In Jainism, the idea of multiple universes (a modern “multiverse” concept) is not a central teaching as it is in some contemporary cosmologies. Jain cosmology describes a single, vast universe (loka) that contains many realms and countless living beings across different heavens, hells, and intermediate realms. The universe is believed to be boundless in spatial extent and cyclic in time, with countless souls (jivas) moving through births and deaths within this vast cosmos.

Key points:

• The Jain universe consists of multiple realms, but it is not framed as parallel universes in the modern sense. It is a single, all-encompassing cosmos with innumerable beings.
• Time is cyclical (universe undergoes cycles of rising and declining), but there is no formal doctrine about separate, disconnected universes existing side by side.
• There are differences in emphasis between Digambara and Śvetāmbara texts, mainly on metaphysical details and cosmological descriptions, but neither tradition presents a standard “multiverse theory” as used in modern physics.

If you’d like, I can give a brief articulation from specific Jain scriptures or describe how different sects describe the structure of the universe in more detail.