EARTH is the First Covering of the Universal Shell, Not WATER.

Comments

1. Mayesvara dasa says:

   10. September 2019 at 1:23 pm

   Further evidence that water is the first covering of the universe (not earth) can be found here:

   http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/08-19/editorials17192.htm

   During the process of universal dissolution, the cosmic egg (anda) dissolves into water which is consistently described as the first covering of the universe. The universe itself appears to be representative of the earth element which is then dissolved into water. The universe is never described as dissolving into an earth element.

   Of course, for the final presentation of the virat-rupa at the TOVP, all of the English translations quoted here have to be thoroughly checked for accuracy.

   If anyone would like to present evidence that the universe is dissolved into a layer of earth, we are free to discuss further. Otherwise it appears clear that the universe dissolves into water which would make it the first covering of the universal shell.

   Reply
2. Amar Puri says:

   11. September 2019 at 11:30 pm

   Dear Mayesvara Dasa Prabhu,

   Thank you for posting your comments on this site of the followers SOLELY of the VANI of HDG. Srila Prabhupada.

   As a matter of fact the Article with regard to the first covering of the Universe is EARTH not the WATER on Prabhupadanugas.eu web site is ,indeed , in rebuttal of your article of the evidence posted by your goodself on Sampardaya SUN web site ;http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/08-19/editorials17192.htm .

   You may wonder as to why the Article under discussion in rebuttal was not posted on Sampardaya web site ? The answer is that the Editor Shri Rochana Das of Sampardaya Sun web site does not accept any type of writing from those who are staunch followers of HDG. Srila Prabhupada’s VANI. Another words, those who are particularly following in accepting the Rtvik System of Initiations as established and instructed in the VANI of HDG. Srila Prabhupada Himself.

   In your comments, you are emphasizing greatly the process of the Universal dissolution which dissolves into water which is INCOMPLETELY description of your own sense perception how you see and describe it in your writing the easy.

   Should we accept your version of the description of the Universal dissolution as the first layer is the water which is INCOMPLETE and MISREPRESENTED, because the dissolution of the Universe also takes place by the FIRE from which the WATER comes and from the WATER comes the EARTH as confirmed in the S.B. 3.26.49. Isn’t it, Mayesvara dasa Prabhu ?

   From the Purport S.B.3.26.52 ;

   “This universe, or the universal sky which we can visualize with its innumerable planets, is shaped just like an egg. As an egg is covered by a shell, the universe is also covered by various layers. The first layer is water, the next is fire, then air, then sky, and the ultimate holding crust is pradhāna. ……………… ”

   From the above Purport we can read and understand that this Universe is shaped just like an egg and an egg is covered by a SHELL. The Universe is also covered by various layers. The first layer is water, the next is fire then air, then sky and the ultimate holding crust is Pradhana which is also known as Mahat Tattva.

   Only in relationship with the creation of the Fundamental Principles of the Material Nature, the Water is the first layer. To hold the water, a SHELL is required, indeed. So, the Shell is understood as the EARTH which is the first layer as it is further confirmed in the S.B. 3.26.49 and validate that the earth is the reservoir of all the qualities of the other elements.

   Should we understand INCOMPLETELY and accept that the first layer is the WATER not the EARTH, then it automatically becomes contradictory to the SASTRAS. The WISE knows that the Sastras, the Shadus and the Guru do not contradict.

   Earth is the sum total of all other elements because the EARTH has all Five Qualities of the Gross Material Elements as stated below ;

   TRANSLATION, S.B.3.26.49

   Since the cause exists in its effect as well, the characteristics of the former are observed in the latter. That is why the peculiarities of all the elements exist in the earth alone.

   PURPORT

   Sound is the cause of the sky, sky is the cause of the air, air is the cause of fire, fire is the cause of water, and water is the cause of earth. In the sky there is only sound; in the air there are sound and touch; in the fire there are sound, touch and form; in water there are sound, touch, form and taste; and in the earth there are sound, touch, form, taste and smell. Therefore earth is the reservoir of all the qualities of the other elements. Earth is the sum total of all other elements. The earth has all five qualities of the elements, water has four qualities, fire has three, air has two, and the sky has only one quality, sound.

   To confirm further S.B. 3.29.43 we read that the first layer is of earth, and it is ten times greater in size as stated in the Purport ;

   PURPORT ;

   ” …………..It is also stated here that the total universal body is increasing. It is covered by seven layers, and as there are five elements within the universe, so the total elements, in layers, cover the outside of the universal body. The first layer is of earth, and it is ten times greater in size than the space within the universe; the second layer is water, and that is ten times greater than the earthly layer; the third covering is fire, which is ten times greater than the water covering. In this way each layer is ten times greater than the previous one. “

   Moreover, S.B.6.16.37 also states further the same EARTH is the first layer ;

   TRANSLATION

   Every universe is covered by seven layers—earth, water, fire, air, sky, the total energy and false ego—each ten times greater than the previous one. There are innumerable universes besides this one, and although they are unlimitedly large, they move about like atoms in You. Therefore You are called unlimited [ananta].

   PURPORT
   The Brahma-saṁhitā (5.48) says:
   yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya
   jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ
   viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo
   govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

   The origin of the material creation is Mahā-Viṣṇu, who lies in the Causal Ocean. While He sleeps in that ocean, millions of universes are generated as He exhales, and they are all annihilated when He inhales. This Mahā-Viṣṇu is a plenary portion of a portion of Viṣṇu, Govinda (yasya kalā-viśeṣaḥ). The word kalā refers to a plenary portion of a plenary portion. From Kṛṣṇa, or Govinda, comes Balarāma; from Balarāma comes Saṅkarṣaṇa; from Saṅkarṣaṇa, Nārāyaṇa; from Nārāyaṇa, the second Saṅkarṣaṇa; from the second Saṅkarṣaṇa, Mahā-Viṣṇu; from Mahā-Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu; and from Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu controls every universe. This gives an idea of the meaning of ananta, unlimited. What is to be said of the unlimited potency and existence of the Lord? This verse describes the coverings of the universe (saptabhir daśa-guṇottarair aṇḍa-kośaḥ). The first covering is earth, the second is water, the third is fire, the fourth is air, the fifth is sky, the sixth is the total material energy, and the seventh is the false ego. Beginning with the covering of earth, each covering is ten times greater than the previous one. Thus we can only imagine how great each universe is, and there are many millions of universes. As confirmed by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gītā (10.42):

   athavā bahunaitena
   kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna
   viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam
   ekāṁśena sthito jagat

   “But what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge? With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe.” The entire material world manifests only one fourth of the Supreme Lord’s energy. Therefore He is called ananta.

   Mayesvara Prabhu, now it is up to you that you may sincerely present your FACTS As It Is through the eyes of the Sastras, the Sahdus and the Guru without any contradiction. If you and your team truly serve the purpose of the mission of our Jagat Guru HDG. Srila Prabhupada, then, only you are accepted in a humble glorious position to do so.

   Otherwise, please don’t misrepresent in your writing which is considered CHEATING.

   Hope it meets you satisfactory.

   OM TAT SAT.

   Hare Krishna. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.

   YS……. Amar Puri.

   Reply
3. Mahesh Raja says:

   12. September 2019 at 1:00 pm

   TEXT 40
   viṣṇor nu vīrya-gaṇanāṁ katamo ‘rhatīha
   yaḥ pārthivāny api kavir vimame rajāṁsi
   caskambha yaḥ sva-rahasāskhalatā tri-pṛṣṭhaṁ
   yasmāt tri-sāmya-sadanād uru-kampayānam
   SYNONYMS
   viṣṇoḥ—of Lord Viṣṇu; nu—but; vīrya—prowess; gaṇanām—in the matter of accounting; katamaḥ—who else; arhati—is able to do it; iha—in this world; yaḥ—one who; pārthivāni—the atoms; api—also; kaviḥ—great scientist; vimame—might have counted; rajāṁsi—particles; caskambha—could catch; yaḥ—one who; sva-rahasā—by His own leg; askhalatā—without being hampered; tri-pṛṣṭham—the topmost planetary space; yasmāt—by which; tri-sāmya—the neutral state of the three modes; sadanāt—up to that place; uru-kampayānam—moving very greatly.
   TRANSLATION
   Who can describe completely the prowess of Viṣṇu? Even the scientist, who might have counted the particles of the atoms of the universe, cannot do so. Because it is He only who in His form of Trivikrama moved His leg effortlessly beyond the topmost planet, Satyaloka, up to the neutral state of the three modes of material nature. And all were moved.
   PURPORT
   The highest scientific advancement of the material scientists is atomic energy. But the material scientist is not able to have an estimation of the particles of atoms contained in the whole universe. But even if one is able to count such atomic particles or is able to roll up the sky like one’s bedding, even then one is unable to estimate the extent of the prowess and energy of the Supreme Lord. He is known as Trivikrama because once, in His incarnation of Vāmana, He expanded His leg beyond the highest planetary system, Satyaloka, and reached the neutral state of the modes of nature called the covering of the material world. There are seven layers of material coverings over the material sky, and the Lord could penetrate even those coverings. WITH HIS TOE HE MADE A HOLE THROUGH WHICH THE WATER OF THE CAUSAL OCEAN FILTERS INTO THE MATERIAL SKY, AND THE CURRENT IS KNOWN AS THE SACRED GANGES, WHICH PURIFIES THE PLANETS OF THE THREE WORLDS. IN OTHER WORDS, NO ONE IS EQUAL TO THE TRANSCENDENTALLY POWERFUL VIṣṇU. HE IS OMNIPOTENT, AND NO ONE IS EQUAL TO OR GREATER THAN HIM.

   Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/2/7/40

   Note: If the first covering of the Universe was water -then- THAT water MIXES with water of causal ocean – so HOW can you diffentiate between BOTH waters?

   Makes sense????

   Note: “THE CAUSAL OCEAN FILTERS INTO THE MATERIAL SKY, AND THE CURRENT IS KNOWN AS THE SACRED GANGES”.

   It does NOT say the FIRST covering water of Universe filters into material sky.

   WITH HIS TOE HE MADE A -HOLE- THROUGH WHICH THE WATER OF THE CAUSAL OCEAN FILTERS INTO THE MATERIAL SKY, AND THE CURRENT IS KNOWN AS THE SACRED GANGES, WHICH PURIFIES THE PLANETS OF THE THREE WORLDS.
   ++++++++++++++++++++++++++

   There are seven layers of material coverings over the material sky, and the Lord could penetrate even those coverings. WITH HIS TOE HE MADE A HOLE THROUGH WHICH THE WATER OF THE CAUSAL OCEAN FILTERS INTO THE MATERIAL SKY, AND THE CURRENT IS KNOWN AS THE SACRED GANGES, WHICH PURIFIES THE PLANETS OF THE THREE WORLDS. IN OTHER WORDS, NO ONE IS EQUAL TO THE TRANSCENDENTALLY POWERFUL VIṣṇU. HE IS OMNIPOTENT, AND NO ONE IS EQUAL TO OR GREATER THAN HIM.

   ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

   Hence, First covering is water -in the sense- is when the Universe is IN Causal OCEAN water. THAT water . Otherwise, it is EARTH as FIRST covering of the universe.

   KB 82 Lord Krsna and Balarama Meet the Inhabitants of Vrndavana
   The WHOLE philosophy is considered on the basis of inconceivable, SIMULTANEOUS ONENESS AND DIFFERENCE.

   Reply
4. Amar Puri says:

   13. September 2019 at 4:29 pm

   Mahesh Raja says ;

   ” Hence, First covering is water -in the sense- is when the Universe is IN Causal OCEAN water. THAT water . Otherwise, it is EARTH as FIRST covering of the universe. ”

   Please note that the Universe is NOT in Causal OCEAN water rather the Universe is floating in the space under the sky by the Supreme Order of the Lord.

   From S.B.3.29.43 PURPORT ;

   ” It is understood from this verse that all the planets in outer space are floating, and they all hold living entities. The word śvasatām means “those who breathe,” or the living entities. In order to accommodate them, there are innumerable planets. Every planet is a residence for innumerable living entities, and the necessary space is provided in the sky by the supreme order of the Lord. It is also stated here that the total universal body is increasing. It is covered by seven layers, and as there are five elements within the universe, so the total elements, in layers, cover the outside of the universal body. The first layer is of earth, and it is ten times greater in size than the space within the universe; the second layer is water, and that is ten times greater than the earthly layer; the third covering is fire, which is ten times greater than the water covering. In this way each layer is ten times greater than the previous one. ”

   As we read from the above cited Purport that the total universal body is increasing, therefore, only in relationship with the creation of the Fundamental Principles of the Material Nature, the Water is the first layer. To hold the water, a SHELL is required, indeed. So, the Shell is understood as the EARTH which is the first layer as it is further confirmed in the S.B. 3.26.49 and validate that the earth is the reservoir of all the qualities of the other elements.

   PURPORT, S.B. 3.26.49 ;

   ” Sound is the cause of the sky, sky is the cause of the air, air is the cause of fire, fire is the cause of water, and water is the cause of earth. In the sky there is only sound; in the air there are sound and touch; in the fire there are sound, touch and form; in water there are sound, touch, form and taste; and in the earth there are sound, touch, form, taste and smell. Therefore earth is the reservoir of all the qualities of the other elements. Earth is the sum total of all other elements. The earth has all five qualities of the elements, water has four qualities, fire has three, air has two, and the sky has only one quality, sound. ”

   Should we understand INCOMPLETELY and ACCEPT that the first layer is the WATER not the EARTH, then it automatically becomes contradictory to the SASTRAS, the SADHUS AND the GURU.

   The WISE knows that the Sastras, the Shadus and the Guru do not contradict.

   Thus, Earth is the sum total of all other elements because the EARTH has all Five Qualities of the Gross Material Elements.

   OM TAT SAT.

   Hare Krishna. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.

   YS…… Amar Puri.

   Reply
5. Mahesh Raja says:

   14. September 2019 at 1:09 pm

   Amar Puri : Please note that the Universe is NOT in Causal OCEAN water rather the Universe is floating in the space under the sky by the Supreme Order of the Lord.

   Mahesh: Lets hear from Srila Prabhupada:

   TEXT 28
   tato viśeṣaṁ pratipadya nirbhayas
   tenātmanāpo ‘nala-mūrtir atvaran
   jyotirmayo vāyum upetya kāle
   vāyv-ātmanā khaṁ bṛhad ātma-liṅgam
   SYNONYMS
   tataḥ—thereafter; viśeṣam—particularly; pratipadya—by obtaining; nirbhayaḥ—without any doubt; tena—by that; ātmanā—pure self; āpaḥ—water; anala—fire; mūrtiḥ—forms; atvaran—by surpassing; jyotiḥ-mayaḥ—effulgent; vāyum—atmosphere; upetya—having reached there; kāle—in due course of time; vāyu—air; ātmanā—by the self; kham—ethereal; bṛhat—great; ātma-liṅgam—the real form of the self.
   TRANSLATION
   After reaching Satyaloka, the devotee is specifically able to be incorporated fearlessly by the subtle body in an identity similar to that of the gross body, and one after another he gradually attains stages of existence from earthly to watery, fiery, glowing and airy, until he reaches the ethereal stage.
   PURPORT
   Anyone who can reach Brahmaloka, or Satyaloka, by dint of spiritual perfection and practice is qualified to attain three different types of perfection. One who has attained a specific planet by dint of pious activities attains places in terms of his comparative pious activities. One who has attained the place by dint of virāṭ or Hiraṇyagarbha worship is liberated along with the liberation of Brahmā. But one who attains the place by dint of devotional service is specifically mentioned here, in relation to how he can penetrate into the different coverings of the universe and thus ultimately disclose his spiritual identity in the absolute atmosphere of supreme existence.
   ACCORDING TO ŚRĪLA JĪVA GOSVĀMĪ, ALL THE UNIVERSES ARE CLUSTERED TOGETHER UP AND DOWN, AND EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM IS SEPARATELY SEVENFOLD-COVERED. THE WATERY PORTION IS BEYOND THE SEVENFOLD COVERINGS, AND EACH COVERING IS TEN TIMES MORE EXPANSIVE THAN THE PREVIOUS COVERING. THE PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD WHO CREATES ALL SUCH UNIVERSES BY HIS BREATHING PERIOD LIES ABOVE THE CLUSTER OF THE UNIVERSES. THE WATER OF THE CAUSAL OCEAN IS DIFFERENTLY SITUATED THAN THE COVERING WATER OF THE UNIVERSE. THE WATER THAT SERVES AS COVERING FOR THE UNIVERSE IS MATERIAL, WHEREAS THE WATER OF THE CAUSAL OCEAN IS SPIRITUAL. AS SUCH, THE WATERY COVERING MENTIONED HEREIN IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE FALSE EGOISTIC COVERING OF ALL LIVING ENTITIES, AND THE GRADUAL PROCESS OF LIBERATION FROM THE MATERIAL COVERINGS, ONE AFTER ANOTHER, AS MENTIONED HEREIN, IS THE GRADUAL PROCESS OF BEING LIBERATED FROM FALSE EGOISTIC CONCEPTIONS OF THE MATERIAL GROSS BODY, AND THEN BEING ABSORBED IN THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE SUBTLE BODY TILL THE ATTAINMENT OF THE PURE SPIRITUAL BODY IN THE ABSOLUTE REALM OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
   Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī confirms that a part of the material nature, after being initiated by the Lord, is known as the mahat-tattva. A fractional portion of the mahat-tattva is called the false ego. A portion of the ego is the vibration of sound, and a portion of sound is atmospheric air. A portion of the airy atmosphere is turned into forms, and the forms constitute the power of electricity or heat. Heat produces the smell of the aroma of the earth, and the gross earth is produced by such aroma. And all these combined together constitute the cosmic phenomenon. The extent of the cosmic phenomenon is calculated to be diametrically (both ways) four billion miles. Then the coverings of the universe begin. The first stratum of the covering is calculated to extend eighty million miles, and the subsequent coverings of the universe are respectively of fire, effulgence, air and ether, one after another, each extending ten times further than the previous. The fearless devotee of the Lord penetrates each one of them and ultimately reaches the absolute atmosphere where everything is of one and the same spiritual identity. Then the devotee enters one of the Vaikuṇṭha planets, where he assumes exactly the same form as the Lord and engages in the loving transcendental service of the Lord. That is the highest perfection of devotional life. Beyond this there is nothing to be desired or achieved by the perfect yogī.
   Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/2/2/28

   +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

   TEXTS 35-36
   maṅgalāya ca lokānāṁ
   kṣemāya ca bhavāya ca
   āste yadu-kulāmbhodhāv
   ādyo ‘nanta-sakhaḥ pumān
   yad bāhu-daṇḍa-guptāyāṁ
   sva-puryāṁ yadavo ‘rcitāḥ
   krīḍanti paramānandaṁ
   mahā-pauruṣikā iva
   SYNONYMS
   maṅgalāya—for all good; ca—also; lokānām—of all the planets; kṣemāya—for protection; ca—and; bhavāya—for elevation; ca—also; āste—is there; yadu-kula-ambhodhau—in the ocean of the Yadu dynasty; ādyaḥ—the original; ananta-sakhaḥ—in the company of Ananta (Balarāma); pumān—the supreme enjoyer; yat—whose; bāhu-daṇḍa-guptāyām—being protected by His arms; sva-puryām—in His own city; yadavaḥ—the members of the Yadu family; arcitāḥ—as they deserve; krīḍanti—are relishing; parama-ānandam—transcendental pleasure; mahā-pauruṣikāḥ—the residents of the spiritual sky; iva—like.
   TRANSLATION
   The original Personality of Godhead, the enjoyer, and Balarāma, the primeval Lord Ananta, are staying in the ocean of the Yadu dynasty for the welfare, protection and general progress of the entire universe. And the members of the Yadu dynasty, being protected by the arms of the Lord, are enjoying life like the residents of the spiritual sky.
   PURPORT
   As we have discussed many times, the Personality of Godhead Viṣṇu resides within each and every universe in two capacities, namely as the Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu and the Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. The Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu has His own planet on the northern top of the universe, and there is a great ocean of milk where the Lord resides on the bed of the Ananta incarnation of Baladeva. Thus Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira has compared the Yadu dynasty to the ocean of milk and Śrī Balarāma to the Ananta where Lord Kṛṣṇa resides. He has compared the citizens of Dvārakā to the liberated inhabitants of the Vaikuṇṭhalokas. BEYOND THE MATERIAL SKY, FURTHER THAN WE CAN SEE WITH OUR EYES AND BEYOND THE SEVENFOLD COVERINGS OF THE UNIVERSE, THERE IS THE CAUSAL OCEAN IN WHICH ALL THE UNIVERSES ARE FLOATING LIKE FOOTBALLS, AND BEYOND THE CAUSAL OCEAN THERE IS AN UNLIMITED SPAN OF SPIRITUAL SKY GENERALLY KNOWN AS THE EFFULGENCE OF BRAHMAN. Within this effulgence there are innumerable spiritual planets, and they are known as the Vaikuṇṭha planets. Each and every Vaikuṇṭha planet is many, many times bigger than the biggest universe within the material world, and in each of them there are innumerable inhabitants who look exactly like Lord Viṣṇu. These inhabitants are known as the Mahā-pauruṣikas, or persons directly engaged in the service of the Lord. They are happy in those planets and are without any kind of misery, and they live perpetually in full youthfulness, enjoying life in full bliss and knowledge without fear of birth, death, old age or disease, and without the influence of kāla, eternal time. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira has compared the inhabitants of Dvārakā to the Mahā-pauruṣikas of Vaikuṇṭhaloka because they are so happy with the Lord. In the Bhagavad-gītā there are many references to the Vaikuṇṭhalokas, and they are mentioned there as mad-dhāma, or the kingdom of the Lord.
   Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/1/14/35-36

   +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
   TEXT 25
   aṇḍa-kośe śarīre ‘smin
   saptāvaraṇa-saṁyute
   vairājaḥ puruṣo yo ‘sau
   bhagavān dhāraṇāśrayaḥ
   SYNONYMS
   aṇḍa-kośe—within the universal shell; śarīre—in the body of; asmin—this; sapta—sevenfold; āvaraṇa—coverings; saṁyute—having so done; vairājaḥ—the gigantic universal; puruṣaḥ—form of the Lord; yaḥ—that; asau—He; bhagavān—the Personality of Godhead; dhāraṇā—conception; āśrayaḥ—object of.
   TRANSLATION
   The gigantic universal form of the Personality of Godhead, within the body of the universal shell, which is covered by sevenfold material elements, is the subject for the virāṭ conception.
   PURPORT
   Simultaneously, the Lord has multifarious other forms, and all of them are identical with the original fountainhead form of the Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. In the Bhagavad-gītā, it has been proven that the original transcendental and eternal form of the Lord is Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Absolute Personality of Godhead, but by His inconceivable internal potency, ātma-māyā, He can expand Himself by multifarious forms and incarnations simultaneously, without being diminished in His full potency. He is complete, and although innumerable complete forms emanate from Him, He is still complete, without any loss. That is His spiritual or internal potency. In the Eleventh Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā, the Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa, manifested His virāṭ-rūpa just to convince the less intelligent class of men, who cannot conceive of the Lord as appearing just like a human being, that He factually has the potency of His claim to be the Supreme Absolute person without any rival or superior. Materialistic men can think, although very imperfectly, of the huge universal space, comprehending an innumerable number of planets as big as the sun. THEY CAN SEE ONLY THE CIRCULAR SKY OVERHEAD, WITHOUT ANY INFORMATION THAT THIS UNIVERSE, AS WELL AS MANY OTHER HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF UNIVERSES, ARE EACH COVERED BY SEVENFOLD MATERIAL COVERINGS OF WATER, FIRE, AIR, SKY, EGO, NOUMENON AND MATERIAL NATURE, JUST LIKE A HUGE FOOTBALL, PUMPED AND COVERED, FLOATING ON THE WATER OF THE CAUSAL OCEAN, WHEREIN THE LORD IS LYING AS MAHĀ-VIṣṇU. ALL THE UNIVERSES IN SEED ARE EMANATING FROM THE BREATHING OF THE MAHĀ-VIṣṇU, WHO IS BUT PART OF A PARTIAL EXPANSION OF THE LORD, AND ALL THE UNIVERSES PRESIDED OVER BY THE BRAHMĀS VANISH WHEN THE MAHĀ-VIṣṇU WITHDRAWS HIS GREAT BREATH. IN THIS WAY, THE MATERIAL WORLDS ARE BEING CREATED AND VANISHED BY THE SUPREME WILL OF THE LORD. The poor foolish materialist can just imagine how ignorantly he puts forward an insignificant creature to become His rival incarnation, simply on the allegations of a dying man. The virāṭ-rūpa was particularly exhibited by the Lord just to give lessons to such foolish men, so that one can accept a person as the incarnation of Godhead only if such a person is able to exhibit such a virāṭ-rūpa as Lord Kṛṣṇa did. The materialistic person may concentrate his mind upon the virāṭ or gigantic form of the Lord in his own interest and as recommended by Śukadeva Gosvāmī, but he must be on his guard not to be misled by pretenders who claim to be the identical person as Lord Kṛṣṇa but are not able to act like Him or exhibit the virāṭ-rūpa, comprehending the whole of the universe.
   Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/2/1/25

