by Saint

SR I V A D IR A J A
Introd uction, translation, com m entary and illu stratio n s

By V- BADARAYANA 1VJURTHY,
Purana Vijnana M andira, 41 /1 A , II! Cross, Hi Block,
Thyagarajanagara, B a n g a !o re -5 6 0 0 2 8 .

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is m

* ft*

u as

DEDICATED
A c h arya

S ri

TO

MADHVA

W h o , in a\ \ h is t h r e e m a n i f e s t a t i o n s as H a n u m a , B h im a
a n d M a d h v a u p h e f d t h e g lo r y o f Lord Sri Hart
T h i s o u r h u m b l e t r i b u t e on t h e o c c a s io n
c e l e b r a t i o n o f his 7 5 0 t h J a y a n t i
(1 9 8 8 -1 9 8 9 )

o f th e

Sri A

R. B adartnarayan, Ex-dn M inister M , P. , Sri V isw eshahrtha S w arm j Sri Pejaw ar M u tt

Sri V ijnan am d h i Tirtha Swam tj of Sri Sripadaraja m utt, Prof : S. Ram achandra Rao
Sri V, Baderayana m urthy

ii ft: a

H. H

Sri V ishw esha Tirtha S w am iji,

Sri Pejavar A dhokshaja M u tt

Ja g a d g u ru M adhw acharya Samsthana,
U D UP l 5 7 6 101 Karnataka
Phone :

20 4 9 8

B L E S S IN G S
Bhakti means know ing God and loving Him intensely.
By know ing how God has created this w onderful world
w e get to appreciate God's greatness much more and our
love for Him increases
Therefore it is necessary for us
to become w e ll acquainted w ith the vast universe that
God has created.
M aterial science enlightens us w ith the know ledge of
Nature, Geography and Astronomy ; and it also telis us
about the vastness of the universe and the marvellous
forces hidden m it
Thereby w e become aware of God's
u n lim ite d powers* Our sages and seers have not only
surveyed the universe by their mystic powers, but they
have also comprehended and discussed the unseen features
o f the w o rld . If we look into our ancient books it w ill
be clear that our w riters haa become fam iliar long long
ago w ith the secrets of nature discovered by modern
scientists
W e may see that our ancient astronomers had
spoken about the gravitational force in their own way even
before N ew ton discovered it
Our sages had seen many
thin gs w h ic h are beyond the scope of modern scientific
instruments
A t present, there appears to be a great g u lf betw een
w h a t our ancient texts declare and w hat the modern
discoverers think about the details of Geography. But,
if the eastern pandits and the western class of scientits

come together to hold critical discussions, it w ill held

the world to find new light and to form a decisively
correct pictuie of the universe
And it may also help us
to understand the true import of our ancient texts.
Generally, the apparent meanings of puranic texts are n o t
the true meanings. Sri M adhw acharya has indicated that
there are hundreds of ways in understanding the meanings
of the puranas and, w ith o u t know ing them, one cannot
get at the heart of puranas. Therefore, it is not rignt to
criticise the puranas as unscientific w ith o u t making a
proper study of puranic texts. As there are many knotty
points in the puranas, hard to resolve, there are inconsistances m modern science too. Hence, the riddles may
be
solved only when scientists and pan dit philosophers sit
together and hold discussions.
Sri V Badarayana M urthy has made a deep study
in
this respect and has dealt w ith the ancient texts
on
scientific lines. He has attempted to meet the modern
questioners w ith satisfactory answers. W e wish that those
who seek knowledge w ill give him all encouragement to
pursue his efforts.
On the basis of facts culled from Srimad Bhagavatam
and other relative texts, Sri V. Badarayana M urthy has
rendered into English Saint Sri Vadirajasw am y's Bhugola
Varnanam. We are glad to welcom e this work w hich w ill
be quite useful to those w ho are eager to get a true picture
of the universe. We pray Sri Krishna to bless Sri V.
Badarayana Murthy to serve Him furthur by holding the
torch of knowledge.
W e are pleased to offer compliments to the A khila
Bharata M adhw a Maha M andali, Madras branch, for taking
up the publication of this work.
(Sd.) Sri Vishwesha Tirtha S w am iji.
Camp :

Madrapuri (Madras)

13th day of the bright half of Bhadrapada Month

13-9-1989

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I! Sri Gopinatho Vijayate II

SRI s r i p a d a r a j a m u t t ,
No 58, Raghavendra Colony,
Chamarajapet, Bangalore-18

Date 2 4 -9 -1 9 8 9

This
blessing is co m m unicated to Vedamurti
Badarayanacharya in the name o f Srim an Narayana.
W e have gone through th e script of 'B h u g o la
Varnanam
a product of much P a instaking . Although it
was not possible to go through it in greater detail, we
are pleased to say that the style and the analytical Pre
sentation of facts are sure to help th e general readers
to get a clear bird's eye v ie w of this universe created by
God
It has been possible for Sri Badarayanamurthy to
present the most sublime facts in q u ite a simple manner
since he has made a deep study of many scriptural texts
and has also gone through several books on modern
science w ith a critical outlook
A n o th e r notew orthy fea
ture is that ha has pointed o u t h o w the view s of the
fo llo w e rs of other religions- esp ecially the Christians and
the M uslim s, agree w ith the M a d h v a concept of Cosmo
logy as dealt w ith specially by Sri V adiraja swamy, who
is acclaimed as 'Bhavi Samira' th e w o u l d - b e Vayudeva.
Thus the author of this text has rendered useful service
to humanity.
The efforts of modern scientists to unravel the
secrets of nature have their o w n lim itations and often
lead to d ifferin g . opinions.
A lso, th e great efforts put

forth by scientists and modern philosophers to seek

happiness seem to be somewhat ridiculous and not fru it
ful. Sri Badarayana murthy has rightly pointed out this
fact. Since scientific achievements and modern philoso
phical approaches are mostly opposed to intrinsic truth,
it would be profitable for every one to make an honest
effort to understand Vedic truths visualised by the seers;
truths which cannot be discovered by mechanical aids.
Sri Badarayana murthy's attempt to make Sri Vadiraja
swamy's Bhugola Vamanam palatable to scientists too is
quite laudable.
If the w ell - intentioned readers sincerely go
through the book and understand it, the author's efforts
w ill be richly rewarded
W ith this conviction w e offer
our Prayer to the Lord of our adoration Sri Sri Gopinatha,
not different from Sri Sri Hayavadana and Sri Sri Rangavittala, to bless the author w ith a long lease of useful
life.
Thus we conclude w ith the awareness of Sriman
Narayana.

(Sd) S n Vijnananidhi tirtharu.

W e offer respectful salutations to Sri Sri Vishwesha

tirtha sw^miji of Sri Pejawar M utt, to Sri Sri Vijnananidhi
ti'th a swamiji of Sri Sripadaraja M u tt for their blessings,
and to Prof : K. T. Pandurangi, w ho has furnished a critical
preface for this publication.
A . B. M . M . (M adras Branch)

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PREFACE
(bl{ Prof K-

T.Pandvrangl

krit,
Bangalore
Bangalore )

former Professor o f Sans

University;

President.

Mythic Society,

1 had the pleasure of reading the English summ

ary of Bhugola Varnanam of Sri Vadiraja tirtha, prepared
by Sri V. Badarayana Murthy. He has also added a long
introduction to this work which incorporates the gist of
the papers presented at the seminar on cosmogony and
cosmography organised by him in Bangalore during August
1987.
This volume has two purposes in view.

1.

To make

clear the conecpt and details of the Geography of

the w h o le universe consisting of the fourteen lokas as
described in Bhugola Varnanam by Sri Vadiraja tirtha to
such readers who do not know Sanskrit.
this concept and details

2. To elucidate

in terms of modern knowledge

on this subject.
It is natural that

the tw o

do not agree

in

all

the

details. One should not be in a hurry to reject either

the traditional or the modern merely on this ground.
Scientific enguiry knows no end.

Modern science is still

quite young and should have the ambrition to grow.

Its

experimental method is only one way of scientific enquiry.

