The Doctrine of the Jainas, Described after the Old Sources c9.38

c9.38

§110. However, the lower world is not only a place occupied by hell-beings, but its uppermost region, known as Rayaṇappabhā, is also the seat of gods, the Bhavaṇavāsī and the Vānamantara, though we shall see that both kinds are not confined to the lower world, but are at home to a great extent in the centre world, too. Of the Bhavaṇavāsī (or -vai; Pannav. 84b) there are 10 different kinds: the Asura-, Nāga-, Suvaṇṇa-, Vijju-, Aggi-, Dīva-, Udahi-, Disā-, Vāu- and Thaṇiya-² kumāra. By the denomination they have in common they are characterized as youthful appearances with all exterior virtues, and in dogmatic passages they are described mainly as male, though elsewhere some of them are female³ according to their root-word. The size of these gods is 7 rayaṇa, and they differ in colour; the Asurak. are black, the Nāga- and Udahik. whitish (paṇḍura), the Suvaṇṇa-, Disā- and Thaṇiyak. golden, the Aggi-, Dīva and Vijjuk. orange, and the Vāuk. dark (piyaṅgu-vaṇṇa).⁴ These colours contain indications as to their activities and their seats, and so do, in parts, also their emblems (Uvav. 34= Pannav. 85a)⁵ and, above all, the offices assigned to them consequent on the logapāla (§ 132). The Asurak. are mere gods of the lower world. But just as they may go down into the deep beyond the Rayaṇappabhā, they are able to reach both the centre- and the upper world.¹ The Nāgak. are water gods in general and as such are connected with the rain clouds² while the Udahik. seem to command over the sea.³ to water must apply to the Udahik, just as well. The Suvaṇṇak. having their seat also in the Māṇuss’uttara mountains (§ 122)⁴ go back to the idea of the Supaṇṇa-Garuḍa,⁵ the Disāk. to that of the world elephants. The latter female dignitaries share in the consecration of a Titthagara for the purpose of which they come running from the centre world as well, for these disākumārī-mahattaryā⁶ have their seats also on the Ruyaga mountains (§ 123) and in the tree tops of the Nandaṇa forest (§ 115).⁷ The meaning of the Divak. with a lion as their attribute⁸ is not clear. The Vāk. occupy submarine caves (§ 121), and they cause the movement of the wind bodies (Viy. 212 a) which is either a normal or an abnormal one (ahā-riyam riyai, uttara-kiriyam r.). Following the same passage (211b) the theory of the wind may be added here. There are winds of the 4 kinds or grades isim-purevāya, patthāvāya, mandā-vāya, mahā-vāya, and in the sections of the compass-card opposite each other winds of the same character are simultaneous, whereas winds blowing over continents (diviccaya, comp. Nāya 11) are not simultaneous with winds blowings over oceans (sāmuddaga), since the wind turns back on the sea-shore (tesi ṇam vāyāṇam vivaccāseṇam Lavaṇe samudde velaṃ nāikkamai).