Description

In three panels, three richly dressed couples sit facing each other in ornate palaces. The men each have four arms and hold flowers.

These are gods and goddesses enjoying the delights of heavenly life. In Jain cosmology there are numerous heavens in the upper tiers of the universe, above the mortal realms in the Middle World and the hells below. The lowest 12 heavens are the paradiseskalpas – in which dwell the Vaimānika gods.

In these 12 paradises, pairs of gods and goddesses enjoy the luxury of a comfortable life and sensual pleasures in their palaces. They look at each other, touch each other, smell a fragrant flower and so on. The higher the heaven, the fewer desires the deities have.