details.
The HimavÂn Mountain
The HimavÂn mountain is 100 Yojans high.There is a lotus-pond named “Padma Sarovar” on this mountain which is 1000 Yojan in length, 500 Yojan in width and ten Yojans deep. The mountains beyond this have lotus-ponds named MahÂpadma, Tigincha, Keíari, PundarÍka and MahÂpundarÍka on them.
In the centre of the Padma lotus-pond, there is a lotus flower with a diameter of one Yojana.
It is composed of earth-bodied gems, i.e. Prithvi Kayik Ratnas. The female deity “êrÍdevÍ” resides in the palace constructed on the pericarp of this lotus. There are 140115 lotuses more in this pond where the family members of êrÍdevÍ reside.
Similarly, there are lotuses in other ponds on other mountains where the female deities named ‘HrÍ’, Dhçti’, ‘KÍrti’, ‘Buddhi’ and ‘LaxmÍ’ reside alongwith their family deities.
To summarize, there are six Ponds on the mid of six mountains and six female deities live in the palaces above the six lotuses there.
Ganga Rivers
The above six lotus-ponds are the origins of the 14 rivers, two of which flow in each of the regions. The rivers Gang and Sindhu flow in Bharata region. The rivers Rohita and RohitÂsy flow in the Haimavata region and so on. The two lotus-ponds – Padma and MahÂpundarÍka are the origins of three rivers each and the other four middle ponds are the origins of two rivers each.
The river Gang originates from the eastern arched gate (toraàadwÂra) of the Padma pond and moves 500 Yojan towards the east, takes a curve towards south at a distance of two Kroías (Kosh) from GangÂköta and falls in the Bharata region by entering the Jihvik channel. It falls at a distance of 25 Yojan from the mountain.
There is a 60 Yojan wide and 10 Yojan deep Gang pool at a point where the river Gang falls. There is a 10 Yojan high admantine mountain in this pool. There is the palace of the female deity Gang on the peak of this mountain.
On the terrace of this palace, there is a natural Jina image (Akritrim Jin Pratima) seated on lotus-seat. This image is graced with matted and braided hairs (JatÂjöta). The waving water-stream of the river Gang falls on the Jina image looking as, if it is anointing the Jina herself.
This water-stream enters the cave of VijayÂradha mountain with its curved path after coming out of the southern arched gate of this pool and finally falls into the Lavaàa ocean. The Sindhu river has also similar description as the GangÂ. However, this river flows in the Bharata region while coming out of the western arched gate of Padma pond.
Six Sections (Khandas)
The VijayÂrdha mountain and river-pairs in the Bharata and AirÂvata regions divide them into six sections each. The central section by the side of the ocean is Àryan section (or Arya Khand) while other sections are Mleccha sections (or Mleccha Khand). The world of today is present in Àryan section.
The Sumeru Mountain
The Sumeru mountain is situated in the centre of Videha region. It is one lac forty Yojans high. It has a foundation of 1000 Yojan. It has a width of 10000 Yojan on the ground surface. The BhadraíÂla forest is situated on the surface above the foundation where four Jina temples are situated one in each of the four directions.
On moving 500 Yojan above the surface, there is Nandana forest. It is in the form of a KatanÍ (platform) which is 500 Yojan (20 lac miles) wide. It also has four Jina temples one in each of the four directions. There is Saumanasa forest 62500 Yojan above Nandana forest.
It is also in the form of a KatanÍ which is 500 Yojan wide. It also has four Jina temples one in each of the four directions. There is PÂnduka forest 36000 Yojan above the Saumanasa forest. It is also in the form of the KatanÍ which is 494 (Four hundred ninety four)Yojan wide. It has also four Jina temples one in each of the four directions.
In the centre of PÂnduka forest, there is 12 Yojan wide and 40 Yojan high summit (CölikÂ) on it. The width of the Meru mountain thus goes on decreasing gradually and it has a width of only 4 Yojans at the tip of the summit.
