Living & Non-Living (जीव-अजीव विभक्ति)

जीवाजीवविभत्तिं, सुणेह मे एगमणा इओ ।
जं जाणिऊण भिक्खू, सम्मं जयइ संजमे ॥३६.१॥

Listen to this classification of living and non-living with a one-pointed mind. The monk who truly knows this strives correctly in restraint.

The opening verse sets the entire purpose of the chapter: this is not academic philosophy but practical liberation knowledge. The word egamaṇā — one-pointed mind — demands full attention, because half-understood knowledge leads to half-correct conduct. The monk who knows precisely what is a living soul and what is not can act with the precision that non-violence requires. Restraint (saṃyama) practiced without this knowledge is blind; with it, it becomes the exact science of liberation.

The simple version: Listen carefully. A monk who truly understands what is living and what is non-living will practice restraint correctly.

जीवा चेव अजीवा य, सव्वे भावा वियाहिया ।
लोए अलोए य दुविहे, लोगे जीवाइ धम्मिया ॥३६.२॥

All substances are said to be of two kinds: living and non-living. The universe itself is twofold: the inhabited cosmos (loka) and the uninhabited void beyond (aloka). Within the loka, the substances with living souls exist.

This sutra draws the first and most fundamental line in Jain ontology: living (jīva) and non-living (ajīva). The universe (loka) contains all six substances — souls, matter, the medium of motion, the medium of rest, space, and time. Beyond it is aloka — pure infinite space with no souls, no matter, no karma. Liberation means rising to the very top of the loka, where the siddha-śilā (the abode of the liberated) sits, and remaining there forever.

The simple version: Everything is either living or non-living. The inhabited universe contains both; beyond it is only endless empty space.

दव्वओ खेत्तओ चेव, कालओ भावओ तहा ।
चउव्विहेण विधाणेण, वुच्छामि जीवाइ धम्मिया ॥३६.३॥

I shall describe the living and non-living through four modes of analysis: by substance (what it is), by space (where and how much), by time (duration), and by qualitative mode (what properties it has).

The four-perspective analysis (dravya, kṣetra, kāla, bhāva) is the Jain methodology for ensuring completeness — applied consistently to every substance throughout the chapter. Substance tells you the nature; space tells you the extent; time tells you the duration; mode tells you the qualitative states. Together they ensure no aspect of reality is described partially or from only one angle. This is Jain philosophy's answer to partial views (naya): use all four, and you have the full picture.

The simple version: Living and non-living will be described four ways: what they are, where they exist, how long they last, and what qualities they have.

रूविणो चेव अरूवी य, दुविहा अजीवा वियाहिया ।
रूवी पुग्गल संखाओ, अरूवी दसहा मया ॥३६.४॥

Non-living substances are said to be of two kinds: those with form (material) and those without form (formless). The formless are of 10 types; the material are classified within pudgala.

The primary division of non-living (ajīva) substance: material (with physical form, colour, smell, taste, touch, shape) vs. formless (without these qualities). Formless substances — the medium of motion, the medium of rest, space, and time — have no colour, no smell, nothing sensory about them; they can only be known through reason and inference. Material substance (pudgala) is the only non-living substance that can be perceived by the senses, making it the focus of the elaborate 530-type classification that follows.

The simple version: Non-living substances are of two kinds: those with form (material) and those without form. The formless are 10 types; the material are subdivided further.

Sutras 36.5–6 are presented together because they form one complete enumeration: sutra 5 names the first two formless substances (medium of motion and medium of rest) and sutra 6 names the remaining two (space and time), jointly establishing all 10 formless types. Each verse's complete Prakrit is shown in full below.

धम्मत्थिकाए तद्देसे, तप्पएसे य आहिए ।
अहम्मे तस्स देसे य, तप्पएसे य आहिए ॥३६.५॥

आगासे तस्स देसे य, तप्पएसे य आहिए ।
अद्धासमए चेव, अरूवी दसहा भवे ॥३६.६॥

The 10 formless non-living substances are: the medium of motion (3 types: complete, portion, point-unit), the medium of rest (3 types: complete, portion, point-unit), space (3 types: complete, portion, point-unit), and time (1 type).

Four formless substances, yielding 10 types when subdivided. The medium of motion (dharma-substance) enables all movement — without it, souls and matter could not move at all, just as fish cannot swim without water. The medium of rest (adharma-substance) enables all stillness — without it, nothing could come to rest. Space provides room for all other substances to exist. Time is the single substance that measures change. These four are purely functional — they assist but do not cause motion or rest.

The simple version: The 10 formless substances are: the medium of motion (3 types), medium of rest (3 types), space (3 types), and time (1 type).

धम्माधम्मे य लोगस्स, आयाम-विक्खंभ-बाहल्लेण समा ।
आगासं लोगालोगे, कालो लोगस्स एगदेसे ॥३६.७॥

The medium of motion and the medium of rest are exactly coextensive with the universe (loka). Space spans both the universe and the void beyond it. Time operates only within the universe.

The medium of motion and rest are precisely universe-sized — their function (enabling movement and rest) is needed only where souls and matter exist, so they extend no further. Space, however, is truly infinite — it extends beyond the universe into the limitless aloka. Time operates only within the universe since time requires change, and beyond the universe there is nothing to change. This makes space the one truly infinite substance, and time the most localised of the formless four.

The simple version: Motion and rest media are exactly the size of the universe. Space extends beyond it into infinity. Time operates only within the universe.

धम्माधम्मागासाणं, संतई पप्प अणाइया ।
अपज्जवसिया चेव, सव्वकालं वियाहिया ॥३६.८॥

The medium of motion, the medium of rest, and space — as a continuous stream — are beginningless, endless, and are said to exist through all time.

Three of the four formless substances are fully eternal — they were never created and can never be destroyed. This is consistent with the Jain non-creationist view: there was no first moment of creation, no god who made the universe. The medium of motion has always been present to allow souls to move upward toward liberation; it will always be there. Eternal substances can never be altered, damaged, or removed — only understood.

The simple version: The media of motion and rest, and space, are all beginningless and endless — they have existed forever and always will.

समए वि संतइं पप्प, अणाइया अपज्जवसिया ।
ठिइं पडुच्च साइया, सपज्जवसिया भवे ॥३६.९॥

Time, considered as a continuous stream, is beginningless and endless. But any specific moment of time has a beginning and an end.

Time has a dual nature. As a continuous flow, it is eternal — there was never a "first moment" and there will never be a "last moment." But any specific state, any particular moment — the moment you were born, the moment a karma was attracted — has both a beginning and an end. This resolves the philosophical paradox: time itself is eternal, yet every event within time is impermanent. Nothing in time lasts forever. This is the deepest basis for the Jain teaching of impermanence.

The simple version: As a stream, time is eternal. But any specific moment — any particular event or state — has a beginning and an end.

खंधा य खंधदेसा य, खंधपदेसा तहेव य ।
परमाणुपोग्गला चेव, एए रूवी चउव्विहा ॥३६.१०॥

Material substance (pudgala) comes in four forms: mass aggregates (skandha), portions of aggregates, point-units of aggregates, and the ultimate indivisible particle (paramāṇu).

The four forms of material substance, all belonging to pudgala. The paramāṇu (ultimate particle) is indivisible — it cannot be split further — yet it possesses all five material qualities (colour, smell, taste, touch, shape) in minimal form. It occupies exactly one space-point. All matter — bodies, karma-matter, food, breath, stone — consists of aggregates of these particles. The classification from paramāṇu to full skandha describes every possible state of material aggregation.

