English
The Jainas maintain that M^ru is in the centre of the earth, around which lies Jambudwipa ; that the earth is without support, and is continually falling in space (which may have some relation to the fact that " the sun, with his planets, is rapidly darting towards a point in the constellation Hercules," as I. THE SYSTEM OF THE UNIVERSE. 23 When the beayenlj bodies go to the other side of the Yogand- hara rockA, they appear to set to the inhabitants of Jambndwipa. The sun and moon are at reg^ar intervals seized hj the asdrs B4ha and K6tu ;* and these periods are called grahanas or seizures (eclipses). There are twelve dbis, or collections (aig^ of the zodiac) : 1. M^sha, a red ram. 2. Wrashaba, a white bnll. 3. Mithuna, a woman and man, of a bine colour, holding an iron rod and a lute. 4. Karkkataka, a red crab. 5. Singha, a lion, of a red colour. 6. Kanyi, a virgin, of a dark colour, in a ship, holding a handful of ears of rice and a lamp. 7. Tula, a white man, with a pair of scales in his hand. 8. Wraschika, a black elk. 9. Dhanu, a figure of a golden colour, half man and half horse, with a bow in his hand. 10. Makara, a marine monster. 11. Kumbha, a white man, holding a water- jar. 12. Mina, two fishes, looking opposite ways. In one year there are 365 days, 15 hours, 31 minutes, 15 seconds ; or 21,915 hours, 31 minutes, 15 seconds ; or 1,314,931 minutes, 15 seconds ; or, 78,895,875 seconds. The twelve months of the year are divided in the following manner : — MontlM. dayt. hoon. mln. Months. dajs. bonn. mln. 1. Bak has . 30 55 32 7. Wap has . 29 54 7 2. Wesak . . 31 24 12 8. 11 ... . 29 30 24 3. Poson . 31 36 38 9, Unduwap . 29 30 53 4. ^sala . 31 28 12 10. Durutu . . 29 27 24 5. Nikini . 31 2 10 11. Nawan . . 29 30 24 6. Binara . 30 27 22 12. Medin-dina. 30 20 21 taaght bj modern astronomers) ; and that the moon is 80 yojanas aboTe the sun, beyond which are the planets, at a still greater distance. 2. The Pu- nnas teach that M^ru is in the centre of the earth, around which is Jambud- wipa ; that the earth is supported by some animal ; that there is one sun and one moon, which, as well as the stars, more horizontally over the plane of the earth, appearing to set when they go behind M^ru ; that the moon is twice as far m>m the earth as the sun ; and that eclipses are caused by the monsters B4hu and K^tu, who then lay hold of the sun and moon. 8. The Jyotishifl, or followers of the Siddhantas, teach the true size and figure of the earth, but place it in the centre of the universe, around which the sun, moon, and planets move in epicycles, as was taught by Ptolemy. The authors of the Siddhantas spare no pains to ridicule the systems of the Jainas and Pu- rinas. — ^Willunson, Journal Ben. As. Soc. 1884. * As the belief that eclipses are caused by B4hu is founded in explicit and poatiye declarations contained in the Yedas and Pur&nas, that are considered to be of divine authority, the native astronomers have cautiously explained such passages in those writings as disagree with the principles of their own science ; and where reconciliation is impossible, have apologised, as well as ' 24 A MANUAL OF BUDHISM. The twentj-seven nekataa, or lanar mansions (that appear to have been invented for the purpose of marking the position of the moon, and answering the same purpose for the moon that tlie twelve rdsis do for the snn) are named thus : — ^1. Assuda. 2. Berana. 3. KcBti. 4. Behena. 5. Muwasirisa. 6. Ada. 7. Pun^wasa. 8. Pusa. 9. Aslisa. 10. Manekata. 11. Puwapal. 12. Utrapal. 13. Hata. 14. Sita. 15. S4. 16. WisA. 17. Anura. 18. Deta. 19. Mula. 20. Pnwasala. 21. Utrasala. 22. Suwana. 23. Denata. 24. Siyawasa. 26. Puwaputup4. 16. Utraputnpa. 27. R^wati.* There are nine grahas or planets : — 1. Bawi, the sun. 2. Sukra, Venus. 3. Kuja, Mars. 4. Rahu, the astir. 5. Saoni, Saturn. 6. Chandra, the moon. 7. Budha, Mercury. 8. Guru, Jupiter. 9. K6tu, the astir. 