Verse 3.1 - The lower world (adholoka)

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of Tattvartha sūtra 3.1:

रत्नशर्करावालुकापंकधूमतमोमहातमःप्रभाभूमयो घनाम्बुवाताकाशप्रतिष्ठाः सप्ताधोऽधः ॥ ३.१ ॥

ratnaśarkarāvālukāpaṃkadhūmatamomahātamaḥprabhābhūmayo ghanāmbuvātākāśapratiṣṭhāḥ saptādho'dhaḥ || 3.1 ||

The lower world consists of seven earths–Ratnaprabhā, Śarkarāprabhā, Vālukāprabhā, Paṅkaprabhā, Dhūmaprabhā, Tamaḥprabhā and Mahātamaḥprabhā–one below the other, and surrounded by the three kinds of air and the space (ākāśa). (1)

Hindi Anvayarth:

अन्वयार्थ: अधोलोक में रत्नप्रभा, शर्कराप्रभा, वालुकाप्रभा, पंकप्रभा, धूमप्रभा, तमप्रभा और महातमप्रभा-ये सात भूमियाँ हैं और क्रम से नीचे-नीचे घनोदधिवातवलय, घनवातवलय, तनुवातवलय तथा आकाश का आधार है।

Anvayartha: adholoka mem ratnaprabha, sharkaraprabha, valukaprabha, pamkaprabha, dhumaprabha, tamaprabha aura mahatamaprabha-ye sata bhumiyam haim aura krama se nice-nice ghanodadhivatavalaya, ghanavatavalaya, tanuvatavalaya tatha akasha ka adhara hai |

Explanation in English from Ācārya Pūjyapāda’s Sarvārthasiddhi:

The infernal beings (nāraka) have been mentioned in certain sūtra, such as 1-21. Who are they? In order to explain this, first their abode, the lower world, is described.

The word ‘prabhā’ is taken with each of these earths. As these earths have the lustre of jewels (ratna), etc., these are called Ratnaprabhā, etc. That which has the lustre of jewels (ratna) is Ratnaprabhā. That which has the lustre of pebbles (śarkarā) is Śarkarāprabhā. That which has the lustre of sand (valukā) is Vālukāprabhā. That which has the lustre of clay or mud (paṅka) is Paṅkaprabhā. That which has the lustre of smoke (dhūma) is Dhūmaprabhā. That which has the lustre of darkness (tamaḥ) is Tamaḥprabhā. That which is like thick darkness (mahātamaḥ) is Mahātamaḥprabhā. These names are derived in this manner. The word ‘earth’ is intended to indicate the particular nature of the substratum which is solid like the earth. The infernal regions are not like the layers of heavens, which rest without any substratum like the earth. But the infernal regions rest on solid earth. The circles of atmosphere are mentioned in order to indicate the support of these earths. All these earths (which comprise the infernal regions) are successively surrounded by the circle of humid atmosphere–ghanodadhivātavalaya. The sheath of humid atmosphere is supported by the circle of dense air–ghanavātavalaya. The circle of dense air rests in thin air–tanuvātavalaya, which rests in space (ākāśa). And space rests in itself, as it is itself the support and the supported. Each of these three supports (zones) has the thickness of twenty thousand yojana. The number ‘seven’ is intended to exclude any other number; there are only seven earths, neither eight nor nine. The phrase ‘adho(a)dhaḥ’ indicates that these are one below the other and not transverse, parallel or horizontal.

[Figure 1 (right)—The universe (loka) and non-universe (aloka)]

The space (ākāśa) has two parts, the non-universe-space (alokākāśa) and the universe-space (lokākāśa). (see Fig.-1) The universe-space (lokākāśa) is in the centre of the non-universe-space (alokākāśa). It, the universe-space (lokākāśa), is without a creator–akṛtrima, without a beginning and an end–anādinidhana, and comprises six substances (dravya). In the north and the south directions, everywhere, from the bottom to the crest, its extension is seven rajju. In the east and west directions, its extension is seven rajju at the bottom. As we go up to the height of seven rajju, the extension decreases from both sides till it reduces to one rajju. As we go further up to the height of ten rajju, the extension increases from both sides till it reaches five rajju. Then, at the height of fourteen rajju, the extension reduces again from both sides till it reaches one rajju. Viewed from the east to the west, the universe is like the image of a standing man with legs wide-apart, and arms folded with hands resting on the waist. The lower part of the universe is like the cane-stool (āsana), the middle part is like the frill (jhālara), and the top part is like the Indian percussion instrument called ‘mṛdaṅga’. The universe-space has three parts: the lower-universe (adholoka), the middle-universe (madhyaloka), and the upper-universe (ūrdhvaloka). Mount Meru is in the centre of the middle-universe (madhyaloka). The height of Mount Meru is one hundred thousand and forty yojana. The part below Mount Meru is the lower-universe (adholoka), the part above is the upper-universe (ūrdhvaloka), and the transverse region is the middle-universe (madhyaloka). Its expanse being transverse, the middle-universe (madhyaloka) is also called the transverse-universe (tiryagloka). The lower-universe (adholoka) is the subject matter of the present sūtra.

Where are the abodes of infernal beings on these earths? Are these everywhere or in some places only?