The simple version: Material substance comes in four forms: large masses, portions of masses, point-units, and the tiniest indivisible particle — out of which all matter is built.

Sutras 36.11–12 are presented together because they form one continuous statement: sutra 11 introduces the spatial classification of matter (aggregates and atoms by singularity or plurality) and sutra 12 completes it by distinguishing subtle from gross matter and signalling the next topic (time-based classification). Each verse's complete Prakrit is shown in full below.

एगत्तेण पुहुत्तेण, खंधा य परमाणु य ।
लोएगदेसे लोए य, भइयव्वा ते उ खेत्तओ ॥३६.११॥

सुहुमा सव्व लोगम्मि, लोगदेसे य बायरा ।
इत्तो कालविभागं तु, तेसिं वुच्छ चउव्विहं ॥३६.१२॥

Material aggregates and ultimate particles exist throughout the universe — above, below, and across — in countable, uncountable, and infinite regions. Subtle matter pervades the entire universe; gross matter is localized.

Material substance distributes across the universe in two ways. Subtle (sūkṣma) paramāṇus and skandhas — including karma-matter — pervade every point of the universe, filling all available space. Gross (bādara) matter exists only in specific, localized regions: a stone is here, a body is there. This distinction between subtle and gross pervades all of Jain physics and is the basis for understanding how karma — being subtle — can pervade and permeate even a soul.

The simple version: Subtle matter pervades the entire universe; gross matter exists only in specific places. Karma is subtle matter that pervades everything.

संतइं पप्प तेणाइ, अणाइया अपज्जवसिया ।
ठिइं पडुच्च साइया, सपज्जवसिया भवे ॥३६.१३॥

Material substance as a continuous stream is beginningless and endless. But any specific state of matter has a beginning and can end.

Parallel to the analysis of time, material substance has dual temporal nature. The total quantity of matter in the universe is eternal — matter is never created from nothing, never destroyed into nothing. But any specific arrangement or state of matter — including the karma-matter adhering to a particular soul — had a beginning (when it was attracted) and can be ended (through practice). This is philosophically crucial: karma is removable precisely because it is a state, not an eternal property.

The simple version: Matter as a whole is eternal. But any specific state of matter — including karma — had a beginning and can end.

असंखकालमुक्कोसं, अणाइमोयणाइ वा ।
एगसमयमेव वा, ठिई पुग्गल धम्मिया ॥३६.१४॥

The maximum duration of any material state is innumerable (but finite) time units; the minimum is a single instant.

Any configuration of material substance — however ancient it seems — is finite in duration. Even the oldest, deepest karma lasts only a finite time. The minimum duration is one indivisible instant; the maximum is asaṃkhyāta-kāla, a vast but measurable quantity. This finiteness is what makes liberation possible: no matter how long karma has been accumulating, it is finite in duration and can be exhausted through right practice.

The simple version: The longest any material state lasts is immense but still finite. The shortest is one instant. Nothing material is permanent.

अणंतकालमुक्कोसं, अणाइमोयणाइ वा ।
एगसमयमेव वा, अंतरं पुग्गल धम्मिया ॥३६.१५॥

The interval before a particular material state recurs can range from a single instant to infinite time.

Once a specific configuration of material substance dissolves, the interval before that same configuration arises again can be infinite. Some combinations — once lost — may never recur. The most urgent application of this teaching: a human body capable of practising the path to liberation is an extraordinarily rare configuration of matter. Once lost, it may not arise again for infinite time. This is the Jain basis for urgency: do not squander this birth.

The simple version: Once a rare state of matter ends, it may not return for infinite time. A human birth capable of liberation is one such rare configuration — don't waste it.

वण्णओ गंधओ चेव, रसओ फासओ संठाणओ ।
पंचविहेण विधाणेण, भावा पोग्गलेसु पण्णत्ता ॥३६.१६॥

The qualitative modes of material substance (pudgala) are declared in five ways: colour, smell, taste, touch, and shape.

The five qualities that define material substance in Jain physics — and only material substance. All other substances (medium of motion, medium of rest, space, time, and the soul) lack these five qualities. This is how you identify matter: it has colour, smell, taste, touch, and shape. Shape is treated here as an ontologically fundamental property of matter — not merely a derivative of arrangement, but a real quality that matter possesses in itself.

The simple version: Material substance (pudgala) manifests in five modes: colour, smell, taste, touch, and shape. Only matter has all five.

वण्णओ परिणया जे उ, पंचहा ते पकित्तिया ।
किण्हा णीला य रोहिया, हालिद्दा सुक्किला तहा ॥३६.१७॥

Pudgalas transformed by colour are said to be of five kinds: black, blue, red, yellow, and white.

The five primary colours of matter in the Jain system. All visible colour is a combination or variation of these five. This classification extends beyond physics into the soul's inner life: in Jain teaching, the soul also has a "spiritual colour" (leśyā) that reflects its moral state. Dark colours — black and blue — indicate heavy passions and harmful tendencies. Bright colours — yellow and white — indicate purity, equanimity, and closeness to liberation. The outer world mirrors the inner world through the very same colour language.

The simple version: Pudgalas that have colour are of five types: black, blue, red, yellow, and white — the same colours used to describe a soul's inner spiritual state.

गंधओ परिणया जे उ, दुविहा ते पकित्तिया ।
सुब्भिगंधा दुब्भिगंधा, एए गंधपरिणया ॥३६.१८॥

Pudgalas transformed by smell are of two kinds: pleasant-smelling and unpleasant-smelling.

Smell divides simply and completely into two: pleasant and unpleasant. All olfactory experience is a variation of these two polar states — there is no third category of "neutral smell" in Jain physics. Smell is the quality of matter most closely linked to instinctive attraction and aversion — the pleasant draws us, the unpleasant repels. Understanding this as a property of matter (not a property of the soul) is the first step in dis-identifying from sensory reaction.

The simple version: Pudgalas that have smell are of just two kinds: pleasant-smelling and unpleasant-smelling. All smells are one or the other.

रसओ परिणया जे उ, पंचहा ते पकित्तिया ।
तित्तए कडुए चेव, कसाए अंबिले महुरे ॥३६.१९॥

Pudgalas transformed by taste are of five kinds: bitter, sharp/pungent, astringent, sour, and sweet.

Five tastes in Jain physics, with a crucial philosophical resonance: the word kaṣāya (astringent) is the same term used for the four passions of the soul — anger, pride, deceit, and greed. The astringent quality of matter (dry, clinging, contracting) mirrors exactly the clinging nature of the soul's passions. This deliberate vocabulary links Jain physics to Jain ethics — the outer world of taste and the inner world of passion are described in the same language.

The simple version: Pudgalas that have taste are of five kinds: bitter, sharp, astringent (clinging), sour, and sweet.

Sutras 36.20–21 are presented together because they form one enumeration: sutra 20 introduces the eight-fold touch classification and names the first four types, while sutra 21 names the remaining four and closes the list. Reading them separately would split an otherwise indivisible teaching. Each verse's complete Prakrit is shown in full below.

फासओ परिणया जे उ, अट्ठहा ते पकित्तिया ।
कक्खडा मउया चेव, गुरुया लहुया तहा ॥३६.२०॥

सीया उण्हा य णिद्धा य, तहा लुक्खा य आहिया ।
इय फासपरिणया एए, पुग्गला समुदाहिया ॥३६.२१॥

Pudgalas transformed by touch are declared to be of eight kinds: rough, soft, heavy, light, cold, hot, smooth/oily, and dry.

