Answer

Jain cosmology describes the universe as anādi-ananta — beginningless and endless. It was not created by any creator God, and it will never be destroyed completely. According to Jain Dharma, the universe functions through eternal substances, natural laws, karma, and the spiritual journey of souls.

The Jain universe is called Loka, meaning the inhabited or occupied universe. Beyond it is Aloka, infinite empty space where no soul, matter, motion, rest, time, or karma exists.

The Loka is traditionally described in the shape of a cosmic human form, often compared to a person standing with legs apart and hands on the waist. It has three main regions:

• Adho Loka — Lower world, consisting of hellish realms
• Madhya Loka — Middle world, where humans, animals, plants, and many living beings exist
• Urdhva Loka — Upper world, consisting of heavenly realms

At the very top of Loka is Siddhashila, the abode of liberated souls.

Explanation

1. The Eternal Nature of the Universe

In Jain philosophy, the universe is not created, maintained, or destroyed by a supreme creator. It exists eternally.

The universe is governed by six eternal substances called Dravyas:

• Jiva — Soul or living substance
• Pudgala — Matter
• Dharma Dravya — Medium of motion
• Adharma Dravya — Medium of rest
• Akasha — Space
• Kala — Time

These substances are eternal, but their modes or conditions constantly change. This means the universe is permanent in substance but changing in forms.

2. Loka and Aloka

Jain cosmology makes an important distinction between Loka and Aloka.

• Loka is the cosmic region where all six substances exist.
• Aloka is the infinite empty space beyond Loka.

Only Akasha, or space, exists in Aloka. No soul can travel there because the media of motion and rest exist only within Loka. Therefore, all worldly souls, karmic matter, heavenly beings, hellish beings, humans, animals, plants, and liberated souls are within Loka.

3. Shape and Size of Loka

Jain scriptures describe the Loka as having a fixed cosmic structure. It is often depicted as:

• Narrow at the bottom
• Broad in the middle
• Narrow again above
• Broad near the upper heavenly regions
• Narrow at the very top where Siddhashila exists

This symbolic shape helps explain the arrangement of different realms of existence.

The height of Loka is traditionally described as 14 Rajjus. A Rajju is an extremely vast Jain unit of cosmic measurement, beyond ordinary human comprehension.

4. The Three Main Worlds

A. Adho Loka — The Lower World

Adho Loka is the lower region of the universe. It contains the hellish realms called Narakas.

Traditionally, Jain cosmology describes seven hells:

• First hell
• Second hell
• Third hell
• Fourth hell
• Fifth hell
• Sixth hell
• Seventh hell

The suffering increases as one goes lower. Beings are born in hell due to extremely harmful karmas caused by intense violence, cruelty, deceit, attachment, hatred, and passions.

Important points:

• Hell in Jainism is not eternal.
• Hellish beings remain there for a fixed lifespan determined by karma.
• After the karmic lifespan ends, they are reborn elsewhere according to their remaining karmas.
• No external judge sends the soul there; karmic law itself determines the birth.

The hellish state is a result of the soul’s own intense negative karmas.

B. Madhya Loka — The Middle World

Madhya Loka is the middle region of the universe and is especially important because liberation can be attained only from human birth in Madhya Loka.

This is the realm where humans, animals, plants, and many other worldly beings live.

A major part of Madhya Loka is described through circular continents and oceans. The central continent is called Jambudvipa.

Important regions include:

• Jambudvipa — The central continent
• Bharat Kshetra — The region where we live according to Jain tradition
• Airavat Kshetra — Another important human region
• Mahavideh Kshetra — A spiritually significant region where Tirthankars are always present

In Jain belief, our current world belongs to Bharat Kshetra of Jambudvipa.

5. Jambudvipa and Human Regions

Jambudvipa is the central landmass of Madhya Loka. It is divided into different regions called Kshetras.

Among them, the most important for spiritual discussion are:

• Bharat Kshetra
• Airavat Kshetra
• Mahavideh Kshetra

Bharat Kshetra

This is the region where the cycle of time moves through rising and declining phases. In Bharat Kshetra, Tirthankars appear during specific periods of the time cycle. Bhagwan Rishabhdev, Bhagwan Parshvanath, and Bhagwan Mahavir appeared in Bharat Kshetra during the current descending time cycle.