   +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

   TEXT 33
   tadā saṁhatya cānyonyaṁ
   bhagavac-chakti-coditāḥ
   sad-asattvam upādāya
   cobhayaṁ sasṛjur hy adaḥ
   SYNONYMS
   tadā—all those; saṁhatya—being assembled; ca—also; anyonyam—one another; bhagavat—by the Personality of Godhead; śakti—energy; coditāḥ—being applied; sat-asattvam—primarily and secondarily; upādāya—accepting; ca—also; ubhayam—both; sasṛjuḥ—came into existence; hi—certainly; adaḥ—this universe.
   TRANSLATION
   Thus when all these became assembled by force of the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, this universe certainly came into being by accepting both the primary and secondary causes of creation.
   PURPORT
   In this verse it is clearly mentioned that the Supreme Personality of Godhead exerts His different energies in the creation; it is not that He Himself is transformed into material creations. He expands Himself by His different energies, as well as by His plenary portions. IN A CORNER OF THE SPIRITUAL SKY OF BRAHMAJYOTI A SPIRITUAL CLOUD SOMETIMES APPEARS, AND THE COVERED PORTION IS CALLED THE MAHAT-TATTVA. THE LORD THEN, BY HIS PLENARY PORTION AS MAHĀ-VIṣṇU, LIES DOWN WITHIN THE WATER OF THE MAHAT-TATTVA, AND THE WATER IS CALLED THE CAUSAL OCEAN (KĀRAṇA-JALA). WHILE MAHĀ-VIṣṇU SLEEPS WITHIN THE CAUSAL OCEAN, INNUMERABLE UNIVERSES ARE GENERATED ALONG WITH HIS BREATHING. THESE UNIVERSES ARE FLOATING, AND THEY ARE SCATTERED ALL OVER THE CAUSAL OCEAN. THEY STAY ONLY DURING THE BREATHING PERIOD OF MAHĀ-VIṣṇU. IN EACH AND EVERY UNIVERSAL GLOBE, THE SAME MAHĀ-VIṣṇU ENTERS AGAIN AS GARBHODAKAŚĀYĪ VIṣṇU AND LIES THERE ON THE SERPENTLIKE ŚEṣA INCARNATION. FROM HIS NAVEL SPROUTS A LOTUS STEM, AND ON THE LOTUS, BRAHMĀ, THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE, IS BORN. BRAHMĀ CREATES ALL FORMS OF LIVING BEINGS OF DIFFERENT SHAPES IN TERMS OF DIFFERENT DESIRES WITHIN THE UNIVERSE. HE ALSO CREATES THE SUN, MOON AND OTHER DEMIGODS.
   Therefore the chief engineer of the material creation is the Lord Himself, as confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā (9.10). It is He only who directs the material nature to produce all sorts of moving and nonmoving creations.
   There are two modes of material creation: the creation of the collective universes, as stated above, done by the Mahā-Viṣṇu, and the creation of the single universe. Both are done by the Lord, and thus the universal shape, as we can see, takes place.
   Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/2/5/33

   +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
   When it is necessary to create the material universe, Viṣṇu expands Himself as the Mahā-Viṣṇu. This Mahā-Viṣṇu lies down on the Causal Ocean and breathes all the universes from His nostrils. Thus from the Mahā-Viṣṇu and the Causal Ocean all the universes spring, AND ALL THESE UNIVERSES FLOAT IN THE CAUSAL OCEAN. In this regard there is the story of Vāmana, who, when He took three steps, stuck His foot through the covering of the universe. Water from the Causal Ocean flowed through the hole which His foot made, and it is said that that flow of water became the River Ganges.
   Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/tlc/introduction

   Reply
6. Amar Puri says:

   15. September 2019 at 5:59 pm

   Mahesh Prabhu, as usual thank you very much for the explanations in your comments from the Sastras under subject matter in discussion.

   As we learn and understand from the explanations from the Sastras Particularly Srimad Bhagavatam who speaks from the time immemorial of the unlimited creations of the Material Universes up until this present age as described by our Jagat Guru His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada’s VANI, we the conditioned Jivas can only know and understand from the relevant portion of the description of this Material Universe in which we are encaged and can learn from the Srimad Bhagavatam according to the description given therein.

   Since Srimad Bhagavatam speaks volumes which is very very very hard for us the conditioned Jivas to know and understand everything as to how NOUMENA and PHENOMENA aspects constitute the REALITY of the creation of this Universe we are in, therefore, we can realize the relevant portion of the description of this Material Universe.

   That is why we see the differences of the explanation in the Sastras which creates certainly differences of opinion of its understanding due to different time of its manifestation ( PHENOMENA ) and non -manifestation (NOUMENA ) that exist in the Universe.

   Again, make no mistake, these so called differences are only created proportionately by the sense perception of the conditioned Jivas. Therefore, we must consult with the GURU’S VANI, the SADHUS and the SASTRAS to eradicate the differences before we arrive at the conclusion.

   Here below are some of the examples ;

   – ACCORDING TO ŚRĪLA JĪVA GOSVĀMĪ, ALL THE UNIVERSES ARE CLUSTERED TOGETHER UP AND DOWN, AND EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM IS SEPARATELY SEVENFOLD-COVERED. THE WATERY PORTION IS BEYOND THE SEVENFOLD COVERINGS, AND EACH COVERING IS TEN TIMES MORE EXPANSIVE THAN THE PREVIOUS COVERING. THE PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD WHO CREATES ALL SUCH UNIVERSES BY HIS BREATHING PERIOD LIES ABOVE THE CLUSTER OF THE UNIVERSES.

   Link to the above ; https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/2/2/28

   – When it is necessary to create the material universe, Viṣṇu expands Himself as the Mahā-Viṣṇu. This Mahā-Viṣṇu lies down on the Causal Ocean and breathes all the universes from His nostrils. Thus from the Mahā-Viṣṇu and the Causal Ocean all the universes spring, AND ALL THESE UNIVERSES FLOAT IN THE CAUSAL OCEAN. In this regard there is the story of Vāmana, who, when He took three steps, stuck His foot through the covering of the universe. Water from the Causal Ocean flowed through the hole which His foot made, and it is said that that flow of water became the River Ganges.

   Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/tlc/introduction

   -From S.B.3.29.43 PURPORT ;

   ” It is understood from this verse that all the planets in outer space are floating, and they all hold living entities. The word śvasatām means “those who breathe,” or the living entities. In order to accommodate them, there are innumerable planets. Every planet is a residence for innumerable living entities, and the necessary space is provided in the sky by the supreme order of the Lord. It is also stated here that the total universal body is increasing. It is covered by seven layers, and as there are five elements within the universe, so the total elements, in layers, cover the outside of the universal body. The first layer is of earth, and it is ten times greater in size than the space within the universe; the second layer is water, and that is ten times greater than the earthly layer; the third covering is fire, which is ten times greater than the water covering. In this way each layer is ten times greater than the previous one. ”

   Thus, we can relate the relevant portion of the description from the Sastras cited above in order to arrive at the conclusion on the subject matter under discussion of this Material Universe.

   OM TAT SAT.

   Hare Krishna. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.

   Reply
7. Amar Puri says:

   15. September 2019 at 6:39 pm

   Dear Learned Readers,

   I wish to make it clear further the differences in the citation of explanation of example in my previous comments relating to non -manifestation (NOUMENA ) and manifestation ( PHENOMENA ) that exist in the Universe we live in.

   Below is TWO examples of the Link of the non-manifestation ( NOUMENA ) as per Sastras ;

   Link to the above ; https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/2/2/28

   Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/tlc/introduction

   Below is an example of the very Manifestation ( PHENOMENA ) that exist in the Universe we live in.

   https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/3/29/43

   Therefore, we can relate the very examples of the description of explanation in the Manifestation (PHENOMENA ) that exist in the Universe we live in to arrive at the conclusion as described in the S.B. 3.29.43. on the subject matter under discussion.

   OM TAT SAT.

   Hare Krishna. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.

   Reply
8. Mayesvara dasa says:

   18. September 2019 at 3:20 pm

   With respect, none of the above replies by Mahesh Raja dasa and Amar Puri dasa address the points made in our previous articles:

   (1) The Puranas (including Srimad Bhagavatam) consistently describe the universe as being covered by seven layers that begin with water and end with Pradhana. We have cited practically every Purana in this regard. One may wish to check the original Sanskrit for accuracy. Otherwise the statement of the Puranas should be accepted. Since Amar Puri dasa and Mahesh Raja dasa believe that the Puranas describe earth as the first covering, then they are obliged to present the relevant slokas from 18 Puranas that duly describe the universe (anda) as being surrounded first by a covering of earth, followed by water etc.

   (2) The universe is described as having seven coverings (saptabhir avrtam – SB 3.29.43). The seven coverings are listed through-out the Puranas as water, fire, air, ether, ego, mahat, and pradhana (this list of seven layers is confirmed in SB 3.26.52). Should Amar Puri and Mahesh Raja Prabhus ever find confirmation that the Puranas describe the universal coverings as beginning with earth, they would further need to explain why the Puranas describe seven universal coverings, not eight. If Amar Puri and Mahesh Raja wish to count earth as a covering, then they would end up with eight coverings, not seven. Likewise, if they wish to include earth and still have seven coverings, they would have to omit one of the other seven elements. However, the omission of any of the seven coverings would amount to a fundamental mistake in the enumeration of material elements.

   (3) The Puranas describe the universe dissolving into the covering of water, and not dissolving into a layer of earth. We have cited several slokas in this regard. The same process of dissolution of the universe into water is described in Mahabharata. Since Amar Puri and Mahesh Raja dasa think otherwise, again we request that these devotees cite the relevant slokas that describe the universe dissolving into a covering of earth. Amar Puri and Mahesh Raja Prabhus have given their own interpretation of several verses from Bhagavatam, but they have not presented any series of verses that describe the universe merging into a layer of earth.

   Earth is sometimes spoken of as a covering in the sense that we are first covered by this universe which represents the earth element. Lord Brahma speaks of the earth as a covering in this sense (see SB 10.14.11). In the Brhat Bhagavatmrta, Sanatana Goswami also seems to speak of earth as a covering in this way. Otherwise, in the Purana’s description of the cosmos, the universe itself appears to be regarded as representative of the earth element, and the seven coverings around the universe are are consistently counted as water, fire, air ether, ego, mahat, and pradhana.

   In the Mahabharata Tatparya Niraya (chapter 21, verse 47), Sri Madhavacharya confirms that water is the first covering:

   abagnIranabhohaN^kR^inmahattattvaguNatrayaiH |
   kramAd.h dashottarairetadAvR^itaM paratastataH || 21.47||

   21.47. brahmAMDa is surrounded by water, fire,air,sky, ahaMkAra, mahatattwa and Gunatrayas
   respectively. Their proportions are – one in 10 times more than the other respectively.

   Madhvacharya is clear in presenting water first. We are not going against Srila Prabhupada in presenting water as the first element. Srila Prabhupada sometimes said water is first, and at other times he said earth is first. We have taken Srila Prabhupada’s translation and purport to SB 3.26.52 which presents water as the first covering toya-ädibhih). This verse and purport appears to be most consistent with descriptions of the universal coverings that are found in the other Puranas.

   Amar Puri dasa and Mahesh Raja dasa have not presented any argument that refutes this presentation.

   Regarding the Vedic flat-Earth concept, the following points can be made:

   (1) First and most importantly, an Earth globe floating in space is never even mentioned in any Vedic literature! What does that tell us? It tells us that the Vedas describe the Earth differently.

   (2) The Vedic Earth (Bhu-mandala) is summarily described as a circular disc measured at pancasat-koti yojana (five hundred million yojanas or 4 billion miles).

   (3) Our own area of the Earth is located in Bharata-varsha which is one of the nine areas of Jambudvipa (the central island of the Earth-circle). The description informs us that the plane of our known Earth is surrounded by other lands and oceans belonging to the greater Earth-circle. Thus our known area of the Earth is not described as an isolated globular planet floating in space; rather, it is described as a small part of a larger Earth landscape. This is the message of Srimad Bhagavatam, and this is the message that is meant to be preached to the world from the Temple of Vedic Planetarium at Sri-dhama Mayapur.

   (4) Chapter 22 of the fifth canto of Srimad Bhagavatam describes the altitude of various planets as they rotate above the plane of Bhu-mandala. For example:

   …Above the rays of the sunshine by a distance of 100,000 yojanas [800,000 miles] is the moon (SB 5.22.8)…There are many stars located 200,000 yojanas [1,600,000 miles] above the moon. (SB 5.22.11) Some 1,600,000 miles above this group of stars is the planet Venus. (SB 5.22.12) etc.

   In describing the distance from Bhu-mandala to the various planets and celestial bodies that rotate in outer space, there is never any mention of a second ‘Earth-globe’ planet that floats somewhere above the plane of Bhu-mandala itself. Nor is there an mention of the incredible idea manufactured by certain members of ISKCON that Bharata-varsha manifests as an Earth globe and that the rest of Bhu-mandala has disappeared into ‘a higher dimension’. We have addressed these two misconceptions in the following papers:

   Does the Earth Float in Space?

   http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/11-17/editorials15570.htm

   Is the Bhu-mandala in Another Dimension?

   http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/03-17/editorials14704.htm

   (5) The planets and stars are described as floating and moving in space due to being tied by cords of wind that link them to the pole star (Dhruva). The planets are also described as having chariots. The Earth is never described as having a chariot or floating and moving around Dhruva like the other celestial bodies:

   “Thus I have described to you about the chariots and horses of the Planets. These are all attached to the Pole Star by ropes of wind (air) These cords are invisible and made of air. These moving duly make the several chariots move. All these stars are tied to Dhruva, and they move on propelled by the wind. The Moon and the Sun move on in the celestial firmament, prompted by currents of strong wind. They glide on tied to the Dhruva. Their motions round the pole are brought about by these ropes made of wind. These stars and luminous spheres, studded in the firmament, are the abodes of the Devas (Devagrihas) they float in the celestial atmosphere as boats float in rivers. The rays of the Pole star extend to the farthest limit where the stars are visible and they all move on tied to the Pole and thus cause others to move on.

   The stars and planets tied to the Dhruva (Pole) revolve and make others revolve as the oil mill while revolving itself makes others revolve. The air that causes them to move and makes them look like a fiery circle (made by a fire-brand being waved round in the air) is known as Pravaha. In this way the stars move on, attached to the Pole. These stars are situated on the body of Shishumara, who lies (sleeps as it were) on the celestial firmament”. (Matsya Purana chapter 127. 12-19)

   The Earth is described separately in its own unique category as a colossal circular disc that spans the center of the universal egg, and which is held by Ananta-sehsa—not floating and moving in air around Druva. Even if devotees think that the supposed Earth globe is stationary, and that the other planets orbit around the Earth, there is still no description of said stationary Earth globe suspended in space. The planets do not orbit around a supposed Earth globe; the planets rotate hundreds of thousands of miles above the plane of the Earth-circle.

   (6) Texts dealing with astrology never mention the astrological effects of a so-called Earth planet. The nine planets are as follows:

   The following are the nine planets, viz.—the Sun, the Moon, the Mars, the Mercury, the Jupiter, the Venus, the Saturn, the Rahu and the Katu. They always bring good to all creatures (to call some of them malignant, is a mere mode of speech) (Matsya Purana 93.11)

   In texts that deal with the astrological effects of planets we never hear that an Earth planet is causing benign or malign effects on people; rather the great Earth-circle is the stage or ground upon which the planets exercise their influence to bring about the destinies of mankind. For example:

   When Saturn or the Moon occupies the Lagna in exaltation, the Sun and Mercury the 6th house, Venus and Mars in Tula and Mesha respectively; or when Jupiter is in Karkataka Lagna along with the Moon and Mars, one becomes a King. (Narada Purana, II.55.172)

   The astrological effects of a so-called Earth planet are never mentioned in such astrological descriptions. The description of an Earth-globe planet floating around in space with the other planets and stars simply doesn’t exist in any Vedic literature.

   (7) In the descriptions of the movements of the planets, the Puranas do not ascribe any role to a supposed Earth globe as a cause for the eclipse. In modern astronomy a solar eclipse is said to occur when the New Moon moves between an Earth globe and the Sun, while a lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth globe casts a shadow on the Full Moon. This explanation depends on the idea that the Earth, Sun, and Moon line up in a particular way whilst moving around each other. In the Vedic system the Moon never comes between the Earth and the Sun because the Sun is always rotating at a height of 100,000 yojana (800,000 miles) above the stationary plane of the Earth (Bhu-mandala), whilst the Moon is always rotating at a further height of 100,000 yojana (800,000 miles) above the Sun. Thus there is no question of the Moon coming between the Earth and the Sun because the colossal Earth-circle is hundreds of thousands below both planets.

   Similarly in the case of the lunar eclipse there is no question of the gigantic and stationary Bhu-mandala casting a shadow on the Full Moon. In order for the Earth to cast a shadow, the Sun would have to be behind or below the Earth, but the Puranas describe that the Sun is always above the Earth-circle never below or behind it. The Sun cannot move beneath or beside the great Earth-circle which is 4 billion miles across and spans the entire center of the universe. Since the sun can neither move below or behind the Earth circle how could it possibly be the cause of creating a shadow of the Earth on the moon? And how does a gigantic 4 billion mile Earth disc cast such a small shadow on the face of the moon? The idea is completely contradictory to the description of the Earth and Sun given in the Puranas. The Puranas simply describe that the dark planet named Rahu comes before the Sun and Moon thus creating the shadow of the eclipse—the Earth has nothing to do with it. The Puranas do state that Rahu came from the shadow of the Earth, but that may have an entirely different meaning. For example, it is said that Brahma created from his shadow the five kinds of ignorance:

   “First of all, Brahma created from his shadow the coverings of ignorance of the conditioned souls. They are five in number and are called tamisra, andha-tamisra, tamas, moha and maha-moha.” (SB 3.20.18)

   Likewise the dark and gloomy planet was created from the shadow of the Earth. The head of Rahu does not appear to be the planet itself, rather, he demon Rahu (in the form of the severed head) entered that planet (named Svarbhanu).

   “The evil Rahu entered the abode Svarbhanu named after him”. (Linga Purana 61.11)

   We shall explain all of this later in a separate paper on the eclipse. In any case, there is no description in the Puranas of any Earth-globe being part of the explanation for an eclipse. Working from the assumption that the Earth is a globe floating in space, devotees writing on this phenomena simply juxtapose Rahu onto the modern astronomical explanation and call it ‘Vedic cosmology’. The only problem is that the supposed Earth globe does not feature in any Vedic account of the eclipse, and the introduction of such an idea is pure invention.

   (8) In a letter to SL Dhani, Srila Prabhupada wrote:

   “The plans for this very large project are being taken solely from the references found in the fifth canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, and its authoritative commentaries by important acharyas along with the other Puranas and Samhitas like Brahma-samhita, etc.” (Letter to SL Dhani, November 14, 1976)

   The Srimad Bhagavatam is thus our ultimate authority, and will form the basis of the presentation of the Earth in the Temple of Vedic Planetarium. Although the other Puranas all follow the same basic description of the Earth as Srimad Bhagavatam, they also contain many fascinating details regarding various aspects of the Bhu-mandala, and other aspects of the universal situation. Sri-Madhvacharya said: “Everything should be interpreted without contradiction to Bhagavata.” Thus although other Puranas can be consulted, nothing can be included as Vedic cosmology that contradicts Srimad Bhagavatam. Regardless of what devotees may believe to be true about the nature of Earth, the modern Earth globe ideology is fundamentally opposed to Bhagavata cosmology, and is rejected outright by those who come to understand the actual situation. The location of Bharata-varsha in Jambudvipa is clear and there is really nothing further to say on the matter. Followers of Srila Prabhupada who ‘screw out a concocted meaning’ from texts such as Surya Siddhanta in order to argue that Bharata-varsha is a globe-shaped floating in space, directly and flagrantly contradict the Bhagavatam’s description which locates Bharata-varsha on the landscape of Bhu-mandala. In the Brahmanda Purana it is concluded:

   “The movement, extent, etc., of the Sun, the Moon, and the Earth are succinctly yet completely stated (without leaving out anything of importance)”. (Brahmanda Purana 1.1.1.75)

   “Thus, O Brahmanas, the real situation comprising of the seven continents, oceans etc. has been recounted by me topic by topic as it exists—(realistically)…Only this much of the situation (of the universe) can be recounted by me. Only this much has to be heard (i.e. listened to and understood) in regard to the situation of the Earth and things connected with it.” (Brahmanda Purana, chapter 1.2.19.191;194)

   Here it says that nothing of importance has been left out of the description, and only this much has to be heard, listened to, and discussed. If there was such a thing as a second Earth globe floating in space, the Puranas and the acharyas would have described it. But no such entity exists in the descriptions of the Vedic cosmos, nor is a comprehensive argument ever made by any of the acharyas in order to establish the proof of such an entity.

   The fact remains that there is only one Earth described in the Puranas and that is the gigantic Bhu-mandala. In the Garga Samhita, Sri-Krishna states that there is only one Earth in the universe: sri bhagavan uvaca anya na medini loke (Garga Samhita, Canto 6, Chapter 9). Bharata-varsha is part of the Bhu-mandala and located in Jambudvipa. There is no second mysterious Earth globe floating in space. Followers of Srimad Bhagavatam and Srila Prabhupada do not need to go around searching for obscure slokas in order to make convoluted arguments for the existence of a so-called Earth globe. Bharata-varsha is clearly described as part of a greater Earth and the only question is whether followers of Srimad Bhagavatam are going to accept the description as it is. The introduction of the Earth globe ideology into Vedic cosmology by some of Srila Prabhupada’s followers is simply an embarrassing failure to understand and follow the actual description provided by Sukadeva Goswami and other great rishis and devas.

   The search for some obscure verse that describes the Earth as a ball floating in space is like searching for a verse that describes Krishna playing a saxophone or a didgeridoo. Certainly Sri-Krishna is the creator and master of all musical instruments and can play any instrument perfectly, but shastra informs us that Krishna’s constant companion is the flute (apivamshi priya-sakhi), not a saxophone, electric guitar, or grand piano.

   “I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is adept in playing on His flute, with blooming eyes like lotus petals with head decked with peacock’s feather, with the figure of beauty tinged with the hue of blue clouds, and His unique loveliness charming millions of Cupids”. (Brahma Samhita 5.30)

   Just as the shastra informs us that the Supreme Personality of Godhead sports in Vrindavana playing a flute, and not a jazz trumpet; so shastra informs us that Krishna created the Earth in the form of a great circular-shaped disc that is held by Ananta-sesha, not in the form of a globe that floats in space. The superimposition of the Earth globe idea unto the Srimad Bhagavatam’s description of Bhu-mandala, is nothing but a misconceived and misguided attempt to merge the Vedic and modern conceptions of the Earth when they are, in fact, two completely different and opposing concepts of reality. Whether one believes in the modern Earth globe or not, the Earth-globe conception has absolutely nothing to do with the description of the Earth given in the Puranas. Earth globe ideology is not ‘Vedic cosmology’, and the attempt call it such is simply a farce. As the members of the Hare Krishna society become more familiar with the details of Vedic cosmology, the ridiculous arguments made in support of the Earth-globe idea will eventually be seen as contrary to what the Srimad Bhagavatam itself describes.

   (9) Regarding Srila Prabhupada’s own answer to the question of whether the Earth is round or flat, it should be noted that he give different answers to this question on different occasions.

   In response to a question about the shape of the Earth, Srila Prabhupada said:

   “Some portion of the Earth is flat. When you stand in any place you see flat, so for us to some extent it appears flat, but it is round. (Srila Prabhupada’s Letter to Madhava, 3rd October, 1976)

   This would apparently seem to support the Earth-globe idea. However, in a response to Satsvarupa Goswami about the shape of the Earth—whether it was round like a ball or round like a plate—Srila Prabhupada said it was round like a dvipa (island). The seven dvipas of the Earth are described as circular in shape, not globular. The seven islands begin with Jambudvipa which is ’round like a lotus leaf’, and the other islands and oceans surround Jambudvipa in the form of concentric circles.