Eight touches in four opposing pairs: rough/soft, heavy/light, cold/hot, smooth/dry. These represent the complete range of tactile experience. In Jain karma theory, the smooth (snigdha) and dry (rūkṣa) qualities are especially important: karma-particles bond with the soul only when the soul's internal "stickiness" — created by passions — allows bonding, just as two pieces of velcro stick only when both have hooks. A soul without passion is "dry" — karma slides off without bonding.

The simple version: Pudgalas that have touch are of eight kinds: rough, soft, heavy, light, cold, hot, smooth, and dry — these are all the ways matter can feel.

संठाणओ परिणया जे उ, पंचहा ते पकित्तिया ।
परिमंडला य वट्टा य, तंसा चउरंसमायया ॥३६.२२॥

Pudgalas transformed by shape are said to be of five kinds: perfectly spherical, circular/round, triangular, square/quadrangular, and oblong/rectangular.

Shape is the fifth quality of material substance — and it is unique to Jain physics to explicitly enumerate shape as a fundamental property alongside colour, smell, taste, and touch. Every material object has one of these five basic geometric forms, or a combination of them. Shape is treated as ontologically real — it is not merely how matter appears to a viewer, but a genuine quality that matter possesses independently. The ultimate particle itself is classified as perfectly spherical.

The simple version: Pudgalas that have shape are of five kinds: perfectly spherical, circular, triangular, square, and oblong.

Sutras 36.23–27 are presented together because they form a single enumeration block — five structurally identical verses, one for each colour type — that the Jain commentary treats as one continuous teaching. Each verse's complete Prakrit is shown in full below.

वण्णओ जे भवे किण्हे, भइए से उ गंधओ ।
रसओ फासओ चेव, भइए संठाणओ वि य ॥३६.२३॥

वण्णओ जे भवे णीले, भइए से उ गंधओ ।
रसओ फासओ चेव, भइए संठाणओ वि य ॥३६.२४॥

वण्णओ लोहिए जे उ, भइए से उ गंधओ ।
रसओ फासओ चेव, भइए संठाणओ वि य ॥३६.२५॥

वण्णओ पीयए जे उ, भइए से उ गंधओ ।
रसओ फासओ चेव, भइए संठाणओ वि य ॥३६.२६॥

वण्णओ सुक्किले जे उ, भइए से उ गंधओ ।
रसओ फासओ चेव, भइए संठाणओ वि य ॥३६.२७॥

A pudgala-aggregate that is black in colour — within it, smell, taste, touch, and shape are all distributed (fractionally present). The same holds for aggregates that are blue, red, yellow, and white respectively.

This series establishes the key principle behind the 530-type classification: every quality of a pudgala-aggregate co-exists with all other qualities. A black aggregate also contains smell, taste, touch, and shape — all present in distributed, fractional combinations. Five colour-types × 20 co-occurring quality combinations = 100 of the 530 total types. The teaching is that matter is always multi-qualified: what we perceive as "black" is simultaneously also fragrant/odorous, sweet/bitter, rough/smooth, round/angular.

The simple version: Any pudgala that is black (or blue, red, yellow, white) also has all other qualities — smell, taste, touch, shape — present and distributed within it.

Sutras 36.28–29 are presented together because they are structurally identical parallel verses — one for pleasant smell and one for unpleasant smell — forming one complete teaching on how smell co-exists with all other material qualities. Each verse's complete Prakrit is shown in full below.

गंधओ जे भवे सुभी, भइए से उ वण्णओ ।
रसओ फासओ चेव, भइए संठाणओ वि य ॥३६.२८॥
गंधओ जे भवे दुभी, भइए से उ वण्णओ ।
रसओ फासओ चेव, भइए संठाणओ वि य ॥३६.२९॥

A pudgala-aggregate that is pleasant-smelling — within it, colour, taste, touch, and shape are all distributed. The same for an unpleasant-smelling aggregate.

Now the primary quality shifts to smell. A pleasant-smelling aggregate has all other qualities — colour, taste, touch, and shape — distributed within it as secondary qualities. Two smell-types × 23 co-occurring quality-types = 46 of the 530 total types. Every perceived quality points to a reality richer than any single sense can capture — the rose we call "fragrant" is simultaneously coloured, shaped, textured, and flavoured, all at once.

The simple version: Whether a pudgala is pleasant-smelling or unpleasant-smelling, all other qualities — colour, taste, touch, shape — are also present within it.

Sutras 36.30–34 are presented together because they form a single enumeration block — five structurally identical verses, one for each taste type — that the Jain commentary treats as one continuous teaching. Each verse's complete Prakrit is shown in full below.

रसओ तित्तए जे उ, भइए से उ वण्णओ ।
गंधओ फासओ चेव, भइए संठाणओ वि य ॥३६.३०॥

रसओ कडुए जे उ, भइए से उ वण्णओ ।
गंधओ फासओ चेव, भइए संठाणओ वि य ॥३६.३१॥

रसओ कसाए जे उ, भइए से उ वण्णओ ।
गंधओ फासओ चेव, भइए संठाणओ वि य ॥३६.३२॥

रसओ अंबिले जे उ, भइए से उ वण्णओ ।
गंधओ फासओ चेव, भइए संठाणओ वि य ॥३६.३३॥

रसओ महुरए जे उ, भइए से उ वण्णओ ।
गंधओ फासओ चेव, भइए संठाणओ वि य ॥३६.३४॥

A pudgala-aggregate that is bitter-tasting — within it, colour, smell, touch, and shape are distributed. The same holds for sharp, astringent, sour, and sweet-tasting aggregates.

Five taste-types, each accompanied by all other quality families distributed within. Five taste-types × 20 co-occurring quality-types = 100 of the 530 total types. The methodical enumeration reflects the Jain insight that matter is relational and multi-qualified — no quality stands alone, and every experience of a single quality hides a more complex reality beneath. This understanding prevents the reductive mistake of thinking the world is simpler than it is.

The simple version: Pudgalas that are bitter, sharp, astringent, sour, or sweet — in each, all other qualities (colour, smell, touch, shape) are also distributed within it.

Sutras 36.35–42 are presented together because they form a single enumeration block — eight structurally identical verses, one for each of the eight touch-types — that the Jain commentary treats as one continuous teaching. Each verse's complete Prakrit is shown in full below.

फासओ कक्खडे जे उ, भइए से उ वण्णओ ।
गंधओ रसओ चेव, भइए संठाणओ वि य ॥३६.३५॥

फासओ मउए जे उ, भइए से उ वण्णओ ।
गंधओ रसओ चेव, भइए संठाणओ वि य ॥३६.३६॥

फासओ गुरुए जे उ, भइए से उ वण्णओ ।
गंधओ रसओ चेव, भइए संठाणओ वि य ॥३६.३७॥

फासओ लहुए जे उ, भइए से उ वण्णओ ।
गंधओ रसओ चेव, भइए संठाणओ वि य ॥३६.३८॥

फासओ सीयए जे उ, भइए से उ वण्णओ ।
गंधओ रसओ चेव, भइए संठाणओ वि य ॥३६.३९॥

फासओ उण्हए जे उ, भइए से उ वण्णओ ।
गंधओ रसओ चेव, भइए संठाणओ वि य ॥३६.४०॥

फासओ णिद्धए जे उ, भइए से उ वण्णओ ।
गंधओ रसओ चेव, भइए संठाणओ वि य ॥३६.४१॥

फासओ लुक्खए जे उ, भइए से उ वण्णओ ।
गंधओ रसओ चेव, भइए संठाणओ वि य ॥३६.४२॥

A pudgala-aggregate that is rough in touch — within it, colour, smell, taste, and shape are all distributed. The same holds for soft, heavy, light, cold, hot, smooth, and dry aggregates.

