Living Systems in Jainism: A Scientific Study: 13.07 ►Upper Loka & Celestial Beings

Celestial beings are of four main types:

1. Mansion-dwelling celestial beings (Bhavanvasi deva)
2. Wandering celestial beings (Vyantara deva)
3. Stellar celestial beings (Jyotishka deva)
4. Empyrean celestial beings (Vaimanika deva)

Only Empyrean celestial beings (Vaimanika deva) inhabit the upper loka; the other three types of celestial beings live in the middle loka. There are sixteen heavens (Digambara belief, 12 in Svetambara) in the 6 rajju region of the upper loka, as shown in Figure 2. After these heavens, nine Graiveyaka, nine Anudisha and five Annuttara celestial lands are there, within a region of one rajju. The region between the last Annuttara land and the first outer layer (vatavalaya) is called the Eighth Land (Ashtama Prithvi) and has a height of 8 yojana. The Sidhhashila, or abode of liberated souls, is situated in the middle of this Eighth Land. The age, power, happiness, radiance, purity of emotions (lesya), purity of senses, and power of clairvoyance of the Empyrean celestial beings is minimal in the first heaven and increases as one raises to the higher heavens. The Empyrean celestial beings of higher heavens do not leave their lands (Vimana).