   “Satsvarupa: Srila Prabhupada, are the planets shaped liked balls or more like plates? Because it’s, it’s hard to understand, ’cause they’re called dvipas, “islands.” Their roundness is the roundness of a plate or like a ball?

   Prabhupada: Which one?

   Satsvarupa: The earth planet?

   Prabhupada: If it is like a tree, then these things can be as dvipa, island.

   Tamala Krishna: Wow. You know…

   Prabhupada: Eh?

   Tamala Krishna: The scientists are getting smashed to bits by your statements, Srila Prabhupada. This destroys their whole theory. Orbs, round spheres. I think that this Mayapura building, we must build a big planetarium in it.

   Prabhupada: Yes. That, that I am going to do, Vedic planetarium.

   Tamala Krishna: Oh, boy. You’re going to bring a lot of…. A lot of scientists will come here just to dispute this.

   Prabhupada: Yes.

   Pushta Krishna: Wonderful attraction.

   Prabhupada: World people will come to see the way the planetary systems…

   Tamala Krishna: We should advertise it very widely that this is the actual, factual explanation of the universe.

   Prabhupada: This will be automatically advertised. As soon as the temple is finished, people will come like anything.

   Hari-sauri: They’re going to need somebody to…

   Prabhupada: The thing is, on principle, we shall only go against them.

   Hamsaduta: Contrary.

   Prabhupada: On principle. Whatever they say “Yes,” we say “No.” (laughter) (Morning Walk, March 18, 1976, Mayapura)

   Again, during the Bhu-mandala discussions, Srila Prabhupada’s answer to the shape of the Earth was indirect and rhetorical, and he challenged his own disciples to find an answer by taking the version of Srimad Bhagavatam:

   “Yasoda-nandana: Prabhupada, what is the shape of this tiny portion of Earth or whatever place we are on? What is the shape of this, whatever you call…

   Prabhupada: Ask them. Why don’t you ask them? Sometimes they say flat, sometimes they say it is round. Why don’t you ask them, the scientists?

   Yasoda-nandana: We don’t accept what they say.

   Prabhupada: No, no. Formerly they were under the impression the world is flat. And now they are saying round. So what they’ll say after few years?

   Yasoda-nandana: They are not consistent. That’s a fact. They’re very inconsistent in their theories.

   Prabhupada: Ask them which is correct. “Probably” this is correct.

   Bhakti-prema: When someone asks this question, first one would reply.

   Prabhupada: I answered it. You people say like that, so which is correct? Flat or round?

   Tamala Krishna: They will say “What does the Bhagavatam say?”

   Prabhupada: Huh?

   Tamala Krishna: They may reply to us, “All right, we are rascals. So please tell us what is the fact.”

   Prabhupada: That is, we are…

   Tamala Krishna: That’s what he’s asking. What should be shown? Actually we’re a little stumped by… I mean…

   Prabhupada: Yes, you must have proper answer as far as possible.

   Tamala Krishna: We just read… We got a version from South India, and we’ve even found that there are different conceptions of what the Bhagavata is saying. But the Puranas, they give some Puranic references.

   Bhakti-prema: It is written the world… The earth is round and flat.

   Prabhupada: Hm?

   Bhakti-prema: Earth is round and flat both, together.

   Prabhupada: Yes.

   Bhakti-prema: First we should reply it is acintya. This should be the reply. “Inconceivable.”

   Yasoda-nandana: If it is inconceivable, then they will say how we can conceive it?

   Prabhupada: Take the version of Bhagavatam… we have to accept sastra.

   (Discussions about Bhu-mandala, July 5 1977, Vrindavana)

   Here Bhakti-prema dasa says that the Earth is round and flat together which, of course, is the accurate description. For comparison, one can think of a roundabout on a motorway which is also round and flat. Bhu-mandala is round and flat taking the form of a huge circular plane that crosses the center of the universe The important point here is that Srila Prabhupada’s own answer to questions about the Earth was to invite his followers to find the answer in Srimad-Bhagavatam; his insistence is on following Srimad-Bhagavatam. The same point was made to Tamala Krishna Goswami:

   Tamala Krishna: Look at the Earth. Now, this is a real question that we still have to answer. They picture the Earth round, and we say, no. Bhu-mandala is like a lotus, like this, and the Earth is only one part of one island in Bhu-mandala, and it’s not, you know, it’s not round(?). It doesn’t look like that. And all the pictures they take of the earth when they go up in their satellites show round. And we’re going to tell them that it’s not. This is a very tricky question…

   Prabhupada: So are you thinking on this?…Find out from our side, according to Bhagavatam. (Bhu-mandala Diagram Discussion, July 2 1977, Vrindavana)

   Who then can cite a Sanskrit verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam that describes our Earth as a small globe-shaped planet floating in space? Such a verse doesn’t exist in Srimad-Bhagavatam for the simple reason that our known area of the Earth (which is in Bharata-varsha) is where Sukadeva Goswami describes it—at the southern side of Jambudwipa (the central island of the Earth plane).

   Srila Prabhupada stated on numerous occasions that cosmology was not his area of expertise, and therefore, directed his disciples to study the details of Srimad Bhagavatam in order to ascertain truth of the universal situation. The bottom line is that Srila Prabhupada wanted the Earth presented as it is described in Srimad Bhagavatam. As we have explained, there is no description of an Earth globe floating in space in Srimad Bhagvatam; and Bharata-varsha is otherwise described as a small part of the larger Earth-circle landscape. Krishna willing, we will prepare a comprehensive paper on the issue of ‘Following Srila Prabhupada in Presenting the Earth at the Temple of Vedic Planetarium’. Some preliminary papers on the issue are as follows:

   Why Did Srila Prabhupada Call the Earth a Globe?:

   http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/01-18/editorials15675.htm

   Srila Prabhupada’s Conversation with a Vedic Astronomer:

   http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/01-18/editorials15707.htm

   Understanding Srila Prabhupada’s Statements on the Topic of ‘Flat-Earth’:

   http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/01-18/editorials15725.htm

   In pursuance of Srila Prabhupada’s instruction to study the details of the fifth canto and make a working model of the universe, we have presented many arguments to show that Srimad Bhagavatam describes a flat-Earth model. For example:

   A Reply To Danavir Goswami on the Shape and Size of the Earth (Part 1)

   http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/06-19/editorials16987.htm

   A Reply To Danavir Goswami (Part 2):

   http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/06-19/editorials17000.htm

   A Reply to Danavir Goswami (part 3):

   http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/06-19/editorials17024.htm

   The arguments we have presented so far have yet to be addressed or refuted.

   Sri-Krishna undoubtedly loves and accepts His devotees whether they think they live on an Earth globe or not, but the devotees of Sri-Krishna could perhaps show a little love and faith in return by accepting the nature of the Earth as the Lord has described it. Krishna spoke to Sri-Radha:

   “As a potter cannot create a pot without clay, so I cannot create the worlds without You. I expand as Lord Sesha and You expand as the Earth, the resting place of crops and jewels. Then I carry You, the Earth, on My head. O beautiful one, You are beauty, peace, form, gracefulness, saintliness” (Brahma-vivarta Purana, Krishna Janma Khanda, Chapter 67, Verses 76-77)

   But who believes Sri-Krishna?

   Y.S Mayesvara dasa

   Reply
   • Pariksit das says:

     21. September 2019 at 10:19 am

     Dear Mayesvara Prabhu

     Thank you ver much for your beautiful explanation concerning the earth, which is very clear and self evident, when one follows the description of Sukadeva Gosvami in the Srimad Bhagavatam.

     Mahesh Raja dasa and Amar Puri dasa’s interpretation to proof the earth to be something different from Sukadevas explanation makes no sense at all.

     Pariksit das

     Reply
     • Amar Puri says:

       21. September 2019 at 8:17 pm

       Pariksit das Prabhu,

       Would you be kind enough to cite an example to support your finding from Mahesh and mine writings as to what you are referring to when you make such a statement ;

       “Mahesh Raja dasa and Amar Puri dasa’s interpretation to proof the earth to be something different from Sukadevas explanation makes no sense at all.”

       Thank you .

       Hare Krishna. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.

       Reply
9. Amar Puri says:

   19. September 2019 at 10:06 pm

   Mayesvara dasa says ; “With respect, none of the above replies by Mahesh Raja dasa and Amar Puri dasa address the points made in our previous articles: ”

   Amar Puri says:
   15. September 2019 at 5:59 pm

   I posted here my comments on this site on dated 15 September 2019 at 5:59 pm which is clearly self explanatory.

   However, I wish to reiterate briefly that since Srimad Bhagavatam speaks volumes which is very very very hard for us the conditioned Jivas to know and understand everything as to how NOUMENA and PHENOMENA aspects constitute the REALITY with regard to the creation of this Universe we are in, therefore, we can only realize the relevant portion of the description of this Material Universe from the revealed Scriptures.

   As there are differences of the explanation in various places of the Sastras, therefore, no doubt it creates certainly differences of opinion in the mind of the Readers of its understanding the explanation due to different time of its manifestation ( PHENOMENA ) and non -manifestation (NOUMENA ) of the explanations that exist in the creation of the Universe we live in.

   Again, make no mistake, these so called differences are only created proportionately by the sense perception of the Readers i.e. conditioned Jivas under the strong influence of the mixed modes of the three qualities of the material nature. Therefore, we must consult with the GURU’S VANI, the SADHUS and the SASTRAS to eradicate such differences before we arrive at the conclusion.

   Here below are some of the examples of non-manifestation ( NOUMENA ) aspect of the explanations as per Sastras

   – ACCORDING TO ŚRĪLA JĪVA GOSVĀMĪ, ALL THE UNIVERSES ARE CLUSTERED TOGETHER UP AND DOWN, AND EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM IS SEPARATELY SEVENFOLD-COVERED. THE WATERY PORTION IS BEYOND THE SEVENFOLD COVERINGS, AND EACH COVERING IS TEN TIMES MORE EXPANSIVE THAN THE PREVIOUS COVERING. THE PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD WHO CREATES ALL SUCH UNIVERSES BY HIS BREATHING PERIOD LIES ABOVE THE CLUSTER OF THE UNIVERSES.

   Link to the above ; https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/2/2/28

   – When it is necessary to create the material universe, Viṣṇu expands Himself as the Mahā-Viṣṇu. This Mahā-Viṣṇu lies down on the Causal Ocean and breathes all the universes from His nostrils. Thus from the Mahā-Viṣṇu and the Causal Ocean all the universes spring, AND ALL THESE UNIVERSES FLOAT IN THE CAUSAL OCEAN. In this regard there is the story of Vāmana, who, when He took three steps, stuck His foot through the covering of the universe. Water from the Causal Ocean flowed through the hole which His foot made, and it is said that that flow of water became the River Ganges.

   Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/tlc/introduction

   N.B. : Various explanations in the Puranas also refer in this regard.

   -From S.B.3.29.43 PURPORT ; An example of the very Manifestation ( PHENOMENA ) that exist in the Universe we live in.

   ” It is understood from this verse that all the planets in outer space are floating, and they all hold living entities. The word śvasatām means “those who breathe,” or the living entities. In order to accommodate them, there are innumerable planets. Every planet is a residence for innumerable living entities, and the necessary space is provided in the sky by the supreme order of the Lord. It is also stated here that the total universal body is increasing. It is covered by seven layers, and as there are five elements within the universe, so the total elements, in layers, cover the outside of the universal body. The first layer is of earth, and it is ten times greater in size than the space within the universe; the second layer is water, and that is ten times greater than the earthly layer; the third covering is fire, which is ten times greater than the water covering. In this way each layer is ten times greater than the previous one. ”

   https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/3/29/43

   In your comments, you are emphasizing greatly the process of the Universal dissolution which dissolves into water which is INCOMPLETELY description of your own sense perception how you see and describe it in your writing the easy.

   Therefore, Mayesvara dasa Prabhu, your version of the description of the Universal dissolution as the first layer is the WATER which is INCOMPLETE understanding, because the dissolution of the Universe also takes place by the FIRE from which the WATER comes and from the WATER comes the EARTH as confirmed in the S.B. 3.26.49.

   Isn’t it, Mayesvara dasa Prabhu ?

   In order to eradicate the difference in understanding of the explanation in the Sastras regarding the first layer is WATER or the EARTH, we can go through the explanation of the difference from the Sastras in relationship with the Creation of the Fundamental Principles of the Material Nature, the Water is the first layer. To hold the water, a SHELL is required, indeed. So, the Shell is understood as the EARTH which is the first layer as it is further confirmed in the S.B. 3.26.49 and validate that the earth is the reservoir of all the qualities of the other elements.

   Should we understand INCOMPLETELY and accept that the first layer is the WATER not the EARTH, then it automatically becomes contradictory to the SASTRAS. Isn’t it, Prabhu ?

   The WISE knows that the Sastras, the Shadus and the Guru do not contradict.

   Therefore, we can relate the very examples of the description of explanation in the Manifestation (PHENOMENA ) that exist in the Universe we live in to arrive at the conclusion as described in the S.B. 3.29.43. on the subject matter under discussion.

   Sri-Krishna undoubtedly loves and accepts His devotees whether they think they live on an Earth globe or not, but the devotees of Sri-Krishna could perhaps show a little love and faith in return by accepting the nature of the Earth as the Lord has described it. Krishna spoke to Sri-Radha:

   “As a potter cannot create a pot without clay, so I cannot create the worlds without You. I expand as Lord Sesha and You expand as the Earth, the resting place of crops and jewels. Then I carry You, the Earth, on My head. O beautiful one, You are beauty, peace, form, gracefulness, saintliness” (Brahma-vivarta Purana, Krishna Janma Khanda, Chapter 67, Verses 76-77)

   But who believes Sri-Krishna?

   Why Lord Shri Krishna says that I carry You, the EARTH, on My Head. ?

   It is because the BHU DEVI ( MATA LAKSHMI, aka. NARAYANI ) possess all the required Material Elements as stated in the S.B.3.26.49 translation by our Jagat Guru His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada.

   That is why the Earth is the sum total of all other elements because the EARTH has all Five Qualities of the Gross Material Elements.

   Now, should you have any further question in this regard, kindly ask one question at a time for a better, effective and efficient understanding.

   Hope it meets you satisfactory.

   OM TAT SAT.

   Hare Krishna. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.

   YS….. Amar Puri.

   Reply
10. Amar Puri says:

    20. September 2019 at 2:35 am

    Mayesvara dasa Prabhu writes ;

    (1) The Puranas (including Srimad Bhagavatam) consistently describe the universe as being covered by seven layers that begin with water and end with Pradhana. We have cited practically every Purana in this regard. One may wish to check the original Sanskrit for accuracy. Otherwise the statement of the Puranas should be accepted. Since Amar Puri dasa and Mahesh Raja dasa believe that the Puranas describe earth as the first covering, then they are obliged to present the relevant slokas from 18 Puranas that duly describe the universe (anda) as being surrounded first by a covering of earth, followed by water etc.

    Amar Puri replies to Item 1 ;

    Please read answer in the explanations of my comments as well posted here on this site as to why EARTH is the first covering as explained under the subject matter in discussion which is based on the Sastras’ description.

    To validate further my answer to the question as to why else where in the Puranas including Srimad Bhagvatam state that the first layer is the Water not Earth in the Universe is because of its importance of water which is the cementing ingredient of different material elements as stated in the verse S.B. 3.26.43 which reads ;

    S.B.3.26.43

    PURPORT ; ” …………. In the Vedas it is also stated, āpomayaḥ prāṇaḥ: “Life depends on water.” With water, anything can be moistened or dampened. Flour dough can be prepared with a mixture of water. Mud is made by mixing earth with water. As stated in the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, water is the cementing ingredient of different material elements. If we build a house, water is actually the constituent in making the bricks. Fire, water and air are the exchanging elements for the entire material manifestation, but water is most prominent. Also, excessive heat can be reduced simply by pouring water on the heated field. “

    That is why else where Srimad Bhagvatam such as the S.B. 3.26.52 also states that the Water is the first layer in relationship with the creation of the the Fundamental Principles of the Material Nature.

    The next items shall be answered later on separately.

    Hope it meets satisfactory.

    OM TAT SAT.

    Hare Krishna. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.

    ys…… Amar Puri.

    Reply
11. Amar Puri says:

    20. September 2019 at 9:44 pm

    Dear Readers,

    The following is an explanation of the mahat tattva and Pradhana description during the creation of the Universe “Fundamental Principles of Material Nature.” in which the EARTH is the first covering not the WATER as Mayesvara dasa making us believe in the misrepresentation which creates contradiction in his writings.

    S.B. 3.29.43 states ; ” …..mahān saptabhir āvṛtam ” i.e. mahān—the mahat-tattva;saptabhiḥ—with the seven (layers); āvṛtam—covered.

    No doubt the Mahat tattva covers the Seven Layers of the Universe starting with the Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Ether or sky, ahmkar and the Three Gunas aka Mahat-tattva.

    NOTE ; Therefore, Mahat tattva or Pradhana is the covering of the Universe.

    Three guṇas means in the mahat-tattva, in the total material reservoir, three guṇas, three modes of nature, first of all appear and they act with one another, and then gradually, one after another, the twenty-four elements become manifested.

    Lecture on BG 13.6-7 — Montreal, October 25, 1968:

    The material creation, mahat-tattva… Sa īkṣata. As it is said in the Vedic literature, simply by glancing over the material nature and agitating the three modes of material nature, the whole creation comes out.
    Mahat-tattva, the total material energy, and six, five elements, sixteen, sixteen, ṣoḍaśa-kalam. What are those? The five elements, namely, earth, water, fire, air, and sense objects and senses and the spirit soul.

    Lecture on SB 1.3.1 — Vrndavana, November 14, 1972:
    So mahat-tattva, the total material energy, and six, five elements, sixteen, sixteen, ṣoḍaśa-kalam. What are those? The five elements, namely, earth, water, fire, air, and sense objects and senses and the spirit soul. In this way, sixteen. And from sixteen, it expands to twenty-four. That is the explanation of our Vedic creation. Ṣoḍaśa-kalam.

    Thus, Mahesvara dasa uses his own intelligence to arrive at the conclusion ; Water is the First Layer not the EARTH which creates conflicts and contradictory in his presentation.

    Whereas S.B.6.16.37 reveals ;

    ” The first covering is earth, the second is water, the third is fire, the fourth is air, the fifth is sky, the sixth is the total material energy (aka. Mahat- tattva or Pradhana ), and the seventh is the false ego. “

    NOTE ; pradhāna— means more prominent; here below are the explanations ;

    TEXT 253

    icchā-śakti-pradhāna kṛṣṇa–icchāya sarva-kartā
    jñāna-śakti-pradhāna vāsudeva adhiṣṭhātā

    SYNONYMS

    icchā-śakti—of willpower; pradhāna—predominator; kṛṣṇa—Lord Kṛṣṇa; icchāya—simply by willing; sarva-kartā—the creator of everything; jñāna-śakti-pradhāna—the predominator of the power of knowledge; vāsudeva—Lord Vāsudeva; adhiṣṭhātā—reservoir.

    TRANSLATION

    “The predominator of the willing potency is Lord Kṛṣṇa, for by His supreme will everything comes into existence. In willing, there is a need for knowledge, and that knowledge is expressed through Vāsudeva.
    Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/cc/madhya/20/253

    TRANSLATION

    This universal egg, or the universe in the shape of an egg, is called the manifestation of material energy. Its layers of water, air, fire, sky, ego and mahat-tattva increase in thickness one after another. Each layer is ten times bigger than the previous one, and the final outside layer is covered by pradhāna. Within this egg is the universal form of Lord Hari, of whose body the fourteen planetary systems are parts.

    https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/3/26/52

    In this particular verse S.B.3.26.52 dealing with the chapter of the creation of the Universe entitled “Fundamental Principles of Material Nature.” the word Pradhana refers to as the predominator aspect of the Universal form of the Lord Hari of whose body the fourteen planetary systems are parts.

    That is how it is understood PRADHANA. Otherwise its layers are listed only as SIX beginning with the WATER.

    That is why S.B. 3.26.52 states that the Water is the first layer in relationship with the creation of the the Fundamental Principles of the Material Nature.

    Thus, the total layers remain SEVEN with the First Layer of EARTH manifestation ( PHENOMENA ) in the Universe and it is, indeed, listed SEVEN LAYERS of the Universe in the Srimad Bhagavatam which becomes the subject matter under discussion showing EARTH is the First covering not the WATER without any contradiction.

    Mayesvara dasa Prabhu. Where is the problem ?

    I shall reply to the other items posted by Mayesvara dasa later.

    OM TAT SAT.

    Hare Krishna. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.

    YS…… Amar Puri.

    Reply
12. Mayesvara dasa says:

    21. September 2019 at 5:20 pm

    Sri-Krishna is blessing the people of the world with a great revelation regarding the true size, shape, and nature of the Earth that we live upon. This revelation will bring about an unprecedented change of consciousness in the world. Let us try to fathom the unprecedented changes that Sri-Krishna will bring about in the world via the revelation of Bhu-mandala at the TOVP.

    Amar Puri dasa and Mahesh Raja dasa are focused on the conception that the Earth is a globe floating in space, and ignoring the fact that Srimad Bhagavatam describes Bharata-varsha as part of Jambudvipa which is part of a greater Earth-circle. Since Srimad Bhagavatam describes that our local area of the Earth is part of a greater Earth-circle, surely the emphasis should be on the news that there is more Earth all around us. Devotees seem to be missing the point of emphasis.

    It is ironic that Danavir Goswami, for example, admits the existence of a larger flat-Earth, yet doesn’t think to make that his point of emphasis:

    Krishna Devotee – ”Danavir Maharaj. Could you speak a little about the flat earth theory, is our earth planet a flat plane?”
    HH Danavir Swami: Which flat earth theory?
    Krishna Devotee – ”I heard there is a Vedic version or that the earth is flat, something like that. I am not sure”.
    HH Danavir Swami: Well first you have to find out what your theory is then I will know what you are asking.
    Krishna Devotee – ”I heard that somewhere in sastra it is said that the earth is flat in some way”.
    HH Danavir Swami – ”Bhu-mandala is flat. So that is a flat earth theory. We accept that. Not as far as our earth globe – according to Mahabharat and Srimad-Bhagavatam and other sastras “it is a globe. It is round” Our little earth is just a little spec on the Bhu-mandala, which is the greater earth. (Not to be confused with our small earth global sphere)”

    Danavir Goswami says: ”Bhu-mandala is flat. So that is a flat earth theory. We accept that”. If Danavir Goswami really accepts that as a fact, then why doesn’t he expound on the point that there is a massive flat-Earth all around us? If some-one suddenly discovered more continents of the Earth, would that not make the news? The purpose of the TOVP is to inform the people of the world of the startling news that has been kept hidden from them, namely that our known area of the Earth is just a small part of a great big Earth-circle! Danavi Goswami’s lack of faith in Bhu-mandala is exhibited in the fact that he presents Earth as an isolated globe floating in dark space. The result of presenting Earth as a small globe floating in space is that the rest of Bhu-mandala gets removed (literally vanished) from the picture, i.e. ‘impersonalized’, and sent into ‘another dimension.’

    Bharata-varsha is not described in Srimad Bhagavatam as a globe floating in space; rather it is described as part of a larger landscape, specifically as one of the nine varshas of Jambudvipa. This means that our known area of the Earth continues along a plane into other parts of the greater Earth. The idea that Bharata-varsha manifests as a globe floating in space is a departure from the original description. Sadaputa dasa, Danavir Goswami, and the host of second generation devotees who argue that the so-called Earth globe is part of ‘Vedic cosmology’, have not been loyal to Srimad Bhagavatam’s clear description that Bharata-varsha is a small part of the massive island of Jambudvipa and not an isolated globe floating in space. The truth according to Srimad Bhagavatam is that we are on a flat-earth, and that the rest of the flat-earth is all around us. This is the message of Srimad Bhagavatam. Srila Prabhupada wanted the Bhu-mandala to be exhibited at the TOVP. In a letter to SL Dhani, Srila Prabhupada stated that the Bhu-mandala (Earth-circle) would be exhibited in the Temple of Vedic Planetarium:

    “Now, here in India, we are planning construction of a very large “Vedic Planetarium” or “Temple of Understanding”. Within the planetarium we will construct a huge, detailed model of the universe as described in the text of the fifth canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam… The model will depict…The earthly system (bhu-mandala with Sumeru in center, seven islands (saptadvipa), seven oceans (sapta-samudra), Manosattara Parvata, Lokaloka Parvata, Alokavarsa.” (Letter to S.L. Dhani, 14 November 1976)

    Thus, suspended from the ceiling of the Mayapur Planetarium will be a depiction of the true shape, size, and nature of the Earth as described above by Srila Prabhupada: ‘the earthly system (bhu-mandala) with Sumeru in center, seven islands (saptadvipa), seven oceans (sapta-samudra), Manosattara Parvata, Lokaloka Parvata, Alokavarsa”. Is there any devotee who understands the ramifications of this description for the current Earth-globe ideology? Is there any devotee who takes seriously that the description of Bhu-mandala is a description of reality? Is there any devotee who is prepared to give up their illusions concerning the nature of the Earth that we live upon?

