जै · The Jain Encyclopedia
Nandīśvara · the square lakes

The sixteen lakes

वापी

Sixteen square lakes, each 1,00,000 yojana on a side - as wide as the whole of Jambūdvīpa - four standing around each black mountain.

Each is a perfect square a lakh of yojana across, which is to say that every one of these sixteen ornamental pools is the size of the continent that holds Bharat, Mahāvideha and Meru. A white Dadhimukha rises from the middle of each.

Scripture names them: Nandiṣeṇā, Amoghā, Gostūpā, Sudarśanā, Nandottarā, Nandā, Sunandā, Nandivardhanā, Bhadrā, Viśālā, Kumudā, Puṇḍarīkiṇikā, Vijayā, Vaijayantī, Jayantī, Aparājitā.

Which four belong to which Añjana is not stated in the text this atlas follows. The order suggests east, then south, then west, then north, but that is inference and not a record, so the map labels its four lakes by position and leaves the names as one set of sixteen.

DevaramaṇaNityodyataSvayamprabhaRamaṇīyaall four complexes are identical; only the name and the direction changeDevaramaṇanortheastsouthwestDadhimukhaRatikaraIn this complexAñjana · black1Dadhimukha · white4Ratikara · jewel8shrines here13× 4 complexes = 52Four gardens to every lakeAśokaSaptacchadakaCampakaCūtaThe sixteen lakes, as scripture names themNandiṣeṇāAmoghāGostūpāSudarśanāNandottarāNandāSunandāNandivardhanāBhadrāViśālāKumudāPuṇḍarīkiṇikāVijayāVaijayantīJayantīAparājitāwhich four stand at which Añjana is not recorded, so they are given as one set
One Añjana, and its twelve neighbours - The sixteen lakes highlighted

Measurements and counts

Count16
Each side1,00,000 yojana
Per Añjana4
As wide asJambūdvīpa
Namedall 16
Assigned to a mountainnot recorded

Connected

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समयं गोयम! मा पमायए

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

Uttarādhyayana Sūtra 10