Dandak -3

Jai Jinendra..
In last disquisition, we perused Sharir dwar where we discussed different types of
body and living beings who possess them. Lets explore the next dwar which is
Avagahana dwar. The word Avagahana means height or length of the body. In other
words Avagahana means the space occupied by soul in the body. Thus total height
of the body after stretching up hands and legs which is merely covered by soul is
called Avagahana of that body or being.
There are mainly two types of Avagahana.
1) Bhavdharaniya Avagahana: A soul which consumes the material just after the
birth and forms the body is called Bhavdharaniya sharir and Avagahana of that body
is called Bhavdharaniya Avagahana.
2)Uttara Vaikriya Avagahana : Avagahana of the resultant body after performing
Uttara Vaikriya or developing transformational protean body which has no fixed
shape using some kind of Labdhi (attainment) is called Uttara Vaikriya Avagahana.
We will discuss both of them but lets understand some measures first.
Angul: Approximate width of a finger = approx. 3/4 of an inch;
12 Angul = 1 Vitas (span-distance of stretched out palm between the tips of
a person's thumb and the little finger)
2 Vitas = 1 Haath (distance between the tip of the elbow to the tip of the
middle finger)
4 Haath = 1 Dhanush (bow)
2000 Dhanush = 1 Gau or krosh.
4 Gau = 1 Yojan (approx. 9 miles or 15 km)
Above are the ancient measurements to map the size of an entity and the distance
as well. One should try to memorize them in order to understand the Avagahana
dwar easily. Now before discussing lives and their Avagahana, there are some
relevant rules as follow.
Hell beings and celestial beings possess transformation body by birth while
Human beings, plants, animals and birds carry the gross physical body by
birth. A soul just after birth carry the Avagahana as much as innumerable
part of the Angul thus minimum Avagahana of Bhavdharaniya body is
innumerable part of Angul.
Lives inhabit the first hell carry maximum Avagahana of 7.75 Dhanush & 6
Angul which increases by double gradually in the subsequent hells.
Maximum Avagahana of Prithvikay (Belonging to Earth), Apkay (Belonging to
water), Teukay(Belonging to fire), Vayukay(Belonging to Air), Samuchhim
Manushya (Humans without mind) is innumerable part of Angul.

Dandak -3

In both Bharatkshetra and Airavatkshetra, the time has been divided into two
phases; viz. Avsarpini kal and Utsarpini Kal. They move cyclically, both of
these have 6 Aras each, making together 12 Aras in a wheel of time (Kal
Chakra). Avsarpinikal is a phase of time wherein there is continuous decrease
in various aspects of life including Avagahana. While in Utsarpinikal there is a
gradual increase in all the things including Avagahana.
Minimum Avagahana of the translocation body (Aharak Sharir) is innumerable
part of Angul and Maximum Avagahana is approximately one Haath.
Here is elucidation on the lives and the Avagahana they carry
1) Hell beings:
Hell beings
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th

hell
hell
hell
hell
hell
hell
hell

Maximum Avagahana
7.75 Dhanush & 6 Angul
15.50 Dhanush &12 Angul
31.25 Dhanush
62.50 Dhanush
125 Dhanush
250 Dhanush
500 Dhanush

2) Celestial Beings:
Bhavanpati,
Vyantar,
Jyotishi,
1st and 2nd heaven,
1st Kilvishi
3rd and 4th heaven,
2nd Kilvishi
5th and 6th heaven,
9 lokantik,
3rd Kilvishi
7th and 8th heaven
9th,10th, 11th,12th heaven
9 Greveyak
5 Anutar Viman

7 Haath

6 Haath
5 Haath
4 Haath
2 Haath
1 Haath

3) Prithvikay (Belonging to Earth): Both Minimum and Maximum Avagahana is

innumerable part of Angul.
4) Apkay (Belonging to water): Both Minimum and Maximum Avagahana is
innumerable part of Angul.

Dandak -3
5) Teukay (Belonging to fire): Both Minimum and Maximum Avagahana is
innumerable part of Angul.
6) Vayukay (Belonging to Air): Both Minimum and Maximum Avagahana is
innumerable part of Angul.
7) Vanaspatikay (Belonging to plants): More than 1000 Yojan.
8) Two sense living beings: 12 Yojan.
9) Three sense living beings: 3 Gau.
10)
Four sense living beings: 4 Gau.
11)
Five sense birds and animals without mind: varies between 1 Dhanush
to 1000 Yojan.
12)
Five sense birds and animals with mind: varies between 1 Dhanush to
1000 Yojan.
13)
Human beings of 15 types of Karmabhumi:
In Mahavideha kshetra, Avagahana of the human beings are approximately
500 Dhanush
In Bharat and Airavat kshetra, Avagahana varies between 1 Haath to 3 Gau.
14)
Samuchhim Manushya (Humans without mind): Both Minimum and
Maximum Avagahana is innumerable part of Angul.
15)
56 Yugalika: Minimum Avagahana is innumerable part of Angul and
maximum Avagahana is less than 800 Dhanush.
16)
Human beings of 30 types of Akarmabhumi: Minimum Avagahana is
innumerable part of Angul and maximum Avagahana is less than 3 Gau.
17)
Lord Siddha: Miminum Avagahana is 1 Haath and 8 Angul and
maximum Avagahana is 333 Dhanush and 32 Angul.
So these are different types of living beings and their Bhavadharaniya
Avagahana. We will discuss Uttar Vaikriya Avagahana possibly in the next
session.