    I ask only that the devotees learn to show appreciation for what Sri-Krishna is revealing to us about the true nature of the Earth. When Sri-Krishna gives us something, we must show appreciation. Due to conditioning in globe ideology, many devotees, unfortunately, are unable to appreciate the revelation of Bhu-mandala as it is now beginning to manifest. The Puranas are the only source of spiritual literature in the world that describe the measurement, shape and nature of the Earth-circle, and its situation to the rest of the universe. Let us count ourselves fortunate to behold such a revelation. Let us be thankful and show due appreciation to Sri-Krishna for the knowledge that He wishes to give to the world.

    There is a massive amount of information on the subject of Vedic cosmology that we have yet to present to the devotee community. I therefore ask devotees for their open-mindedness and patience as the Bhu-mandala revelation unfolds. For the readers of prabhupadanugas.eu, I wished only to take a few moments to respond to some of the comments posted here by Amar Puri dasa and Mahesh Raja dasa. I hope they will both overcome their conditioning in globe ideology, and learn to appreciate the creation as Sri-Krishna describes it.

    I feel that I have said enough for the present, and those interested can follow our work on the Sampradaya Sun.

    Thanking you all for your time,

    Jaya Sri-Krishna!

    Y.S Mayesvara dasa

    Reply
13. Amar Puri says:

    22. September 2019 at 7:22 pm

    Mayesvara dasa Prabhu, with no offence, let me say that your revelation of the description in your writings of the Bhu ( Bhumi – Earth ) and the Bhu-Mandala ( the Earthly Planets ) do not correspond with the revealed Scriptures along with the Sadhus and the Guru Srila Prabhupada describes in the Srimad Bhagavatam, and yet you seem to claim it that it comes from Shri Krishna to you.

    ” Due to conditioning in globe ideology, many devotees, unfortunately, are unable to appreciate the revelation of Bhu-mandala as it is now beginning to manifest. ”

    Beginning to manifest to WHO ????

    If it is to YOU, then, you are a LIAR because the Self Realized Soul does not contradict to what Sastras, Sadhus and the GURU speaks.

    Therefore, you are a CHEATER like the other Iskcon Leader / Cheaters you quote the conversation in your comment instead of quoting from Srila Prabhupada.

    Thus, a contradictory interpretations in your writings on the subject matter of the cosmology particularly on the description of the BHU and BHU -MANDALA become subject to FOUR defects as brought out by so many devotees under discussion ?

    Is it NOT a FACT ?

    Let say we believe in what you are saying and have to say about your revelation receiving from Shri Krishna under the discussion, WHY your revelation in the writings are CONTRADICTORY to the Sastras, Sadhus and the Guru ?

    Please answer. Why have you not answered any of my rebuttals I wrote on this site ?

    Last time, you did the same with me when I discussed with you one on one basis on the subject through emails leaving our discussion in a lurch as you are doing here on this public forum once again.

    Of course, you feel that you have said enough because you can not protect and promote your contradictory writings for the present here on this site, and only those like minded can follow your contradictory work on the Sampradaya Sun as it appears so.

    Hare Krishna. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.

    Reply
14. Amar Puri says:

    22. September 2019 at 11:18 pm

    Mayesvara dasa needs to refute the following articles published here on this site.

    If he does not answer in his reply to these writings, then, it proves that he is certainly a CHEATER and he cheats the innocent people by misleading ( full of flaws ) in his writings as pointed out in these writings and comments by the various participants.

    -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

    Planets
    27. AUGUST 2019 BY PRABHUPADA NEWS
    http://www.prabhupadanugas.eu/news/?p=50586

    THIS EARTHY PLANET IS CALLED VASUDHĀ
    27. JUNE 2019 BY PRABHUPADA NEWS
    http://www.prabhupadanugas.eu/news/?p=50351

    Amar Puri writes:
    9. July 2019 at 12:23 am

    Mahesh Raja says:
    7. July 2019 at 2:02 pm

    ” Mayesvara das: The Earth-globe ideology is directly connected with impersonalism because it denies and covers the true form of the Earth goddess (Bhumi), both in her personified form, and in her expansion as the Bhu-mandala—a form which is described in the Puranas by the Vedic seers and devas with specific details of the particular shape, extent, and other wonderful features of this colossal landscape.”

    http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/07-19/editorials17077.htm

    Mayesvara das writing is always full of FLAWS as usual because his ” intent and purpose ” is totally Self Motivated agenda to establish Earth and her expansion as a Bhu-Mandala as a Colossal Flat Landscape in his presentation using his own concoction of twisting and turning the quotes from the Scriptures.

    The word Globe describes as a realm where the Living Entities live particularly in the Gross Material form on the Earth. That is why it is called an Earth Globe.

    Globe does not mean as a world map drawn on the round ball which is known as Globe. NO. It is not. The Scriptures do not describe such a definition of an Earth Globe as Mayesvara das paints the picture in his writing of Bhu-Loka, Earth Planet and Her expansion ( Group of Planets ) aka the Bhu-Mandala ( Earthly Planets ) as a Colossal Flat Landscape which creates misrepresentation subject to the four FLAWS.

    Whereas the Bhu-Manadala means both manifest and non-manifest in the Cosmos as a whole in the Universe in which the Living Entities live as per the Gayatri Mantra i.e. from the Gross form on the Earth Planet ( Bhu-Loka sphere ) i.e. Earth Globe to the subtle form i.e. realm of Bhuvara Loka and further subtler form i.e.the realm of Svarga Loka in which the manifest and the non-manifest Living entities reside on a different layer of the Planetary system in the Universe.

    So, how the whole Universe can be a Colossal Flat Landscape as Mayesvara das painting the picture as such in his concocted writings always ?

    Can some body ( Mayesvara dasa ) with the right mind answer the simple question, please ?

    As very nicely pointed out by Mahesh Prabhu in his comments as per Sastras which reads ;

    Note: “THE PREDOMINATING DEITY OF THIS EARTH, KNOWN AS BHŪMI, went to see Lord Brahmā to tell of her calamities due to the demoniac kings”

    verses

    the concocted version of misleading and misrepresenting Mayesvara das writing as mentioned in the beginning of my writing.

    Why some body with the sane mind should believe Mayesvara das concocted, misinterpreted duly misrepresented creating the smoke screen in his writing verses Srila Prabhupada’s VANI from the revealed scripture ?

    OM TAT SAT.

    Hare Krishna. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.

    Reply
15. Mahesh Raja says:

    23. September 2019 at 5:05 pm

    Amar Puri says:
    21. September 2019 at 8:17 pm

    Pariksit das Prabhu,

    Would you be kind enough to cite an example to support your finding from Mahesh and mine writings as to what you are referring to when you make such a statement ;

    “Mahesh Raja dasa and Amar Puri dasa’s interpretation to proof the earth to be something different from Sukadevas explanation makes no sense at all.”

    Thank you .

    Hare Krishna. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.
    ++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Mahesh: the ACTUAL FACT is Mayesvara das and Parksit das Prabhus statements are CONTRADICTING Srila Prabhupada:

    1) Srila Prabhupada states: “VASUDHĀ MEANS PLANETS OR GLOBES. THIS EARTHY PLANET IS CALLED VASUDHĀ”. However, they say, it is NOT.

    2) Srila Prabhupada states:”THE PLANET ON WHICH WE ARE LIVING IS CALLED JAMBŪDVĪPA.” However, they say, it is NOT.

    3) Srila Prabhupada states: JUST LIKE THE EARTH HAS ITS ORBIT—IT IS ROTATING—SIMILARLY, EVERY PLANET IS ROTATING. However, they say, it is NOT.

    Here are the FACTS let the readers judge for themselves:

    ALL THE PLANETS AND THE UNIVERSES, THEY ARE EGG SHAPED
     
    http://www.prabhupadanugas.eu/news/?p=48520
     
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
     
    THIS EARTHY PLANET IS CALLED VASUDHĀ.

    VASUDHĀ MEANS PLANETS OR GLOBES. THIS EARTHY PLANET IS CALLED VASUDHĀ.
     
    http://www.prabhupadanugas.eu/news/?p=50351
     
     
     
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
     
    JUST LIKE THE EARTH HAS ITS ORBIT—IT IS ROTATING—SIMILARLY, EVERY PLANET IS ROTATING
     
    http://www.prabhupadanugas.eu/news/?p=48862#comment-52095
     
     
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
     
    Stationary Earth?
    The difference between SPIN and ROTATE
     
    http://www.prabhupadanugas.eu/news/?p=49124#comment-52172
     
     
    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
     
    landscape, acala
     
    http://www.prabhupadanugas.eu/news/?p=50153#comment-55917
     
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Note: One can NOT defy Srila Prabhupada by JUMPING OVER Srila Prabhupada to Sukadeva Gosvami:

    731208SB.LA Lectures
    You cannot imagine what my spiritual master said. OR EVEN IF YOU READ SOME BOOKS, YOU CANNOT UNDERSTAND UNLESS YOU UNDERSTAND IT FROM ME. THIS IS CALLED PARAMPARA SYSTEM. YOU CANNOT JUMP OVER TO THE SUPERIOR GURU, NEGLECTING THE NEXT ACARYA, IMMEDIATE NEXT ACARYA.

    SB 4.12.42 P Dhruva Maharaja Goes Back to Godhead
    This is THE FIRST PRINCIPLE OF DEVOTIONAL SERVICE–ADAU GURV-ASRAYAM. In the BEGINNING one MUST accept a BONA FIDE spiritual master, and if a devotee follows strictly the direction of the spiritual master, as Dhruva Maharaja followed the instruction of Narada Muni, then it is not difficult for him to achieve the favor of the Lord.

    Note: DISCIPLIC SUCCESSION OF ACARYAS

    SB 3.29.17 P Explanation of Devotional Service by Lord Kapila
    In Bhagavad-gita, Thirteenth Chapter, it is clearly stated that one should execute devotional service and advance on the path of spiritual knowledge by accepting the acarya. Acaryopasanam: one should worship an acarya, a spiritual master who knows things as they are. THE SPIRITUAL MASTER MUST BE IN THE DISCIPLIC SUCCESSION FROM KRSNA. THE PREDECESSORS OF THE SPIRITUAL MASTER ARE HIS SPIRITUAL MASTER, HIS GRAND SPIRITUAL MASTER, HIS GREAT-GRAND SPIRITUAL MASTER AND SO ON, WHO FORM THE DISCIPLIC SUCCESSION OF ACARYAS.
    It is recommended herewith that all the acaryas be given the highest respect. It is stated, gurusu nara-matih. Gurusu means “unto the acaryas,” and nara-matih means “thinking like a common man.” To think of the Vaisnavas, the devotees, as belonging to a particular caste or community, to think of the acaryas as ordinary men or to think of the Deity in the temple as being made of stone, wood or metal, is condemned. Niyamena: one should offer the greatest respect to the acaryas according to the standard regulations. A devotee should also be compassionate to the poor. This does not refer to those who are poverty-stricken materially. According to devotional vision, a man is poor if he is not in Krsna consciousness. A man may be very rich materially, but if he is not Krsna conscious, he is considered poor. On the other hand, many acaryas, such as Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami, used to live beneath trees every night. Superficially it appeared that they were poverty-stricken, but from their writings we can understand that in spiritual life they were the richest personalities.

    The MEANING of the word “disciple”

    Srila Prabhupada’s Morning Walk, March 8, 1976 in Mayapur:

    Prabhupada: “Discipline… Disciple means discipline. The word discipline comes from disciple, or disciple comes from discipline. So unless there is discipline, there is no question of disciple. This discipline must… That should be uniform. Otherwise, sisya… sisya, the word sisya, it comes from the root, verb, sas-dhatu. sas. sas means ruling. From this word, sasana. Sasana means government. sastra. sashtra means weapon, and sastra, scripture, and sisya… These things have come from the one root sas-dhatu. So sas-dhatu means ruling under discipline. There is another English word, that “Obedience is the first law of discipline,” or something. They say, “Obedience is the first law of discipline”? So I am right? “Obedience is…”? That is the…
    Tamala Krsna: Yes, that’s more or less what it is.
    Prabhupada: No, what is the word, exact. There is an English word. “Obedience is the first law of discipline.” So unless there is obedience, there cannot be any discipline. And unless there is discipline, there is no question of disciple. DISCIPLE MEANS ONE WHO FOLLOWS DISCIPLINE.”

    oD 8 Offenses to Be Avoided
    The offenses against the chanting of the holy name are as follows: (3) To disobey the orders of the spiritual master.

    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    Mayesvara das: We have cited practically every Purana in this regard. One may wish to check the original Sanskrit for accuracy.

    Note: sanskrit issue has already been dealt with:

    Mahesh Raja says:
    30. August 2019 at 1:17 pm

    Note: Mayesvara das wants to present his little sanskrit learning to MINIMIZE AND CONTRADICT Srila Prabhupada:

    Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: It is a fact though that the repository of Indian culture and religion is Sanskrit. So are you saying then that the harijanas or these class of people…
    Prabhupāda: Yes, it is Sanskrit, but the Vedic mantras are received not by learning Sanskrit, but by hearing from the authorized person. Therefore it is called śruti. It is in Sanskrit because there was no other language. Sanskrit was the only language. So now they’re being translated into English. So it doesn’t matter whether it is in Sanskrit or English, one has to learn it by hearing from the proper person. That is wanted. It is… THE VEDIC MANTRAS ARE CALLED ŚRUTI, NOT SANSKRITI. (LAUGHTER). IT IS CALLED ŚRUTI. ŚRUTI MEANS THE FIRST BUSINESS IS HEARING. TAD-VIJÑĀNĀRTHAṀ SA GURUM EVĀBHIGACCHET [MU 1.2.12]. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF GOING TO GURU? MEANS TO, GURU IS THE AUTHORIZED PERSON FROM HEAR…, FROM HIM HEAR. SO IT DOESN’T REQUIRE THAT ONE HAS TO LEARN SANSKRIT. We have got so many disciples. It is not that they first of all learned Sanskrit. They heard. It may be in Sanskrit language or in English language. It doesn’t matter. Let him hear the real fact. That is wanted. Although the Vedic mantras are in Sanskrit, the process to understand is to hear. To hear it may be any language, to hear and understand, then he becomes perfect. It is not the Sanskrit language. It is the hearing which is important.
    Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: So will this bring respect…?
    Prabhupāda: Śravanaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇu. Hear and chant about Viṣṇu. That is wanted. Not kṛn pratyaya, di-pratyaya, du-pratyaya. No. That is not wanted. Na hi na hi rakṣati du-kṛn-kāraṇe. This will not save you. If you have become a Sanskrit scholar, du-pratyaya, di-pratyaya, da-pratyaya, that will not save you. Na hi na hi rakṣati dukṛn-kāraṇe, bhaja govindaṁ bhaja govindaṁ bhaja govindaṁ mūḍha mate. So this, they are thinking by learning Sanskrit they will become perfect. In the Bhagavad-gītā I don’t find that “You learn Sanskrit, then you become perfect.” “You surrender unto Me, then you become perfect.” That is wanted. If you learn Sanskrit, there is no harm, but it is not the only condition that “You have to learn Sanskrit, then you will be able.” Who knows in our camp Sanskrit? Who knows Sanskrit? How many?

    Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/conversations/1976/jun/answers_to_a_questionnaire_from_bhavans_journal/vrndavana/june/28/19

    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    I am also practically finding that if any of our students artificially try to become scholars by associating with unwanted persons they become victimized, for a little learning is dangerous, especially for the Westerners. I AM PRACTICALLY SEEING THAT AS SOON AS THEY BEGIN TO LEARN A LITTLE SANSKRIT IMMEDIATELY THEY FEEL THAT THEY HAVE BECOME MORE THAN THEIR GURU AND THEN THE POLICY IS KILL GURU AND BE KILLED HIMSELF.

    Your ever well wisher,
    A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

    Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/letters/vrindaban/september/18/1976/dixit

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Prabhupāda: Little ABCD, and they are trying to challenge the laws of nature. Little learning dangerous. Alpa-vidyā bhayaṁ kare(?). JUST LIKE IN OUR SOCIETY. SOME OF THEM HAVE GOT LITTLE SANSKRIT—THEY HAVE BECOME SCHOLAR, SANSKRIT SCHOLAR. THEY’RE READING ONLY SANSKRIT. RASCAL CANNOT READ ANYTHING, AND THEY ARE WASTING MONEY, FOUR HUNDRED, FIVE HUNDRED, LIKE THAT, “SANSKRIT DEPARTMENT,” DOZEN MEN. YOU WERE SPEAKING. SO I HAVE STOPPED IT. Unnecessary. I have talked with so many foreign Sanskrit scholars. They do not know anything. Still, they are passing as Sanskrit scholar.

    Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/conversations/1977/apr/bombay/april/19/1977

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    760628bj.nv Conversations
    Pradyumna: Ah, Prabhakara. Hm,hm.
    Prabhupada: He’s a big Sanskrit scholar. But what is his position? He got big, big position also, but he could not stay. If one’s mind is not fixed up, you learn Sanskrit or no Sanskrit, it will…. (break) To make a good man, it is not necessary that one has to learn Sanskrit. He can be made good provided he fully surrenders to Krsna. Sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah. Yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana. If one has got unflinching faith and devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah. All good qualities will develop automatically. Harav abhaktasya kuto mahad guna. IF HE’S NOT A DEVOTEE, HE WILL HOVER OVER THE MENTAL CONCOCTION. MANORATHENASATI DHAVATO BAHIH. THEN HE’LL REMAIN IN THE MATERIAL PLATFORM. NEVER MIND HE’S A SANSKRIT SCHOLAR OR THIS OR THAT.

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Prabhupāda: Nobel Prize-winner, another rascal has given him a Nobel Prize. He’s a rascal; another rascal has given. Suri sākṣī mātāla.(?) In the liquor house the witness is the drunkard. WHAT IS VALUE OF THE WITNESS OF A DRUNKARD? Do you know suri sākṣī mātāla? THERE IS SOME INCIDENT WITHIN THE LIQUOR SHOP, AND THE PROPRIETOR OF THE LIQUOR SHOP HAS BROUGHT SOME WITNESSES. ALL OF THEM ARE DRUNKARDS. (LAUGHTER) SO WHAT IS VALUE OF THIS? SURI SĀKṢĪ MĀTĀLA. AS SOON AS YOU ARE DRUNKARD, IMMEDIATELY THEY ARE REJECTED. Surā dekhi nā saya nā.(?) The proprietor of the liquor shop has no more witness than the drunkard.

    Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/conversations/1977/aug/s_bangladesh_preaching/prabhavisnu_articles_by_hamsaduta/vrndavana/august/11/1977

    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Note: Drunkards evidence: Mayesvara das is quoting TKG the SAME man who was part and parcel of the gang responsible for giving poison to Srila Prabhupada AND ALSO denying the Ritvik System as per July 9th 1977. So WHAT is the VALUE of such a man’s evidence?

    “Prem Yogi [Bhakti-prema dasa] showed Srila Prabhupada some illustrations from the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Fifth Canto, and explained them briefly. Prabhupada was impressed with his proper understanding. Prabhupada showed him the Mayapur model and explained what we intended to do there. Srila Prabhupada then expressed his concern: “We must exactly follow the description of Bhagavatam. As we are going to spend many crores of rupees, and there will be those who will try to find fault in our presentation, ‘Caesar’s wife must be above suspicion.’ I have explained whatever I could already in my books. NOW MY BRAIN IS NO LONGER ABLE TO WORK PROPERLY. YOU YOUNG MEN CAN TAX YOUR BRAINS TO UNDERSTAND THE SANSKRIT AND ENGLISH DESCRIPTIONS AND PRESENT THEM.” (Tamal Krishna dasa’s Diary: Prabhupada’s Final Days, May 30 1977)

    http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/08-19/editorials17159.htm

    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    http://www.prabhupadanugas.eu/news/?p=50597#comment-56996
     

    Reply
16. Amar Puri says:

    23. September 2019 at 11:56 pm

    Dear Readers,

    Mayesvara dasa in his paper entitled ” Does the Earth Float in Space ?” written on Nov. 30,2017 on Sampardaya sun presents concocted controversial writing which reads ;

    ” It is true that Krishna makes all the planets float, but the Earth is an exception and that is a detail we have to look at…….. ”

    The above statement is no where to be found in the Sastras, Sadhus and the Guru’s VANI whereas we read otherwise from the Srimad Bhagavatam as follows ;

    PURPORT ; S.B. 3.18.8

    ” Those who are demons cannot understand how the Supreme Personality of Godhead floated the earth on water, but to devotees of the Lord this is not a very wonderful act. Not only the earth but many, many millions of planets are floating in the air, and this floating power is endowed upon them by the Lord; there is no other possible explanation. The materialists can explain that the planets are floating by the law of gravitation, but the law of gravitation works under the control or direction of the Supreme Lord. That is the version of Bhagavad-gītā, which confirms, by the Lord’s statement, that behind the material laws or nature’s laws and behind the growth, maintenance, production and evolution of all the planetary systems—behind everything—is the Lord’s direction. The Lord’s activities could be appreciated only by the demigods, headed by Brahmā, and therefore when they saw the uncommon prowess of the Lord in keeping the earth on the surface of the water, they showered flowers on Him in appreciation of His transcendental activity. ”

    Further in his same concocted writing Mayesvara dasa states as follows ;

    (1.2) According to Srimad Bhagavatam the Earth is an exception from the other planets and is held by Ananta-sesha, not by air or gravity.

    From the above cited contradictory writings of Mayeshvara dasa the following question does arise which he needs to answer it ;

    ” Does Srimad Bhagavatam contradict in the explanation given by HDG. Srila Prabhupada and other Acharayas ?”

    Mayesvara dasa does not describe in his writing the definition and difference between the Bhu ( Earth ) and Bhu-Mandala ( Earthly Planets ).

    Thus, Mayesvara das writing becomes always full of FLAWS as usual because his ” intent and purpose ” is totally Self Motivated agenda to establish Earth, Bhu and her expansion as a Bhu-Mandala as a Colossal Flat Landscape in his presentation using his own concoction of twisting and turning the quotes from the Scriptures.

    The word Globe describes as a realm where the Living Entities live particularly in the Gross Material form on the Earth. That is why it is called an Earth Globe.

    Globe does not mean as a world map drawn on the round ball which is known as Globe. NO. It is not. The Scriptures do not describe such a definition of an Earth Globe as Mayesvara das paints the picture in his writing of Bhu-Loka, Earth Planet and Her expansion ( Group of Planets ) aka the Bhu-Mandala ( Earthly Planets ) as a Colossal Flat Landscape which creates misrepresentation subject to the four FLAWS.

    Whereas the Bhu-Manadala means both manifest and non-manifest in the Cosmos as a whole in the Universe in which the Living Entities live as per the Gayatri Mantra i.e. from the Gross form on the Earth Planet ( Bhu-Loka sphere ) i.e. Earth Globe to the subtle form i.e. realm of Bhuvara Loka and further subtler form i.e.the realm of Svarga Loka in which the manifest and the non-manifest Living entities reside on a different layer of the Planetary system in the Universe.

    So, how the whole Universe can be a Colossal Flat Landscape as Mayesvara das painting the picture as such in his concocted writings always ?

    Can Mayesvara dasa with the right mind answer the simple question, please ?

    Mayesvara dasa writes with his own concocted ideas that the concept of the Earth as a great circular plane is not one that Srila Prabhupada ever preached about, devotees may naturally be doubtful to hear that the Earth of Srimad Bhagavatam is described as such (and thus not as a globe floating in space) and he goes on and on and on endlessly ……………….

    In short, what is the credibility of such concocted controversial writings of Mayesvara dasa which contradict the Sastras, the Sadhus and the Guru His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada VANI ?

    It is a challenge to Mayesvara dasa to come out clean and answer all these concocted controversial writings. It is his choice to answer and not to answer which determines further his motivated agenda.

    OM TAT SAT.

    Hare Krishna. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.

    YS…… Amar Puri.

