Viyahapannatti 6.5: Uddeśaka 5: tamaskāya

"Why, Venerable Sir, is it called 'Tamaskāya' (mass of darkness)? Is earth called Tamaskāya, or is water called Tamaskāya?"
"Gautama! Earth is not called Tamaskāya; water is called Tamaskāya."
"For what reason, [Venerable Sir]?"
"Gautama! A certain auspicious earth-body illuminates an area, while another does not illuminate an area. For that reason."
"Where, Venerable Sir, does Tamaskāya originate? Where does it terminate?"
"Gautama! Outside Jambūdvīpa continent, traversing innumerably many islands and oceans transversely, entering forty-two thousand yojanas into the Aruṇodaya ocean from the outer altar boundary of Aruṇavara island, from the upper surface of the water along a one-space-point series—there Tamaskāya originates.
Ascending upward seventeen hundred and twenty-one yojanas, and after that expanding transversely and covering all four heavens—Saudharma, Īśāna, Sanatkumāra, and Māhendra—and upward as far as reaching the Riṣṭa celestial abode layer in Brahmaloka heaven—there Tamaskāya terminates."
"What shape, Venerable Sir, is Tamaskāya stated to have?"
"Gautama! Below it is shaped like the bottom of an earthen shallow dish; above it is stated to be shaped like a cock's cage."
"How much in diameter and how much in circumference, Venerable Sir, is Tamaskāya stated to be?"
"Gautama! It is stated to be of two kinds, namely: of numerable extent, and of innumerable extent.
There, that which is of numerable extent is stated to be numerable thousands of yojanas in diameter, and innumerable thousands of yojanas in circumference.
There, that which is of innumerable extent is stated to be innumerable thousands of yojanas in diameter, and innumerable thousands of yojanas in circumference."
"How large, Venerable Sir, is Tamaskāya stated to be?"
"Gautama! Just as this Jambūdvīpa continent—the innermost of all islands and oceans […] up to one hundred thousand yojanas in length and breadth, and three hundred sixteen thousand two hundred and twenty-seven yojanas, three krośas, one hundred and twenty-eight dhanuṣas, thirteen aṅgulas, and a half-aṅgula, slightly more, in circumference—
if a deity of great miraculous power […] up to great majesty, saying 'Just this instant, just this instant', were to circle that entire Jambūdvīpa continent twenty-one times within three snaps of the fingers and return quickly; and if that deity, traversing with that supreme, rapid […] up to divine celestial speed, traversing and traversing for up to one day, or two days, or three days, or at most six months, he could cross over a certain [part of] Tamaskāya and could not cross over another [part of] Tamaskāya. That large, Gautama, is Tamaskāya stated to be."
"Are there, Venerable Sir, houses or shop-houses in Tamaskāya?"
"That meaning is not valid."
"Are there, Venerable Sir, villages […] up to settlements in Tamaskāya?"
"That meaning is not valid."
"Do gross clouds, Venerable Sir, collect, condense, and pour down rain in Tamaskāya?"
"Yes, there are."
"Is that, Venerable Sir, caused by a deva, caused by an asura, or caused by a nāga?"
"Gautama! A deva causes it, an asura also causes it, and a nāga also causes it."
"Is there, Venerable Sir, gross thunder and gross lightning in Tamaskāya?"
"Yes, there is."
"Is that, Venerable Sir, caused by a deva, caused by an asura, or caused by a nāga?"
"All three cause it."
"Is there, Venerable Sir, gross earth-body or gross fire-body in Tamaskāya?"
"That meaning is not valid, except for those undergoing transit motion (vigrahagati)."
"Are there, Venerable Sir, moon, sun, planets, lunar mansions, and stars in Tamaskāya?"
"That meaning is not valid; however, their reflection is [present]."
"Is there, Venerable Sir, moonlight or sunlight in Tamaskāya?"
"That meaning is not valid; however, it becomes dim and obscured."
"What color, Venerable Sir, is Tamaskāya stated to have?"
"Gautama! It is stated to be black, having a black sheen, deep, hair-raising, terrible, terrifying, and of an intensely black color. Even a certain deity, seeing it for the first time, would be agitated; if he enters it, he would thereafter cross it very swiftly, very rapidly, and quickly."
"How many names, Venerable Sir, are stated for Tamaskāya?"
"Gautama! Thirteen names are stated, namely: Tamas, Tamaskāya, Andhakāra, Mahāndhakāra, Lokāndhakāra, Lokatamisra, Devāndhakāra, Devatamisra, Devaraṇya, Devavyūha, Devaparigha, Devapratikṣobha, and Aruṇodaya Ocean."
"Is Tamaskāya, Venerable Sir, a transformation of earth, a transformation of water, a transformation of jīva, or a transformation of pudgala?"
"Gautama! It is not a transformation of earth; it is a transformation of water, a transformation of jīva, and also a transformation of pudgala."
"Have all living beings, entities, jīvas, and creatures, Venerable Sir, been previously born in Tamaskāya as earth-bodies […] up to moving bodies?"
"Yes, Gautama! Not once, but infinitely many times; but not, however, as gross earth-bodies or as gross fire-bodies."