10. The Bewa-Lokas and BrahmOrLdkas. The ddwa-ltfka called Chaturmaliardjika extends from the summit of the Yugandhara rocks to the sakwala-gala, at an elevation of 42,000 jojanas above the surface of the earth. In this world, adorned with the seven gems, are numberless dwell- ings of the d^was. The four guardian dewas, Dhratar&shtra, Wirddha, Wirdpaksha, and Waisrdwana, have palaces on the summit of the Yugandhara rocks. The palace of DhratadLshtra is on the east. His attendants are the gandharwas, a kela- laksha in number, who have white garments, adorned with white ornaments, hold a sword and shield of crystal, and are mounted on white horses. The d6wa is arrayed and mounted in a similar manner, and shining like a kela-laksha of silver lamps, keeps guard over the possessions of Sekra in the eastern division of the sakwala. The palace of Wiriidha is on the south. His attendants are the kumbhandas, a kela laksha in number, who have blue garments, hold a sword and shield of sapphire, and thej can, by observing thai certain things, " as stated in the Sastras, might have been so formerly, and may be so still ; but for astronomical purposes, astronomical rules must be followed ! " — Sam. Davis, As. Res. ii. * Tbe Arabians hare a similar diyision of the zodiac, and by them the lunar mansions are called manzils. It. was thought by Sir WiUiam Jones, that the Indian and Arabian divisions had not a common origin ; but Cole- brooke inclined to a different opinion, and thought that it was the Arabs who adopted (with slight rariations) a division of the zodiac familiar to the Hin- dus.— Colebrooke, Essays, ii. 822. One of Oalen's chief sources of prognosis was derived from the critical days, which he believed were influenced by the moon, as did most of the ancient authorities. I. THE SYSTEM OF THE UNIVERSE. 25 are mounted on blue horses. Tlie d^wa is arrayed and mounted in a similar manner, and sliining like a kela-laksha of lamps composed of gems, keeps guard over the southern division of the sakwala. The palace of Wirdpaksha is on the west. His attendants are the n^gas, a kela-laksha in number, who have red garments, hold a sword and shield of coral, and are mounted on red horses. The dewa is arrayed and mounted in a similar manner, and shining Hke a kela-laksha of torches, keeps guard over the western division of the sakwala. The palace of Wais- rdwana is on the north. His attendants are the yakis, a kela- laksha in number, who have garments adorned with gold, and are mounted on horses shining like gold. The d6wa is arrayed and mounted in a similar manner, and shining like a kela-laksha of golden lamps, keeps guard over the northern division of the sakwala. There are in all si^* d6wa-16ksbs : — 1. ChAturmaharijika, in which one day is equal to 50 of the years of men ; 30 of these days make a month, and 12 of these months a year; and as the dewas live 500 of these years, their age is equal to nine millions of the years of men. 2. Tawutisa,t the d6wa-l($ka of Sekra, or Indra, on the summit of Maha M^ru, in which one day is equal to 100 of the years of men ; and as they live 1000 of these years, their age is equal to 36,000,000 of the years of men. 3. Yama, in which one day is eqnal to 200 years ; and as they live 2000 of these years, their age is equal to 144,000,000 of the years of men. 4. Tusita, in which one day is equal to 400 years ; and as they live 4000 of these years, tbeir age is equal to 576,000,000 of the years of men.;]; 5. Nimminarati, in which one day is equal to * The Pur&nas teach that there are seTen l(5ka8, or spheres, above the earth. 1. Pr&jipatya, or Pitri l<5ka. 2. Indra Idka, or Swerga. 3. Marut l<5ka, or Diya Idka, neaTen* 4. C^ndharba l<5ka, the region of celestial spirits ; also called Maharldka. 5. Janaldka, or the sphere of saints. 6. TapaslcSka, the world of the seven sages. 7. Brahma Idka. or Satja Mka, the world of infi- nite wisdom and truth. There is a sectarial division of an eighth world, called Yaiknntha, or Ooloka, the high world of Tishnu. — ^Wilson's Yishnu Parana. t In former ages there w^re four individuals who went to Tawutisi with human bodies, viz., the famous musician Ghittila, and the kings S&dhina, Nipii, and Maha Mandh&tu.