    Reply
17. Mayesvara dasa says:

    24. September 2019 at 7:36 pm

    Amar Puri dasa writes: “Mayesvara dasa Prabhu, with no offence, let me say that your revelation of the description in your writings of the Bhu ( Bhumi – Earth ) and the Bhu-Mandala ( the Earthly Planets ) do not correspond with the revealed Scriptures along with the Sadhus and the Guru Srila Prabhupada describes in the Srimad Bhagavatam, and yet you seem to claim it that it comes from Shri Krishna to you.”

    First of all, it is not my revelation. This is the revelation of Srimad Bhagavatam. I am simply pointing out that the Srimad Bhagavatam describes Bharata-varsha to be located at the south side of Jambudvipa, and thus part of a greater Earth-circle. Srimad Bhagavatam does not describe Bharata-varsha as a planet floating in space. Perhaps Amar Puri and Mahesh Raja would like to open Srimad Bhagavatam, fifth canto, chapter 16 and read the actual description:

    SB 5.16.5 — The planetary system known as Bhū-maṇḍala resembles a lotus flower, and its seven islands resemble the whorl of that flower. The length and breadth of the island known as Jambūdvīpa, which is situated in the middle of the whorl, are one million yojanas [eight million miles]. Jambūdvīpa is round like the leaf of a lotus flower.

    Here Sukadeva Goswami explains that Bhu-mandala has seven islands. In other places these seven islands are referred to as sapta-dvipa (sapta means seven and dvipa means island). The first and central island of Bhu-mandala is called Jambudvipa. It is completely round like a lotus leaf.

    SB 5.16.6 — In Jambūdvīpa there are nine divisions of land, each with a length of 9,000 yojanas [72,000 miles]. There are eight mountains that mark the boundaries of these divisions and separate them nicely.

    Here Sukadeva Goswami describes Jambudvipa to be like a super-sized continent that is divided into nine massive areas.

    SB 5.16.7 — Amidst these divisions, or varṣas, is the varṣa named Ilāvṛta, which is situated in the middle of the whorl of the lotus. Within Ilāvṛta-varṣa is Sumeru Mountain, which is made of gold…

    Sukadvea Goswami states here that the central area (varsha) of Jambudvipa is called Ilavrta-varsha. Mount Meru is situated in Ilavrta-varsha. In text 8, Sukadeva Goswami describes the mountains and varshas that are to the north of Mount Meru. Then in text 9, he describes the varshas to the south of Mount Meru which includes Bharata-varsha:

    SB 5.16.9 — Similarly, south of Ilāvṛta-varṣa and extending from east to west are three great mountains named (from north to south) Niṣadha, Hemakūṭa and Himālaya. Each of them is 10,000 yojanas [80,000 miles] high. They mark the boundaries of the three varṣas named Hari-varṣa, Kimpuruṣa-varṣa and Bhārata-varṣa [India].

    In the above verses Sukadeva Goswami describes Bharata-varsha to be at the southern side (daksinena) of the island called Jambudvipa. The description does not say that we are not hovering in space above bhu-mandala, it says we are ‘south’ of Mount Meru in Ilavrta-varsha which is on the plane or surface of Bhu-mandala itself. Thus, Bharata-varsha is not described as a planet floating in space, but as a smaller part of a vast 800,000 mile land-mass. Since we are at the south of a huge land-mass, then it is to be understood that there is more Earth to our north. And if there are hundreds of thousands of miles of inhabited land to the north of our known continents, then we are obviously not on a spinning ball flying through space – at least not according to Srimad Bhagavatam.

    Jambudvipa itself is surrounded by more islands and oceans that expand for 202,800,000 miles. There are other features of the Earth that continue to a dimater of pancasat-koti-yojana (4 billion miles). Thus Sukadeva Goswami informs us that we (who live in Bharata-varsha), are part of a larger flat-Earth-circle. You may agree or disagree with the description, but that is what Srimad Bhagavatam states; and since the TOVP is meant to present the cosmology of Srimad Bhagavatam, that is what should be presented.

    “Now, here in India, we are planning construction of a very large “Vedic Planetarium” or “Temple of Understanding”. Within the planetarium we will construct a huge, detailed model of the universe as described in the text of the fifth canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam… The model will depict…The earthly system (bhu-mandala with Sumeru in center, seven islands (saptadvipa), seven oceans (sapta-samudra), Manosattara Parvata, Lokaloka Parvata, Alokavarsa.” (Letter to S.L. Dhani, 14 November 1976)

    Here Srila Prabhupada mentions Mount Meru and the seven islands and oceans. As we have read, Bharata-varsha is situated in Jambudvipa and is south of Mount Meru (not floating in space). Jambudvipa is one of the seven islands (sapta-dvipa) that expand in the form of concentric circles for hundreds of millions of miles. Manosattara, Lokaloka and Aloka-varsha are also part of the Earth plane. Like it or not, this is a flat-Earth! If anyone is critical of the flat-Earth paradigm, then better try to halt construction on the TOVP, because the Bhu-mandala will be the center-piece of the whole exhibition.

    Srila Prabhupada’s left explicit instructions that the displays in the TOVP should be based on the descriptions given in Srimad Bhagavatam:

    Prabhupada: …from the Bhagavatam. So this should be mentioned. It is not only a temple, but a planetarium according to Bhagavatam, where which planet is situated, where is Vaikunthaloka, where is Goloka Vrndavana, where is Mahar…
    Devotees: Wow!
    Tamala Krishna: You want a real planetarium just like in the West.
    Jayapataka: That’s what I told them, Prabhupada…
    Prabhupada: Yes.
    Jayapataka: …that this is not a temple; this is like a big cultural exposition, museum, planetarium.
    Prabhupada: Yes.
    (Morning Walk, Feb 9, 1976, Mayapur)

    Again:

    “Now here in India, we are planning construction of a very large “Vedic Planetarium” or “Temple of Understanding”. Within the planetarium we will construct a huge, detailed model of the universe as described in the text of the fifth canto of Srimad Bhagavatam…The plans for this very large project are being taken solely from the references found in fifth canto Srimad Bhagavatam and its authoritative commentaries by important acaryas, along with other Puranas and Samhitas like Brahma-samhita etc. (Letter to S.L. Dhani, 14 November, 1976)

    Again:

    Prabhupada: We are intending to make a huge planetarium. If you can help us?”
    Tamala Krishna: Mentioning the Fifth Canto, Bhagavatam?
    Prabhupada: Exactly to the description of Fifth Canto, we want.
    (Room Conversation, May 8 1977, Hrishikesh)

    Again:

    Yasoda-nandana: If it is inconceivable, then they will say how we can conceive it?
    Prabhupada: Take the version of Bhagavatam… we have to accept sastra.
    (Discussions about Bhu-mandala, July 5 1977, Vrindavana)

    Again:

    Tamala Krishna: Look at the earth. Now, this is a real question that we still have to answer. They picture the earth round, and we say, no. Bhu-mandala is like a lotus, like this, and the earth is only one part of one island in Bhu-mandala, and it’s not, you know, it’s not round(?). It doesn’t look like that. And all the pictures they take of the earth when they go up in their satellites show round. And we’re going to tell them that it’s not…
    Prabhupada: So are you thinking on this?
    Bhakti-prema: In the Srimad-Bhagavatam… According to Srimad-Bhagavatam, it is (indistinct).
    Prabhupada: Find out from our side, according to Bhagavatam.
    (Bhu-mandala Diagram Discussion, July 2 1977, Vrindavana)

    In these statements we hear Srila Prabhupada personally requesting his disciples to present the Vedic cosmology (including the Earth) with reference to the Srimad Bhagavatam. We have already quoted Sukadeva Goswami stating that Bharata-varsha is located in Jambudvipa. Are Amar Puri and Mahesh Raja dasa capable of understanding the description as it is? Are they capable of saying that Bharata-varsha is described as being part of the landscape of Jambudvipa, and not an isolated globe floating in space?

    Regarding the position of the previous acharyas, if Amar Puri and Mahesh Raja Prabhu’s would perhaps take the time to read the commentaries of the acharyas to the fifth canto, they will find that the acharyas strictly follow Sukadeva Goswami’s description of the Earth circle, and there is no mention that Bharata-varsha manifests as a planet floating in space. Regarding Srila Prabhupada’s statements that the Earth floats in space, one may like to review the following article.

    Does the Earth Float in Space?
    http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/11-17/editorials15570.htm

    This reply is for the benefit of those who have faith in the description of Srimad Bhagavatam and who also wish to follow Srila Prabhupada’s instruction to present the cosmology of Srimad Bhagavatam ‘exactly’ as it is at the Mayapur Temple of Vedic Planetarium. Amar Puri and Mahesh Raja seem incapable of accepting the teaching that Bharata-varsha is described to be part of a greater Earth circle, and I do not intend to argue with the faithless. Sri-Krishna says:

    “You should not share this instruction with anyone who is hypocritical, atheistic or dishonest, or with anyone who will not listen faithfully, who is not a devotee, or who is simply not humble.

    This knowledge should be taught to one who is free from these bad qualities, who is dedicated to the welfare of the brähmanas, and who is kindly disposed, saintly and pure. And if common workers and women are found to have devotion for the Supreme Lord, they are also to be accepted as qualified hearers”. (SB 11.29.30-31)

    Here Sri-Krishna says that discourse should not take place with anyone who does not accept Srimad Bhagavatam with faith. The description of Bharata-varsha’s location on Jambudvipa is clear. I’m not making this up! You can all read: Bharata-varsha is not a globe floating in space, but a small part of the greater Earth circle that is held up by Ananta-sesha. If Amar Puri dasa and Mahesh Raja have a problem with the Earth as it is described in Srimad Bhagavatam, then it suggests that they have a problem with the creator of the Earth, namely Sri-Krishna Himself. And I do not intend to engage with devotees who are envious or proud:

    “This confidential knowledge may never be explained to those who are not austere, or devoted, or engaged in devotional service, nor to one who is envious of Me”. (18.67)

    “Devotional service executed by a person who is envious, proud, violent and angry, and who is a separatist, is considered to be in the mode of darkness”. (SB 3.29.8)

    I am otherwise happy to discuss Srimad Bhagavatam with those who show faith:

    The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me, their lives are fully devoted to My service, and they derive great satisfaction and bliss from always enlightening one another and conversing about Me. (Bg 10.9)

    As mentioned, I write not to respond to Amar Puri and Mahesh Raja directly, but for the sake of those who are capable of understanding, accepting and appreciating the Srimad Bhagavatam’s revelation that Earth is a colossal circular landscape that is held by Ananta-sesha, and not a small globe-shaped planet that floats in space. Though Srila Prabhupada spoke of the Earth in this manner, he did so only because the research into the true feature of Bhu-mandala had not been completed by the time of his departure. This has been well documented in the following papers:

    Why Did Srila Prabhupada Call the Earth a Globe?
    http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/01-18/editorials15675.htm

    Srila Prabhupada’s Conversation with a Vedic Astronomer:
    http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/01-18/editorials15707.htm

    Understanding Srila Prabhupada’s Statements on the Topic of ‘Flat-Earth’:
    http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/01-18/editorials15725.htm

    We have presented Srimad Bhagavatam’s description of the location of Bharata-varsha in Jambudvipa, and we have also presented Srila Prabhupada’s instruction to present the cosmology ‘exactly according to Bhagavatam’. Thus there is no fault in our attempt to bring to light the Srimad Bhagavatam’s description of a greater Earth, nor is there fault in out attempt to ensure that Srila Prabhupada;s instruction is respected by his followers.

    Jaya Sri-Krishna

    Y.S Mayesvara dasa

    Reply
18. Mahesh Raja says:

    25. September 2019 at 9:12 pm

    Mayesvara das: When Srila Prabhupada talks about Ananta-sesha holding all the planets on His head, or when he talks about ‘the Earthly planetary system,’ what is most likely intended by Srila Prabhupada’s conception of ‘the Earthly planets,’ is simply the seven islands of Jambudwipa which form part of the huge Bhu-mandala landscape and which are the abode of the human beings. The bhu-lokasya are not different Earth globes that float in space, but are just part of the great Earth itself.

    http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/11-17/editorials15570.htm

    Mahesh: just see the MENTAL SPECULATION “is most likely intended ” this means Mayesvara das is NOT EVEN CERTAIN of this. Otherwise, WHY say “is most likely intended “????? . NOWHERE in his books,tapes, Mp3s does Srila Prabhupada mention of the LANDSCAPE Mayesvara das Prabhu talks of. IT IS JUST NOT THERE. Let Mayesvara das Prabhu PROVE IT!!!!!
    Check on the Vedabase.

    Note: There ARE other earthly planets ALSO: not only just one earth planet Jambudvipa. The reference to the seven Islands(dvipas) are explained further on to refer to PLANETS:

    TEXT 2

    TRANSLATION

    My dear Lord, the rolling wheels of Mahārāja Priyavrata’s chariot created seven ditches, in which the seven oceans came into existence. Because of these seven oceans, Bhū-maṇḍala is divided into seven islands. You have given a very general description of their measurement, names and characteristics. Now I wish to know of them in detail. Kindly fulfill my desire.

    Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/5/16/2

    Note: Sapta dvipa (seven Islands) sapta means seven – are described here as PLANETS:

    Seated on His chariot with Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa began to proceed north, crossing over many planetary systems. THESE ARE DESCRIBED IN THE ŚRĪMAD-BHĀGAVATAM AS SAPTA–DVĪPA. Dvīpa means island. ALL THESE PLANETS are sometimes described in the Vedic literature AS DVIPAS. THE PLANET ON WHICH WE ARE LIVING IS CALLED JAMBŪDVĪPA. Outer space is taken as a great ocean of air, and within that great ocean of air there are many islands, which are the different planets. IN EACH AND EVERY PLANET THERE ARE OCEANS ALSO. In some of the PLANETS, the oceans are of salt water, and in some of them there are oceans of milk. In others there are oceans of liquor, and in others there are oceans of ghee or oil. There are different kinds of mountains also. Each and every planet has a different type of atmosphere.

    Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/kb/2/34

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Note: Nothing to do with “Earth landscape” this is Mayesvara Prabhu’s mental speculation to rationalize/justify his Flat Earth concoction.

    Here, the SEVEN ISLANDS (DVIPAS) are PLANETS not “Earth landscape”. The Khandas are different PARTS of Jambudvipa:

    The SEVEN ISLANDS (DVĪPAS) are known as (1) JAMBU, (2) Śāka, (3) Śālmalī, (4) Kuśa, (5) Krauñca, (6) Gomeda, or Plakṣa, and (7) Puṣkara.

    The PLANETS are called DVĪPA. Outer space is like an ocean of air. just as there are islands in the watery ocean, THESE PLANETS in the ocean of space are called DVĪPAS, OR ISLANDS IN OUTER SPACE.

    There are nine khaṇḍas, known as (1) Bhārata, (2) Kinnara, (3) Hari, (4) Kuru, (5) Hiraṇmaya, (6) Ramyaka, (7) Ilāvṛta, (8) Bhadrāśva and (9) Ketumāla. THESE ARE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE JAMBŪDVĪPA. A valley between two mountains is called a khaṇḍa or varṣa.

    Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/cc/madhya/20/218

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    KETUMĀLA: This earth planet is divided into seven parts, and according to others it is divided into nine parts. THIS EARTH IS CALLED JAMBŪDVĪPA and is divided into nine varṣas. Bhārata–varṣa is one of the above mentioned nine varṣas. Such varṣas are known as CONTINENTS in the modern geographical context. Ketumāla is described as one of the above varṣas. It is said that in this varṣa, women are the most beautiful. This varṣa was conquered by Arjuna also. A description of this part of the world is available in the Mahābhārata (Sabhā Parva 286.32-33).

    It is said that this part of the world is situated on the western side of the Meru Parvata, and the inhabitants of this province used to live up to ten thousands of years (Bhīṣma Parva 6.16.31-32). Human beings living in this part of the globe are of golden color, and the women resemble the angels of heaven. The inhabitants are free from all kinds of diseases and grief.

    BHĀRATA–VARṣA: This part of the world is also one of the nine varṣas of the JAMBŪDVĪPA, OR EARTHLY PLANET. EACH PLANET is also sometimes called a dvīpa BECAUSE of its being an island in the fathomless outer space. EACH PLANET is factually an island in the airy ocean of outer space. Jambūdvīpa is only one of such countless islands in this airy ocean of space. A description of Bhārata–varṣa is given in the Mahābhārata (Bhīṣma Parva, Chapters 9-10).

    Uttarāḥ: According to Śrīdhara Svāmī these parts of the world are called Ilāvṛta–varṣa, or the mediterranean countries of Europe. The description of the Ilāvṛta–varṣa is given in the Mahābhārata (Sabhā Parva 28.7-8) as follows:

    nagarāṁś ca vanāṁś caiva
    nadīś ca vimalodakāḥ
    puruṣān deva-kalpāṁś ca
    nārīś ca priya–darśanāḥ

    adṛṣṭa–pūrvān subhagān
    sa dadarśa dhanañjayaḥ
    sadanāni ca śubhrāṇi
    nārīś cāpsarasāṁ nibhāḥ

    It is twice mentioned here that the women are beautiful, and some of them are equal to the apsarās, or heavenly women. Therefore the countries mentioned are round about the Mediterranean coast.

    Kimpuruṣa–varṣa: It is stated to be situated beyond the northern side of Darjelling Dhavala Giri and probably may be a country like Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet and China. These parts of the world were also conquered by Arjuna (Sabhā Parva 28.1-2). The Kimpuruṣas are descendants of the daughter of Dakṣa. When Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira performed a horse sacrifice, the inhabitants of these countries were also present to take part in the festival, and they paid tributes to the Emperor. This part of the world is called Kimpuruṣa–varṣa, or sometimes the Himalayan provinces (Himavatī). It is said that Śukadeva Gosvāmī was born in these Himalayan provinces, and he came to Bhārata–varṣa after crossing the Himalayan countries.

    In other words, Mahārāja Parīkṣit conquered all the world, namely ALL THE CONTINENTS adjoining all the seas and oceans in all directions, namely the eastern, western, northern and southern parts of the world.

    Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/1/16/12

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Further references please read:

    HIS EARTHY PLANET IS CALLED VASUDHĀ.

    VASUDHĀ MEANS PLANETS OR GLOBES. THIS EARTHY PLANET IS CALLED VASUDHĀ.

    http://www.prabhupadanugas.eu/news/?p=50351

    Reply
19. Amar Puri says:

    26. September 2019 at 10:38 pm

    Dear Readers,

    Mayesvara dasa denies his own writing saying that it is not his revelation.

    Allow me to reproduce his writings as it reads;

    ” Due to conditioning in globe ideology, many devotees, unfortunately, are unable to appreciate the revelation of Bhu-mandala as it is now beginning to manifest. ”

    “Sri-Krishna is blessing the people of the world with a great revelation regarding the true size, shape, and nature of the Earth that we live upon. This revelation will bring about an unprecedented change of consciousness in the world. Let us try to fathom the unprecedented changes that Sri-Krishna will bring about in the world via the revelation of Bhu-mandala at the TOVP. ”

    Beginning to manifest to WHO ? Who is saying it in his writing ? Is it NOT you, Mayesvara dasa ?

    You can not twist and turn as you are very expert in doing so as per your writing always which creates full of FLAWS. For example ;

    ” Amar Puri dasa and Mahesh Raja dasa are focused on the conception that the Earth is a globe floating in space, and ignoring the fact that Srimad Bhagavatam describes Bharata-varsha as part of Jambudvipa which is part of a greater Earth-circle.”

    ” ………. The truth according to Srimad Bhagavatam is that we are on a flat-earth, and that the rest of the flat-earth is all around us.” And he goes on ……………….

    This is NOT the message of Srimad Bhagavatam.

    ” It is true that Krishna makes all the planets float, but the Earth is an exception and that is a detail we have to look at…….. ”

    (1.2) According to Srimad Bhagavatam the Earth is an exception from the other planets and is held by Ananta-sesha, not by air or gravity.

    The above statement is no where to be found in the Sastras, Sadhus and the Guru’s VANI .

    We read otherwise contrary from the Srimad Bhagavatam as follows ;

    PURPORT ; S.B. 3.18.8

    ” Those who are demons cannot understand how the Supreme Personality of Godhead floated the earth on water, but to devotees of the Lord this is not a very wonderful act. Not only the earth but many, many millions of planets are floating in the air, and this floating power is endowed upon them by the Lord; there is no other possible explanation. The materialists can explain that the planets are floating by the law of gravitation, but the law of gravitation works under the control or direction of the Supreme Lord. That is the version of Bhagavad-gītā, which confirms, by the Lord’s statement, that behind the material laws or nature’s laws and behind the growth, maintenance, production and evolution of all the planetary systems—behind everything—is the Lord’s direction. The Lord’s activities could be appreciated only by the demigods, headed by Brahmā, and therefore when they saw the uncommon prowess of the Lord in keeping the earth on the surface of the water, they showered flowers on Him in appreciation of His transcendental activity. ”

    EARTH is not FLAT. Srila Prabhupada does not say so any where in His VANI because it is not mentioned in the revealed Scriptures either as brought out many times by Mahesh Raja writing on this discussion. It appears that Mayesvara dasa does not read. That is why he is unable to rebuttal many links posted by Mahesh Raja postings.

    Why Mayesvara dasa is not refuting when presented Srila Prabhupada’s writing ?

    The answer is very simple. He is expert in writing cunningly to create the smoke screen in his message. That is how he replies. So, he can not reach to a conclusion in his writing because his writings are INCOMPLETE which becomes subject to four defects. These defects are being discussed. The problem is when these defects are brought up, Mayesvara dasa does not refute but goes on writing by creating more and more smoke screen without addressing any rebuttal in his writing.

    Thus, a contradictory interpretations in his writings on the subject matter of the cosmology particularly on the description of the BHU and BHU -MANDALA become subject to FOUR defects as brought out by so many devotees under discussion ?

    Mahesh: the ACTUAL FACT is Mayesvara das and Parksit das Prabhus statements are CONTRADICTING Srila Prabhupada:

    1) Srila Prabhupada states: “VASUDHĀ MEANS PLANETS OR GLOBES. THIS EARTHY PLANET IS CALLED VASUDHĀ”. However, they say, it is NOT.

    2) Srila Prabhupada states:”THE PLANET ON WHICH WE ARE LIVING IS CALLED JAMBŪDVĪPA.” However, they say, it is NOT.

    3) Srila Prabhupada states: JUST LIKE THE EARTH HAS ITS ORBIT—IT IS ROTATING—SIMILARLY, EVERY PLANET IS ROTATING. However, they say, it is NOT.

    Here are the FACTS let the readers judge for themselves:

    ALL THE PLANETS AND THE UNIVERSES, THEY ARE EGG SHAPED

    http://www.prabhupadanugas.eu/news/?p=48520

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    THIS EARTHY PLANET IS CALLED VASUDHĀ.

    VASUDHĀ MEANS PLANETS OR GLOBES. THIS EARTHY PLANET IS CALLED VASUDHĀ.

    http://www.prabhupadanugas.eu/news/?p=50351

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    JUST LIKE THE EARTH HAS ITS ORBIT—IT IS ROTATING—SIMILARLY, EVERY PLANET IS ROTATING

    http://www.prabhupadanugas.eu/news/?p=48862#comment-52095

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Stationary Earth?

    The difference between SPIN and ROTATE

    http://www.prabhupadanugas.eu/news/?p=49124#comment-52172

    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    landscape, acala

    http://www.prabhupadanugas.eu/news/?p=50153#comment-55917

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Note: One can NOT defy Srila Prabhupada by JUMPING OVER Srila Prabhupada to Sukadeva Gosvami:

    731208SB.LA Lectures

    You cannot imagine what my spiritual master said. OR EVEN IF YOU READ SOME BOOKS, YOU CANNOT UNDERSTAND UNLESS YOU UNDERSTAND IT FROM ME. THIS IS CALLED PARAMPARA SYSTEM. YOU CANNOT JUMP OVER TO THE SUPERIOR GURU, NEGLECTING THE NEXT ACARYA, IMMEDIATE NEXT ACARYA.

    From Srimad Bhagvatam 5.16.1, we learn and understand the description of the Bhu-Mandala ;

    TRANSLATION

    King Parīkṣit said to Śukadeva Gosvāmī: O brāhmaṇa, you have already informed me that the radius of Bhū-maṇḍala extends as far as the sun spreads its light and heat and as far as the moon and all the stars can be seen.

