Dr. N.L. Kachhara
The loka outside the mobile zone, and the inter-hell and inter-heaven spaces in the mobile zone, contains only immobile beings of the subtle type. These beings do not require oxygen to live and can exist in any part of the loka. This part of the loka is about 333 cubic rajjuand comprises the biggest portion of the loka, which has a total volume of 343 cubic rajju. This means that the vast majority of the loka has only immobile beings of a subtle type and only a small fraction, consisting of the middle loka, hells and heavens, has mobile beings. The observable universe is again a small part of this portion. The boundary of the outer loka determines the shape of the loka. The edge of the outer loka has a special structure that resists the movement of paramanu and varganas.
It is mentioned in Jain texts that a paramanu with the maximum negative charge has the slowest velocity, when there is no other external influence. The pudgala near the boundary of the lokakasa are Ruksa, negatively charged particles, so there is retardation of motion in this region. As dharmastikaya and adharmastikaya are absent in the alokakasa, no motion is possible there.
The loka does not end abruptly; it is gradually thinned down in its consistency to a rarefied condition. There are three layers at the edge of the loka, the innermost a little dense and the outermost in a rarefied state. The inner layer is called the ghanodadhi (dense like water) layer, the middle layer is the ghana (dense like air) layer, and the outer layer is the rarefied tanu layer. The ghanodadhi layer is supposed to support the loka, the ghana layer supports the first layer and the tanu layer supports the second layer. The tanu layer is supposed to be supported by the akasa. The three layers have varying thicknessesat different parts of the loka, perhaps for the stability of the size and shape of the loka. These layers are supposed to contain negatively charged paramanus and varganas which retard movement as mentioned above.
If the loka is viewed as a cricket ground, then the pitch can be compared to the mobile zone where the mobile jiva is running about according to its karma. The human zone in the middle loka is like the cricket ball placed at the center of the pitch; our planet Earth is just a point in this ball. The jiva does go out of the pitch and in its journey, it scans the entire field at some point of time.