Our ancient seers probably had much
of enquiry. They

were

able

methods

to cultivate ceratin mental

faculties of man that could probe into

the universe much deeper.

superior

the mysteries

of

Sri Vadiraja tirtha, the author of Bhugola Varnanam,

was one such great seer of mystic powers. His Bhugola
Varnanam was the outcome of both his direct vision of
the structure of the univeise through his mystic pow er
and also his deep study of puranas that give the details
of the universe. Therefore, modern screntists should take
it as a guide to continue their enquiry furthur
Sri V.
Badarayana Murthy has analysed the contents of this great
work in a simple and clear manner. He has given modern
equivalents of calculations of the locations of planets
and distances, seas, worlds, etc., and this is very help iu l
to understand the ancient calculations.
The gist of the seminar papers included in the introduction throws useful light on d iffe re n t aspects of this
problem
It is heartening to note that many young scien
tists have handled the matter w ith an open mind and w ith
convincing arguments. 1 appeal to senior scientists to
overcome their prejudice that the Vedas and puranas
contain unscientific and imaginary data and all this does
not stand any scientific scrutiny. They must accept the
fact that our ancient seers w ere more close to Nature and
had different methods of enquiry other than the present
day experimental method
But th e ir conclusions are stil^
available in our ancient literature and w e must try to find
the clues to understand them. If w e are not able to read
tne script of certain ancient documents, w e should not
rush to the conclusion that these ancients had no language
at all. Our branding of our ancient scientific tho u g h t as
unscientific amounts to such an a ttitu d e
Sri V. Badarayana M u rth y has done w e ll in bringing
this great work on world Geography to the notice o f
jnodern scholars. The pictures and charts included by
him have added to the usefulness of thts volume.

K. T. Pandurangi

12th August,

1989

B H U G O LA

VARNANAM

Education after independence has taught us only to

laugh at our ancient w isdom
The material Science w hich
gets lion's share under Education, has no answer to human
problem s, for it does not accept that a man has a soul
to save.
A d d ed is the b lu ff that is earned on vehemently that
our earth has three motions
The first, it spins on its
ow n axis.
The second, it orbits round the sun.
The
th ird , it has precession, if w e accept these motions for
the earth, no life w o u ld be possible on this earth.
Our ancient Scriptures hold that the earth is stationary.
Not only that; it is just one of the fourteen lokas created
by the Lord Even though their truth is vouchsafed for
us by the Lord, Him self, thanks to the doubts injected
by M ate rial Science, w h ic h is based on imperfect perce
ption and logic based on such faulty perception, even
scripturally oriented people feel timid to project the view s
given by Scriptures.
Shri V Badarayana M u rth y has made a life-lo n g study
of both the v ie w s . No one is asking anyone to accept
this v ie w or that vie w . But there is sufficient scope for
fu rth e r scrutiny on received kn o w led g e w hich is paraded
before our children.
It is for the serious reader to consider the tw o views
and arrive at his own conclusion. Saint Sri Vadiraja has
given this w ork, so that the devotees of the Lord may
see th e ir w a y clearly.
(S d ) K. RAGHUPATH1 RAO

>-

'BHDGOLA VARNANAM*
BY i
SAINT SRI VADIRAJA

INTRODUCTION

Acarya Sri Madhva classifies souls not. only

as belonging to three main types, good, bad
and mediocre; but he also classifies them as
belonging to several grades according to
their innate abilities. This is in accordance
with 'Prasthana thraya' - Brhma Sutras, Ten
Ma-jor Upanis^ds
and the Bhagavadglta, as
also according to the several smritis and
puranas. If only to inform the average
readers who may not be familiar with Brahmasutras and the Upaniads we may ask them to
refer to the 16th chapter of Bhagavadglta
where souls are clearly branded as belonging
to the divine group and the demoniac group;
and it is natural that there should be a
middling group, neither fully divine, nor
fully demoniac. The very name of the chapter
is 'Daivasura sampad vibhaga'.
Among souls of divine inclination, there are
several grades such as the best of humans,
human sovereigns, human gandharvas, divine
gandharvas, divine sovereigns, Ganapati and
1

his equals, Agni-the fire God

Maharshis,
Devarshis like Bhrqu and Narada, the Sun,
the Moon, Kubera, Yama, Indra, Kama (wishcreating master), Sankara, Garuda and 'Sesa.
This is in the ascending order- only a few
details mentioned.
There is a class of souls, higher than Garuda
and 1Sea; they only are eligible to occupy
the post of Caturmukha Brahma. (Female
souls, the true partners of the male souls
mentioned, are also having gradations).
During every Brahma Kalpa-period of creation
and sustenance, there will be two hundred
such souls, the one who has completed his
training during 199 previous Brahma Kalpas,
now occupying the seat of Brahma. Next in the
order of gradation, downward, are Vayu,
L*tavya,Gavya,Vaktavya,Jnatavya, and so on.
(These details are found in Vamana purana).
Saint Sri Vadiraja is the 198th, 'Latavya',
in the upward scale of gradation. He is
almost as good as the 199th, Vayu, and during
this, his period of probation, he engages
himself in the activities of Brahma and Vayu,
of course, with their co-operation. The
a c t i v i t i e s of t h e s e t h r e e s o u l s are
universal. There is nothing in this universe
in which they are not engaged. They are
everywhere and in every thing - living or
non-living, doing their jobs for them.
2

Lord Sri Lakshxninarayana,

is their Master.

the Supreme Being,

We are more likely to believe in auto

biographies
than in biographies penned by
adorers. Saint Sri Vadiraja has given us his
autobiography
in
his
text
1Vrndavana
Akhyanam',
containing 22
chapters.
The
wondrous part of it is that he was just known
generally as a great saint and the greatest
scholar of Madhva sastra during his life
time; but,
sometime after he entered his
bfndavan (Samadhi) having no tryst with death
at the ripest age of 120, he entered the body
of a born-dumb brahmin with his spiritual
part, and dictated his autobiography such
that people might believe his words. This is
history
of
the period of
the
famous
Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagar.
There is
monumental evidence for all this if one cares
to inspect.
The following are the salient facts
in
1Brndavana
Akhyanam' bearing relevence to
*Bhugola
Varnanam1.
In
these days of
topsyturvy knowledge of the vast universe put
forward by the scientist folks, people may
not believe if it is said that Saint Sri
Vadiraja had the ability to go anywhere in
the fourteen worlds and that he was honoured
by the Gods to whichever upper world he went
and that he was fortunate enough to go to the
3

Abode of Srlman Narayana in 'Sweta Dvipa*,

where he was blessed by the fond embrace of
the Supreme Lord.
These details go to show that his 'Bhugola
Varnanam1 is not just a concept formed by the
study of puranas like Srlmad Bhagavatam. He
has given us first-hand knowledge of all the
regions of the universe, which he visited and
saw actually.
Knowledge of truth published by the feastras
is tested with reference to visual percep
tion,
logic
and
the Vedic
literature
('Pratyaksa',
'Anumana' and 'Agama'). To
these is added what is known as 'Apta Vakya'words spoken by reliable persons. Who else
could be a greater Apta1 or more reliable
person than Saint Sri Vadiraja,a saint
of
the highest order, the most profound scholar,
and one who had full mastery over spiritual
powers? For our reliance on 'Apta Vakya' I
shall give an example which seems to be
nearest to us. Some one asked Ten-singh,
'Have you seen the yeti? Do you believe that
such a thing as that
exists?
Tensingh
replied, "I have not seen the yeti. I do not
generally believe what I have myself not seen
or experienced. But, it seems, my father saw
the yeti twice; and I cannot disbelieve his
words". Such indeed is 'Apta Vakya', the word
of a reliable person - one who is we 114

informed, discerning and has no intention to

cheat others. Therefore, Saint Sri Vadiraja's
1Bhugola Varnanam is Apta Vakya' for us. It
is not only reliable; it can stand the test
of modern science by all counts.
At present, science and traditional knowledge
seem to be at loggerheads. Therefore, I shall
endevour to point out the limitations of
scientific investigation and the authorita
tive declaration of the puranas and religious
literature in general. While doing so, I
shall
freely draw upon the
information
provided by several scholars in their papers
presented at the seminar on 1Cosmogony and
cosmography' held in Bangalore during the
year 1987.
The following are the salient points presen
ted by myself in the back-ground paper,
'Beginning of beginning'.
There
are two clear versions about the
'Beginning of beginning'- the
creationist
view and the evolutionist view. The crea
tionists seem to be on firm ground although,
at present, many of its votaries are unable
to stand on their legs. On the other hand,
many modern scientists are finding fault with
Darwin's way of drawing conclusions.