    PURPORT

    In this verse it is stated that the planetary system known as Bhū-maṇḍala extends to the limits of the sunshine. According to modern science, the sunshine reaches earth from a distance of 93,000,000 miles. If we calculate according to this modern information, 93,000,000 miles can be considered the radius of Bhū-maṇḍala. In the Gāyatrī mantra, we chant oṁ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ. The word bhūr refers to Bhū-maṇḍala. Tat savitur vareṇyam:the sunshine spreads throughout Bhū-maṇḍala. Therefore the sun is worshipable. The stars, which are known as nakṣatra, are not different suns, as modern astronomers suppose. From Bhagavad-gītā (10.21) we understand that the stars are similar to the moon (nakṣatrāṇāmahaṁ śaśī). Like the moon, the stars reflect the sunshine. Apart from our modern distinguished estimations of where the planetary systems are located, we can understand that the sky and its various planets were studied long, long before Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was compiled. Śukadeva Gosvāmī explained the location of the planets, and this indicates that the information was known long, long before Śukadeva Gosvāmī related it to Mahārāja Parīkṣit. The location of the various planetary systems was not unknown to the sages who flourished in the Vedic age.

    Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/5/16/1

    TRANSLATION
    As a grain of wheat is divided into two parts and one can estimate the size of the upper part by knowing that of the lower, so, expert geographers instruct, one can understand the measurements of the upper part of the universe by knowing those of the lower part. The sky between the earthly sphere and heavenly sphere is called antarikṣa, or outer space. It adjoins the top of the sphere of earth and the bottom of that of heaven.

    Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/5/21/2

    So, how the Bhu – Mandala can be a Colossal Flat Landscape as Mayesvara das painting the picture as such in his concocted writings always ?

    TRANSLATION / S.B.5.16.7

    Amidst these divisions, or varṣas, is the varṣa named Ilāvṛta, which is situated in the middle of the whorl of the lotus. Within Ilāvṛta-varṣa is Sumeru Mountain, which is made of gold. Sumeru Mountain is like the pericarp of the lotuslike Bhū-maṇḍala planetary system. The mountain’s height is the same as the width of Jambūdvīpa—or, in other words, 100,000 yojanas [800,000 miles]. Of that, 16,000 yojanas [128,000 miles] are within the earth, and therefore the mountain’s height above the earth is 84,000 yojanas [672,000 miles]. The mountain’s width is 32,000 yojanas [256,000 miles] at its summit and 16,000 yojanas at its base.

    We read from the “SB. 5.16.7 says ;

    ” ……. Of that, 16,000 yojanas ( 128,000 miles ) are within the earth …”

    The question is where is the balance part of the earth when we know the present circumference is only 25,000 miles of the earth globe ?

    Indeed, the 25,000 miles of the earth globe is a mundane calculation. Yes, of course.

    We know that also the well known City of Dwarka which lies in the state of Gujarat – India is the remaining portion of the once grand Kingdom of the Dwarka was created and ruled over by Lord Shri Krishna Himself as per the reference from the Mahabharata.

    It is possibly understood further that the Once Grand Kingdom of the Dwarka for which the Length and the Breadth of that Grand Kingdom no body knows that which once was the part of the grand Earth, indeed , form 128,000 miles of the Grand Earth mentioned in the SB. 5.16.7.

    Another example is that Shri Giriraj Ji – Shri Goverdhan Hill is diminishing.

    NOTE ; The Grand Earth 128,000 miles mentioned in the SB. 5.16.7 either majority of the land vanished, covered with water and some part of land is diminishing slowly becoming unnoticeable due to the time of Kaliyug.

    Also, it is understood that at present we are surrounded by most part of the oceans’ water and the rest is only the surface of the present Earth as per the mundane calculation of 25,000 miles are, perhaps, calculated as we know it. To support this, when we see from the globe map, the region of the country Brazil and the ocean which connects the region of the African countries were once connected forming the part of the grand Earth of 128,000 miles the portion of that region of which was ruled by the Raksasa named Mahi Ravana as per the Ramayana. There are certain point of exhibition in Brazil which proves this.

    NOTE ; That is my ” inferences” of the explanation of the 128,000 miles of the grand earth which I stand to be corrected.

    Also – there is further explanation on how the planet earth rotates:

    Morning Walk
    —
    February 4, 1976, Mayapura

    Prabhupada: Then, in the morning, it rises reddish. So why it does not look reddish always if it is fixed?
    Harikesa: Well, the material scientists say it’s because of the atmospheric condition. It refracts the light in such a way that it becomes reddish. That’s what they say. Because it’s thicker atmosphere. You have to look through more atmos…
    Prabhupada: Then how it comes so high? After few hours it goes so high.
    Harikesa: Well, there is less atmosphere to look through. Why it goes up there?
    Prabhupada: So that means move?
    Harikesa: No, no. Because we’re moving this way. The earth is rotating.
    Prabhupada: You are moving, but why you say sometimes this position and sometimes that position?
    Harikesa: Because the earth also moves like this. It’s going around the sun, and then every day it rotates once.
    Prabhupada: Hm?
    Harikesa: It rotates on an axis like this. So therefore the sun seems to go around, but actually it’s the earth that goes around.
    Prabhupada: Now, if you measure when this sun and when it comes meridian distance, so do you think the earth is moving so quickly? It is… According to their modern science, the earth is moving twenty-five thousand miles only throughout… No, within twenty-four hours.
    Harikesa: That’s around the sun.
    Prabhupada: Huh? Then is it possible…
    Jagadisa: Twenty-four-hour day, twenty-five thousand miles circumference.
    Prabhupada: So how earth has gone so quickly round that it is seen, the different position of the sun? This means sun is not fixed. Sun is moving. And in the Bhagavata it is said that it is moving at the rate of sixteen thousand miles per second. I think I have calculated that. Sixteen thousand miles.
    Hrdayananda: Prabhupada? Does that mean that the sun is going around the earth?
    Prabhupada: Hm?
    Hrdayananda: Is the sun going around the earth?
    Prabhupada: Sun is going around the whole planetary system.
    Tamala Krsna: The scientists think the whole planetary system is going around the sun.
    Bhavananda: Srila Prabhupada, earth is also moving?
    Prabhupada: Hm?
    Bhavananda: Earth planet is also moving?
    Prabhupada: Along with all other stars. That you can see at night.
    Tamala Krsna: They are all moving around the polestar.
    Prabhupada: Yes.
    Hrdayananda: So that means that the more we learn material education, (we’re) just becoming more and more foolish.
    Prabhupada: Yes. Material education means mudha. This is also material education, the movement of the sun. But they are not perfect.
    Bhavananda: Srila Prabhupada, if the earth is moving so fast, why isn’t everything blown off?
    Prabhupada: Huh?
    Bhavananda: WHY ARE WE NOT BLOWN OFF THE SURFACE OF THIS PLANET? NOW IT’S MOVING SO FAST. HOW ARE WE ABLE TO REMAIN HERE AND NOT BE BLOWN OFF?
    Prabhupada: I do not follow.
    Bhavananda: The planet is moving…
    Harikesa: HE’S SAYING, “WE’RE MOVING, SO THEREFORE THE WIND SHOULD BLOW EVERYBODY OFF, THE SPEED.”
    Hrdayananda: Why is everything so peaceful if we’re moving so fast?
    Prabhupada: Which is moving so fast?
    Hrdayananda: Well, Bhavananda said…
    Bhavananda: Planet, this planet is moving so fast, but it doesn’t appear to be moving at all.
    Prabhupada: SUPPOSE A SMALL ANT IS ON SOME BIG WHEEL, DOES IT FEEL ANYTHING, MOVEMENT? A BIG WHEEL AND A SMALL ANT. WHAT HE WILL FEEL? THIS IS CALLED RELATIVITY. LAW OF RELATIVITY. WHY YOU ARE THINKING THAT RELATIVELY YOU ARE VERY BIG? THAT IS YOUR FOOLISHNESS. YOU ARE NOTHING, INSIGNIFICANT. THEREFORE YOU ARE SURPRISED WHEN KRSNA APPEARED AS VARAHA-MURTI, TO TAKE THE WHOLE EARTH ON HIS NOSE. WHO WILL SAY IT IS MYTHOLOGY? YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW GREAT KRSNA CAN BECOME. MAHATO MAHIYAN. ANU… WHAT IS THAT?
    Hrdayananda: Anor ani…
    Sastriji: Anor aniyan anusmared yah.
    Prabhupada: Anor aniyan mahato mahiyat. So He is greater than the greatest. Yasodamayi thought that “My child are eating earth? So show.” She saw all the planetary system within His mouth. So she thought, “What is this? All right, don’t do this.” (laughs)

    OM TAT SAT.

    Hare Krishna. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.

    YS….. Amar Puri.

    Reply
20. Amar Puri says:

    27. September 2019 at 6:17 pm

    The following is from Mayesvara dasa writing to which my reply is appended below ; –

    As mentioned, I write not to respond to Amar Puri and Mahesh Raja directly, but for the sake of those who are capable of understanding, accepting and appreciating the Srimad Bhagavatam’s revelation that Earth is a colossal circular landscape that is held by Ananta-sesha, and not a small globe-shaped planet that floats in space. Though Srila Prabhupada spoke of the Earth in this manner, he did so only because the research into the true feature of Bhu-mandala had not been completed by the time of his departure. This has been well documented in the following papers:

    Amar Puri reply :

    ” YES, OF COURSE, MAYESVARA DAS IS CERTAINLY NOT ABLE TO RESPOND TO AMAR PURI AND MAHESH RAJA DIRECTLY, BECAUSE AS IT APPEARS THAT WE ONLY QUOTE FROM OUR JAGAT GURU HDG. SRILA PRABHUPADA’S VANI AS IT IS TO WHICH MAYESVARA DASA CAN NOT REFUTE AT ALL.

    THAT IS THE REASON ONLY THAT MAYESVARA DAS WRITES FOR THE SAKE OF SAVING HIS SKIN HE IS HIDING BEHIND HIS CONCOCTED, MISDIRECTED, MISINTERPRETED WRITINGS HE PRESENT TO SATISFY HIS OWN PERSONAL AGENDA AS AND WHEN HE IS CHALLENGED TO HIS MISREPRESENTED DULY CONCOCTED WRITINGS WHICH AUTOMATICALLY BECOME SUBJECT TO FOUR DEFECTS.

    WHEN THESE DEFECTIVE WRITINGS ARE BROUGHT OUT, MAYESVARA DAS DOES NOT REPLY TO WHO SO EVER CHALLENGES HIS WRITING DIRECTLY.

    IS THIS NOT A FACT ? THIS IS PRECISELY THE CASE WE ARE DISCUSSING HERE IN THIS PUBLIC FORUM.”

    Why Did Srila Prabhupada Call the Earth a Globe?
    http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/01-18/editorials15675.htm

    Amar Puri Reply ;

    ” HDG. SRILA PRABHUPADA DESCRIBES CLEARLY IN THE SRIMAD BHAGAVATA PURANA 4.21.36 ( https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/4/21/36 ) AS TO WHY THE EARTH PLANET IS CALLED GLOBE.

    SO, WHY SOME BODY HAS TO HEAR FROM THIS CONDITIONED JIVA MAYESVARA DASA’S WRITING WHICH IS SUBJECT TO FOUR DEFECTS ?

    WHAT IS THE VALUE OF SUCH WRITING WHICH HAS NO CREDIBILITY ? ”

    Srila Prabhupada’s Conversation with a Vedic Astronomer:
    http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/01-18/editorials15707.htm

    Amar Puri reply ;

    SRILA PRABHUPADA’S CONVERSATION IS SELF EXPLANATORY WHICH REQUIRES NO COMMENTS.

    THE COMMENTS FROM MAYESVARA DASA IS SUBJECT TO FOUR DEFECTS.

    Understanding Srila Prabhupada’s Statements on the Topic of ‘Flat-Earth’:
    http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/01-18/editorials15725.htm

    Amar Puri reply is that PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING WHAT SRILA PRABHUPADA SAYS ; ( Emphasis added )

    751101SB.NAI Lectures

    “That is described in the sastra. Yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti. Krsna’s body is bluish or blackish; therefore you see the sky bluish because the rays in the spiritual world is effulgence, bluish effulgence, and that is being reflected through the sky. YASYA PRABHA PRABHAVATO JAGAD-ANDA-KOTI. HIS BODILY LIGHT IS BEING REFLECTED IN MILLIONS AND TRILLIONS OF UNIVERSES. YASYA PRABHA PRABHAVATO JAGAD-ANDA-KOTI. JAGAD-ANDA. JAGAD-ANDA MEANS… ANDA, IT IS ROUND. ANDA MEANS EGG SHAPE. WE DON’T SAY IT IS FLAT. SASTRA NEVER SAYS, “FLAT.” THEN YOU CORRECT, “NO, NO, IT IS NOT FLAT. IT IS ROUND.” THIS IS SASTRA. LONG, LONG YEARS, IN THE BEGINNING, IT WAS CALLED ROUND, ANDA. GOLOKA, GO, GOLOKA, BHURLOKA. GOLOKA MEANS ROUND. GOLOKA VRNDAVANA. EVERYTHING IS ROUND. SO JAGAD-ANDA. ANDA, ANDA MEANS EGG SHAPE. JAGAD-ANDA-KOTI. THE EACH AND EVERY UNIVERSE IS EGG SHAPE; IT IS COVERED. SO YASYA PRABHA PRABHAVATO JAGAD-ANDA-KOTI KOTISU. AND EACH AND EVERY UNIVERSE, KOTISU… IN EACH, NOT THAT IN ONE UNIVERSE. We see so many universes, one universe, but there are many millions of universes. Yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti kotisu asesa-vasudhadi bhinnam. And in each and every universe there are so many planets, asesa, you cannot count–unlimited–in one universe, and there are millions of universes. What is your material knowledge? What do you know? You are trying to go to the moon planet. That is also you committing mistake. And what about the millions of universes? ”

    We have presented Srimad Bhagavatam’s description of the location of Bharata-varsha in Jambudvipa, and we have also presented Srila Prabhupada’s instruction to present the cosmology ‘exactly according to Bhagavatam’. Thus there is no fault in our attempt to bring to light the Srimad Bhagavatam’s description of a greater Earth, nor is there fault in out attempt to ensure that Srila Prabhupada;s instruction is respected by his followers.

    Amar Puri reply ;

    Has Mayesvara dasa presented the FACTS in his writings as per the Sastras, Shadhus and the Guru Srila Prabhupada’s VANI ?

    68-12-20 Letter: Rupanuga

    Regarding your question of the planetary systems, THE PLANETS ARE ARRANGED IN EACH UNIVERSE IN LAYERS LIKE THE PETALS OF A LOTUS. But in each layer there is mixed both heavenly, hellish and middle planets. On the outside layer there are these three kinds of planets, on the middle layers there are the three kinds of planets and on the inner-most layer there are found these three kinds of planets. Above these layers, in the center, is the Brahmaloka where Lord Brahma, the creator is residing. So the earth planet and the moon planet are both on the same layer but the earth is middle planet and the moon is heavenly planet.

    Note: the planets are are as Srila Prabhupada described : All The Planets And The Universes, They Are EGG SHAPED.

    THE PLANETS ARE *ARRANGED* IN EACH UNIVERSE IN LAYERS *LIKE* THE PETALS OF A LOTUS

    So, Dear Learned Readers, how the Bhu – Mandala can be a Colossal Flat Landscape as Mayesvara das painting the picture as such in his concocted writings always ?

    Now you have to judge yourself via the proof presented here as to who is a LIAR and a CHEATER here in the presentation of the Cosmology from the Srimad Bhagavatam.

    OM TAT SAT.

    Hare Krishna. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.

    YS….. Amar Puri.

    Reply
21. Mayesvara dasa says:

    30. September 2019 at 1:56 pm

    The following paper explains why the seven islands form one landscape:

    http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/09-19/editorials17287.htm

    We have written several other papers on the subject (providing more detail). For those interested, please let me know.

    When the TOVP is eventually completed, devotees will enter the temple and see a huge flat-Earth disc suspended from the ceiling of the main dome, and despite seeing the Vedic flat-Earth in front of their eyes, and despite offering obeisances and lip-service to the depiction of Bhu-mandala, there will be those that continue to argue that the Vedic Earth is not a flat-Earth. Meanwhile, Mayesvara dasa will continue to be harangued for his bogus flat-Earth ideas. Such is the upside-down nature of life in the realm of maya!

    Jaya Sri Krishna!

    Y.S Mayesvara dasa

    Reply
    • Amar Puri says:

      1. October 2019 at 10:34 pm

      In his writing ; http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/09-19/editorials17287.htm ,
      Mayesvara dasa creates a smoke screen when he says in his misinterpreted easy ;

      ” The name gam has been translated in this instance as as ‘the three worlds ” kramato gam padaikena
      whereas kramato gam padaikena in S.B. 8.19.34 refers ‘ gam—the surface of the land “.

      S.B. 8.19.34 states ;

      SYNONYMS
      kramataḥ—gradually; gām—the surface of the land; padā ekena—by one step; dvitīyena—by the second step; divam—the whole of outer space; vibhoḥ—of the universal form; kham ca—the sky also; kāyena—by the expansion of His transcendental body; mahatā—by the universal form; tārtīyasya—as far as the third step is concerned; kutaḥ—where is; gatiḥ—to keep His step.

      TRANSLATION
      Vāmanadeva will first occupy the three worlds with one step, then He will take His second step and occupy everything in outer space, and then He will expand His universal body to occupy everything. Where will you offer Him the third step?

      NOTE ; Where does it states Lord Vamana Stepped Over the Flat-Earth ?

      Mayesvara dasa can you please answer it, if you are honest. You must prove it from the Sastras’ writing not from your crooked and concocted writings.

      Another misinterpreted concocted translation Mayesvara dasa present in his above mentioned writing is the word ” Bhur ” how he misleads in his contradictory writing as such ;

      ” The name bhur or bhurloka is a reference to the Earth and Srila Prabhupada translates it as such throughout Srimad Bhagavatam (e.g., SB 1.14.21). In the purport to SB 5.16.1 Srila Prabhupada states,”

      “In the Gayatri mantra we chant om bhur bhuvah svah. The word bhur refers to bhu-mandala”. (SB 5.16.1)”

      Let us understand the meaning of ” bhur ” i.e. the Earth where we live at present. Bhuvah and Svah are subtle spheres which forms Mandala ( Groups ). Therefore, In the Gāyatrī mantra, we chant oṁ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ. The word bhūr refers to Bhū-maṇḍala. Tat savitur vareṇyam: the sunshine spreads throughout Bhū-maṇḍala. Therefore the sun is worshipable. The stars, which are known as nakṣatra, are not different suns, as modern astronomers suppose. S.B.5.16.1 P.

      A wise person must question did Lord Vamana Stepped Over the Flat-Earth ( Mayesvara dasa misrepresented writing of the Flat-Earth ) or the entire Bhu- Manadala of the Universe as per Sastras ?

      I have presented the FACTS as per Sastras, Sadhus and the Guru.

      Who should you believe as to who is speaking the TRUTH ?

      1. The Cheater Mayesvara dasa speaking from his CROCKED AND CONCOCTED writing;

      or

      2. The Sastras, Sadhus and the Guru VANI as presented.

      OM TAT SAT.

      Hare Krishna. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.

      Reply
22. Mahesh Raja says:

    1. October 2019 at 7:59 pm

    SAPTA-DVIPA

    Mayesvaradas: How can the sapta-dvipa be islands floating in space, andat the same time be the continents of our known Earth? This is apoint that needs to be discussed in fulfillment of Srila Prabhupada’sinstructions for the Temple of Vedic Planetarium

    Mahesh:

    Thereare TWO MAJOR differences: Seven Islands are described as CONTINENTSof this earth-globe Jambudvipa that we live in -and- seven Islandsare described as PLANETS inthe GREAT OCEAN OF AIR OF WHICH our PLANET JAMBU DVIPA is JUST ONE ofthose seven PLANETS:

    SEVENCONTINENTS on the surfaceof the GLOBE: JAMBŪDVĪPA:

    –
    There are references to Sapta-DVIPA to refer SEVEN Islands (CONTINENTS): CONTINENTS on the surface of the globe: (1) Asia, (2) Europe, (3) Africa, (4) North America, (5) South America, (6) Australia and (7) Oceania ON Jambu dvipa PLANET. “ THE PLANET ON WHICH WE ARE LIVING IS CALLED JAMBŪDVĪPA”

    SEVENPLANETS in the GREAT OCEAN OF AIR

    –
    There are references to Sapta-DVIPA to refer to SEVEN Islands (SEVEN PLANETS) PLANETS in the GREAT OCEAN OF AIR OF WHICH our PLANET JAMBU DVIPA is JUST ONE of the seven PLANETS : The SEVEN ISLANDS (DVĪPAS) are known as (1) JAMBU, (2) Śāka, (3) Śālmalī, (4) Kuśa, (5) Krauñca, (6) Gomeda, or Plakṣa, and (7) Puṣkara.

    “THESE ARE DESCRIBED IN THE ŚRĪMAD-BHĀGAVATAM AS SAPTA–DVĪPA. Dvīpa means island. ALL THESE PLANETS are sometimes described in the Vedic literature AS DVIPAS. THE PLANET ON WHICH WE ARE LIVING IS CALLED JAMBŪDVĪPA. Outer space is taken as a great ocean of air, and within that great ocean of air there are many islands, which are the DIFFERENT PLANETS.”

    Note:Bhu(earth) Mandala(group)comprises SAPTA-DVIPA Seven ISLANDS(dvipas) of ALL of above.Planets AND ContinentsINCLUSIVE:

    KB82 Lord Krsna and Balarama Meet the Inhabitants of Vrndavana

    TheWHOLE philosophy is considered on the basis of inconceivable,SIMULTANEOUS ONENESS AND DIFFERENCE.

    Note:There ARE OTHER EARTHLY PLANETS ALSO: not only just one earth planetJambudvipa. The reference to the seven Islands(dvipas) are explainedfurther on to refer to PLANETS:

    TEXT 2

    TRANSLATION

    My dear Lord, the rolling wheels of MahārājaPriyavrata’s chariot created seven ditches, in which the sevenoceans came into existence. Because of these seven oceans,Bhū-maṇḍala is divided into seven islands. You have given a verygeneral description of their measurement, names and characteristics.Now I wish to know of them in detail. Kindly fulfill my desire.

    Link to this page:https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/5/16/2

    Note: Sapta dvipa (seven Islands) sapta meansseven – are described here as PLANETS:

    Seated on His chariot with Arjuna, Kṛṣṇabegan to proceed north, crossing over many planetary systems. THESEARE DESCRIBED IN THE ŚRĪMAD-BHĀGAVATAM AS SAPTA–DVĪPA. Dvīpameans island. ALL THESE PLANETS are sometimes described in the Vedicliterature AS DVIPAS. THE PLANET ON WHICH WE ARE LIVING IS CALLEDJAMBŪDVĪPA. Outer space is taken as a great ocean of air, andwithin that great ocean of air there are many islands, which are thedifferent planets. IN EACH AND EVERY PLANET THERE ARE OCEANS ALSO. Insome of the PLANETS, the oceans are of salt water, and in some ofthem there are oceans of milk. In others there are oceans of liquor,and in others there are oceans of ghee or oil. There are differentkinds of mountains also. Each and every planet has a different typeof atmosphere.

    Link to this page:https://prabhupadabooks.com/kb/2/34

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Note: Nothing to do with “Earth landscape”this is Mayesvara Prabhu’s mental speculation torationalize/justify his Flat Earth concoction.

    Here, the SEVEN ISLANDS (DVIPAS) are PLANETS not“Earth landscape”. The Khandas are different PARTS of Jambudvipa:

    The SEVEN ISLANDS (DVĪPAS) are known as (1)JAMBU, (2) Śāka, (3) Śālmalī, (4) Kuśa, (5) Krauñca, (6)Gomeda, or Plakṣa, and (7) Puṣkara.

    The PLANETS are called DVĪPA. Outer space is likean ocean of air. just as there are islands in the watery ocean, THESEPLANETS in the ocean of space are called DVĪPAS, OR ISLANDS IN OUTERSPACE.

    There are nine khaṇḍas, known as (1) Bhārata,(2) Kinnara, (3) Hari, (4) Kuru, (5) Hiraṇmaya, (6) Ramyaka, (7)Ilāvṛta, (8) Bhadrāśva and (9) Ketumāla. THESE ARE DIFFERENTPARTS OF THE JAMBŪDVĪPA. A valley between two mountains is called akhaṇḍa or varṣa.

    Link to this page:https://prabhupadabooks.com/cc/madhya/20/218

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    KETUMĀLA: This earth planet is divided into sevenparts, and according to others it is divided into nine parts. THISEARTH IS CALLED JAMBŪDVĪPA and is divided into nine varṣas.Bhārata–varṣa is one of the above mentioned nine varṣas. Suchvarṣas are known as CONTINENTS in the modern geographical context.Ketumāla is described as one of the above varṣas. It is said thatin this varṣa, women are the most beautiful. This varṣa wasconquered by Arjuna also. A description of this part of the world isavailable in the Mahābhārata (Sabhā Parva 286.32-33).