Eight sutras, one for each of the eight touch-types. Each touch-type aggregate has 5 colours + 2 smells + 5 tastes + 5 shapes = 17 co-occurring quality-types distributed within it. Eight touch-types × 17 = 136 of the 530 total types. Matter is never simply one thing — it always carries multiple qualities simultaneously. The practitioner who understands this sees through the surface label of any experience to its full dimensional reality.

The simple version: Each of the eight types of touch-based pudgalas contains all other qualities — colour, smell, taste, shape — distributed within it.

Sutras 36.43–47 are presented together because they form a single enumeration block — five structurally identical verses, one for each shape-type — that the Jain commentary treats as one continuous teaching completing the 530-type classification. Each verse's complete Prakrit is shown in full below.

परिमंडलसंठाणे, भइए से उ वण्णओ ।
गंधओ रसओ चेव, भइए फासओ वि य ॥३६.४३॥

संठाणओ भवे वट्टे, भइए से उ वण्णओ ।
गंधओ रसओ चेव, भइए फासओ वि य ॥३६.४४॥

संठाणओ भवे तंसे, भइए से उ वण्णओ ।
गंधओ रसओ चेव, भइए फासओ वि य ॥३६.४५॥

संठाणओ जे चउरंसे, भइए से उ वण्णओ ।
गंधओ रसओ चेव, भइए फासओ वि य ॥३६.४६॥

जे आययसंठाणे, भइए से उ वण्णओ ।
गंधओ रसओ चेव, भइए फासओ वि य ॥३६.४७॥

A pudgala-aggregate that is spherical in shape — within it, colour, smell, taste, and touch are distributed. The same holds for circular, triangular, square, and oblong aggregates. This completes the 530-type classification.

Five shape-types × 20 co-occurring quality-types = 100 more, completing the grand total. The full count: 100 (colour) + 46 (smell) + 100 (taste) + 184 (touch) + 100 (shape) = 530 types of material non-living substance. The classification is exhaustive — every possible primary-quality combination has been enumerated. Nothing is left outside the system. Matter has been fully mapped.

The simple version: Each of the five shape-types of matter contains all other qualities within it. The complete classification gives 530 types of material substance.

एसा अजीवविभत्ती, समासेण वियाहिया ।
एत्तो जीवविभत्तिं, वुच्छामि अणुपुव्वसो ॥३६.४८॥

This concludes the classification of the non-living, stated in summary. From here, I shall describe the classification of the living — in proper sequence.

The pivot verse of the entire chapter. Forty-seven sutras have mapped non-living substance — from the indivisible particle to the eternal media of motion, rest, and space. The word samāseṇa (in summary) is honest: what has been presented is a condensed version of a far more elaborate classification found in other canonical texts. The promise aṇupuvvaso (in proper sequence) signals the ordered hierarchy that follows: broadest categories first, most specific sub-types last — the living soul now begins its own classification.

The simple version: The non-living classification is complete — in summary. Now begins the classification of the living — in proper sequence.

संसारत्था य सिद्धा य, दुविहा जीवा वियाहिया ।
सिद्धाणेगविहा वुत्ता, तं मे कित्तयओ सुण ॥३६.४९॥

Living souls are said to be of two kinds: worldly (those still bound in the cycle of birth and death) and liberated (those who have attained permanent freedom). The liberated are of many kinds — listen as I enumerate them.

The primary division of soul: those still bound in the cycle of birth and death (saṃsārī), and those who have fully destroyed all karma and attained permanent liberation (siddha). Every soul in the universe is either one or the other — there is no third option. The text describes the liberated first — the goal before the journey. This is pedagogically significant: know the destination clearly before describing the long road that leads there.

The simple version: Jīvas are of two kinds: worldly (still bound in the cycle of birth and death) and liberated (freed from all karma forever).

Sutras 36.50–55 are presented together because they form one continuous enumeration of the 15 types of liberated souls (siddhas), classified by the bodily form and life-condition from which they attained liberation. Reading any verse in isolation would give only a fragment of what is a single complete list. Note: the Gujarati source transcribes the full Prakrit only for verse 36.50; the remaining Devanāgarī verses (36.51–55) provide detailed counts for each category.

इत्थी-पुरिस सिद्धा, कर्हिं सिद्धा पइट्ठिया ।
सल्लिंगे अण्णलिंगे, गिहिलिंगे दसेव य ॥३६.५०॥

उक्कोसोगाहणाए, जहण्णमज्झिमाइ य ।
दस य णपुंसएसु, वीसं इत्थिसु पुरिसेसु अट्ठुसयं ॥३६.५१–५५॥

Liberated souls are classified by the condition from which they attained liberation: from female body, male body, or neuter body; from the monastic path, a non-Jain path, or householder life; as self-awakened or taught by a teacher; alone or simultaneously with others — making 15 types in all.

The 15 types of siddha are not distinguished by their liberated state — which is identical for all (infinite knowledge, infinite vision, infinite bliss, infinite energy). They are distinguished by the starting condition from which liberation was attained. This universality is the Jain teaching: liberation is available from every gender, every station of life, every religious tradition. A householder can attain it; a woman can attain it; even one following a different path can attain it — if the karmic destruction is complete.

The simple version: Siddhas are classified by where they started from — male, female, or neuter body; monastic or householder; alone or with others — 15 types. The liberated state itself is identical for all.

Sutras 36.56–58 are presented together because they describe the physical location and dimensions of the siddha-śilā (abode of the liberated) as one continuous description — verse 56 states the location (12 yojanas above all), verse 57 gives the width (45 lakh yojanas), and verse 58 gives the thickness (8 yojanas at centre). Each is a necessary detail of the same description. Each verse's complete Prakrit is shown in full below.

कर्हिं पडिहया सिद्धा, कर्हिं सिद्धा पइट्ठिया ।
बारसहिं जोयणेहिं, सव्वट्टस्सुवरिं भवे ॥३६.५६॥

पणयाल-सयहस्सा, जोयणाणं तु आयया ।
अट्टजोयण बाहल्ला, सा मज्झम्मि वियाहिया ॥३६.५७–५८॥

The liberated souls are established at the very top of the universe — 12 yojanas above the highest point. Their abode (the Siddha-Rock) is 45 lakh yojanas wide and 8 yojanas thick at the centre.

The abode of the liberated is described with precise spatial measurements: positioned at the absolute summit of the universe, 12 yojanas above the highest celestial realm. Its vast width (45 lakh yojanas) accommodates the infinite number of liberated souls who have gathered there since beginningless time. The shape is like an inverted umbrella — wider at the centre and tapering at the edges. Here the liberated souls exist permanently, possessing infinite knowledge and vision, beyond all movement and change.

The simple version: The abode of the liberated souls sits at the very top of the universe, 12 yojanas above everything else, and is immeasurably wide.

Sutras 36.59–65 are presented together because they form one unified description of the qualities of the siddha-śilā and the attributes of siddhas — covering its luminous appearance, the size each siddha occupies, and the relationship of liberation to time (with a beginning individually, but endless). These verses constitute a single, inseparable portrait. Note: the Gujarati source transcribes the opening verse (36.59) in full; the remaining verses (36.60–65) provide detailed qualifying attributes in the same vein.