An intelligent study of the scriptures goes

to show that God created all things gradual
ly, the physical features and the living
beings.
Even according to historical survey it must
be admitted that the Vedas are the earliest
records of human thought. However, it is held
in Hindu tradition that the Vedas are only
revelations, heard or visualised by sages and
not the product of human thought. When the
Kuran and the Bible are also said to be
revelations, there must be truth in conside
ring them as such. All the three have not
combined to deceive humanity. These revela
tions are also spoken of as the Word of God.
Vedas are eternal and authorless; but God
gives expression to them. Veda means know
ledge. It is God's knowledge. He is in
'Omkara' and he is 'Omkara swarupa'. Then, is
it
not
right to say that
Vedas
are
authorless?
Modern scientists, who bank upon the 'Big
bang', theory of creation and evolutionism
are really to be commended for their good
guesses although they are ignorant about the
true details. The puranas, among all the
religious literatures, tell us how God goes
on with the work of creation through divine
agents by a series of 'big-bangs'-1Kshobha'
or 'Alodana', over a Iona long period of
6

864,0000000x360x50+1050 crore human years,

and how living beings were created in the
order of the simplest to the most complex
during a period of 1050 crore years. It is
said that the divine agents were satisfied
only after they had moddled the human frame
with all its computarised mechanism and its
intellectual and emotional abilities enabling
man to know God and his ways and to worship
Him.
Professor S .K .Ramchandra Rao, in his inaugu
ral address delivered at the said seminar
under
the benign presidentship
of
Sri
A.R.Badarinarayan,
BA.BL.,
Ex-Education
Minister of Karnataka and Ex. M.P., said that
the birth of the universe was not an accident
according to Indian scriptures. Further he
said that the 'Big bang1 theory does not have
much use for the intuitive faculty of man,
which finds its worthy place in the Vedas and
other Hindu scriptures.
His Holiness Sri Vi'swesatirtha swamlji of
Pejawar mutt, who blessed the seminar with
his holy presence,
supported prof.S.K.R.
Rao's view saying that there was a systematic
governing of the universe by a force outside
it. He also said that much before Newton put
forth his famous theory of gravitational
pull, the Indian scriptures had spoken of it.

Prof.K.T.Pandurangi, who delivered the veledictory address at the seminar under the
worthy presidentship of Prof:K.T.Srinivasa
Iyengar, said that the experimental method
was not the only means to knowledge and that
the scientists should come forward to under
stand Vedic truths. Intuition, inspiration and
revelation are to be respected.
The tribute paid to Vedic literature by Sri
T.V.Vedavyasa, M.sc. Lecturer, St. Joseph's
College, Bangalore, in his paper 'Science and
the Vedas' is worth noting. Here it is "Science is defind as systemetised knowledge.
In the modern sense it is knowledge gathered
by means of human endevour and brought to the
form of a dependable system. Naturally it
must be incomplete and imperfect. But the
Vedas provide us with systematic knowledge in
ready-made form.
*THE features of the Kali age are out and out
materialistic. Therefore it is hard for many
to believe in the invisible worlds of which
the Vedas speak. But this should be no hin
drance to those who make honest efforts to
know things as they are. The laboratory
method, with its own limitations, is not the
only means to gain knowledge. Clining to that
method and rejecting all else is not wisdom
at all.

'some would call as fictitious whatever they

cannot see or experiment upon. But historical
facts cannot be rejected although they may
not be matters of routine nature. Tansen, the
court musician of Akbar, had such mastery
over 'Dipak rag* that he could make the wick
of an oil lamp catch fire and get lighted up.
Acarya Sri Madhva could make seeds to sprout
into seedlings in his hand by chanting the
required Vedic hymn. But: such persons are
very rare to find. Nevertheless, they are
historical personages.
lfLet us not bother ourselves much about the
authorship of the Vedas. If only we take a
look at the several sciences contained%in the
Vedas, we will be forced to admit that they
are surely revelations and not the work of
cowherd Aryans. Vedic mathematics is the
origin of not only the Arabic numerals and
the decimal system, but it is the source of
Algebra, Geometry, Trignometry and many more
branches of mathematics. In the Atharva Veda
we find the sources of many many sciences
such as Ayurveda,
"Silpa "Sastra,
Vimana
yS5stra,
Loha Vidya,
Jyoti^s'sastra,
Paka
feastra, Hatayoga, etc. The Samaveda is wellknown as the source of the musical science.
,rMusical science is highly rational. It would
be astounding when it is observed that the
seven primary sounds-sa, ri, ga, ma, pa, da,
9

ni, signify seven knowledges conveyed by the

sun's rays and symbolised by the seven horses
of seven colours. The Supreme Lord presides
over the seven divisions of day and night
with his seven forms-Aniruddha, Pradyumna,
Samkar^aija
Vasudeva, Narayana, Varaha and
Narasimha.
Sri T.V.
Vedavyasa concludes his
paper
saying,
"Let us hope that scholars and
doctorate-holders in every branch of modern
knowledge will be humble enough to consult
recognised pandits of the older order for
clarification
of
doubts
and
for
enlightenment
f

Dr. A.R.Vasudeva murthy, D.Sc., of the Indian

Institute of Science, Bangalore, delivered a
lecture on 'Ancient Indian Chemistry1 with
the aid of slide projection. He stated that
right up' to the 18th century, India was
looked to even by Imperial Rome as the most
skilled of nations in such chemical indus
tries as dying, tanning, soap-making, glass
and cement.
By the sixth century A.D.,
Indians were ahead of Europe in Industrial
chemistry - Everyone knows about the chemical
excellence of cast iron produced in Ancient
India.
Thus, Dr.Vasudeva murthy has given
tribute to vedic Sciences.

glowing

Dr.Jayaprakash Narayan, M.B.B.S., M.D. (Ay),

President,
Karnataka Ayurvedic and Unani
Practioner's
Board
etc.,
along
with
Dr.Nagesh, P.R., M.D.(Ay) - speaks of the
science
of
Ayurveda
revealed
in
the
Atharavanaveda
It is interesting to note
that 'Ayurveda,
being mostly a material
science, has adopted all the theories of
materialism
as envisaged by the Samkhya
School, which finds its parrallel in modern
Darwinian theory. It is said that the Acarya
of Caraka Samhita clarifies the need for the
knowledge of similarity between the self and
the universe to make known to the human being
that the cause for all happiness or otherwise
is himself/herself and none else.
Dr. M.P. Alexander, M.Sc., (Ag), Ph.D (Ohio,
U.S.A) senior scientist and Head, Division of
plant Genetic Resources, Indian Institute of
Horticultural Research, Bangalore, delivered
a lecture illustrated with slides to emphasis
the creationist view by demonstrating with
the help of pictures on the screen how God's
creation is wonderful and beyond human rea
soning. He showed and clearly explained the
mystic
symbols on
Rudraksha
Omkar'
'Sivalinga', 'Trident*, 'Snake' and the like.
In this connection, I wish to draw the atten
tion of readers to look at the 'Nagalinga
Pupa* when it blooms in early spring. One
11

can see, how, the pedestal of the flower

exhibits tlje ''ivalinga', with the thousand
headed serpant lifting its hoods above the
'feivalinga '!
In spite of such proofs, why do people fail
to give credit to scriptural details and hang
on to the dubious present-day sciences?
Miss. Usha.K.Adya gives the answer in her
paper, 'Role of Renaissance in the world'.
^By the beginning of the Middle Ages in Euro
pean History, the Christian religion began to
lose its hold on the common people and made
way for the new thinkers who based their line
of argument upon the ways of the early Greek
thinkers. They began to question everything
and, strangely enough, the Christian priests
failed
to provide satisfactory
answers.
Development of sciences in the 16th and the
17th centuries helped the new thinkers to
proceed on materialistic lines, neglecting
the religious views.
"British rule in India for nearly two centu
ries paved the way for the spread of European
New Learning in our country. The teaching of
modernised history gave a signal blow to
Puranic lore. We go through religious duties
and ceremonies without actually believing in
their foundations. How can there be any

sincere belief when our historical sense

treats Vedas and Puranas as Myths? Hence, our
present need is to see to the 'Revival of
Indian Learning and Culture' in its pristine
form.
Sri V.L. Praveen, B.E. has pointed out that
the fundamental error made by modern thinkers
is the world-wide belief in evolutionism at
the cost of creationism. His remarks are
worth our consideration. He says - "Charles
Darwin, the main propounder of the theory of
evolution, tells us that life first appeared
in waters and developed simple aquatic crea
tures, which in course of time developed into
terrestrial' and aerial creatures. But he
fails to account for the appearance of life
to begin with. His laws of natural selection
and survival of the fittest form poor logic;
and it is not at all scientific as no labora
tory method can prove it. How and why people
believe in such an 'ism* is ununderstandable.
The western thinkers might have had reasons
for such belief in the face of the so-called
Biblical statements telling that the entire
creation was the work of six days and that it
is just 6000 and odd years since creation
began.
Geological proof goes
thoroughly
against it.

13

The creationist view that we can find ir.

