“Words may be few, but their meanings are infinite.”
This is the science of the universe.
Just like visuals may be small, but the joy and wisdom drawn from them is eternal and limitless. That is the essence of this “Gagar Ma Sagar” episode.
This is Episode 53 – Universe (Lok).
🌱 Understanding the “Simple-Minded”
In Jain scriptures, those who live life only to eat, drink, and carry out daily routines are referred to as “mand buddhi” (simple-minded). This doesn’t mean they lack intelligence. They may have a good brain, but they use it only for the basics—like animals, merely surviving.
Such people never ask questions like:
- Where did this universe come from?
- How was it created?
- What is the system behind it?
But every intelligent person, every true seeker or scholar, at some point in their life, has asked this question:
“Where did this universe come from? Who created it? How does it work?”
Everyone has formed their own theories. Science offers its own:
It says the Earth was once a part of a luminous sphere like the sun. Over time, fragments broke off, cooled, changed form—and eventually formed the Earth as we know it.
Even science keeps changing its explanations. A few years ago, its model of the Earth’s origin was different; today it’s changed again. It keeps evolving—because science doesn’t know the absolute truth. It only makes educated guesses.
Similarly, religious philosophies give their own explanations. Some believe that gods like Brahma, Vishnu, or Mahesh created the universe. But even then, the question remains—who created Brahma?
Every belief system ultimately reaches one conclusion:
“It was self-created—Swabhavik or Swayambhu.”
🕉️ Jainism’s Firm and Logical Philosophy
Jainism presents an incredibly strong and logical perspective:
“That which has no beginning has no end. That which has a beginning must have an end.”
In this world:
- If something has no beginning, it has no end.
- If something has a beginning, it must have an end.
Two eternal entities exist in the universe:
- The Soul (Jiva) – It is eternal; it was never created and can never be destroyed.
- The Universe (Lok) – It is also eternal; it has no start and no end.
So, today’s discussion is:
What exists in this universe (Lok)? How is it structured? What is its nature?
🌌 What Is Lok?
We’ve explored many concepts so far—Jiva (soul), Ajiva (non-soul), Karma, liberation, different sects within Jainism, and more.
But where do we see all of this?
- Where do we see Jiva, Ajiva, punya, paap (virtue and sin), bondage, liberation?
- Where do we see heaven, hell, gods, and humans?
Where all of this becomes visible—that is called “Lok” (the Universe).
In Jain scriptures, the Sanskrit word “Lok” comes from the root “lūk”, meaning “to see.” In English, we say “look,” which shares the same origin.
Lok is the realm where everything is visible and perceptible.
Where nothing is visible, that’s called Alok (beyond the perceivable universe).
📐 The Shape and Structure of Lok
So what is the shape of this universe?
Imagine a man standing upright with his hands resting on his waist. That’s the general shape of Lok.
It’s a 3D space, with:
- Central vertical section called Trasa Naadi
- Surrounding area called Sthavara Naadi
Trasa Naadi contains all beings that can move:
- Humans
- Animals
- Heavenly beings (Devas)
- Hellish beings (Narakis)
- Even microscopic living beings like viruses and bacteria
Sthavara Naadi includes immobile entities:
- Earth
- Water
- Fire
- Air
- Plants (limited visibility)
Only in Trasa Naadi will you find dynamic living beings like us.
📏 Measurement of Lok – The Rajlok Units
To measure this massive universe, Jain philosophy uses a unit called Rajlok.
The central pillar (Trasa Naadi) is 14 Rajloks tall.
The entire Lok contains a total volume of 343 cubic Rajloks.
To understand this:
- Take one Rajlok cube.
- Estimate how long it would take a divine being to travel that distance—even moving at 12,000 km/s × 70, continuously, for seven generations, it would still not cross one Rajlok!
That’s the immensity of just one unit.
So the whole universe consists of length, breadth, and height, multiplied accordingly to give a vast, unimaginable dimension.
🌠 The Position of Earth Within the Universe
Where does our Earth fit into this?
If the entire Lok can hold 10^129 × 10^129 Earths,
then our Earth is just a speck—within one tiny part of one cube of this unimaginable universe.
Even the supercomputers of today are dwarfed by the scale Jainism describes.
This universe is self-existent, eternal, uncreated—a concept so vast that modern science can barely grasp it.
🧘♀️ Conclusion: Lok – A Universe Beyond Imagination
Lok is the eternal realm where all existence—soul and non-soul—resides.
From the tiniest lifeform to gods and galaxies, everything exists within this Lok.
At its center lies Trasa Naadi, where mobile beings dwell.
All around it is Sthavara Naadi, filled with immobile matter.
This Lok has no beginning, no end. It was not created by anyone, and it cannot be destroyed.
Such a universe, in its vastness and detail, has been described beautifully and precisely in Jain scriptures—well before the advent of modern science.
In the next three blog posts, we’ll dive deeper into:
- Urdhva Lok (upper world)
- Madhya Lok (middle world)
- Adho Lok (lower world)
And explore the placement of heavens, hells, and the path to liberation.
📿 Stay tuned. And revisit this article at least twice—there’s too much depth to grasp in one read.