Airavat Kshetra

Airavat Kshetra has a similar time cycle to Bharat Kshetra. Tirthankars also appear there during appropriate periods.

Mahavideh Kshetra

Mahavideh Kshetra is spiritually very special because Tirthankars are always present there. According to Jain tradition, even now, living Tirthankars are preaching in Mahavideh Kshetra.

For this reason, many Jain prayers express devotion toward Bhagwan Simandhar Swami, who is traditionally believed to be a present Tirthankar in Mahavideh Kshetra.

6. Mount Meru

At the center of Jambudvipa stands Mount Meru, also called Sumeru.

Mount Meru is a central cosmic mountain in Jain geography. It is not merely a physical mountain like earthly mountains but part of the sacred cosmic structure described in Jain scriptures.

Important events connected with Tirthankars, such as celestial celebrations after birth, are traditionally associated with Mount Meru.

7. Urdhva Loka — The Upper World

Urdhva Loka is the upper region of the universe. It contains heavenly realms where celestial beings, called Devas, live.

Jainism describes different types of heavenly beings. Broadly, devas are classified into categories such as:

• Bhavanavasi Devas — Residential celestial beings
• Vyantara Devas — Peripatetic or wandering celestial beings
• Jyotishka Devas — Luminous celestial beings, associated with celestial bodies
• Vaimanika Devas — Heavenly beings living in celestial mansions

The higher heavenly realms have greater pleasure, longer lifespan, and more subtle bodies. However, Jain Dharma clearly teaches that heavenly birth is still within samsara, the cycle of birth and death.

Even devas are not liberated. When their lifespan ends, they must take rebirth according to their karma.

8. Heavenly Realms and Their Limitation

Jainism does not consider heaven the final goal. Heaven is a pleasant but temporary result of punya karma.

A soul may be born as a deva due to charity, compassion, religious devotion, self-control, and other meritorious actions. But if the soul still has attachment, ego, delusion, and karmic bondage, it remains in worldly existence.

Thus:

• Heaven is temporary.
• Heavenly beings still have karmas.
• Devas cannot attain moksha directly from heavenly life.
• They must be reborn as humans to attain liberation.

9. Siddhashila — The Abode of Liberated Souls

At the very top of the universe is Siddhashila, also called Siddha Loka.

This is the place where liberated souls, called Siddhas, reside forever after attaining moksha.

A Siddha has completely destroyed all karmas and is free from:

• Birth
• Death
• Body
• Pain
• Attachment
• Aversion
• Karmic bondage

The Siddha possesses infinite qualities, especially:

• Anant Jnan — Infinite knowledge
• Anant Darshan — Infinite perception
• Anant Charitra — Infinite conduct or perfect purity
• Anant Virya — Infinite energy
• Anant Sukha — Infinite bliss

Siddhashila is not a heaven. It is beyond pleasure and pain. It is the state of perfect liberation.

10. Time Cycle in Jain Cosmology

Jain cosmology teaches that time moves in endless cycles. There is no first cycle and no final cycle.

The time cycle is divided into two half-cycles:

• Utsarpini — Ascending time cycle, where conditions gradually improve
• Avasarpini — Descending time cycle, where conditions gradually decline

Each half-cycle has six periods, called Aras.

Six Aras of Avasarpini

In the descending cycle:

• Sushama-Sushama — Extremely happy period
• Sushama — Happy period
• Sushama-Dushama — Mostly happy with some sorrow
• Dushama-Sushama — Mostly sorrow with some happiness
• Dushama — Sorrowful period
• Dushama-Dushama — Extremely sorrowful period

According to Jain tradition, we are currently in the fifth ara, called Dushama, of the descending time cycle in Bharat Kshetra.

In this period, spiritual capacity, lifespan, physical strength, and moral discipline are greatly reduced compared to earlier periods.

11. Tirthankars and the Time Cycle

Tirthankars appear in specific periods of the time cycle to re-establish the path of liberation.

In the current Avasarpini of Bharat Kshetra, there are 24 Tirthankars, beginning with Bhagwan Rishabhdev and ending with Bhagwan Mahavir.

