Bīrūnī, Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad, Alberuni's India (v. 1)

(London :  Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co.,  1910.)

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  Page 232  



232
 

ALBERUNPS INDIA.
 

Page 115.
 

is possible; for anything bound, though capable of
being loosened, is not exposed to destruction, as long
as its order is good."

Aristotle says iu his letter to Alexander: " The
world is the order of the whole creation. That which
is above the world, and surrounds it on the sides, is the
dwelling-place of the gods. Heaven is full of the gods
to which we give the name of stars." In another place
of the same book he says, " The earth is bounded by
the water, the water by the air, the air by the fire, the
fire by the aWrjp. Therefore the highest place is the
dwelling-place of the gods, and the lowest, the home
of the aquatic animals."

There is a similar passage in the Vdyu-Burdna to
this effect, that the earth is held in its grasp by the
water, the water by the pure fire, the fire by the wind,
the wind by heaven, and heaven by its lord.

The names of the lokas do not differ like those of
the earths. There is a difference of opinion only re¬
garding their order. We exhibit the names of the
lokas iu a table similar to the former (p. 230).
 


 

What member.s of
 

Tlieir Names
 

The Number of the
 

the Sun tliey repre¬
 

according to the
 

Heavens.
 

sent according to
 

Aditya, Vdyu and
 


 

the AdUya-Purdna.
 

Vish'iu Puranas.
 

I.
 

The stomach.
 

Bhurloka.
 

II.
 

The breast.
 

Bhuvarloka.
 

III.
 

The mouth.
 

Svarloka.
 

IV.
 

The eyebrow.
 

Maharloka.
 

V.
 

The forehead.
 

Janaloka.
 

VI.
 

/ Above the \
(   forehead,   j
 

Tapoloka.
 

VII.
 

The skull.
 

Satyaloka.
 

Criticisms        TMs thcory of the earths is the same with all Hindus,

m^entatorof" cxcept alouc the commeutator of the book of Patanjali.

Page^ii^e!"     He had heard that the Bitaras, or fathers, had their

gathering-place in the sphere of the moon, a tradition

built on the theories of the astronomers.    In conse-
  Page 232