Dr. Samani Mangal Pragya
There is an illustration of eight central (axis) points of each dharmāstikāya, adharmāstikāya, ākāśāstikāya and jīvastikāya.[1] In Sthānāṅga, those eight central points are called as rucaka pradeśas.[2] The vṛttikara (commentator) of Bhagavatī presenting the view of cūrṇikara, says that the central points of dharmāstikāya are accommodated on rucaka points.[3] Presenting his own additional idea, vṛttikāra says that since dharmāstikāya etc. are cosmos pervasive substances, their central axis lies in space within Ratnaprabhā (first hell), but not on rucakas.[4] Since cardinal and intermediate directions are produced out of rucaka, so even the central point of dharmāstikāya has been mentioned there. During kevalī-samudghāta, eight stable central points of soul get settled on these rucaka pradeśas.[5] This means that during kevalī samudghāta, the units of soul spread in the whole cosmos. This is the time when the eight central units of soul get settled on the eight central points of cosmos. Dharmāstikāya and adharmāstikāya are already existing over there. Units of dharma, adharma, lokākāśa and one soul are equal in number.[6] Numerically, they are equal and the number of units of one soul is equal to that of other individual souls. There is no variation in them. The units of dharma, adharma and ākāśa are unmoving and stable, hence, they always stay where they are but the units of soul do contract and expand, except the eight central space points. Those rucaka points remain stable.[7] These eight central points of soul themselves get settled on eight central units of cosmic space but it happens only during kevalī -samudghāta. Bhagavatī states that eight central points of soul settle on minimum of one, two, three, four, five, six units or eight units of cosmic space but they cannot be settled on seven points of cosmic space.[8] Why is it so? No reason has been provided for it.
Ṭīkā tried to answer this question just by saying that their nature is like that[9], but, the curiosity that why only seven is left - is not satisfied with the above answer. Perhaps there is some other special reason behind it, but ṭīkā commentator is at a loss to provide explanation. In such a condition, we can remain dependant only on the validity of the āgamas. There is another possibility that there may be a mathematical law which supports the fact that eight points cannot get settled on seven points.
Bhagavatī and Sthānāṅga, both have described the eight central points of ākāśastikāya. Possibly here they are discussing about the cosmic space because ākāśastikāya in general has infinite space units, so how can we point out central eight points in it. Since it is infinite, and does not have a boundary. The units of cosmic space, dharma, adharma and a single soul are equal i.e. innumerable. Since there is a mention of central point of all of them, so it seems that, it is in the context of cosmic space only that the word ākāśastikāya has been used.
In the 25th śataka of Bhagavatī, there is a mention of eight central points of jīvastikāya.[10] Here, the word jīvastikāya is used for one soul and not for the conglomeration of all souls.[11] Ṭhāṇaṃ (Sthānāṅga) refers the eight central points of one jīva alone.[12] So our interpretation that word jīvastikāya has been used for one soul, gets validated. On the contrary, we find in the 2nd śataka of Bhagavatī, the word jīvastikāya is used for the conglomeration of souls and not for single soul.