अज्जुण सुवण्णगमई, सा पुढवी णिम्मला सहावेणं ।
संखंक कुंदसंकासा, पंडुरा णिम्मला सुहा ॥३६.५९॥

The Siddha-Rock is pure and luminous by nature — like white gold, like a conch shell, like the jasmine flower — spotless, radiant, and blissful. Each liberated soul occupies a space two-thirds of their final body's height. Their state has a beginning (the moment of liberation) but no end.

The Siddha-Rock is luminous white — the colour of supreme purity. Liberated souls are formless (they have no material body, no colour, no smell) yet each occupies a definite space: exactly two-thirds of the height of the body in their final human birth. Their liberation is sādi (it began at a specific moment of attainment) but ananta (it will never end — once free, always free). They possess infinite knowledge, infinite perception, infinite bliss, and infinite energy — four attributes that are the soul's natural state when all karma is removed.

The simple version: The abode of the liberated is pure and radiant. Liberated souls are formless, omniscient, and their freedom — once attained — has no end.

Sutras 36.66–67 are presented together because they form one indivisible statement: verse 66 establishes that each siddha's liberation has a beginning, verse 67 establishes that collectively siddhas are eternal and formless. The two verses complete a single philosophical point — one cannot be understood without the other. Each verse's complete Prakrit is shown in full below.

एगत्तेण साइया, पुहत्तेण अणाइया ।
अपज्जवसिया वि य ।
अरूविणो ते सव्वे, णाणदंसण सण्णिया ॥३६.६६–६७॥

Individually, each liberated soul has a beginning (their moment of liberation). Collectively, liberated souls are beginningless and endless. All liberated souls are formless, characterised by infinite knowledge and vision.

A profound ontological statement: while each individual liberated soul's freedom began at a specific moment, the collective state of liberation has never not existed. There was never a moment in infinite past when there were zero liberated souls — jīvas have been attaining liberation since beginningless time. What remains when all karma is stripped away is not emptiness or void — it is infinite knowing. The soul's essential nature is pure consciousness: ṇāṇadaṃsaṇa — knowledge and vision, forever.

The simple version: Each soul's liberation has a beginning, but collectively, liberated souls have always existed and always will. All are formless — nothing but infinite knowledge and vision.

संसारत्था उ जे जीवा, दुविहा ते वियाहिया ।
तसा य थावरा चेव, थावरा तिविहा तहि ॥३६.६९॥

The worldly souls are said to be of two kinds: mobile (those capable of voluntary movement, with 2–5 senses) and immobile (those with only the sense of touch, fixed in place). The immobile are of three main types.

The great biological division in Jain ontology: mobile (trasa) and immobile (sthāvara). Mobile beings have 2 to 5 senses and can move voluntarily. Immobile beings have only the single sense of touch — they cannot choose to move. This classification is the foundation of Jain biology and the basis of the ethics of non-violence: even earth, water, fire, air, and plants contain living souls. Harming them carelessly is a violation of life, even if the soul cannot cry out.

The simple version: Worldly souls are of two kinds: mobile (with 2 to 5 senses, capable of movement) and immobile (with 1 sense only, fixed in place). Even earth and water are alive.

पुढवी आउ जीवा य, सुहुमा बायरा तहा ।
इच्चेए थावरा तिविहा, तेसिं भेए सुणेह मे ॥३६.७०॥

Earth-bodied, water-bodied, and plant-bodied — and each further divided into subtle and gross. Thus the immobile souls are of three main types — listen as I describe their sub-divisions.

The immobile souls possess only the sense of touch — the most basic sense. The five main body-types are earth, water, fire, air, and plant. Each is divided into subtle (sūkṣma — invisible, pervading the entire universe) and gross (bādara — visible, localized). Subtle earth-bodies pervade every point of space; gross earth-bodies are the stones and soil under our feet. Knowing this, the Jain monk avoids unnecessary destruction even of earth and water.

The simple version: The three main types of immobile beings — earth-bodied, water-bodied, and plant-bodied — are each divided into subtle (invisible) and gross (visible) forms.

Sutras 36.71–72 are presented together because they form one continuous classification: verse 71 introduces the subtle/gross and developed/undeveloped division for earth-bodied souls, and verse 72 adds the final sub-division (soft vs. hard) for the gross developed type. Together they complete the full 6-fold classification of pṛthvī-kāya. Each verse's complete Prakrit is shown in full below.

दुविहा तेउ जीवा य, सुहुमा बायरा तहा ।
पज्जत्तमपज्जत्ता, एवमेए दुहा पुणो ॥३६.७१॥
बायरा जे उ पज्जत्ता, दुविहा ते वियाहिया ।
सण्हा खरा य बोधव्वा, सपज्जवसिया तर्हि ॥३६.७२॥

Earth-bodied souls are of two types: subtle and gross. Each is further divided into fully developed and not yet developed. The gross developed earth-bodies are further known as two: soft and hard.

Pṛthvī-kāya (earth-bodied) souls include all souls embodied in earth, stone, minerals, gems, and metals. The four-fold division (subtle/gross × developed/undeveloped) applies to each body-type throughout the chapter. Gross developed earth-bodies are the ones we encounter daily — soil, stone, gems, metal ore. Subtle earth-bodies are invisible, pervading all space, yet they too are souls with the sense of touch. The soft/hard sub-division of gross developed earth-bodies reflects the actual variety of earth-substance.

The simple version: Earth-bodied souls divide into subtle and gross, each into developed and undeveloped. The gross developed ones are further soft or hard — like soil vs. stone.

Sutras 36.73–106 are presented together because they are a systematic, structurally identical block — 34 verses each applying the same subtle/gross/developed/undeveloped/soft-hard classification to the remaining four immobile body-types (water, fire, air, and plant). The PDF commentary treats these as one unit of enumeration. Note: the Gujarati source transcribes the opening classification verses in full; the remaining verses repeat the identical structural pattern for each body-type.

किण्हा णीला य रुहिरा, हालिद्दा सुक्किला तहा ।
पंडु पणग मट्टिया, खरा छत्तीसई विहा ॥
दुविहा वणस्सइ जीवा, सुहुमा बायरा तहा ।
पज्जत्तमपज्जत्ता, एवमेए दुहा पुणो ॥

Water-bodied, fire-bodied, air-bodied, and plant-bodied souls each follow the identical classification pattern: subtle and gross, each developed and undeveloped. Plant-bodied souls are the most diverse — with individual-body plants (one soul per plant) and shared-body plants (infinite souls sharing one body, like mould and algae).

These 34 sutras systematically describe all four remaining immobile body-types. Water-bodied souls inhabit water, ice, dew, fog, mist. Fire-bodied souls inhabit fire, lightning, hot coals, sparks, and all forms of combustion. Air-bodied souls inhabit wind, breeze, cyclone, and all atmospheric movement. Plant-bodied souls are the most diverse — encompassing every form of plant life, from great trees to microscopic organisms. The Jain monk carries a soft broom to avoid stepping on these invisible souls, and strains drinking water to avoid harming water-bodies.

The simple version: Water, fire, air, and plant-bodied souls each follow the same pattern: subtle and gross, developed and undeveloped. The entire physical world is inhabited by souls.

Sutras 36.107–108 are presented together because they form one transitional statement: verse 107 closes the section on immobile souls and verse 108 announces the shift to the four-perspective time analysis — one closing and one opening line of a pivot point. Each verse's complete Prakrit is shown in full below.

इच्चेए थावरा तिविहा, समासेण वियाहिया ।
इत्तो कालविभागं तु, तेसिं वुच्छ चउव्विहं ॥

Thus the immobile souls have been described in summary. Now I shall describe the time-classification for them in four ways, and then turn to the mobile souls.

