The two heaps
Souls that have never been anything but nigoda, and souls that have been out and come back: two heaps, and a rule — every six months and eight samayas, 608 souls are liberated and 608 leave the first heap in their place.
The Dhavalā divides nigoda's souls in two. Nitya-nigoda: those that have never, in all past time, attained trasa-bhāva, the mobile state — never once been anything with two senses. Caturgati-nigoda: those that have been born in the four gatis, as gods, hell-beings, animals and humans, and have fallen back. The Śvetāmbara catechisms call the same two the avyavahāra-rāśi, the heap outside all dealing, and the vyavahāra-rāśi.
Then the rule. The commentary on Gommaṭasāra 197 says that in six months and eight samayas 608 souls leave nigoda, and 608 human souls attain liberation — the one balances the other, and the Śvetāmbara thokaḍā teach the same ledger. It is why the universe cannot run out of souls to free, and why, Gommaṭasāra 197 adds, infinite souls will never leave: the first heap is infinite, and 608 at a time does not lower it. The figure is the commentators', and the atlas prints it as theirs.
Measurements and counts
| First heap | nitya-nigoda · avyavahāra-rāśi — never once trasa |
|---|---|
| Second | caturgati-nigoda · vyavahāra-rāśi — been out, come back |
| The rule | 608 liberated · 608 leave the first heap |
| Every | six months and eight samayas |
| First heap | infinite — never empties |
| Source | Dhavalā 14 · Gommaṭasāra 197 with commentary · the thokaḍā |