Tattvartha Sutra (with commentary)
by Vijay K. Jain | 2018 | 130,587 words | ISBN-10: 8193272625 | ISBN-13: 9788193272626
This page describes the heavenly beings (vaimanika-deva) which is verse 4.16 of the English translation of the Tattvartha Sutra which represents the essentials of Jainism and Jain dharma and deals with the basics on Karma, Cosmology, Ethics, Celestial beings and Liberation. The Tattvarthasutra is authorative among both Digambara and Shvetambara. This is verse 16 of the chapter The Celestial Beings and includes an extensive commentary.
Verse 4.16 - The heavenly beings (vaimānika-deva)
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of Tattvartha sūtra 4.16:
वैमानिकाः ॥ ४.१६ ॥
vaimānikāḥ || 4.16 ||
The fourth class (nikāya) of deva are called the heavenly deva (vaimānika). (16)
Hindi Anvayarth:
अन्वयार्थ: अब वैमानिक देवों का वर्णन प्रारम्भ करते हैं।
Anvayartha: aba vaimanika devom ka varnana prarambha karate haim |
Explanation in English from Ācārya Pūjyapāda’s Sarvārthasiddhi:
The general name of the fourth class of deva is mentioned next.
The word ‘vaimānikaḥ’ is intended to indicate a new section or topic. It is for conveying the idea that what is mentioned hereafter relates to the heavenly deva. The abodes of those possessing merit are ‘vimāna’, and the inhabitants of these abodes are ‘vaimanika’. The ‘vimāna’ are many but fall into three kinds–indraka, śreṇībaddha and puṣpa-prakīrṇaka. The indraka vimāna are in the middle like the lord (indra). The śreṇībaddha vimāna are situated in the four directions like the rows of spacepoints. Those, which are scattered like flowers in the intermediate points of the compass, are the puṣpaprakīrṇaka vimāna.