The transition from immobile to mobile souls. The trasa (mobile) souls are those with 2 to 5 senses and the capacity for voluntary movement. Their classification occupies the rest of the chapter — from the simplest two-sense worm to the most complex five-sense celestial. Each category will be analysed through the same four perspectives: substance, space, time, and mode, ensuring completeness.

The simple version: The immobile beings have been described. Now begins the classification of mobile beings — those with 2 to 5 senses and the power to move.

Sutras 36.109–126 are presented together because they classify the mobile (trasa) souls by sense-count as one continuous taxonomy — covering all four levels (2-sense, 3-sense, 4-sense, and 5-sense) in an unbroken enumeration. Separating them would split a single definitional unit. Note: the opening verses are transcribed in full; the remaining verses follow the same naming/listing structure for each sense-level.

बायरा जे उ पज्जत्ता, पंचहा ते पकित्तिया ।
किमिणो सोमंगला चेव, अलसा माइवाहया ।
वासीमुहा य सिप्पिया, संखा संखणगा तहा ॥

Mobile souls are of four types: 2-sense (touch and taste — worms, shells, leeches), 3-sense (touch, taste, smell — ants, lice, termites), 4-sense (touch, taste, smell, sight — flies, bees, butterflies, mosquitoes), and 5-sense (adding hearing and mind — animals, humans, hell-beings, celestials).

This series classifies mobile life by sense-count — not by anatomy or genetics, but by the number of ways a being can experience the world. Two-sense beings know touch and taste only. Three-sense beings add smell. Four-sense beings add sight — they can see you before you see them. Five-sense beings add hearing and, crucially, mind — making them capable of deliberate thought, moral choice, and therefore of liberation. The Jain classification predates modern biology by centuries and is organized entirely around the soul's capacity for experience.

The simple version: Mobile beings come in four types based on their senses: 2-sense (worms), 3-sense (ants), 4-sense (bees, flies), and 5-sense (everything from fish to humans to celestials).

Sutras 36.127–133 are presented together because they form a single detailed profile of gross mobile (trasa) souls — first establishing their four-way sense division, then naming specific 2-sense creatures, then giving the lifespan range for 2-sense beings. The specific creatures listed and their lifespans are all part of one integrated description. Each verse's complete Prakrit is shown in full below.

उराला य तसा जे उ, चउहा ते पकित्तिया ।
बेइंदिया तेइंदिया, चउरो पँचिंदिया चेव य ॥
वासाइं बारसा चेव, उक्कोसेण वियाहिया ।
बेइंदिय आउठिई, अंतोमुहुत्तं जहण्णया ॥३६.१३३॥

Gross mobile souls are of four kinds: 2-sense, 3-sense, 4-sense, and 5-sense. The 2-sense beings include worms, conch shells, leeches, and related creatures. Their maximum lifespan is 12 years; minimum is less than 48 minutes.

The detailed listing of specific creatures by name is the Jain equivalent of a biological taxonomy — designed to prevent ignorant harm. A practitioner who knows what creatures exist at each sense-level can move through the world with maximum care. Even the briefest life — less than 48 minutes — is a complete soul experience that deserves consideration. The temporal range here is striking: the same category spans from less-than-an-hour lives to 12-year lives.

The simple version: 2-sense beings (worms, shells, leeches) have a maximum lifespan of 12 years and a minimum of less than 48 minutes. Every life, however brief, is a soul.

Sutras 36.134–140 are presented together because they form a single integrated profile of three-sense souls: establishing the developed/undeveloped division, naming specific three-sense creatures (ants, lice, termites, and others), and giving their lifespans. These elements constitute one indivisible teaching unit. Each verse's complete Prakrit is shown in full below.

तेइंदिया उ जे जीवा, दुविहा ते पकित्तिया ।
पज्जत्तमपज्जत्ता, एवमेए दुहा पुणो ॥३६.१३७॥
कुंथु पिवीलि उड्ढंसा, उक्कलुद्देहिया तहा ॥३६.१३८॥

Three-sense souls (touch, taste, smell) include ants, lice, various beetles, termites, and many more — classified as developed and undeveloped. Maximum lifespan: 49 days. They exist only in specific regions of the universe, not everywhere.

Three-sense beings possess touch, taste, and smell — they can smell food before they taste it, approach or avoid based on scent. The extensive list of named species in the Prakrit reflects the Jain commitment to comprehensiveness: no living being is too small to name, too small to count, too small to care about. Maximum lifespan of 49 days is short but complete — a full life experienced by a soul capable of suffering.

The simple version: Three-sense beings — ants, lice, termites, and many insects — possess touch, taste, and smell, and live at most 49 days.

Sutras 36.141–155 are presented together because they cover two interconnected profiles in one block: four-sense souls (with species names, lifespan, and spatial analysis) and five-sense souls (introducing the four major destinies: hell, animal, human, celestial). The PDF commentary treats both as one unbroken enumeration — the transition from four-sense to five-sense is made without a break.

चउरिंदिया उ जे जीवा, दुविहा ते पकित्तिया ।
पज्जत्तमपज्जत्ता, एवमेए दुहा पुणो ॥३६.१४१॥
एएसिं वण्णओ चेव, गंधओ रस फासओ ।
संठाणादेसओ वावि, विहाणाइ सहस्ससो ॥

Four-sense souls (touch, taste, smell, sight) include flies, bees, mosquitoes, butterflies, scorpions, and many more. Maximum lifespan: 6 months. Five-sense souls (adding hearing and mind) are the most complex — divided into the four destinies: hell-beings, animals, humans, and celestials. They alone possess mind.

Four-sense beings can see — this is the threshold of visual awareness. Bees navigate by sight; flies avoid your hand before it strikes. Maximum lifespan 6 months. Five-sense beings cross the threshold into full sensory experience, adding hearing and — crucially — mind (manas). With mind comes deliberate thought, moral responsibility, and the capacity for liberation. The Jain monk's care in practice reflects awareness that every creature in these categories has a rich inner life.

The simple version: Four-sense beings (bees, flies, butterflies) add sight and live up to 6 months. Five-sense beings add hearing and mind — making moral choice possible for the first time.

Sutras 36.156–170 are presented together because they form one unified description of hell-beings: naming the seven hells, giving their precise lifespans (minimum and maximum for each level), and stating the spatial and temporal range. These 15 verses constitute one indivisible profile of the narakas and cannot be meaningfully read in isolation. Each verse's complete Prakrit is shown in full below.

णेरइया सत्तविहा, पुढविसु सत्तसु भवे ।
रयणाभा सक्कराभा, वालुयाभा य आहिया ॥३६.१५७॥
पंकाभा धूमाभा, तमा तमतमा तहा ॥३६.१५८॥

Hell-beings are of seven types, corresponding to the seven hells: Jewel-Lustre, Gravel-Lustre, Sand-Lustre, Mud-Lustre, Smoke-Lustre, Darkness, and Intense Darkness.

The seven hells are layered beneath the middle world, each deeper and more intense than the one above it. Hell-beings experience continuous, involuntary suffering from birth to natural death — they cannot leave before their karma is exhausted. The names describe each hell's characteristic quality: the first is as bright as jewels but filled with pain; the seventh is absolute darkness with the most extreme suffering. Liberation is not possible from hell — the soul must first exhaust its hell karma and be reborn in a realm where practice is possible.

The simple version: Hell-beings live in 7 layers of hell, from Jewel-Lustre to Intense Darkness, experiencing increasingly severe suffering in each deeper level until their karma runs out.