Vedic
literatures,
on the other ' hand,
presents a clear scientific account of facts.
Therein we are told how primordial matter was
transformed into grosser and grosser modes to
form the nine outer envelopes of the universe
(and it took half of Brahma's life period 'Prathama
ParSrdha'.
Then
the
grosser
materials were created by chemical big bangs,
known technically as 'Panclkarana'.
Life within the 'Brahmanda' started first in
waters even as Darwin guessed. Lord Narayana
entered the gross waters of the Brahmanda
with all the souls to be brought into crea
tion, and gave them gross bodies through the
agency
of Mahalakshmi,
his spouse
and
Mistress of Nature. Vedas bear testimony in
this respect. MahaLakshmi says "Mama yonih
apsu Vantassamudre". My creator is in the
waters and my field of activity is therein to
begin with". Srimad Bhagavatam, Visnu rahasya
and the other puranas clearly tell us how
living creatures were developed over a long
long period by the divine agents of the
Creator, the 'Beginning of beginning'. Seven
stages of creation are clearly mentioned acquatic creatures,
reptiles, animals of
land, birds, mammals, higher mammals like the
cow and the horse, and then, man".

14

Sri.V.L. Pravin makes out a case to show how

the modern mind is viciated by total dpen
dance on the Darwinian theory of evolution.
Erich Van Daniken was surprised to find
marvellous examples of human genius among the
ruins of Maya Civilisation, America (for
details,
one
may
look into his
very
interesting book 'the Chariots of the Gods').
He does not actually mean true divine beings
by the word 1Gods1. He only means some human
beings from some other planet with better
developed skills.
The fact is that this author would have
formed a different opinion altogether if he
had access to vedic literatures - especially
details found in the Atharvana Veda and the
Puranic accounts which tell about the skills
with which Viswakarma (divine architect) and
MaySsura
(architect of the demons)
are
endowed.
Sri G.B.
Gururajachar,
M.Sc.,
Lecturer
National college, Gowribidanur, writing about
'Cosmogony and Cosmography as gleaned from
Bhagavadgita' quotes relevent verses from the
text to show the nature of the universe and
the greatness of its creator. Here are a few
verses -

15

"Vedanta krid veda videvacaham"

(I am the author of VedSnta and
the meaning of the Vedas; non else).

know

This line of the verse clearly tells us

that Sri Vyasamaharsi is the same as Sri
Krshna, 'Vedanta' being used here to mean the
Brahmasutras.
Therefore, we have to agree
with what Sri VySsamaharsi has said about
Cosmogony and Cosmography in Srimad Bhagavatam and in the other Puranas.
"Aham krtsnasya jagatah prabhavah
pralayah tatha"
(I am the creator of the entire
and I am its consumer).

universe

"MaySdhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa caracaram

Hetunanena kaunteya jagad viparivartate"
(Under my supervising lordship, the mis
tress of nature gives birth to living crea
tures and material forms.
The world under
goes changes on account of this).
"Tribhih gunamayaih bhavaih yebhih
sarvam idam jagat
mohitam nabhijanati mamebhyah param avyayam"

16

(The beings in this world are overpowered

by ignorance caused by the three material
modes- Hence, they do not know that I am
different from and superior to all else and
that I am changeless.)
"Avyaktam Vyaktim apannam manyante mam
abuddhayah
param bhavaxn ajananto mama avyayam anuttamam"

(Those who are unintelligent think that I

assume material bodies. They do not know the
excellence of my being, which is changeless
and very very superior in every respect).
The two verses quoted above clearly show
that the world is real and different from the
changeless Brahman.
"Maya tatam idam sarvam jagat avyakta murtina
Matsthani sarva bhutani nacaham
teshvavasthitah"
(This universe is fully pervaded by my
unseen personal presence.
I am supporting
all things, myself being supported by none).
The word 'different' is misconstrued by
the supporters of monism.
When it is said
that material things and individual souls are
different from the Supreme Being, they assume
that they should be outside Brahman or that
17

there should be holes in Brahman to locate

them.
The Verse quoted tells us how Brahman
is inside and outside everything and every
one without being contaminated.
The word
'murti' tells us that He has His non-material
forms.
But we should note that each one His
forms is in every other form in its fullness
and that the different forms make one form,
singly or in groups.
Stanzas 20, 21 and 22 in Chapter XIII
tell us that matter and spirit are eternally
different.
It is matter that undergoes
changes.
The non-material spirit is the one
who suffers pleasure and pain.
But the
Supreme Spirit is only the witnessing Master
permitting the other spirits to go
through
experiences. He is the sustaining and consu
ming Lord of the universe.
"Abrahma bhuvanallokah punaravartinah arjuna"
"Kslne punye martya lokam visanti"
The purpose of teaching the Bhagavadgita
is more to convey the philosophy of the Vedas
in its practical aspect than to describe the
apparent cosmological features.
Yet, there
is some reference to cosmography too in so
far as it has a bearing on the use of
philosophical knowledge.

18

The two lines quoted above make clear

mention of the six divine worlds above and
the earth below them.
The importance of the
human world on earth is indicated as being
the training ground for souls.
"Yadgatva na nivartante tad dhama
paramam mama"
This line tells us definitely that there
is the 'Vaikunt^a loka' which is the suprememost and which is eternal. It also indicates
that the trained souls enter that Abode of
eternal happiness and they don't need to come
back to earth.
Vaikunta loka is fully non
material.
Entering that loka means getting
back into Brahman and not becoming Brahman.
Saint Sri Vadiraja has pointed out that
'Aikya' means 'Ekatra bhavah1 or being toge
ther, and not 'Ekasya bhSvah' or becoming
one.
Grammatically, he says that 'Aikya'
cannot be split as 'Ekasya bhavah'.
It is usually believed that Sri
'Sankaracarya has considered this world as a mere
illusory effect.
But the late Sri^Vedantam
Subbiah Shastry of Bangalore says that it is
not so. He has written a book, "Is the world
an illusion according to Shankara?" His son,
Sri Geetha Prabhu, B.Sc., B.E., M.E., dealt
with this topic at the seminar.

19

Here we
referred to:

give quotations from

the

book

"The very words of "Advaita1 and 'Nirvi'sesa' have been interpreted by the later
commentators and text book writers in such a
way as to suit their conclusions or 1Siddhanta".
They mean by the words 'Advaita' and
Nirvisesa' that except Brahman nothing else
exists; and as a result, they have decided
and established that the world does not exist
at all and it is only an illusion or miscon
ception which ceases to exist after selfrealisation.
This is proved to be contrary
to "Sankara's commentaries because Shankara
has established that the world is as real as
Brahman.
'Sankara has established clearly
that though He is stated to be 1nirguna' and
'nirvisesa', Brahman alone is responsible for
the creation of this universe, because He is
Omnicient and Almighty by His nature."
"If Brahman is not the creator of this
universe, He is no Brahman at all.
Mere
logical arguments by pandits with their vast
learning of Sanskrit do not alter the facts.
%

The world is still here even for them to

that the world is an illusion."

say

There are two papers contributed to the

Seminar, one by an eminent Christian Father

20

and another by a Muslim Scholar, both of

which bring out the similarity between the
puranic concept of the universe and the con
cepts held by the Bible and Kuran.
Father V. Francis Vineeth, CMI, L.Ph.,
Ph.D.(Rome),
Ph.D.
(Oxford),
Director,
Dharmaram Pontifical Institute, Bangalore,
has explained how God is the Creator, Himself
remaining the unchanging Centre in the form
of Word'. All else is His reflection. This
is exactly like Erahman, who is the original
of Omkara, creating the whole universe by the
vibrating effects of the mantras emanating
from Omkara.
Quoting from the Psalms of
following lines are given -

David,

the

"Thou didst set the earth on its foundations,

so that it should never be shaken
Thou didst cover it with the deep as
with a garment;
The waters stood above the mountains
At thy rebuke they fled;
The mountains rose, the valleys sank down
to the place which thou didst appoint
for them."
Herein we find a parallel concept to the
deeds of Xdi Varaha Avatar, when the Lord
brought up the earth from where it had been
21

kept sunk by the mischief of the demon Hiraxjyaksa, and how it was set in its place,
hardened by mixing the fat from the bodies of
the demons Madhu and Kaitabha who were both
killed by Adi VarSha.
Rising of the ocean
waters above the mountains and their coming
down refers to the 'Jala Pralaya' and the
blessing deeds of 'Matsyavatara*.
In fact,
the first Manu, Swayambhuva,
'Adi Manu1 is
the same as Adimanu, Adim, Adam, Adham. The
Christian term Manoa is the same as Manu.
Historically considering the antiquity of
the
Vedas, we must admit on the evidence of
the
parallels shown that the Kuran and the
Bible are only the echoes of the Vedas, all
the
three being no less than the 'Word' of
God.
That 'Word1 which we call 'Omkara' is
the same as - Aum, Aumen, Amen!
Father Francis Vineeth has beautifully
summed up his thesis in the following words "In the Christian vision of the beginning we
have the infinite Being with its ineffable
'Word' in
the centre. This Word
becomes
flesh, which when shared, gives rise to huma
nity which is placed in a universe prepared
by the same 'Word' for its own human selfexpression".
Here, the 'Word' represents
God;
flesh represents Jesus Christ, the
Saviour who appeared in a human body, and
humanity stands for mankind in general.
It