The Sumeru mountain is composed of Vajra or admantine matter upto 1000 Yojan at its foundation . It is composed of variegated gems upto 61000 Yojan from the surface followed by gold upto 38000 Yojan above it. The summit is composed of Saphire (NÍlamaài) gems.
There are four (rocks) in the four oblique directions of PÂnduka forest. Starting from the north-east (ÍíÂna) direction, these rocks are named as PÂnduka rock, PÂndu-kambal rock, RaktÂ-rock and Rakta-kambal rock.
Saudharm Indra (the lord of Saudharma heaven) anoints the TÍrthankaras of Bharata region on PÂnduka rock. Similarly, the TÍrthankaras of western Videha regions are anointed on PÂndu-kambal rock, the TÍrthankaras of AirÂvata region are anointed on RaktÂ-rock and the TÍrthankaras of eastern Videha are anointed on Rakta-Kambal rock-all by the Saudharma Indra.
In the Bharata and AirÂvata regions of JambödvÍpa, there is a six-fold spoke-changes of time and, hence, there are the periods of Lands of Actions (i.e. Karmabhumi) and Lands of Enjoyment (i.e. Bhogbhumi) in due course. There is the minimal Land of Enjoyment system (Jaghanya Bhogbhumi) in the Haimavata and Hairaàyavata regions.
There is the medial Land of Enjoyment system (Madhyam Bhogbhumi) in the Hari and Ramyaka regions. There is the maximal or best of the Lands of Enjoyment system (Uttam Bhogbhumi) named as Devakuru and Uttarakuru in the Videha region in the south and north sides of the Sumeru mountain.
There are thirty two sections of Videha region due to its partition on the basis of eight VakîÂrs and six Vibhang rivers each in both the eastern and western Videha regions. All these have an eternal land of action system (Shashvat Karmabhumi).
This completes the description of Jambudweep in nut and shell.
Lavaàan Ocean
Surrounding the JambödvÍpa, there is the Lavaàa ocean (Salty ocean). It has a diameter of two lac Yojans. Its level of water is raised in the centre like the heap of grains.
At last, we have to know about the Natural (Akçtrima) Jina Temples of JambödvÍpa.
Natural (Akçtrima) Jina Timples of Jambödvipa
Natural means the Jain-temples which are situated from eternal times & will be there for infinite times to come. There are seventy eight natöral Jina temples in JambödvÍpa :
Sixteen temples on Sumeru mountain.
Four temples of Gajadant mountains in the four oblique directions of Meru mountain.
Six Jina temples-one each on the six principal mountains like HimavÂn etc.
Sixteen Jina temples on sixteen VakîÂra mountains in Videha region.
Thirty two Jina temples of thirty two VijayÂrdha mountains of Videha region.
Two Jina temples of the VijayÂradha mountains of Bharata and AirÂvata regions.
Two Jina tempels on the branches of Jambö and êÂlmalÍ trees in Devakuru and Uttarakuru.
Thus, adding all these numbers of Temples the total becomes seventy eight.
Up to now, you have known about the structure of Jambudweep, described in ancient Jain scriptures like Tiloypannatti, Triloksar etc.
Pujya Ganini Shri Gyanmati mataji realized the entire structure in her meditation in 1965. Later She found all the details exactly in these scriptures, even when she has not gone through these books previously.
She made up her mind to get this structure built somewhere. Hastinapur was choosen for the purpose. And in 1985 Jambudweep Rachna was completed since its foundation was laid down in 1974.
Here at Hastinapur, this Jambudweep has been constructed for the first time in the world. Having a diameter of 200 ft; this Jambudweep is having 101 feet high Sumeru mountain at it’s centre, and all the scripturally described entities in model form.
There are total 225 Jin-idlos in this structure. Although in each Natural Jin Temple, there remains 108 idols but here only one idol has been consecrated symbolically.
Here, you also notice Deity-palaces, in which the Jin-idols are consecrated either upside or in the lateral side, these are called as ‘Dev-Bhavans’ each having Jin-temple. Seeing this open ground model structure, you can understand the relative scriptural details.