“How many, Venerable Sir, are the Kṛṣṇarājis declared to be?”
“Gautama! Eight Kṛṣṇarājis are declared.
“Where, Venerable Sir, are these eight Kṛṣṇarājis declared to be?”
“Gautama! Above the Sanatkumāra and Māhendra heavens, below the Riṣṭa celestial abode level in the Brahmaloka heaven—there, eight Kṛṣṇarājis situated in the shape of an arena-like square are declared, namely: two in the east, two in the west, two in the south, two in the north. The eastern-inner Kṛṣṇarāji touches the southern-outer Kṛṣṇarāji; the southern-inner Kṛṣṇarāji touches the western-outer Kṛṣṇarāji; the western-inner Kṛṣṇarāji touches the northern-outer Kṛṣṇarāji; the northern-inner Kṛṣṇarāji touches the eastern-outer Kṛṣṇarāji.
The two outer Kṛṣṇarājis of the east and west are hexagonal; the two outer Kṛṣṇarājis of the north and south are triangular; the two inner Kṛṣṇarājis of the east and west are quadrangular; the two inner Kṛṣṇarājis of the north and south are quadrangular.”

The eastern and western outer ones are hexagonal, but the southern and northern are triangular;
and all the inner Kṛṣṇarājis are quadrangular.

“The Kṛṣṇarājis, Venerable Sir—how great are they declared in length? How great in width? How great in circumference?”
“Gautama! They are declared to be incalculable thousands of yojanas in length, calculable thousands of yojanas in width, and incalculable thousands of yojanas in circumference.”
“How large, Venerable Sir, are the Kṛṣṇarājis declared to be?”
“Gautama! In this continent of Jambūdvīpa, up to: if a deity of great power, up to: great majesty, thinking ‘instantly, instantly,’ having circumambulated this entire continent of Jambūdvīpa twenty-one times in the time of three snaps of the fingers, were to come swiftly; and that deity, flying at that highest, swift, up to: divine divine speed, were to fly for one day, or two days, or three days, [or] at the most for half a month—at some [points] he might cross the Kṛṣṇarāji, and at some [points] he might not cross the Kṛṣṇarāji. So large, Gautama, are the Kṛṣṇarājis declared to be.”
“Venerable Sir, are there houses or houses and shops in the Kṛṣṇarājis?”
“This meaning is not valid.”
“Venerable Sir, are there [villages], up to: settlements in the Kṛṣṇarājis?”
“This meaning is not valid.”
“Venerable Sir, do gross storm-clouds condense, form, and rain in the Kṛṣṇarājis?”
“Yes, they do.”
“Then, Venerable Sir, does a deity produce them? Does an asura produce them? Does a nāga produce them?”
“Gautama! A deity produces them; neither an asura nor a nāga produces them.”
“Venerable Sir, is there gross thunder-sound in the Kṛṣṇarājis? Gross lightning-flashes?”
“Yes, there are.”
“Then, Venerable Sir, does a deity produce them? Does an asura produce them? Does a nāga produce them?”
“Gautama! A deity produces them; neither an asura nor a nāga produces them.”
“Venerable Sir, are there gross water-bodied beings, gross fire-bodied beings, gross plant-bodied beings in the Kṛṣṇarājis?”
“This meaning is not valid, except for those undergoing transmigration.”
“Venerable Sir, are there forms of moon, sun, planets, lunar mansions, or stars in the Kṛṣṇarājis?”
“This meaning is not valid.”
“Venerable Sir, is there moonlight or sunlight in the Kṛṣṇarājis?”
“This meaning is not valid.”
“Venerable Sir, what are the Kṛṣṇarājis declared to be like in color?”
“Gautama! They are declared to be black, black-lustered, deep, hair-raising, terrifying, frightening, utterly black in color. Even a deity who sees it for the very first time might be agitated, and having approached down there, would then cross it very quickly, very swiftly, immediately.”
“Venerable Sir, how many names are declared for a Kṛṣṇarāji?”
“Gautama! Eight names are declared, namely: Kṛṣṇarāji, Megharāji, Maghā, Māghavatī, Vātaparighā, Vātaparikṣobhā, Devaparighā, and Devaparikṣobhā.”
“The Kṛṣṇarājis, Venerable Sir—are they earth-transformations? Water-transformations? Jīva-transformations? Pudgala-transformations?”
“Gautama! They are earth-transformations, not water-transformations; they are also jīva-transformations and pudgala-transformations.”
“In the Kṛṣṇarājis, Venerable Sir, have all breathing beings, living entities, jīvas, and sentient beings been born previously as earth-bodied beings, up to: as mobile beings?”
“Yes, Gautama! Not once, or an infinite number of times; but never as gross water-bodied beings, gross fire-bodied beings, or gross plant-bodied beings.”