E x p a n s io n o f " O M K A R A

is this last mentioned humanity which con

sists of individual beings who have to serve
God and gain redemption.
Mr. T.S. Sanaulla Bintory, Reader and
Head of the Department of Physics, Al-Ameen
College, Bangalore, has presented a beautiful
paper - 'Holy Kuran speaks - Universe and
Man*.
The following quotations from his
paper go to prove why I call it beautiful.
"Glory to God, Most High,
full of Grace and Mercy,
He created all, including man."
"It is God who has
created the heavens
And the earth and all
between them in six days"
[The 'six days' concept of both the Christians and the
Muslims is indeed the same as six Manukalpas that went
before the present Vaivasvata Manu Kalpa.
Each year
of a Manu being equal to three lakh human years and
each Manu's life span being 1000 years, the six days
spoken of will give us the figure 180 crores of years.
Adding the period elapsed in the present Manukalpa,
the total will be 200 crore years in round figures.
Have the present day scientists taken all this into
account before finding fault with religious texts?]

This idea is reflected in the

passage from the Kuran:
23

following

"The Angels and the spirit

Ascent unto Him in a day the
Measure wherefore is fifty
Thousand years."
(S. 70:4)
Look at the following "God is He who
Created seven firmaments
And of the earth
A similar number."
(65:12)
Here we find clear mention of the four
teen worlds spoken of in the Puranas.
Seven
firmaments means worlds located in the visib
le sky - Bhuloka,
Bhuvarloka,
Swarloka,
Maharloka, Janaloka, Tapoloka and Satyaloka.
'Of the earth, a similar number' means
the netherworlds within the bowels of the
earth - Atala,
Vitala, Sutala, Talatala,
Mahatala, Rasatala and Patala.
Similar are the following lines
"To Him belongs what is
In the Heavens and earth
And all between them,
And all beneath the soil."

24

(20:6)

See also -

"See
How
The
One

ye not
God has created
seven heavens
above another.

Reference to the 1Kala

Puranas is in the Kuran thus

(71:15,16)
Cakra' of
-

the

"It is not permitted

To the sun to catch up
The moon, nor can
The night outstrip the day.
Each (just) swings along
In (its own) orbit
(according to law).
(36:40)
The above first three lines hint about
the retrograde motions of the sun and the
moon with reference to the constellations.
The
moon's velocity in retrogression is
greater.
While the sun falls 1 degree
behind the moon covers 12 1/2 degrees behind
every day.
Sri R.P. Shenoy of Karkala presented
three very interesting papers - (1) Dream, a
stabiliser of the Cosmos; (2) Vortex drilling
- a method to get energy from another dimen
sion; and (3) Atom - a product of relative
speeds of two vibrations.
But, the subject
2.5

being too abstract for the present intro

ductory content, details of the papers are
not considered here.
However, his concepts
of + and - (positive and negative) vibrations
as representing Purusha and Prkriti, and the
concepts of the abstract 1Kala' and 1Akasha1
linked with the material world of 'Time* and
'Space1, are really interesting and thoughtprovoking .
We now come to the paper presented by Dr.
C.R.Raghunandan, a young and brilliant scho
lar well-versed in modern science and in the
traditional sastras. The paper is 'Review of
Bhugola Varnanam1 by Saint Sri Vadiraja.
This paper is like a very good thesis
prepared for a doctorate degree.
As the
author himself says, "This paper reviews this
work of Vadirajaswamy".
His observation
about the meaning of 'Bhugola' is quite good,
because most people are mislead by the modern
meaning of the word and they need to know the
right meaning.
'Bhugola' in this context
means 1Brahmanda', the golden shell covering
the universe and not a globular earth of very
small dimensions.
He prefers the yojana measure as being
equal to six miles as it satisfies the puranic figures to be in agreement with actual
measurements.
For example, in Bhavisyottara

26

Puranam it is stated that the Tirumalai hills

are situated 300 yojanas to the south of the
Ganga.
This being eual to 1800 miles (300 x
6), the measurement is exact.
The measurements concerning the land of
gold/ and the Lokaloka mountain around, is
made a controvertial issue leading to some
confusion.
But Saint Sri Vadirajas inter
pretation leaves no room for such contro
versy.
Dr. Raghunandan1s placement of moun
tains in the Ilavrita Varsha also leads to
some confusion.
His concept of 'Vayu Kurma'
finding support on 'Vishnu Kurma1 does not
find mention in Saint Sri Vadiraja's 'Bhugola
Varnanam' .
At the end of the paper he draws contrast
between the puranic and the scientific views
about the universe. His conclusion, that the
modern
measurements
regarding
distances
between stars must be erratic, is indeed
noteworthy.
Smt. Padma Nagaraj, B.Sc., B.Ed., in her
paper
'Our concern about the Universe1,
distinguishes four types or rather grades of
knowledge in the following manner (1) Jnana

Recognising something as such.

27

(2) Sujnana -

Understanding the properties

and uses of a thing.

(3)

Vijnana - Knowing the divine agency at

work
behind
the
apparent
natural phenomena.

{4)

Prajnana - Knowledge of
Supreme Self.

Self

and

the

Hence, according to this analysis, modern

science is only 'Sujnana* and not 'Vijnana'
as the indian scientists have preferred to
call it.
She remarks that it is good to develop
scientific attitude to know things precisely
and to be guarded against religious hoaxes.
But that itself does not help us to know what
our concern is in this universe.
The scien
tists'
concern is to know
more and more
about the nature of things and to see how
best they could be harnessed for the better
ment of life here and now.
Even a pure
scientist is likely to be influenced by the
society of which he
forms a part; and the
utility side of science does haunt him.
The
industrialsits make the utmost use of him for
their own profit.
And even governments make
use of him, generally for welfare works; but
using scientists for preparing allsorts
of
weapons of war is quite common.
So much so,

28

science seems to have reached demoniac dimen

sions and it has become the night-mare for
every living thing.
On the other hand, a philosopher is
concerned more about finding the ultimate
cause behind the universe of our experience
such that our life here may become really
meaningful.
But, human intellect having its
own limitations, only religious philosophy is
truly helpful to know our concern about the
universe.
When we speak of religious philosophy,
religious conflicts begin to stare at us.
But such conflicts are due to human nature
and not due to religious teaching.
Smt.
Padma Nagaraj quotes the words of Sri M.
Hidayatulla ('Heritage' - Dec. 86) who has
said, "As the poet Ikbal has said, religion
does not teach enemity and discard."
There
is also his quotation from the Kuran - "0
prophet, tell those who do not believe in me
that they are believing in some other God
(God with a different name?). You are belie
ving in your God.
They are not likely to
believe in your God and you are not likely to
believe in their God.
Theii religion is for
them and your religion is for you."
Hence, Smt. Padma Nagaraj stresses the
need for leaning upon religious philosophy

29

which draws its tenets from

revelation.
Finally, she says "A thorough knowledge of
Cosmogony and Cosmography is quite essential
to
realise the purpose of creation
as
ordained by the Creator, by which knowledge
alone
man can seek happiness here and here
after; and that is his main concern.
Sri K.S. Venkatesha murthy, B.A., poses a
question in his paper - "Is life
worth
living?"; and he endeavours to provide the
answer.
Selected parts from his paper are
given here to make a summary of the answer.
"Science
can solve problems only to
create fresh problems. Scientists may assert
that they can unravel every, secret of nature
in due course and that they can also find out
the spiritual aspects of nature
if at all
they exist.
How long will it take - a few
million years ???
What is its relevence to
you and to me if there is no soul to fall
back upon?"
"A word about religion.
Being scared by
the ruffles resulting from religious fervour,
many would like to keep religion away from
public life.
The ruffles are rather due to
human weaknesses than to religions them
selves.
It is like taking an over-dose of a
prescribed medicine or of an addicted drink.
Because our eyes detract us by bringing

undesirable sights to view,

close our eyes and proceed?"

