जै · The Jain Encyclopedia
The only words the text uses for a step

The four relations

विशेषाधिक · संख्यातगुण · असंख्यातगुण · अनन्तगुण

Between one class and the next the Prajñāpanā allows itself four words and no number: viśeṣādhika, a little more; saṃkhyāta-guṇa, countably many times more; asaṃkhyāta-guṇa, innumerably many times more; ananta-guṇa, infinitely many times more.

The four are not loose. "A little more" means more, but not by as much as double. "Countably many times" means a multiple that is a saṃkhyāta number. "Innumerably many times" a multiple that is asaṃkhyāta, and "infinitely many times" one that is ananta. A step of the last kind can only land in the infinite; a step of the third kind can carry a rung from the countable into the innumerable, or stay within it. The verifier holds every ladder to that.

On the view each step is labelled with its word, and the height of the step follows the word: a short rise for a little more, a taller one for each grade beyond, and a crossing of the band-line for the infinite. The heights are a reading aid, not a measurement.

The multitudes: every class of being, fewest to mostPrajñāpanā 3 - an order, never a count; four words for every stepthe bands are the atlas's three magnitudes: countable, innumerable, infinitehumans are the only countable rung; plants top every ladder they stand onTHE COUNTABLETHE INNUMERABLETHE INFINITETHE FIVE DESTINIEShumans×asaṃkhyātahell-beings×asaṃkhyātagods×anantasiddhas×anantaanimals and plantsBY SENSESfive-senseda little morefour-senseda little morethree-senseda little moretwo-sensed×anantaone-sensedBY BODYmoving beings×asaṃkhyātafire-bodiesa little moreearth-bodiesa little morewater-bodiesa little moreair-bodies×anantaplant-bodiesBY GENDERmale×saṃkhyātafemale×anantaneuterTHE SEVEN HELLSthe seventh×asaṃkhyātathe sixth×asaṃkhyātathe fifth×asaṃkhyātathe fourth×asaṃkhyātathe third×asaṃkhyātathe second×asaṃkhyātathe firstthe steps: a little more · countably many times · innumerably many times · infinitely many times more - Prajñāpanā 3not to scale: the heights follow the text's word for each step, and no scale could hold a countable rung and an infinite one
The multitudes: fewest to most - The four relations highlighted

Measurements and counts

viśeṣādhikaa little more
saṃkhyāta-guṇacountably many times more
asaṃkhyāta-guṇainnumerably many times more
ananta-guṇainfinitely many times more

Connected

Open in the interactive atlas →

समयं गोयम! मा पमायए

Do not be heedless, Gautama, for even a single samaya.

Uttarādhyayana Sūtra 10