THE THREE LOKAS

At a very middle of alokåså¹a, there exists human-like lokåkå¹a having a dimension of 343 rajjus and being contaminated with five types of fluids like Jîva, Pudgala, Dharma, Adharma and Kåla. Beginningless and endless, it was generated by itself. It is divided into three parts as mentioned below : 1. Adholoka —its base is similar to vetråsana (wedge). 2. Madhyaloka —it appears like the upper portion of a standing mâdanga (trumpet). 3. Urdhvaloka —it appears like a standing mâdaga. The complete loka has a height of 14 rajjus and a thickness of 7 rajjus throughout. Adholoka and Ýrdhvaloka have a height of 7 rajjus each (with 7 rajjus as hell and 7 rajjus as heaven) and in between them lies the Madhyaloka having a height of 100040 yojanas, the height of Sumeru stretched over Madhyaloka. The breadth at the base of hell is 7 rajjus and it reduced to 1 rajju in Madhyaloka and again increases to 5 rajjus in fifth heaven and again decreases to 1 rajju in Siddha¹ilå ¼fl)f'kyk½. Passing through the middle of three lokas, there exists a Trasanålî (tube) having a length and breadth 1 rajju each and height a little less than 13 rajjus. It contains Trasajîvas The detailed description of variation of breadth from base of Adholoka to the top of Siddha¹ilå is given as under: A. From Adholoka to Madhyaloka               Place                                                                 In Madhyaloka-	1 At the end of Saudharma Isana heaven-	2 5/7 At the end of Sånatkumåra-	4 3/7 Mahendra heaven At the end of Brahma	Brahmottara heaven- 5 At the end of Låntava  kapista heaven-	4 3/7 At the end of Sukra Mahasukra heaven-	3 6/7 At the end of Satåra Sahasrara heaven-	3 2/7 At the end of Ånata Pranata heaven-	2 5/7 At the end of Årana acuta heaven-	2 1/7 In 9 Graiveyka and 9 Anudisa 5 Anuttara and till Siddhasilå.-	1 The front part of dhvaja (flag) as related to respective last Indravimåna, marks the end of a particular heaven. The end of the loka is the end of the earth. There are 8 earths in Jaina Siddhånta viz. 7 earths and 7 hells and one earth of moksa (liberation).

DESCRIPTION OF VÅTAVALAYAS (BELTS OF WIND) There are three stable belts of wind (unlike the unstable wind in general) in outward order round the lokåkå¹a, viz. Ghanodadhivåtavalaya, Ghanavåtavalya and Tanuvåtavalaya having the colour of cow-urine, the colour of cubical coral and multi-colours respectively. There exists Alokåkå¹a ahead of Tanuvåtavalaya The thickness of these våtavalayas are 20000 yojanas each from the base of 8 earths upto the height of 1 rajju. In the 7th hell adjacent to the earth their heights are 7, 5 and 4 yojanas, respectively and decrease to 5, 4, and 3 yojanas in the region adjacent to Brahma heaven and again decrease to 5, 4 and 3 yojanas at the end of Ýrdhvaloka, respectively. At the top of loka the thicknesses of these våtavalayas are 2 ko¹as, 1 ko¹a and 1 ko¹a less by 425 dhanu respectively.

VOLUME OF LOKA The breadth of loka is 7 rajjus at the base, 1 rajju at its middle portion, 5 rajjus in 5th heaven and 1 raju at the top. Thus, the total breadths add up to 14 (7 + 1 + 5 + 1) which when divided by 4 gives 3 1/2 which when multiplied by 7, the south-northern thickness of loka, gives 24 as the product. Now when 24 is multiplied by 14 rajjus, the product is 343 ghana rajjus as the volume of loka.