    It is said that this part of the world is situatedon the western side of the Meru Parvata, and the inhabitants of thisprovince used to live up to ten thousands of years (Bhīṣma Parva6.16.31-32). Human beings living in this part of the globe are ofgolden color, and the women resemble the angels of heaven. Theinhabitants are free from all kinds of diseases and grief.

    BHĀRATA–VARṣA: This part of the world is alsoone of the nine varṣas of the JAMBŪDVĪPA, OR EARTHLY PLANET. EACHPLANET is also sometimes called a dvīpa BECAUSE of its being anisland in the fathomless outer space. EACH PLANET is factually anisland in the airy ocean of outer space. Jambūdvīpa is only one ofsuch countless islands in this airy ocean of space. A description ofBhārata–varṣa is given in the Mahābhārata (Bhīṣma Parva,Chapters 9-10).

    Uttarāḥ: According to Śrīdhara Svāmī theseparts of the world are called Ilāvṛta–varṣa, or themediterranean countries of Europe. The description of theIlāvṛta–varṣa is given in the Mahābhārata (Sabhā Parva28.7-8) as follows:

    nagarāṁś ca vanāṁś caiva
    nadīś cavimalodakāḥ
    puruṣān deva-kalpāṁś ca
    nārīś capriya–darśanāḥ

    adṛṣṭa–pūrvān subhagān
    sa dadarśadhanañjayaḥ
    sadanāni ca śubhrāṇi
    nārīś cāpsarasāṁnibhāḥ

    It is twice mentioned here that the women arebeautiful, and some of them are equal to the apsarās, or heavenlywomen. Therefore the countries mentioned are round about theMediterranean coast.

    Kimpuruṣa–varṣa: It is stated to be situatedbeyond the northern side of Darjelling Dhavala Giri and probably maybe a country like Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet and China. These parts of theworld were also conquered by Arjuna (Sabhā Parva 28.1-2). TheKimpuruṣas are descendants of the daughter of Dakṣa. WhenMahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira performed a horse sacrifice, theinhabitants of these countries were also present to take part in thefestival, and they paid tributes to the Emperor. This part of theworld is called Kimpuruṣa–varṣa, or sometimes the Himalayanprovinces (Himavatī). It is said that Śukadeva Gosvāmī was bornin these Himalayan provinces, and he came to Bhārata–varṣa aftercrossing the Himalayan countries.

    In other words, Mahārāja Parīkṣit conqueredall the world, namely ALL THE CONTINENTS adjoining all the seas andoceans in all directions, namely the eastern, western, northern andsouthern parts of the world.

    Link to this page:https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/1/16/12

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Further references please read:

    HIS EARTHY PLANET IS CALLED VASUDHĀ.

    VASUDHĀ MEANS PLANETS OR GLOBES. THIS EARTHYPLANET IS CALLED VASUDHĀ.

    http://www.prabhupadanugas.eu/news/?p=50351

    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Note:here readers can actually observe HOW Mayesvara das Prabhu presentshis TWISTED MISUNDERSTANDING of ONE SIDED Flat-Earth landscape:

    Mayesvaradas: That Bali is indicating one of the seven islands (sapta-dvipa)is inferred from Vamana’s reply to Bali:

    “The Personality of Godhead said: O my dear King, even the entirety of whatever there may be within the three worlds to satisfy one’s senses cannot satisfy a person whose senses are uncontrolled.

    If I were not satisfied with three paces of land, then surely I would not be satisfied even with possessing one of the seven islands (sapta-dvipa), consisting of nine varshas. Even if I possessed one island, I would hope to get others.

    We have heard that although powerful kings like Maharaja Prithu and Maharaja Gaya achieved proprietorship over the seven dvipas, they could not achieve satisfaction or find the end of their ambitions”. (SB 8.19.21-23)

    Herethe Lord mentions the other seven islands:sapta-dvipa-vara-icchaya—by the desire to take possession ofseven islands. He also mentions that previously King Prithu and KingGaya had control over the seven dvipas (sapta-dvipa-adhipatayah).Other verses in Srimad Bhagavatam confirm that King Prithu wasruler of all seven dvipas on Bhu-mandala (see SB 4.16.20 and4.18.29). In both these verses it mentions in the Sanskrit that KingPrithu was emperor of the entire Bhu-mandala, though one shouldnote that Srila Prabhupada has translated Bhu-mandala as Earth globe.We shall see presently that the huge measurement of the seven dvipason Bhu-mandala rules out any possibility that the name bhu-mandala isreference to the supposed Earth-globe.

    AgainSrimad Bhagavatam states that Prithu was ruler of the sevendvipas on Bhu-mandala:

    sapta-dvipaika-danda-dhrik

    “Maharaja Prithu was an unrivaled king and possessed the scepter for ruling all the seven islands on the surface of the globe.” (SB 4.21.12)

    AgainSrila Prabhupada refers to the Earth as a globe. And in the purportSrila Prabhupada states that the sapta-dvipa (seven islands)are the continents of our known Earth:

    “Sapta-dvipa refers to the seven great islands or continents on the surface of the globe: (1) Asia, (2) Europe, (3) Africa, (4) North America, (5) South America, (6) Australia and (7) Oceania. In the modern age people are under the impression that during the Vedic period or the prehistoric ages America and many other parts of the world had not been discovered, but that is not a fact. Prithu Maharaja ruled over the world many thousands of years before the so-called prehistoric age, and it is clearly mentioned here that in those days not only were all the different parts of the world known, but they were ruled by one king, Maharaja Prithu.” (SB 4.21.12 Purport)

    SincePrthu Maharaja’s sovereignty was over all of Bhu-mandala, thesapta-dvipa mentioned here are a reference to those created byMaharaja Priyavrata on the Bhu-mandala (see SB 5.1.31-33). No othersapta-dvipa is mentioned in Srimad Bhagavatam. Theseven islands and oceans are later described by Sukadeva Goswami tocover an area of hundreds of millions of miles. The names,measurement, and characteristics of these seven islands and oceans donot in fact match up with the seven continents of Earth. Of course,since Bharata-varsha is part of Jambudvipa, the continents of Earthare also included in the lands comprising sapta-dvipa, butas we shall see, the name sapta-dvipaspecifically refers to the colossal islands that form Bhu-mandala,and not to the continents of our known Earth. Again so that noone is able to make propaganda that we are deviating from SrimadBhagavatam and Srila Prabhupada, let us all read together theactual description of sapta-dvipa as it is found in the fifthcanto…

    Whatare the seven islands of the Earth? This very question was put byPariksit Maharaja to Sukadeva Goswami:

    “My dear Lord, the rolling wheels of Maharaja Priyavrata’s chariot created seven ditches, in which the seven oceans came into existence. Because of these seven oceans, Bhu-mandala is divided into seven islands. You have given a very general description of their measurement, names and characteristics. Now I wish to know of them in detail. Kindly fulfill my desire.” (SB 5.16.2)

    HerePariksit Maharaja asks about the seven islands (sapta-dvipa)and seven oceans (sapta sindhava). The question is veryspecific and asks for their measurement and characteristics. Thedescription that follows by Sukadeva Goswami enables us to understandthat this is not a description of continents on an Earth globefloating in space, but rather of a flat-Earth landscape thatcontinues for hundreds of millions of miles and which containsinnumerable other civilizations.

    ARETHE SAPTA-DVIPA FLOATING IN SPACE?

    Beforecoming to Sukadeva Goswami’s description of the seven islands, let usgo back to the verse and purport at SB 8.19.19 where King Bali offersVamana an island (dvipa). In the purport Srila Prabhupadasays:

    “According to Vedic understanding, the entire universe is regarded as an ocean of space. In that ocean there are innumerable planets, and each planet is called a dvipa, or island. When approached by Lord Vamanadeva, Bali Maharaja was actually in possession of all the dvipas, or islands in space. Bali Maharaja was very pleased to see the features of Vamanadeva and was ready to give Him as much land as He could ask, but because Lord Vamanadeva asked only three paces of land, Bali Maharaja considered Him not very intelligent.” (SB 8.19.19)

    HereSrila Prabhupada states that the sapta-dvipa are islands inspace. However, we just read previously in the purport to SB 4.21.12that Srila Prabhupada described sapta-dvipa as the continentsof our known Earth. How can the sapta-dvipa be islandsfloating in space, and at the same time be the continents of ourknown Earth? This is a point that needs to be discussed infulfillment of Srila Prabhupada’s instructions for the Temple ofVedic Planetarium

    http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/09-19/editorials17287.htm

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Mahesh: What Mayesvaradas Prabhu WANTS TO DO is accept his MENTAL SPECULATION of ONE FlatEarth landscape RATHER THEN accept THERE- ARE-OTHER-EARTHLY- PLANETS:SEVEN ISLANDS :

    Note: Sapta dvipa (seven Islands) sapta meansseven – are described here as PLANETS:

    Seated on His chariot with Arjuna, Kṛṣṇabegan to proceed north, crossing over many planetary systems. THESEARE DESCRIBED IN THE ŚRĪMAD-BHĀGAVATAM AS SAPTA–DVĪPA. Dvīpameans island. ALL THESE PLANETS are sometimes described in the Vedicliterature AS DVIPAS. THE PLANET ON WHICH WE ARE LIVING IS CALLEDJAMBŪDVĪPA. Outer space is taken as a great ocean of air, andwithin that great ocean of air there are many islands, which are thedifferent planets. IN EACH AND EVERY PLANET THERE ARE OCEANS ALSO. Insome of the PLANETS, the oceans are of salt water, and in some ofthem there are oceans of milk. In others there are oceans of liquor,and in others there are oceans of ghee or oil. There are differentkinds of mountains also. Each and every planet has a different typeof atmosphere.

    Link to this page:https://prabhupadabooks.com/kb/2/34

    Note: The words Bhu Mandala reference to Bhu:earth. Mandala: group

    bhū—theearth;

    Link to this page:https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/6/13/5

    maṇḍala-group;

    Link to this page:https://prabhupadabooks.com/cc/adi/5/118

    To say that Bhu mandala ONLY refers to Jambudvipaplanet is FALSE. The Bhu mandala is a PLANETARY system. Hence,PLANETARY SYSTEM has to have EARTHLY(bhu) PLANETS maṇḍala-group in it:

    In simple terms: Bhu Mandala is a GROUP ofEARTHLY PLANETS of which ONE planet is called Jambudvipa. So – Bhumandala CAN be called Jambu dvipa Sapta dvipa(one planet withseven Continents) OR sapta-dvipa (Seven Planets includingJambu dvipa planet) depending IN THE CONTEXT of HOW the term“sapta dvipa” is used.

    Note: further references to EARTHLY PLANETS:

    TEXT 12

    matsyo yugānta-samayemanunopalabdhaḥ

    kṣoṇīmayonikhila-jīva-nikāya-ketaḥ

    visraṁsitān uru-bhayesalile mukhān me

    ādāya tatra vijahāra haveda-mārgān

    SYNONYMS

    matsyaḥ—incarnation of thefish; yuga-anta—at the end of the millennium; samaye—at the timeof; manunā—the would-be Vaivasvata Manu; upalabdhaḥ—seen;kṣoṇīmayaḥ—up to the earthly planets; nikhila—all;jīva—living entities; nikāya-ketaḥ—shelter for;visraṁsitān—emanating from; uru—great; bhaye—out of fear;salile—in the water; mukhāt—from the mouth; me—mine;ādāya—having taken to; tatra—there; vijahāra—enjoyed;ha—certainly; veda-mārgān—all the Vedas.

    TRANSLATION

    At the end of the millennium,the would-be Vaivasvata Manu, of the name Satyavrata, would see thatthe Lord in the fish incarnation is the shelter of all kinds ofliving entities, up to those in the earthly planets. Becauseof my fear of the vast water at the end of the millennium, the Vedascome out of my [Brahmā’s] mouth, and the Lord enjoys those vastwaters and protects the Vedas.

    PURPORT

    During one day of Brahmāthere are fourteen Manus, and at the end of each Manu there isdevastation up to THE EARTHLY PLANETS, andthe vast water is fearful even to Brahmā. So in the beginning of thewould-be Vaivasvata Manu, such devastation would be seen by him.There would be many other incidents also, such as the killing of thefamous Śaṅkhāsura. This foretelling is by the past experience ofBrahmājī, who knew that in that fearful devastating scene, theVedas would come out of his mouth, but the Lord in His fishincarnation not only would save all living entities, namely thedemigods, animals, men and great sages, but would also save theVedas.

    Link to this page:https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/2/7/12

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    TEXT 18

    ūrdhvaṁ gacchantisattva-sthā

    madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ

    jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā

    adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ

    SYNONYMS

    ūrdhvam—upwards;gacchanti—goes; sattva-sthāḥ—one who is situated in the modeof goodness; madhye—in the middle; tiṣṭhanti—dwell;rājasāḥ—those who are situated in the mode of passion;jaghanya—abominable; guṇa—quality; vṛtti-sthāḥ—occupation;adhaḥ—down; gacchanti—go; tāmasāḥ—persons in the mode ofignorance.

    TRANSLATION

    Those situated in the mode ofgoodness gradually go upward to the higher planets; those in the modeof passion live on the EARTHLY PLANETS; and those in the modeof ignorance go down to the hellish worlds.

    PURPORT

    In this verse the results ofactions in the three modes of nature are more explicitly set forth.There is an upper planetary system, consisting of the heavenlyplanets, where everyone is highly elevated. According to the degreeof development of the mode of goodness, the living entity can betransferred to various planets in this system. The highest planet isSatyaloka, or Brahmaloka, where the prime person of this universe,Lord Brahmā, resides. We have seen already that we can hardlycalculate the wondrous condition of life in Brahmaloka, but thehighest condition of life, the mode of goodness, can bring us tothis.

    The mode of passion is mixed.It is in the middle, between the modes of goodness and ignorance. Aperson is not always pure, but even if he should be purely in themode of passion, he will simply remain on this earth as a king or arich man. But because there are mixtures, one can also go down.People on this earth, in the modes of passion or ignorance, cannotforcibly approach the higher planets by machine. In the mode ofpassion, there is also the chance of becoming mad in the next life.

    The lowest quality, the mode ofignorance, is described here as abominable. The result of developingignorance is very, very risky. It is the lowest quality in materialnature. Beneath the human level there are eight million species oflife: birds, beasts, reptiles, trees, etc., and, according to thedevelopment of the mode of ignorance, people are brought down tothese abominable conditions. The word tāmasāḥ is very significanthere. Tāmasāḥ indicates those who stay continually in the mode ofignorance without rising to a higher mode. Their future is very dark.

    There is opportunity for men inthe modes of ignorance and passion to be elevated to the mode ofgoodness, and that system is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Butone who does not take advantage of this opportunity certainly willcontinue in the lower modes.

    Link to this page:https://prabhupadabooks.com/bg/14/18

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    TEXT 2

    yasyāmbhasi śayānasya

    yoga-nidrāṁ vitanvataḥ

    nābhi-hradāmbujād āsīd

    brahmā viśva-sṛjāṁpatiḥ

    SYNONYMS

    yasya—whose; ambhasi—inthe water; śayānasya—lying down; yoga-nidrām—sleeping inmeditation; vitanvataḥ—ministering; nābhi—navel; hrada—outof the lake; ambujāt—from the lotus; āsīt—was manifested;brahmā—the grandfather of the living beings; viśva—theuniverse; sṛjām—the engineers; patiḥ—master.

    TRANSLATION

    A part of the puruṣa liesdown within the water of the universe, from the navel lake of Hisbody sprouts a lotus stem, and from the lotus flower atop this stem,Brahmā, the master of all engineers in the universe, becomesmanifest.

    PURPORT

    The first puruṣa is theKāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. From His skin holes innumerableuniverses have sprung up. In each and every universe, the puruṣaenters as the Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. He is lying within thehalf of the universe which is full with the water of His body. Andfrom the navel of Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu has sprung the stem ofthe lotus flower, the birthplace of Brahmā, who is the father of allliving beings and the master of all the demigod engineers engaged inthe perfect design and working of the universal order. Within thestem of the lotus there are fourteen divisions of planetary systems,AND THE EARTHLY PLANETS ARE SITUATED IN THE MIDDLE. Upwardsthere are other, better planetary systems, and the topmost system iscalled Brahmaloka or Satyaloka. DOWNWARDS FROM THE EARTHLYPLANETARY SYSTEM there are seven lower planetary systemsinhabited by the asuras and similar other materialistic livingbeings.

    Link to thispage: https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/1/3/2

    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    TEXT 12

    matsyo yugānta-samaye manunopalabdhaḥ

    kṣoṇīmayo nikhila-jīva-nikāya-ketaḥ

    visraṁsitān uru-bhaye salile mukhān me

    ādāya tatra vijahāra ha veda-mārgān

    SYNONYMS

    matsyaḥ—incarnation of the fish; yuga-anta—atthe end of the millennium; samaye—at the time of; manunā—thewould-be Vaivasvata Manu; upalabdhaḥ—seen; kṣoṇīmayaḥ—upto the earthly planets; nikhila—all; jīva—living entities;nikāya-ketaḥ—shelter for; visraṁsitān—emanating from;uru—great; bhaye—out of fear; salile—in the water; mukhāt—fromthe mouth; me—mine; ādāya—having taken to; tatra—there;vijahāra—enjoyed; ha—certainly; veda-mārgān—all the Vedas.

    TRANSLATION

    At the end of the millennium, the would-beVaivasvata Manu, of the name Satyavrata, would see that the Lord inthe fish incarnation is the shelter of all kinds of living entities,up to those in the earthly planets. Because of my fear of the vastwater at the end of the millennium, the Vedas come out of my[Brahmā’s] mouth, and the Lord enjoys those vast waters andprotects the Vedas.

    PURPORT

    During one day of Brahmā there are fourteenManus, and at the end of each Manu THERE IS DEVASTATION UP TO THEEARTHLY PLANETS, and the vast water is fearful even to Brahmā.So in the beginning of the would-be Vaivasvata Manu, such devastationwould be seen by him. There would be many other incidents also, suchas the killing of the famous Śaṅkhāsura. This foretelling is bythe past experience of Brahmājī, who knew that in that fearfuldevastating scene, the Vedas would come out of his mouth, but theLord in His fish incarnation not only would save all living entities,namely the demigods, animals, men and great sages, but would alsosave the Vedas.

    Link to this page:https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/2/7/12

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    TEXT 31

    ye vā u hatad-ratha-caraṇa-nemi-kṛta-parikhātās te sapta sindhava āsanyata eva kṛtāḥ sapta bhuvo dvīpāḥ.

    SYNONYMS

    ye—that; vā u ha—certainly;tat-ratha—of his chariot; caraṇa—of the wheels; nemi—by therims; kṛta—made; parikhātāḥ—trenches; te—those;sapta—seven; sindhavaḥ—oceans; āsan—became; yataḥ—becauseof which; eva—certainly; kṛtāḥ—were made; sapta—seven;bhuvaḥ—of the Bhū-maṇḍala; dvīpāḥ—islands.

    TRANSLATION

    When Priyavrata drove hischariot behind the sun, the rims of his chariot wheels createdimpressions that later became seven oceans, dividing the planetarysystem known as Bhū-maṇḍala into seven islands.

    PURPORT

    Sometimes the planets in outerspace are called islands. We have experience of various types ofislands in the ocean, and similarly the various planets, divided intofourteen lokas, are islands in the ocean of space. As Priyavratadrove his chariot behind the sun, he created seven different types ofoceans and planetary systems, which altogetherare known as Bhū-maṇḍala, or Bhūloka. In the Gāyatrīmantra, we chant, oṁ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ tat savitur vareṇyam.Above the Bhūloka planetary system is Bhuvarloka, and above that isSvargaloka, the heavenly planetary system. All these planetarysystems are controlled by Savitā, the sun-god. By chanting theGāyatrī mantra just after rising early in the morning, one worshipsthe sun-god.

    Link to this page:https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/5/1/31

    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Bhūloka is explained to be that portionof outer space through which the heat and light of the sun extend.Therefore it is natural to conclude that this universe extends inspace as far as we can see and encompasses the glittering stars.Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī admitted that to give full details ofthis expansive material universe would be impossible, butnevertheless he wanted to give the King as much knowledge as he hadreceived through the paramparā system. We should conclude that ifone cannot comprehend the material expansions of the SupremePersonality of Godhead, one certainly cannot estimate theexpansiveness of the spiritual world. The Brahma-saṁhitā (5.33)confirms this:

    advaitam acyutam anādimananta-rūpam
    ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca

    The limits of the expansionsof Govinda, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, cannot be estimatedby anyone, even a person as perfect as Brahmā, not to speak of tinyscientists whose senses and instruments are all imperfect and whocannot give us information of even this one universe. We shouldtherefore be satisfied with the information obtainable from Vedicsources as spoken by authorities like Śukadeva Gosvāmī.

    Link to this page:https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/5/16/4

    Reply
23. Amar Puri says:

    1. October 2019 at 11:58 pm

    Dear Readers,

    Does Mayesvara dasa really and truly wishes us to believe that Lord Vamana Stepped Over
    the Flat-Earth ?

    Of course, he wishes so because he likes very much to satisfy in fulfilling his seemingly very much Self Interested agenda.

    Well, wait a minute, his desire is not coming through because Sastras prohibit such motivated Self Interested agenda when the TRUTH is brought out about the FLAT EARTH the description of which is no where to be read from the revealed Scriptures as per one of the following example per se ;

    TEXT 10

    sapta-dvīpera loka āra nava-khaṇḍa-vāsī
    deva, gandharva, kinnara manuṣya-veśe āsi’

    SYNONYMS

    sapta-dvīpera loka—people from all of the seven islands within the universe; āra—and; nava-khaṇḍa-vāsī—the in habitants of the nine khaṇḍas; deva—demigods; gandharva—the inhabitants of Gandharvaloka; kinnara—the inhabitants of Kinnaraloka; manuṣya-veśe—in the form of human beings; āsi’-coming.

    TRANSLATION

    People from all over the universe, including the seven islands, the nine khaṇḍas, the planets of the demigods, Gandharvaloka and Kinnaraloka, would go there in the forms of human beings.

    PURPORT

    For an explanation of sapta-dvīpa, see Madhya-līlā, Chapter Twenty, verse 218, and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Fifth Canto, Chapters Sixteen and Twenty. in the Siddhānta-śiromaṇi, Chapter One (Golādhyāya), in the Bhuvana-kośa section, the nine khaṇḍas are mentioned as follows:

    aindraṁ kaśeru sakalaṁ kila tāmraparṇam
    anyad gabhastimad ataś ca kumārikākhyam
    nāgaṁ ca saumyam iha vāruṇam antya-khaṇḍaṁ
    gāndharva-saṁjñam iti bhārata-varṣa-madhye

    “Within Bhārata-varṣa, there are nine khaṇḍas. They are known as (1) Aindra, (2) Kaśeru, (3) Tāmraparṇa, (4) Gabhastimat, (5) Kumārikā, (6) Nāga (7) Saumya, (8) Vāruṇa and (9) Gāndharva.”

    Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/cc/antya/2/10

    From the above mentioned Translation, it is very clear that the planets of the demigods, Gandharvaloka and Kinnaraloka etc. are not on the surface of the FLAT EARTH.

    Are these PLANETS cited above in the Sloka on FLAT EARTH that Lord Vamana Stepped Over the Flat-Earth as Mayesvara dasa protects and promotes in his writings of the Link ;

    http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/09-19/editorials17287.htm

    Perhaps, Mayesvara dasa has to get out of the FLAT EARTH ideology so that he can write without any defects on the Srimad Bhagavatam cosmology as Srila Prabhupada desires.

    Well, it is his CHOICE to choose with his sweet FREE WILL.

    OM TAT SAT.

    Hare Krishna. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.

    ys….. Amar Puri.

    Reply
24. Mahesh Raja says:

    2. October 2019 at 3:17 am

    Note: Mayesvara das Prabhu has tried to JUSTIFY/RATIONALIZE some of Srila Prabhupada’s statements to mean he was not qualifed – BUT these are taken OUT OF CONTEXT in relation to Srila Prabhupada’s ACTUAL POSITION.

