Jaina Myths of different Lokas

The neither region is subdivided into seven hells, the lowest and the darkest being the seventh hell, at the right foot of the mystic figure. The first hell is called Ratna prabha or jewel, the second,

88 Sarkara prabha or Sugar, the third Valuka prabha or sand, the fourth Panka prabha or mud, fifth Dhuma Prabha or smoke, sixth Tama Prabha or darkness and seventh, Maha Tama Prabha or greater darkness. These hells are touture chambers and lesser gods are engaged in torturing souls. 3. The gods torture their victims in fifteen kinds; The Amba wreck the nerves of the victims; the Ambarasa hew flesh from bones; the Sama bastinad, their victims; the Sabala tear out the flesh; the Rudra torture with spears; the Maharudra mince the flesh; the Kala roast the victims; the Mahakala tear them with pincers; the Asipala are swordsmen and cut with the swords; the Dhanu are archers and shoot their victims; the kumbha torture with chillie powder; the valu step in their victims in hot sand; the vetarani dash sinners against stones; the Kharasvara force soul to sit on thorns; and the Mahaghosha shut them up in dark holes. Next is Patala. Patala has mixed population of godling and demons. The godlings are called Bhavanapati and are clasified into ten. The demons are divided into two major groups called Vyantara group are, the Pisacha, the Bhuta, the Yaksha, the Gandharva and the Mahoraga who haunt the Naga tree. All these are black demons. The middle region is the terrestrial plane in which we live. It has eight ring shaped continents, each separated from the other by a ring shaped ocean. In the centre of this region rises the mighty mountain Meru. Only Moksha can be obtained from this region.

89 Upper region is subdivided into two; kalpa and kalpathitha. The dimensions of kalpa has been ascertained but not of kalpathitha. The former region is situated immediately above the middle region, and is again subdivided into sixteen Devalokas. They are: Saudharma, Aisana, Sanatkumara, Mahendra, Brahma, Brahmottara, Lautaka, Satara Sahasrara, Ananta, Pranata, Arana and Achyuta. The kalpathitha portion is divided into nine Graiveyikas and five Pancha Anuttaras. The better class of the gods live in the upper region. All gods of the upper region are not of the same importance. They are broadly divided into Jyotishi and Vimanavasi, gods of the brighter region and of the sky. Each of these again is subdivided into many. While this classification is based on the regions as they live. There are noble and servile castes among the gods. Some gods are indifferent to religion and turn a deaf ear to the sermons of the great; others are of the religious bent of mind attentive to the sermons of the sages. As in Hindu mythology, Indra is the king of the gods, according to the Jaina conceptions too.