is it wisdom to

My suggestion to the scientists is this Let them go on with their methods of under
standing the world.
But, at the same time,
let them attempt to understand Vedic litera
ture in the right manner.
That will surely
bring desirable benefits to one and all.
Their progress too will be quickened when
they come to know the substantial secrets
hidden in Vedic lore."
"With an understanding of the organisa
tion
of the universe according to
the
ordering by the Supreme Being, comes the
understanding
of
the purpose of
life.
Through rough and smooth or thick and thin
life is meant for the upliftment of the soul.
True philosophy does not advocate detachment
from the pleasures of life which are there to
give a foretaste of eternal happiness.
Of
course, the cost of happiness here on earth
is too dear; but it is quite necessary.
According to Madhva %5stra, life is enjoyable
and worth living.
Pleasure and pain are the
lessons for life.
'Go through life and win
the game' is the advice offered by Sri
Purandara dasa."
Sri K. Mohan Rao, radio artist, presented
a paper on the relevence of the Puranas. The
31

main point to note is that the puranas are

the necessary commentaries to be relied upon
to understand the true import of the Vedas.
Only, they need to be carefully made use of
to guard against interpolations, omissions or
additions.
"Itihasa
puranabhyam
vedam
samupabrimhayet."
It

was my share to present the following

five papers at the Seminar - 1) Basis for
belief.
2) Creation and Structure of the
Universe.
3) The fourteen worlds. 4) 'Kala
Cakra'
(Time Wheel)
and 5) Relevence of
Cosmogony and Cosmography.
Since much of the material contained in
my papers is gathered from Saint Sri Vadiraja's 'Bhugola Varnanam* and from Srimad
Bhagavatam and other relevent texts, I need
not give a summary of the contents thereof.
That will be made use of in the rendering of
'Bhugola Varnanam' itself where necessary.
However, it may not be out of place to say a
few things about 'relevence'.
But I shall
reserve it to be included as appendix to the
text in hand - 'Bhugola Varnanam'.
By a perusal of the Seminar papers
following conclusions may be drawn -

the

1. Vedic literature is truly scientific; but

it has escaped the notice of western
32

scientists whose investigations into the

past stop with the Greeks of 600 B.C.;
and they would give some light credit to
the Chinese and never to Indians!
2- Although history books tell us that the
cowherd Aryans composed the Rig Veda
around 1500 B.C. when they had settled in
the Punjab and that they composed the
other Vedas later on, true historians
like Max Muller have opined that the
Vedas are the earliest human records and
that their dates cannot be fixed.
3. The
puranas
were not
composed
by
different Vedavyasas during the A.D.'s.
They are the works of a single Maharshi
of that name and they were composed
during the early part of Dwaparayuga.
Sri feankaracarya and AcSrya Sri Madhva
consider him as the very incarnation of
Lord NarSyana, the Creator Himself.
It
is no wonder then that he wrote the Maha
Bharata
long
long even before
the
Kauravas and the Pandavas were born and
that he could tell us about the Maurya
period
of
Indian
history
in
his
Bhavisyottara Purana.
The Bible and the Kuran are also reve
lations
- abbreviated and
simplified
Vedas, wherein we can find parallels in
33

plenty.
Those two revelations are mostly
meant for the people of this age who
suffer
under stress and
strain
of
modernisation,
especially in the western
countries,

5. The
Vedas are the richest mines of
precious knowledge although the lava of
the volcano of European Renaissance has
covered the mining areas at present.
6. A few parallels hinted under item 4
be examined ~

may

(i) 'Amen' is the same as 'Aum' or 'Om'.

(ii) The syllable 'Om' is considered as
the 'Word of God' in all the three
revelations. The Muslims call it as
"Alla ke ruh" (Breath of Allah).
(iii) Six days of creation is identical
with six Manukalpas of the puranas.
(iv) Noah's
Arc is the same as the
ship held aloft by the
Matsya
Avatar of Visnu
to save Vaivaswata
*
Manu and the rest from the deluge
(Jala Pralaya).
(v) Vaikunta = God's Heaven = Jannat.

34

(vi) Nitya Naraka = Hell,

(different from Purgatory } = Dozakh
(vii) Fourteen worlds
=
Seven upper
worlds Bhuloka to Satyaloka and
seven nether- worlds(spoken of in
the Kuran)
Atala to
Patala.
7. The European Renaissance gained ground
because the Christian scholars of those
days failed to satisfy those who began to
question them.
Perhaps, that was due to
corruption and degeneration in the Church
as history tells us.
8. The present plight of the Indians is
that,
being
influenced
by
western
scientific notions, they turn a deaf ear
to Vedic teachings although there are
pandits who can yet convince them as well
as the western scientists.
When I wrote to Sri J.R. Lakshmana Rao,
well-known
scientist
at the
Manasa
Gangotri in Mysore during the year 1972
requesting
him to offer his
candid
opinion about my views, he wrote in
reply"It is my opinion that you are trying the
impossible, I mean the task of reconci35

ling the scientific view of the universe

with the unfounded speculations of our
religious men . There is absolutely no
chance of your influencing my thinking."
Such is the pride and prejudice
of our
country-men at present to a very large
extent.
9. Life is precious and the soul is
hungry
to seek realisation and release from the
miseries of mundane living which presents
more sorrow than, happiness.
We should
learn the truth about human limitations
while in a miserable plight and when in
happier mood, we should think of the
measures to be adopted to find eternal
happiness.
10.

Attempting
to gain all the required
knowledge through scientific methods and
to gather all happiness by means of
scientific gadgets is nothing but a wild
goose chase.
It is like rejecting a
welcome feast and going a-begging for
food.
"Siddham annam parityajya bhiksam
atati durmatih.
*

11. The fundamental error that is

being
committed
today
by
philosophers,
scientists and the common folk is their

36

blind
dependence
on the theory
of
evolution and rejecting the truth about
God and His creation. But let us see how
systematic
and convincing the
Vedic
description of creation is.
Modern scientific investigation stops at the
Sky which they consider as vacuum.
But an
Indian scientist has recently announced that
he
can get electricity out of
vacuum,
rherefore it cannot be really a void without
any material however subtle it may be - call
it ether or by any other name.
Vedic literature tells us that the sky is
formed by what is known as 'Akasa tatva'.
Not only this. It goes to the very beginning
of beginning.
It tells us about three primo
rdial non-cognisable modes - Satva (principle
of light and knowledge). Rajas (principle of
activity) and Tamas (principle of inertia,
darkness and ignorance). At the commencement
of creation, the Mistress of matter, Sridevi,
creates disturbance (Ksobha) in the restful
modes at the behest of Lord Narayana and
brings out the three principles by the first,
mild 'big bang' of pure Satva and pure Tamas.
When pure Tamas is acted upon by pure Satva,
the visible Satva, Rajas and Tamas (yellow,
red and blue respectively) emerge from pure
Tamas wherein they are hidden.

37

A further 'big bang', mixing the three

principles - 100 Satva + 10 Rajas and 1
Tamas, brings out *Mahat tatva* (principle of
pure intellect). A part of Mahat tatva1 is
taken out and mixed with the three original
principles in different proportions to form
the 'Ahamkara Tatva (Ego principle) of three
shades - VaikSrika ahamkSra, wherein Satva
predominates, Taijasa ahamkara, wherein Rajas
predominates and Tamasa ahamkara
wherein
Tamas predominates. The first one is used to
give subtle bodies to divine agents and to
create the physical mind which finds location
in our nervous system, in the spinal chord at
the heart level.
We may here note that the mind is not
something vague but the most subtle instru
ment made to receive impulses from the exter
nal world and to transmit them to the knowing
'Self, the owner of the body; also to res
pond to the external world on his behalf.
The Self is a spiritual entity.
He is the
knower and experiencer.
This individual
self, inhabiting the body by the grace of
God, is yet a learner being trained to rea
lise himself.
Therefore,
the different
functions of the body are governed by divine
agents, the favourites of God.
They know
themselves and apprehend the events of the
material world; and they help the individual
self to know and feel.

38

Vidya Ganapati is at the gate of the mind

opening towards the external world.
That
part of the mind which is fclose to the gate
is presided over by Indra and Kama, the
former taking cognisance of events and the
latter creating desire.
They receive impul
ses and offer responses on behalf of the
owner - self.
Above them is Parvatidevi
spouse of "tjiva, receiving the impulses and
translating them into knowledgeable terms.
Her sphere
of
the
mind
is known as
1Buddhi' (informative intelligence).
Above
her, presiding over the third section, is
Lord Siva, the Master of the Ego principle;
and he makes the self to feel, 'I know'.
There are two other superior compartments.of
the mind - 'Citta* and 'Cetana' presided over
by Garuda and 'feesa respectively, the former
being responsible for sifting the right from
wrong knowledge and consolidating it
by
thinking, and the latter responsible for
storing knowledge as 'memory'.
Thus we see
that the mind consists of five departmental
functions, of which we are well aware of the
outermost compartment and have vague notions
of the other four.
Is this not analogous to
the conscious mind and sub - conscious mind
of modern psychology?
Does it not tell us
that
Vedic
knowledge
is
vastly
more
scientific than modern science?

