Is Bharat kshetra same as india or is it representing entire earth?
Bharat kshetra (Bharata Kshetra) refers to Bharata-varsha, i.e., the Indian subcontinent. In Jain cosmology, the land is divided into several varshas, and Bharat-varsha is the region associated with the people of Bharata (the land roughly corresponding to modern India and its neighboring areas).
Key points:
- It is a specific geographical division within Jambudvipa, not the whole earth.
- It is widely accepted in Jain scriptures and commentaries that Bharat-varsha is the main part of the Indian subcontinent.
- There is no substantial difference between Digambara and Śvetāmbara texts on this point: both treat Bharat-varsha as the Bharata land within Jambudvipa.
So, Bharat kshetra ≈ the Indian subcontinent, not the entire Earth.