According to Jain cosmology, the shape of the earth (referred to as "Jambudvipa," which is the central continent in Jain universal geography) is described as being circular and flat, like a disc. Jain scriptures detail that Jambudvipa is shaped like a slightly convex disc (sometimes compared to the shape of a pancake or a shallow bowl), with Mount Meru at its center. The earth, as per Jain texts, is not spherical as understood in modern science, but rather a series of concentric continents and oceans arranged in a flat, circular pattern.

This cosmological view is elaborated in Jain texts such as the Tiloya Panatti and the Samavayanga Sutra. The descriptions are symbolic and are intended to convey cosmological and spiritual concepts important within Jainism.