जै · The Jain Encyclopedia
Nandīśvara · the black mountains

The four Añjana

अंजनगिरि

Four mountains the colour of antimony, one at each cardinal point of the island — and each of them is a Meru in another colour.

Devaramaṇa stands in the east, Nityodyata in the south, Svayamprabha in the west, Ramaṇīya in the north. They are black — añjana is the collyrium used on the eyes.

Their measurements are the interesting part. Each is 84,000 yojana high with a further 1,000 underground, more than 10,000 across at the base and 1,000 at the summit. Those are exactly the figures of the small Merus — the ones that stand in Dhātakīkhaṇḍa and Puṣkarārdha. The black mountains of Nandīśvara are Merus, built to the same drawing, painted another colour, and carrying a temple instead of a world.

On the summit of each is an eternal temple. Around each, in its four directions, lie four square lakes.

Measurements and counts

Count4
Height84,000 yojana
Below ground1,000 yojana
Basemore than 10,000 yojana
Summit1,000 yojana
Colourblack
Same height asthe small Merus
EastDevaramaṇa
SouthNityodyata
WestSvayamprabha
NorthRamaṇīya

Connected

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समयं गोयम! मा पमायए

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

Uttarādhyayana Sūtra 10