The 24 Tirthankars are:

• 1. Bhagwan Rishabhdev
• 2. Bhagwan Ajitnath
• 3. Bhagwan Sambhavnath
• 4. Bhagwan Abhinandan Swami
• 5. Bhagwan Sumatinath
• 6. Bhagwan Padmaprabhu
• 7. Bhagwan Suparshvanath
• 8. Bhagwan Chandraprabhu
• 9. Bhagwan Pushpadanta / Suvidhinath
• 10. Bhagwan Shitalnath
• 11. Bhagwan Shreyansnath
• 12. Bhagwan Vasupujya Swami
• 13. Bhagwan Vimalnath
• 14. Bhagwan Anantnath
• 15. Bhagwan Dharmanath
• 16. Bhagwan Shantinath
• 17. Bhagwan Kunthunath
• 18. Bhagwan Aranath
• 19. Bhagwan Mallinath
• 20. Bhagwan Munisuvrat Swami
• 21. Bhagwan Naminath
• 22. Bhagwan Neminath
• 23. Bhagwan Parshvanath
• 24. Bhagwan Mahavir Swami

They do not create the universe. They reveal the eternal path of liberation.

12. Living Beings in the Universe

Jain cosmology is deeply connected with Jain biology and ethics. It teaches that souls exist in many forms throughout the universe.

Living beings are broadly classified by the number of senses:

• One-sensed beings — Earth-bodied, water-bodied, fire-bodied, air-bodied, and plant-bodied beings
• Two-sensed beings
• Three-sensed beings
• Four-sensed beings
• Five-sensed beings

Human beings are five-sensed beings with mind, and therefore have a rare opportunity for self-discipline and liberation.

This is why Jain ethics emphasizes Ahimsa, because life exists in subtle and countless forms.

13. Karma and Cosmic Movement

The movement of the soul through the universe is governed by karma.

A soul can be reborn as:

• Human
• Animal or plant or other non-human life
• Heavenly being
• Hellish being

These four states are known as Gatis:

• Manushya Gati — Human state
• Tiryanch Gati — Animal, plant, and sub-human state
• Deva Gati — Heavenly state
• Naraka Gati — Hellish state

Karma determines the next birth, lifespan, body, status, experiences of pleasure and pain, and spiritual limitations.

14. Moksha in Jain Cosmology

The ultimate purpose of understanding Jain cosmology is not curiosity about worlds, but realization of the soul’s journey.

The soul wanders through countless births in different realms because of karma. When it follows the path of right faith, right knowledge, and right conduct, it gradually stops new karma and destroys old karma.

The path to liberation is the Ratnatraya, the Three Jewels:

• Samyak Darshan — Right faith
• Samyak Jnan — Right knowledge
• Samyak Charitra — Right conduct

When all karmas are destroyed, the soul rises naturally to Siddhashila and remains there forever as a Siddha.

15. Key Features of Jain Cosmology

• The universe is eternal and uncreated.
• There is no creator God controlling the universe.
• The universe is divided into Loka and Aloka.
• Loka contains all living and non-living substances.
• There are three main worlds: lower, middle, and upper.
• Human birth in Madhya Loka is essential for moksha.
• Heaven and hell are temporary karmic states.
• Siddhashila is the eternal abode of liberated souls.
• Time moves in endless ascending and descending cycles.
• The soul migrates through different births according to karma.
• The purpose of life is to attain liberation from samsara.

Spiritual Understanding

Jain cosmology teaches humility. The universe is vast, beginningless, and filled with countless living beings. Human life is extremely rare and spiritually precious.

It also teaches responsibility. No creator or outside power gives reward or punishment. Each soul experiences the result of its own karma.

Most importantly, Jain cosmology points toward liberation. Even heavenly pleasures are temporary, and even the highest worldly existence is still bondage. True happiness lies only in freedom from karma.

Takeaway

Jain cosmology is not merely a description of worlds, heavens, hells, continents, and time cycles. It is a spiritual map of the soul’s journey through samsara.

Its central message is:

The soul has wandered in the universe since beginningless time, but through right faith, right knowledge, right conduct, non-violence, self-control, and purification, it can attain moksha and become a Siddha forever.