Sutras 36.170–176 are presented together because they form the complete habitat-based classification of five-sense animals: aquatic, terrestrial (creeping and four-footed), and aerial — each further divided by mode of birth. These seven verses constitute one indivisible biological taxonomy. Note: the opening verse is transcribed in full; subsequent verses follow the identical structural pattern for each habitat type.

पंचिंदिय तिरिक्खाओ, चउव्विहा ते वियाहिया ।
जलयरा थलयरा चेव, खहयरा चउव्विहा तहा ॥

Five-sense animal souls are of four types: aquatic (fish, crocodiles, dolphins, turtles), terrestrial — creeping (snakes) and four-footed (elephants, lions) — and aerial (birds). Each is further divided into spontaneously-born and womb-born.

The five-sense animal realm is classified first by habitat: water, land, and sky. Terrestrial animals are sub-divided into creeping (snakes, lizards) and four-footed (elephants, lions, cows). Each of the three habitat categories is further divided into spontaneously-born (saṃmūrcchima) and womb-born (garbhaja) — a fundamental Jain biological distinction based on the mode of birth rather than anatomy. The Jain monk's careful movement and dietary practice reflects awareness that all these realms are populated by souls deserving of non-harm.

The simple version: Five-sense animals are classified as aquatic, terrestrial (creeping or four-footed), and aerial — with spontaneously-born and womb-born in each type.

Sutras 36.177–193 are presented together because they apply the four-perspective analytical framework (substance, space, time, mode) to every animal sub-type established in the previous block. These 17 verses are the analytical complement to the preceding classification — the same categories now examined from all four angles. They form one continuous methodological unit. Note: the opening verse is transcribed in full; the remaining verses repeat the same formula for each animal sub-type.

एए वण्णओ चेव, गंधओ रसओ फासओ ।
संठाणादेसओ वावि, विहाणाइ सहस्ससो ॥

These sutras apply the four-perspective analysis to every animal sub-type: how many sub-types exist (substance), the regions they inhabit (space), their minimum and maximum lifespans (time), and the full five-fold qualitative modes — colour, smell, taste, touch, and shape (mode).

This section is the Jain equivalent of a systematic zoological survey — each animal sub-type described from all four analytical angles. From the perspective of time: the stream of animal existence is anādi-ananta (beginningless and endless), but each individual animal life is sādi-saparyavasita (with a beginning and an end). From the perspective of space: all five-sense animals exist only in specific regions of the universe (loka-eka-desa), not everywhere. From the perspective of mode: colour, smell, taste, touch, and shape appear in thousands of combinations across animal forms.

The simple version: Each type of animal is fully analysed from four angles: what it is, where it lives, how long it lives, and what qualities it has. Every life, however brief, is a complete soul experience.

Sutras 36.194–206 are presented together because they constitute one complete profile of human souls: classifying spontaneously-born and womb-born humans, naming the regions of birth (15 lands of action, 30 lands of non-action), and then applying the full four-perspective analysis (substance, space, time, mode). These 13 verses are a single integrated description of the human realm. Note: the key classification verse is transcribed in full; the remaining verses apply the four-perspective formula.

मणुया दुविह भेया उ, सम्मुच्छिमा य तहा ।
गब्भवक्कंतिया तेहिं, तिविहा ते वियाहिया ॥३६.१९८॥

Humans are of two kinds: spontaneously-born (101 types) and womb-born (202 types) — totaling 303. Womb-born humans are of three sub-types: those in lands of action (15 regions), lands of non-action (30 regions), and intermediate islands.

The human realm is the most precious of all — it alone provides the conditions for liberation. Only humans in the "lands of action" (the 15 regions spanning the inner cosmos) can practise dharma fully and attain mokṣa. Human lifespan ranges from an instant to 3 palya in the first era of the time-cycle. Humans exist in only 2.5 dvīpas out of the infinite cosmic space — an infinitesimally small fraction of the universe, yet the only place where liberation is possible from a body with full capacity for practice.

The simple version: Humans are of 303 types: 202 womb-born and 101 spontaneously-born. Only those in the 15 "lands of action" can practise the path and attain liberation.

Sutras 36.207–215 are presented together because they form the complete introductory classification of celestial beings: naming all four celestial orders (mansion-dwelling, wandering, luminous, aerial-palace), then naming all 10 mansion-dwelling sub-types and all 8 wandering sub-types. These 9 verses are one classification unit — stopping at any point would leave the taxonomy incomplete. Each verse's complete Prakrit is shown in full below.

देवा चउव्विहा वुत्ता, ते मे कित्तयओ सुण ।
भोमिज्ज वाणमंतर, जोइस वेमाणिया तहा ॥३६.२०७॥
असुरा णागकुमारा य, तहा सुवण्णकुमारा ।
अग्गी य वायुकुमारा, उदही दीवकुमारा ॥३६.२०९॥

Celestial beings are of four types: mansion-dwelling (10 sub-types), wandering (8 sub-types), luminous (5 sub-types: suns, moons, planets, constellations, stars), and aerial-palace dwelling (ascending through 12 heavens + above-heavens + 5 supreme realms).

The four orders of celestial beings span the cosmos above the middle world. Mansion-dwelling beings inhabit the structured mansions in the lower cosmos; wandering beings roam freely between realms; luminous beings are the celestial bodies that orbit Mount Meru; aerial-palace beings ascend through the highest heavens. The highest realm — All-Purpose-Perfected — guarantees liberation in the very next (human) birth. To be born there is to have one final step before permanent liberation.

The simple version: Celestials are of four types: mansion-dwelling, wandering, luminous (suns and stars), and aerial-palace dwelling. The highest level guarantees liberation in the next birth.

Sutras 36.216–219 are presented together because they form one continuous enumeration of the highest celestial realms: verses 216–217 name all nine above-heaven (graiveyaka) levels in order, and verses 218–219 name the five supreme realms — together giving the complete summit of the celestial hierarchy. Each verse's complete Prakrit is shown in full below.

हेट्ठिमा हेट्ठिमा चेव, हेट्ठिमा मज्झिमा तहा ।
हेट्ठिमा उवरिमा चेव, मज्झिमाहेट्ठिमा तहा ॥३६.२१६॥
विजया वेजयंता य, जयंता अपराजिया ।
सव्वट्ठसिद्धगा चेव, पंचहाणुत्तरा सुरा ॥३६.२१८–२१९॥

The nine above-heaven levels in three tiers of three: lower-lower, lower-middle, lower-upper; middle-lower, middle-middle, middle-upper; upper-lower, upper-middle, upper-upper. Above these are the five supreme celestial realms: Victory, Great Victory, Triumph, Unconquered, and All-Purpose-Perfected.

The crown of the celestial hierarchy. The nine above-heaven realms exist above the twelve standard heavens and are beyond the structured kalpa system — beings here are beyond passion-based existence. Above even these are the five supreme realms. All-Purpose-Perfected is the absolute summit: beings born here will attain liberation in their very next human birth — without exception. To be born in All-Purpose-Perfected is to have one final life remaining before permanent freedom.

The simple version: Above the standard heavens are nine more levels, and above those, five supreme realms. The highest — All-Purpose-Perfected — guarantees liberation in the very next birth.

लोगस्स एगदेसम्मि ते, सव्वे वि वियाहिया ।
इत्तो कालविभागं तु, तेसिं वुच्छं चउव्विहं ॥

All of these — every being described — exist in one region of the universe. The fourfold classification by time has been described for all of them.