39

Let us continue the chain of creation.

Out of the second shade of Ahamkara Tatva,
the abilities of the sensory and the motor
organs are created.
Out of the third, five
subtle elemental modes are created - Isabda
tanmatra .{source of sound), Sparta tanmatra
(medium for touch sensation), Rupa tanmatra
(medium of light that shows things), Rasa
tanmatra (medium for taste) and Gandha tanma
tra (medium for the formation of solid things
which are generally characterised by smell).
All the modifications of the original three
modes described so far are of the subtlest
kind from our view point although the lower
ones
are comparatively grosser than the
higher ones.
The creation of Brahmanda, the golden egg
enveloping the universe,
is out of the
"Gandha tanmatra" also known as 'Prithvi
tanmatra'.
Within the Brahmanda, the five gross
elements are created by Alodana" or the 'big
bang' into which modern scientists have had a
good peep, but have failed to go much beyond
the sky.
The sky itself is created by a process
known as "Panchikarana'(chemical combination)
120 parts of tSabda tanmatra being combined
with 20 parts of each of the other tanmatras.
40

The air element is created by combining 120

parts of Spar'sa tanmatra with 20 parts
of
each of other four.
Similarly, fire, water
and earth are created.
These five are only
gross elements appearing in the form of the
1NEBULE1 of modern science. And it is really
the 'big bang' within the Brahmanda that has
been responsible for
the creation of the
elements of air, burning bodies, the planets
and the vast
earth, 300 crore miles
in
diameter, not the planet earth.
Excepting the agnostics among scientists,
who have built up prejudicial complexes
in
themselves, all other great scientists have
admitted the limitations of human knowledge
and have declared that the mystery about the
'beginning' is ever a mystery for them.
The following are the words of Einstein
himself; one of the most leading scientists
of our days.
"The most beautiful and most profound
emotion we can experience is the sensation of
the mystical.
It is the power of all true
science.
He to whom this emotion is
a
stranger, who can no longer wonder and stand
rapt in awe, is as good as dead.
To know
that what is impenetrable to us
really
exists, manifesting itself as the highest
wisdom and the most radiant beauty which our
41

dull faculties can comprehend only in their

most primitive forms - this knowledge, this
feeling
is
at
the
centre
of
true
religiousness."
"My religion consists of a humble admira
tion of the illimitable superior spirit who
reveals himself in the slight details we are
able to perceive with our frail and feeble
minds.
That deeply emotional conviction of
the presence of a superior reasoning power,
which is revealed in the incomprehensible
universe, forms my idea of God."
Vedic literature, therefore, comes to our
aid where modern science f.^ils and ends.
Before concluding my introductory observa
tions, I wish to pose the following questions
to be squarely answered by scientists 1. Light being mass converted into energy,
does it not suffer resistence as
it
proceeds from a distant star before it
reaches our optical instruments? If it has
to face resistence in space due to known
or unknown causes, how can we speak of the
constancy of velocity of light through out
the universe?
2. However minutely precise be our geome
trical or other methods based on parallax,
spectroscope,
classification of
stars
42

according to luminocity and the like, how

can we be sure of stellar distances and
distances
between
stars and
between
galaxies.
As
some
scientists
have
confessed, if it may be about 50% wrong,
look at the difference - two stars said to
be 100000000000000 miles apart, will be
only 10000000 miles apart.
3. According to Einstein's concept of Rela
tivity,
"the
heart beat of a person,
travelling with a velocity close to that
of light, would be relatively slowed along
with
his
respiration and all
other
physiological processes.
He would not
notice this retardation because his watch
would slow down in the same degree.
But
judged by a stationary time keeper, he
would grow old less rapidly.
In a Buck
Rogers realm of phantacy, it is possible
to imagine some future cosmic explorer
boarding
an atom-propelled
spaceship,
ranging the void at 167,000 miles per
second, and returning to earth after ten
terrestrial
years
to
find
himself
physically
only
five
years
older."
(Extract from 'The universe and Einstein'
by
Lincoln Barnet,
a splendid
book
recommended by Einstein himself).
This phantacy is indeed fantastic. It need
not be a phantacy, but reality. There is
43

a p a r a l l e l of this in the puranas.

King
R a i v a t a w e n t to B r a h m a l o k a , w h i c h is
750000000 miles away from the earth, in
the winking of an eye by means of yogic
p o w e r and w a i t e d t h e r e a few m o m e n t s
b e f o r e he c o u l d get an i n t e r v i e w and
consult Brahma about a suitable bridegroom
for his daughter, Revati; and then he
returned to earth to find that some lakhs
of terrestrial years had elapsed by then.
Both father and daughter had grown older
by that much. (This is concerning persons
of divine abilities born on earth unlike
those of ordinary human beings).
Here, the main point to note is that the
universe is not governed only by physical
laws through out as our scientists wou l d
fondly believe without actual e x p e r i
m e n t a t i o n ; there are also divine laws
working through natural and supernatural
laws.
Calculation of time is the same for all,
d e p e n d i n g upon the K a l a Cakra' (Time
Wheel); but its a p plication differs.
A
day of B r a h m a = 4 3 2 0 0 0 0 x 2000 h u m a n
years; of other divine beings = 360 human
days ; of the manes = 30 human days.
Thus t h e r e is r e l a t i v i t y as w e l l as
commonness of time in the three cases cited
44

Without putting to test this valid expla

nation how is it right to stick on to the
Theory of Relativity or any other?
4. We speak of suns and solar systems within
the
millions of galaxies.
Have the
scientists found at least one more solar
system within our own 'galaxy*?
5. We also speak of galaxies of different
types. Are there any galaxies seen in the
southern celestial hemisphere except the
two Megallanic clouds?
If not, what is
beyond there to the south?
[For the information of scientists it may saidi) What looks like a galaxy is just a cluster of
millions of divine
vehicles in the form
of
starst racing at unimaginable velocities around
the upper worlds*
ii} There are starlike planets, the abodes of Yaksas,
Guhyas and the like, in the southern sky upto a
certain extent. Srimad Bhagavatam, canto V may be
consulted.
iii) The upper worlds and even the
neighbouring
regions
of our globe (perched at the southern
edge of Jambudvipa ) are all invisible to
our
eyes and to our instruments because they differ
in composition although the entire universe is

45

composed of the same elements. It is said in the

puranas- "Adrsya dhatava'n sarve samutpanna jala
adayah"3

6. The question of questions is "Will our scientists ever get over the
human tendency of succumbing to pride and
prejudice in order to know the truth? Will
they use a little introspection to shift from
the mere physical to the spiritual?
Let the wise ones build up a growing
community to save the world from the darkness
of materialism.
Let them hold the torch of
spiritual
light
and
let there
be
a
Renaissance of religious culture based on
Revelations.
Now, it is my pleasant duty to thank the
Akhila Bharata Madhva Mahamandala (Madras
Branch) for having come forward to publish
this work which was long pending publication.
My special thanks are due to the office
bearers of 'Dharma Prakash', Madras, for
having taken the initiative in this respect.
As regards the Seminar papers which I have
freely made use of to weave my introduction,
I should thank the donor who generously
offered me Rs.10,000 to conduct the Seminar.
He desires to remain incognito out of sheer
modesty; but, as I have gauged, he is a
46

person of saintly qualities inspite of the

unusual opulance with which God has blessed
him. My thanks are due to him and his nobleminded secretary as well. I will be failing
in my duty if I do not offer thankful
respects to Sri Vijnananimidhi tirtha swamiji
of Sri Sripadaraja Mutt, Mulbaga1, who was
good enough to declare open the exhibition on
the occasion of the Seminar, and who is my
well-wisher for bonafide reasons.
My thanks
are also due to my friend and wel 1-wisher,
Dr.
M i l e s Davis (Patita Pavana Das),
Director,International Institute of Indology,
Inc., U.S.A., for his encouraging letter
which arrived just on the eve of commencing
the printing of this book. And I thank the
proprietor and staff of Kamadhenu Printers,
Tyagarajanagar, Bangalore, for their genial
cooperation in printing this book. My thanks
are due to M/s DYNARAM ELECTRONICS AND
COMPUTERS, Bangalore - 4, for excellent
computer composing of this book.

V. Badarayana Murthy,
Chief Organiser,
Purana Vijnana Mandira,
41/1A, III Cross, III Block,
Thyagara janagar,
BANAGALORE - 560 028.