    Mayesvara das:

    UNDERSTANDING SRILA PRABHUPADA’S POSITION ON THE NATURE OF THE EARTH

    Here we can raise a question: if the seven dvipas are not the continents of our Earth or islands floating in space, why did Srila Prabhupada refer to them as such? The answer is straight-forward and is to be found in Srila Prabhupada’s many disclaimers regarding the details of the fifth canto cosmology:

    “The subject matters of physics, chemistry, mathematics, astronomy, time and space dealt with in the above verses of Srimad-Bhagavatam are certainly very interesting to students of the particular subject, but as far as we are concerned, we cannot explain them very thoroughly in terms of technical knowledge.” (SB 3.11.14)

    Again:

    Indian man: Beyond the sun. How would you explain about eclipse which we get?

    Prabhupada: That you ask some astronomer. I am not astronomer. But I understand from Vedic scripture that moon is beyond the sun.
    (Morning Walk, October 25, 1975, Mauritius)

    We have Srila Prabhupada’s own words regarding his translation of the Fifth Canto:

    Prabhupada: And it was not possible for me to digest. (laughs) Somebody else helped me to… I am a layman. I do not know.
    Tamala Krishna: How did you write it?
    Prabhupada: That somebody, Krishna, helped me. That He manufactured…When I was writing, I was praying Krishna that “I do not actually accommodate all this knowledge. Please help me.” Yes. That’s all right.
    (Room Conversation, June 18, 1977, Vrindavana)

    http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/09-19/editorials17287.htm

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Mahesh: NOW—- lets look at Srila Prabhupada’s ACTUAL position:

    Srila Prabhupada is displaying his TRUE character as HUMBLE AND MEEK UTTAMA ADHIKARI:

    Madhyama-adhikāra means preacher. Unless one comes to the madhyama-adhikāra, he cannot preach. Because in the uttama-adhikāra there is no need of preaching, because uttama-adhikāra, he sees everything good. He does not think anyone is lacking Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He says everyone is Kṛṣṇa conscious, “Simply I am not Kṛṣṇa conscious.” Just like Kavirāja Gosvāmī says, purīṣera kīṭa haite muñi sei lagiṣṭha [Cc. Ādi 5.205]. He sees himself lower than the worm in the stool… But he’s not so, but he thinks like that. So uttama-adhikārī, it is not to be imitated.

    Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/classes/nod/the_nectar_of_devotion/vrndavana/november/04/1972

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    One should be very humble, meek, and always think that “I am nothing.” Just like the author of Caitanya-caritāmṛta, such a great, stalwart man, such a great devotee. Nobody has produced such literature as Caitanya-caritāmṛta. He is presenting himself that “I am lighter than the worm in the stool.” Purīṣera kīṭa haite muñi se laghiṣṭha [Cc. Ādi 5.205]. Purīṣ means stool and kīṭa means worm. So “I am lower than the worm in the stool. Anyone who takes my name, all his pious activities immediately becomes lost.” In this way he is presenting himself. That does not mean that he’s actually so, but that is the attitude of a devotee. He’s always very meek and humble.

    Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/classes/general/new_york/april/16/1969
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Note: Srila Prabhupada was not a motivated SPECULATIVE astronomer. INFACT, Srila Prabhupada was FAR FAR FAR ADVANCED. Srila Prabhupada was Lord Krsna’s PURE DEVOTEE who could SEE WITHIN HIS HEART ALL of Lord Krsna’s ENTIRE creation:

    SB 2.9.35 P Answers by Citing the Lord’ s Version
    The impersonalists can imagine or even perceive that the Supreme Brahman is thus all-pervading, and therefore they conclude that there is no possibility of His personal form. Herein lies the mystery of His transcendental knowledge. This mystery is transcendental love of Godhead, and one who is surcharged with such transcendental love of Godhead can without difficulty see the Personality of Godhead in every atom and every movable or immovable object. And at the same time he can see the Personality of Godhead in His own abode, Goloka, enjoying eternal pastimes with His eternal associates, who are also expansions of His transcendental existence. This vision is the real mystery of spiritual knowledge, as stated by the Lord in the beginning (sarahasyam tad-angam ca). This mystery is the most confidential part of the knowledge of the Supreme, and it is impossible for the mental speculators to discover by dint of intellectual gymnastics. The mystery can be revealed through the process recommended by Brahmaji in his Brahma-samhita (5.38) as follows:

    premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena
    santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti
    yam syamasundaram acintya-guna-svarupam
    govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

    “I worship the original Personality of Godhead, Govinda, whom the pure devotees, their eyes smeared with the ointment of love of Godhead, ALWAYS OBSERVE WITHIN THEIR HEARTS. This Govinda, the original Personality of Godhead, is Syamasundara with all transcendental qualities.”
    Therefore, although He is present in every atom, the Supreme Personality of Godhead may not be visible to the dry speculators; still the mystery is unfolded before the eyes of the pure devotees because their eyes are anointed with love of Godhead. And this love of Godhead can be attained only by the practice of transcendental loving service of the Lord, and nothing else. THE VISION OF THE DEVOTEES IS NOT ORDINARY; IT IS PURIFIED BY THE PROCESS OF DEVOTIONAL SERVICE. IN OTHER WORDS, AS THE UNIVERSAL ELEMENTS ARE BOTH WITHIN AND WITHOUT, SIMILARLY THE LORD’S NAME, FORM, QUALITY, PASTIMES, ENTOURAGE, ETC., AS THEY ARE DESCRIBED IN THE REVEALED SCRIPTURES OR AS PERFORMED IN THE VAIKUNTHALOKAS, FAR, FAR BEYOND THE MATERIAL COSMIC MANIFESTATION, ARE FACTUALLY BEING TELEVISED IN THE HEART OF THE DEVOTEE. THE MAN WITH A POOR FUND OF KNOWLEDGE CANNOT UNDERSTAND, ALTHOUGH BY MATERIAL SCIENCE ONE CAN SEE THINGS FAR AWAY BY MEANS OF TELEVISION. FACTUALLY, THE SPIRITUALLY DEVELOPED PERSON IS ABLE TO HAVE THE TELEVISION OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD ALWAYS REFLECTED WITHIN HIS HEART. THAT IS THE MYSTERY OF KNOWLEDGE OF THE PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD.

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Note: His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada is ALWAYS consulting Krsna

    760714iv.ny
    Bali-mardana: In other words, when you decide that someone is to be in charge of a particular temple does Krsna tell you that this person should be in charge.
    Interviewer: Or do you by judging him say this person is qualified.
    Prabhupada: YES, BECAUSE A DEVOTEE ALWAYS CONSULTS KRSNA AND HE GIVES ORDER.
    Interviewer: It’s a more direct communication.
    Prabhupada: YES. AND HE GIVES ORDER.
    Ramesvara: Because intelligence, our philosophy is that intelligence comes from Krsna. So if I have some…
    Interviewer: And your philosophy is that your daily necessities come from Krsna as well.
    Ramesvara: Yes, try to understand. Suppose my intelligence sees that this person is qualified, that means Krsna has told me.
    Prabhupada: NO, NOT NECESSARILY, KRSNA WILL TELL DIRECTLY. A DEVOTEE ALWAYS CONSULTS KRSNA AND KRSNA TELLS HIM, “DO LIKE THIS.” NOT FIGURATIVELY.
    Interviewer: Does that apply then to other kinds of decisions and other kinds of activities as well?
    Prabhupada: EVERYTHING. BECAUSE A DEVOTEE DOES NOT DO ANYTHING WITHOUT CONSULTING KRSNA.

    Note: His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada speaks as Krsna speaks.
    Antya 5.71
    One is forbidden to accept the guru, or spiritual master, as an ordinary human being (gurusu nara-matih). When Ramananda Raya spoke to Pradyumna Misra, Pradyumna Misra could understand that Ramananda Raya was not an ordinary human being. A SPIRITUALLY ADVANCED PERSON WHO ACTS WITH AUTHORITY, AS THE SPIRITUAL MASTER, SPEAKS AS THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD DICTATES FROM WITHIN. THUS IT IS NOT HE THAT IS PERSONALLY SPEAKING. WHEN A PURE DEVOTEE OR SPIRITUAL MASTER SPEAKS, WHAT HE SAYS SHOULD BE ACCEPTED AS HAVING BEEN DIRECTLY SPOKEN BY THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD IN THE PARAMPARA SYSTEM.

    Note: difference is Srila Prabhupada speaks what Krsna speaks and so-called gurus have to jog the brain to give answers.

    Adi 8.39  The Author Receives the Orders of Krsna and Guru
    It is not possible for a common man to write books on bhakti, for his writings will not be effective. He may be a very great scholar and expert in presenting literature in flowery language, but this is not at all helpful in understanding transcendental literature. EVEN IF TRANSCENDENTAL LITERATURE IS WRITTEN IN FAULTY LANGUAGE, IT IS ACCEPTABLE IF IT IS WRITTEN BY A DEVOTEE, WHEREAS SO-CALLED TRANSCENDENTAL LITERATURE WRITTEN BY A MUNDANE SCHOLAR, EVEN IF IT IS A VERY HIGHLY POLISHED LITERARY PRESENTATION, CANNOT BE ACCEPTED. THE SECRET IN A DEVOTEE’S WRITING IS THAT WHEN HE WRITES ABOUT THE PASTIMES OF THE LORD, THE LORD HELPS HIM; HE DOES NOT WRITE HIMSELF. AS STATED IN THE BHAGAVAD-GITA (10.10), DADAMI BUDDHI-YOGAM TAM YENA MAM UPAYANTI TE. SINCE A DEVOTEE WRITES IN SERVICE TO THE LORD, THE LORD FROM WITHIN GIVES HIM SO MUCH INTELLIGENCE THAT HE SITS DOWN NEAR THE LORD AND GOES ON WRITING BOOKS. KRSNADASA KAVIRAJA GOSVAMI CONFIRMS THAT WHAT VRNDAVANA DASA THAKURA WROTE WAS ACTUALLY SPOKEN BY LORD CAITANYA MAHAPRABHU, AND HE SIMPLY REPEATED IT. The same holds true for Sri Caitanya-caritamrta. Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami wrote Sri Caitanya-caritamrta in his old age, in an invalid condition, but it is such a sublime scripture that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja used to say, “The time will come when the people of the world will learn Bengali to read Sri Caitanya-caritamrta.” We are trying to present Sri Caitanya-caritamrta in English and do not know how successful it will be, but if one reads the original Caitanya-caritamrta in Bengali he will relish increasing ecstasy in devotional service.

    Note: So THIS is WHY we accept Srila Prabhupada when he says:

    ALL THE PLANETS AND THE UNIVERSES, THEY ARE EGG SHAPED

    http://www.prabhupadanugas.eu/news/?p=48520

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    THIS EARTHY PLANET IS CALLED VASUDHĀ.

    VASUDHĀ MEANS PLANETS OR GLOBES. THIS EARTHY PLANET IS CALLED VASUDHĀ.

    http://www.prabhupadanugas.eu/news/?p=50351

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    JUST LIKE THE EARTH HAS ITS ORBIT—IT IS ROTATING—SIMILARLY, EVERY PLANET IS ROTATING

    http://www.prabhupadanugas.eu/news/?p=48862#comment-52095

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Stationary Earth?

    The difference between SPIN and ROTATE

    http://www.prabhupadanugas.eu/news/?p=49124#comment-52172

    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    landscape, acala

    http://www.prabhupadanugas.eu/news/?p=50153#comment-55917

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!

    HARE KRSNA, HARE KRSNA, KRSNA KRSNA, HARE HARE. HARE RAMA, HARE RAMA, RAMA RAMA, HARE HARE.

    Reply
25. Mahesh Raja says:

    3. October 2019 at 4:01 am

    Mayesvara das:
    As we shall see in Sections 1.2 and 1.3 neither Bhu-mandala nor the seven islands of Bhu-mandala are globe-shaped, and anyone familiar with the layout of the Bhu-mandala landscape would not use that term. The image below (figure 2) shows the inner portion of Bhu-mandala with its series of seven islands and oceans that radiate in concentric circles for a distance of 202,800,000 miles, and bearing no resemblance whatsoever to the size, shape, and characteristics of the continents of our known Earth area.

    https://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/07-16/editorials14106.htm

    Mahesh: this mental speculative theory of CONCENTRIC CIRCLES with seven Islands and oceans is CONTRADICTION to Srila Prabhupada’s words:

    VARIOUS KINDS OF OCEANS IN OTHER PLANETS

    In the Vedic mantras, there is a particular type of prayer called Puruṣa-sūkta. Generally, the demigods offer their obeisances unto Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by chanting the Puruṣa-sūkta. It is understood herein that the predominating deity of every planet can see the supreme lord of this universe, Brahmā, whenever there is some disturbance in his planet. And Brahmā can approach the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu, not by seeing Him directly, but by standing on the shore of the ocean of milk. THERE IS A PLANET WITHIN THIS UNIVERSE CALLED ŚVETADVĪPA, AND ON THAT PLANET THERE IS AN OCEAN OF MILK. IT IS UNDERSTOOD FROM VARIOUS VEDIC LITERATURES THAT JUST AS THERE IS THE OCEAN OF SALT WATER WITHIN THIS PLANET, THERE ARE VARIOUS KINDS OF OCEANS IN OTHER PLANETS. SOMEWHERE THERE IS AN OCEAN OF MILK, SOMEWHERE THERE IS AN OCEAN OF OIL, AND SOMEWHERE THERE IS AN OCEAN OF LIQUOR AND MANY OTHER TYPES OF OCEANS. Puruṣa-sūkta is the standard prayer which the demigods recite to appease the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṣīrodakaśāyī-Viṣṇu. Because He is lying on the ocean of milk, He is called Kṣīrodakaśāyī-Viṣṇu. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, through whom all the incarnations within this universe appear.

    First Chapter of Kṛṣṇa, “Advent of Lord Kṛṣṇa.”
    Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/kb/1/1

    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Seated on His chariot with Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa began to proceed north, crossing over many planetary systems. These are described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as sapta-dvīpa. Dvīpa means island. ALL THESE PLANETS ARE SOMETIMES DESCRIBED IN THE VEDIC LITERATURE AS DVIPAS. THE PLANET ON WHICH WE ARE LIVING IS CALLED JAMBŪDVĪPA. OUTER SPACE IS TAKEN AS A GREAT OCEAN OF AIR, AND WITHIN THAT GREAT OCEAN OF AIR THERE ARE MANY ISLANDS, WHICH ARE THE DIFFERENT PLANETS. IN EACH AND EVERY PLANET THERE ARE OCEANS ALSO. IN SOME OF THE PLANETS, THE OCEANS ARE OF SALT WATER, AND IN SOME OF THEM THERE ARE OCEANS OF MILK. IN OTHERS THERE ARE OCEANS OF LIQUOR, AND IN OTHERS THERE ARE OCEANS OF GHEE OR OIL. THERE ARE DIFFERENT KINDS OF MOUNTAINS ALSO. EACH AND EVERY PLANET HAS A DIFFERENT TYPE OF ATMOSPHERE.

    Second Volume, Thirty-fourth Chapter, of Kṛṣṇa, “The Superexcellent Power of Kṛṣṇa.”
    Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/kb/2/34

    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Prabhupāda: (indistinct) full of living entities, and the moon planet there is no living entity. They are doubting also in the Mars planet. But we get information from the śāstra that every planet is full of living entities. Every planet. Janakīrṇa. THIS VERY WORD IS SAID IN THE ŚRĪMAD-BHĀGAVATAM, JANAKĪRṆA, AND THERE IS VIVID DESCRIPTION OF DIFFERENT PLANETS AND DIFFERENT TYPES OF OCEANS, JUST LIKE MILK OCEAN. WE HAVE GOT HERE EXAMPLES, SWEET WATER AND SALTED WATER. SO THERE IS SWEET OCEAN ALSO. THAT IS MENTIONED IN THE ŚĀSTRA. NOT THAT IN THIS PLANET THERE IS SALTED OCEAN AND… THERE ARE OTHER PLANETS WHERE THERE IS SWEET WATER OCEAN AND MILK OCEAN AND LIQUOR OCEAN AND OIL OCEAN, GHEE OCEAN, BUTTER OCEAN, MILK, BUTTER OCEAN, AND SO MANY DIFFERENT TYPES.

    So if we bring everything to our conception, that becomes cintya, conceivable, but that is not the fact. Therefore here it is stated, acintya-jñāna-gocarāḥ. We have to receive this knowledge from sources which can inform us about all these things inconceivable by us. It is not possible to bring the inconceivable within our conceivable limit. That is not possible. That is foolishness. Mūḍha. Mūḍha will not believe.

    Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/classes/cc/madhya/20/113/london/july/23/1976

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    Note: the Oceans are ON PLANETS not on concentric circles landscape: And – it is the EARTHLY SYSTEM:

    2) The earthly system (bhu-mandala with Sumeru in center, seven islands (saptadvipa), seven oceans (sapta-samudra), Manosattara Parvata, Lokaloka Parvata, Alokavarsa.

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    761114 – Letter to S.L. Dhani written from Vrndavana

    His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

    November 14, 1976

    Deputy Secretary, 14 November, 1976
    Krishna Balarama Mandir
    Chattikara Road
    Vrindaban, U.P.

    Subject: The Times of India Article of November 7th 1976 concerning your paper on the Puranic theory of evolution.

    Dear Sir,

    The abovementioned International Society for Krishna Consciousness has published within the last ten years English translations of the Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam (Maha-purana), Caitanya Caritamrta, Isopanisad and many other volumes of India’s most ancient Vedic cultural heritage, which are now translated into French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Italian, Chinese, etc. and which are being purchased by the millions all over the world.

    Now, here in India, we are planning construction of a very large “Vedic Planetarium” or “Temple of Understanding”. Within the planetarium we will construct a huge, detailed model of the universe as described in the text of the fifth canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam. Within the planetarium the model will be studied by onlookers from different levels by use of escalators. Detailed information will be given on open verandas at the different levels by means of dioramas, charts, films, etc.

    The planetarium is planned to be approximately 400 feet high and will have floor space of approximately 90,000 sq. ft. The model will depict: (from bottom to top)

    1) The lower planetary system (pataladi-saptaloka)
    2) The earthly system (bhu-mandala with Sumeru in center, seven islands (saptadvipa), seven oceans (sapta-samudra), Manosattara Parvata, Lokaloka Parvata, Alokavarsa.
    3) The Bhuvarloka (Siddha-caranadi-loka)
    4) The upper planetary system (Svarga loka) beginning from the Sun, showing with electrial apparatus both its horizontal and vertical rotations, Rahu, the Moon, the Naksatras, the other seven planets ending with Saturn (Saniscara), the Saptarsis, and Dhruvaloka with Ksirodakasayi Visnu on the Ksirodaka ocean.
    5) Maharloka
    6) Janaloka
    7) Tapoloka
    8) Satyaloka
    9) Garbhodakasayi Visnu lying on Sesanaga on the Garbhodaka ocean
    10) The seven coverings of the universe
    11) Sivaloka
    12) Karanarnavasayi visnu lying on the Karana-samudra
    13) Impersonal brahmajyoti
    14) Vaikunthaloka with the various Visnumurtis
    15) Goloka Vrndavana

    This model (approximately 200 feet high and 100 feet wide) will be engineered to suspend from the structure of the dome and rotate according to the real movement of the planets. The plans for this very large project are being taken solely from the references found in fifth canto Srimad Bhagavatam and its authoritative commentaries by important acaryas, along with other Puranas and Samhitas like Brahma-samhita etc.

    As you can appreciate, the work involved in this project will be gigantic and the advice of many experts from all fields will be needed to make it come out successful. It will be a glorious exhibition of India’s Vedic culture that will attract visitors from all the world. I am inquisitive to know how you can help us with this project, as I know you are an expert in the field of Puranic astronomy. Hoping to hear from you in the near future.

    Faithfully yours,

    A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

    ACBS/jda

    reply c/o:
    Saurabh Das
    Hare Krishan Land
    Gandhi Gram Rd.
    Juhu, Bombay 400049

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    The SEVEN ISLANDS (DVĪPAS) are known as (1)JAMBU, (2) Śāka, (3) Śālmalī, (4) Kuśa, (5) Krauñca, (6)Gomeda, or Plakṣa, and (7) Puṣkara.

    The PLANETS are called DVĪPA. Outer space is like an ocean of air. just as there are islands in the watery ocean, THESE PLANETS in the ocean of space are called DVĪPAS, OR ISLANDS IN OUTERSPACE.

    There are nine khaṇḍas, known as (1) Bhārata,(2) Kinnara, (3) Hari, (4) Kuru, (5) Hiraṇmaya, (6) Ramyaka, (7)Ilāvṛta, (8) Bhadrāśva and (9) Ketumāla. THESE ARE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE JAMBŪDVĪPA. A valley between two mountains is called akhaṇḍa or varṣa.

    Link to this page:https://prabhupadabooks.com/cc/madhya/20/218

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    EARTHLY PLANETS:

    TEXT 12

    matsyo yugānta-samayemanunopalabdhaḥ

    kṣoṇīmayonikhila-jīva-nikāya-ketaḥ

    visraṁsitān uru-bhayesalile mukhān me

    ādāya tatra vijahāra haveda-mārgān

    SYNONYMS

    matsyaḥ—incarnation of thefish; yuga-anta—at the end of the millennium; samaye—at the timeof; manunā—the would-be Vaivasvata Manu; upalabdhaḥ—seen;kṣoṇīmayaḥ—up to the earthly planets; nikhila—all;jīva—living entities; nikāya-ketaḥ—shelter for;visraṁsitān—emanating from; uru—great; bhaye—out of fear;salile—in the water; mukhāt—from the mouth; me—mine;ādāya—having taken to; tatra—there; vijahāra—enjoyed;ha—certainly; veda-mārgān—all the Vedas.

    TRANSLATION

    At the end of the millennium,the would-be Vaivasvata Manu, of the name Satyavrata, would see thatthe Lord in the fish incarnation is the shelter of all kinds ofliving entities, up to those in the EARTHLY PLANETS. Becauseof my fear of the vast water at the end of the millennium, the Vedascome out of my [Brahmā’s] mouth, and the Lord enjoys those vastwaters and protects the Vedas.

    PURPORT

    During one day of Brahmāthere are fourteen Manus, and at the end of each Manu there isdevastation up to THE EARTHLY PLANETS, and the vast water is fearful even to Brahmā. So in the beginning of thewould-be Vaivasvata Manu, such devastation would be seen by him.There would be many other incidents also, such as the killing of thefamous Śaṅkhāsura. This foretelling is by the past experience ofBrahmājī, who knew that in that fearful devastating scene, theVedas would come out of his mouth, but the Lord in His fishincarnation not only would save all living entities, namely the demigods, animals, men and great sages, but would also save the Vedas.

    Link to this page:https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/2/7/12

    Reply
26. Amar Puri says:

    4. October 2019 at 8:23 pm

    Dear Learned Readers,

    The CROOKED and the CONCOCTED writings of Mayevesvara dasa and his team are of NO Value and thus, does not form any credibility because his writings being subject to FOUR defects contradict with the Sastras, Shadus and the Guru VANI as pointed out by Mahesh Raja’s comments to which Mayesvara dasa and his team have never refuted even ONCE.

    I always ponder over WHY ? Why he is wasting his time ? Why Mayevesvara dasa is so motivated with misinterpretation and misrepresentation with concocted and crooked writings ? What is his purpose of such controversial and contradictory writings ?

    The answer comes in my guess is that Mayvesvara dasa must have his hidden agenda to make it fulfilled by hook or by crook at any cost.

    My humble suggestion to Mayvesara dasa is that if he wants his name and fame, then, he must present the TRUTH in his writings of the Cosmology as per Sastras, Shadhus and the GURU, His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada instructs and desires from his devotees / followers to propagate the knowledge of the Universal affairs in order to attract the conditioned Jivas which lead to the ultimate Krsna Consciousness. That is the purpose HDG. Srila Prabhupada desires to build TOVP in Mayapur, India.

    Now let’s hear from Mayvesvara dasa what he has to say.

    OM TAT SAT.

    Hare Krishna. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.

    Reply
27. Amar Puri says:

    12. October 2019 at 5:49 pm

    Dear Readers,

    Do you find the ” FLAT EARTH ” Writers protect and promote Cosmology of the Universe as per Srila Prabhupada’s VANI, Sadhus and Sastras ?

    Are they real Gentlemen ?

    What are their real OUTWARD expressions in the writings ?

    Are their presentation in the writings FAULTLESS ?

    Let’s hear from HDG. Srila Prabhupada ;

    Interviewer: “How would I recognize a true follower of the Krishna consciousness movement by his behavior? What would his traits be? What would his outward expressions be?”

    Srila Prabhupada: “He will be a very perfect gentleman, that’s all. You could not find any fault in him.”

    (Srila Prabhupada Interview, Gainesville, July 29, 1971)

    OM TAT SAT.

    Hare Krishna. All Glories To Srila Prabhupada.

    Reply