In the eight spaces between these eight Kṛṣṇarājis, eight Lokāntika celestial abodes are declared, namely: 1. Arci, 2. Arcimālin, 3. Vairocona, 4. Prabhāṅkara, 5. Candrābha, 6. Sūryābha, 7. Śukrābha, 8. Supratiṣṭhābha; and in the middle, Riṣṭābha.
“Where, Venerable Sir, is the Arci celestial abode declared to be?”
“Gautama! In the north-east.”
“Where, Venerable Sir, is the Arcimālin celestial abode declared to be?”
“Gautama! In the east.” Thus it should be understood in sequence up to:
“Where, Venerable Sir, is the Riṣṭa celestial abode declared to be?”
“Gautama! In the very central region.”
In these eight Lokāntika celestial abodes reside eight kinds of Lokāntika deities, namely:

The Sārasvatas and Ādityas, Vahnis, Varuṇas, and Gardatoyas,
the Tuṣitas, Avyābādhas, Āgneyas, and Riṣṭas as well.

"Where, Venerable Sir, do the Sārasvata gods reside?"
"Gautama, they reside in the Arcī celestial abode."
"Where, Venerable Sir, do the Āditya gods reside?"
"Gautama, in the Arcīmālī celestial abode." In this manner it should be understood in order up to:
"Where, Venerable Sir, do the Riṣṭa gods reside?"
"Gautama, in the Riṣṭa celestial abode."
"Of the Sārasvata and Āditya gods, Venerable Sir, how many gods, how many hundreds of gods are stated [as their retinue]?"
"Gautama, seven gods [and] a retinue of seven hundred gods are stated.
Of the Vahni and Varuṇa gods, fourteen gods [and] a retinue of fourteen thousand gods are stated. Of the Gardatoya and Tuṣita gods, seven gods [and] a retinue of seven thousand gods are stated. Of the remaining, nine gods [and] a retinue of nine hundred gods are stated."

"Seven hundred in the first pair, fourteen thousand in the second,
seven thousand in the third, and nine hundred in the remaining."

"On what, Venerable Sir, are the Lokāntika celestial abodes stated to be supported?"
"Gautama, they are stated to be supported on wind. Thus should be understood the support of the celestial abodes, their thickness, height, and shape; the exposition of the Brahmaloka is to be understood up to:
'In the Lokāntika celestial abodes, Venerable Sir, were all breathing beings, existing beings, living beings, and sentient entities previously born as earth-bodied beings, water-bodied beings, fire-bodied beings, wind-bodied beings, plant-bodied beings, as gods, or as goddesses?'
'Yes, Gautama, many times or infinitely many times, but not as goddesses.'
'For how long a time, Venerable Sir, is the lifespan duration of the Lokāntika gods stated to be?'
'Gautama, the lifespan duration is stated to be eight sāgaropamas.'
'At what distance, Venerable Sir, is the end of the universe stated to be from the Lokāntika celestial abodes?'
'Gautama, the end of the universe is stated to be at a distance of incalculable thousands of yojanas.'
'So it is, Venerable Sir! So it is, Venerable Sir!'"