A powerful perspective-shift: after cataloguing hell-beings, animals, humans, and the vast celestial hierarchies, the text pauses to remind us that all of this — every realm, every being — exists in only one finite region of an infinite universe. The loka (inhabited cosmos) is immense by human standards but infinitesimally small in cosmic terms. The liberated souls at the summit have escaped this region entirely, rising to where only pure consciousness exists. The knowledge given here is precisely what enables that escape.

The simple version: All beings — from the simplest to the most complex — exist within one finite region of an infinite universe. The complete classification has been given.

Sutras 36.221–233 are presented together because they form one complete lifespan-table for all celestial orders: each verse gives the minimum and maximum lifespan for one celestial type, ascending from mansion-dwelling (10,000 years) through wandering, luminous, and aerial-palace beings up to the five supreme realms (33 Ocean-Measures). Reading any verse alone gives only a fragment of this ascending progression. Each verse's complete Prakrit is shown in full below.

साहिया दुण्णि साहिया, ईसाणम्मि जहण्णयं ।
भोमेज्जाणं जहण्णेणं, दसवासहस्ससयं ॥
सागरा अणवीसं तु, उक्कोसेण वियाहिया ॥

These sutras provide precise lifespan measurements for every celestial realm — from 10,000 years for the lowest mansion-dwelling beings to 33 Ocean-Measures for the All-Purpose-Perfected realm. Lifespans ascend progressively through all 12 standard heavens, the 9 above-heaven levels, and the 5 supreme realms.

The ascending lifespans reflect ascending spiritual merit — the longer the celestial lifespan, the greater the merit accumulated in previous human lives. One Ocean-Measure is approximately 10¹⁵ years — utterly incomprehensible by human standards. Yet even 33 Ocean-Measures ends. Only liberation is truly permanent. Every celestial, however long-lived, will eventually exhaust their merit and be reborn in a realm that requires fresh effort. The highest celestials are not yet free — they are simply at the penultimate station.

The simple version: Each celestial realm has precise lifespans, ascending from 10,000 years to 33 Ocean-Measures at the highest. Even the longest celestial life ends. Only liberation is permanent.

Sutras 36.234–256 are presented together because they apply the complete four-perspective analysis (substance, space, time, mode) to all celestial beings — covering body heights, locations, interval between births, temporal analysis, and the five qualitative modes (colour, smell, taste, touch, shape). These 23 verses constitute a single analytical survey of the celestial realm; no verse stands alone without the context of the others. Each verse's complete Prakrit is shown in full below.

सागरा अणवीसं तु, उक्कोसेण ठिई भवे ।
अणंतकालमुक्कोसं, अंतोमुहुत्तं जहण्णयं ।
एएसिं वण्णओ चेव, गंधओ रसफासओ ॥

These sutras provide the complete four-perspective analysis for celestial beings: body heights (from 7 arm-spans for the lowest to 500 arm-spans for the highest), locations in the cosmos, interval between births, and the full five-fold qualitative mode analysis (colour, smell, taste, touch, shape).

The four-perspective framework is applied exhaustively to celestial beings. Even celestial bodies are measured and classified: the stream of celestial existence is eternal (anādi-ananta), but each individual celestial life has a beginning and an end. The maximum interval before the same type of celestial birth recurs can be infinite — once a celestial life ends, it may be infinite time before one attains that specific quality of existence again. This underscores the preciousness of any exceptional state of being.

The simple version: Each type of celestial being has a specific body height, a defined location, and a measured lifespan. The stream of celestial existence is eternal, but each individual life begins and ends.

Sutras 36.259–268 are presented together because they form the ethical conclusion of the entire chapter: listing the five forms of negative destiny that arise from ignorance of the living/non-living distinction, then connecting that knowledge to the dissolution of anger and ultimately to the abandonment of all suffering. These 10 closing verses are a single moral argument — the philosophical classification of the chapter culminating in a practical call to right living. Each verse's complete Prakrit is shown in full below.

कंदप्पकुक्कुयाइं तह, सेणावासासुरत्तणं ।
एवाओ दुग्गइओ तहा, पंचहा एवमायओ ॥
अणुबद्ध रोसपरसरो, णो इत्थीणं, णो पुरिसाणं ।
एएणं परिणामेणं, सव्वं दुक्खं विवज्जए ॥

These sutras connect the jīva-ajīva knowledge to daily conduct: five forms of negative destiny arise from ignorance of this distinction. Understanding what is soul and what is not — and living that understanding — dissolves anger and leads to the abandonment of all suffering.

Knowledge without practice is incomplete. These sutras ground the entire philosophical classification in daily ethical life: knowing what is living and what is non-living should manifest in regular self-examination, confession, and ever-more-careful conduct. Five negative destinies arise from ignorance — deceitful behaviour, wrong conduct, inappropriate action, conflict, and demonic tendency. When a person deeply understands that every being is a soul on its own journey toward liberation, harming others becomes as unthinkable as harming oneself.

The simple version: Ignorance of living and non-living leads to five types of harmful behaviour. Understanding it dissolves anger and leads to right conduct and freedom from suffering.

अणुबद्ध रोसपसरो, तह य अणुबद्ध मायपसरो ।
अणुबद्ध लोभपसरो, णो लोगेसु विसोहणं ॥

The interconnected spread of anger, the interconnected spread of deceit, the interconnected spread of greed — through these, there is no purification in any world.

A devastating verse about the interconnected nature of passion. Anger, deceit, and greed spread through everything like a web — when one is active, it pulls the others. A moment of anger breeds a defensive lie (deceit), which breeds hunger for justification (greed for vindication). Without cutting all three, purification is impossible in any realm — not in hell, not in the celestial heavens, not in any human life. This is why knowledge alone is insufficient: it must be accompanied by the patient, total uprooting of all four passions.

The simple version: Anger, deceit, and greed are interconnected — they spread together. Without cutting all three, there is no purification anywhere in any world.

सत्थगहणं विसभक्खणं च, जलणं च जलपवेसणं य ।
अणपवेसणीयं च, जम्म मरणं अंतरं ॥

Grasping a weapon, consuming poison, entering fire, entering water, and entering that which cannot be entered — birth and death are the interval between these.

Five devastating similes for the condition of saṃsāra: the cycle of birth and death is compared to grasping a blade (injuring yourself as you hold it), swallowing poison (slow internal destruction), entering fire (consuming yourself), drowning, and attempting to enter what is impossible to enter. Between each death and the next birth, the soul is wounded again and again. The knowledge of jīva-ajīva — clearly knowing what you are and what you are not — is the only tool that can stop this cycle. This is why the chapter opened: "Listen with a one-pointed mind."

The simple version: The cycle of birth and death is like grasping a weapon, swallowing poison, entering fire, and drowning — repeated endlessly. Clear knowledge of what you truly are is the only way out.

लोगस्स एगदेसम्मि ते, सव्वे वि वियाहिया ।
इत्तो कालविभागं तु, तेसिं वुच्छं चउव्विहं ॥
– ति बेमि

All of these exist in one region of the universe. The fourfold classification by time has been described for all. — Thus I say.

The final verse of the Uttaradhyayana's most detailed chapter — sealed with ti bemi: "Thus I say." These three words are Mahavira's canonical testimony, the seal of authenticity on every teaching. The entire Jain ontological map — 274 sutras traversing every substance, every being, every realm, every lifespan — closes with the reminder that all of this exists in one small region of an infinite universe. The knowledge is complete. The path is clear. Now it must be walked.

The simple version: All beings exist within one region of an infinite universe. The complete classification has been given. Thus I say — these are the living words of Mahavira.