47

BHUGOLA VAJRNANAM
Of
Saint Sri Vadiraja

INVOCATION
(Verses 1 - 8)

bow down to the feet of Lord Narayana

who
appears with His Horse-headed
form
(Hayagrlva), who is both far and near and is
dear to those who always remember Him. He is
not fully comprehended even by the Upanisads.
He has afforded lodging in His heart to
Kamaladevi (Sri Maha Laksmi) who knows Him
and yet knows Him not. He is verily the lake
wherein the fish-like eyes of adoring devo
tees move about sportively.
He is indeed
Lord
Hayagrlva.
I
bow down
to
Sri
Vyasamaharsi, who is the sun that dispels the
darkness of our hearts. He is the originator
of all the sacred sciences. He is none other
than Lord Sri Narayana, the Creator of all.
Lord VedavySsa is like the thunderbolt that
strikes at those who choose the wrong path
and mislead others.

48

My salutations to Sridevi, the highest in

intellect and the model of modesty, but fear
less at heart.
Her looks are tenderly kind
in bestowing wealth; and at the same time
they make our hearts free from all sorts of
afflictions.
My
salutations to Bhudevi
sister-like to Sridevi.
She blesses us with
wisdom.
She was graciously lifted up by the
tusk of Lord Varaha (God who appeared in Boar
form)*. She is the abode for saints who find
joy in the scriptures.
She makes the godminded souls happy.

I bow down again and again to Acarya Sri

Madhva whose glory finds praise in
the
beginningless Vedas, who is without any flaw
and is quite pure, whose intellect is the
highest, always engaged with the memory of
the Almighty Lord, whose glory is the subject
matter of the Vedas.
His form is quite
enchanting and it'fills one's heart with the
milk of kindness.
Similarly,
I offer my
salutations to Bh&ratl devi, fully endowed
with
female virtues,
custodian of
the
principle of intellect, a bee of devotedness
at the lotus feet of Sri Hari, the foremost
among the souls of her kind and the bestower
of opulance to the devotees of God.
My salutations to all spiritual masters
who discard the evil-minded ones as enemies
and help the good souls to sail across the
49

ocean of life; and who bestow boons like the

wish-fulfilling tree to those who serve them
faithfully.
I*
Here is reference to the episode of bringing
up the submerged earth at the beginning of Svetavaraha
Kalpa when the Lord in Boar form killed the demon
Hiranyakga and replaced the earth in its place after
making it hard and unfoldable by mixing with it
the
fat of the demons Madhu and KaitS'abha who were also
killed.]

THE BRAHMANDA
(14 - 17)
Brahmanda or the hollow golden shell
containing theuniverse is fully
round in
every direction, east to west or north to
south.
In it, twice its inner complement is
Ghanodaka (solidified water) and the region
of darkness is circular in shape, lying as it
does within the Ghanodaka stretch.
It
is
twice as wide as the circular earth which
occupies the middle part. Upanisads describe
the
earth as
1Prithvi' - that
which is
spacious with abundance of wealth for living
beings.
The earth is said to stretch from
sea to sea as the brahmin seers conceive it.
It has the Meru mountain at its very centre
and it contains seven islands and seven
oceans stretching around the Meru centre.
They are circular in form. The three together
50

- earth/ dark region and Ghanodaka - measure

fifty crore yojanas from end to end- This is
factual and not fictitious.
MEASUREMENTS OP THE THREE REGIONS
(in the ratio of 1:2:4 5
(14 - 17)
Of the three regions mentioned, the earth
occupies a circular stretch having a diameter
of seven crore yojanas- Being double that in
stretch,
the
region of utter
darkness
measures fourteen crore yojanas. Considering
the stretch of Ghandodaka as being twice that
of the dark region, it measures twenty eight
crore yojanas.
From the Meru centre, the
earth measures 3 1/2 crore yojanas in all
directions.
The region of darkness and the
Ghanodaka region measure 14 crore
and 28
crore respectively putting the opposite parts
together.
Therefore each of the opposite
parts measure only half of the said count.
DISTRIBUTION OF THE
REMAINING ONE CRORE YOJANA
(18 - 54)
As detailed heretofore, 49 crore yojanas
are distributed among the three regions,
(7+14+28 = 49).
The remaining one crore
yojana should be converted into lakhs.
Of
the 100 lakh yojanas, 14 go to earth, 28 to
51

the dark region and 56 to Ghanodaka.

Thus,
98 lakh yojanas are distributed leaving a
balance of 2 lakh yojanas.
This should be
converted
into Thousands
(two
hundred
thousand).
Of these, 28 thousand for earth,
56
thousand for dark region
and
112
thousand
for Ghanodaka are
distributed.
196 thousand being thus distributed, the
remaining 4 thousand should be converted into
hundreds (40 hundreds). The earth takes 5
hundred, the dark region 10, and Ghanodaka
20.
Now the total is 35, leaving a balance
of 5 hundred yojanas (500).
This is distri
buted in the ratio of 70:140:280, making a
total of 49 0, with a balance of 10 yojanas.
This 10 is distributed as 1:2:4; only 3
yojanas now remain.
An intelligent person converts the 3
yojanas into 12 krofeas (1 yojana = 4 Kro'sas).
Now, the distribution is as follows 1 1/2 : 3 : 6 .

Thus, 10 1/2 kro'sas having been distri

buted, 1 1/2 kro'sas still remain. The table
of measurements being-1000 dandas = 1 krosa,
and 4 kronas =1 yojana, 1 1/2 kro'sas means
1500 dandas (staff length).
Distribution
earth 214,
dark region 428, and Ghano
daka
856,
thus making a total of 1498
dandas.
The remaining 2 dandas convert
52

themselves into 8 hastas (4 hastas or cubits

= 1 danda).
Distributing as 1:2:4 for the
three regions respectivly, the balance will
be 1 hasta which is equal to 24 angulas
(inches).
Again, after
distributing
as
3:6:12, three inches still remain to be dis
tributed. 3 Vfhis make 1 angula (Vfhi means
a paddy seed).
Therefore 3
angulas are
equal to 9 vrhis.
Distributing as before 1:2:4, the length of 2 vrhis still remains to
be distributed.
One vrhi being equal to
seven sarsapas (mustard seeds), now we are
left with a stretch equal to 14 sarsapas put
side by side.
The distribution being as
2:4:8, no balance remains.
The

Vedic mode of measurements being in

this
manner,
measurements in all other
respects must follow suit. Lord Sri Hari who
came down incarnated as Sri Vyasa Maharsi,
has thus shown the mode of distribution in
the ratio of 1:2:4 - each unit being a
seventh of the whole.
Therefore the Puranas
tell us that the hollow of Brahmanda measures
exactly fifty crore yojanas.
The fractional
parts
being added to 7, 14, and 28, the
total will be 50 crore.
[We may note that the measurement is exactly
precise even to the extent of a single mustard seed.
The 2 mustard seed measurement^ attributed to earth in

the final analysis are distributed as one on each

the opposite sides of the circumference.]

of

TABLE OP MEASUREMENTS
7 Sarsapas
(mustard seeds)

- 1 Vrhi
{length of a paddy seed)

3 Vrhis
*

- 1 Angula (inch)

24 Angulas

- 1 Hasta (cubit)

4 Hastas

- 1 Danda (staff length)

1000 Dandas

- 1 Krofea

4 Krosas

- 1 Yojana
32000 feet or 6.06 miles
ACTUAL MEASUREMENTS

Region
Yojanas

Earth
7f14,28,571

Krosas

1 1/2

Bandas

214

Dark region
14,28,57,142

428

Ghanodaka
28,57,14,284

856

Hastas

Angulas

12

54

Vrhis
*

Sarsapas

[The

distribution

is perfect to a

mustard

seed

when it is in the ratio 1:2:4.

How did Saint Sri
Vadiraja learn such mathematical procedure?
Not at
any present day schol at all!
He was a master of
Vedic mathematics.
Could the 'Cowherd Aryans' create
such mathematics around 1500 B.C.?
Then, is it not
the gift of the ageless Vedas?
Certainly, the evolu
tion theory loses ground.]

Fractions of sevens, seventies- and the

such of the one crore remainder being added
to 49, it makes the 50 crore yojanas - the
measurement of the hollow space within the
Brahmanda. Since corn seeds and other things
were larger in size during the 'Krta
yuga",
#
the measurements are based on the sizes of
the mustard seeds and paddy seeds of that
yuga.
The earlier sages have kept these
points in view when they have declared that
the Brahmanda interior measures 50 crore
yojanas.
[Tolstoy's story,
'Grain as big as a Hen's Egg'
bears witness to the fact that seeds and the like were
bigger in the Krta age.
For the same reason, a man's
cubit measured 24 inches then as against 18 inches now
obtaining. Consequently, the average height of man in
those days was 8 feet, of course, leaving margin for

55

abnormalities. Incidentally, we may note that Acharya

Sri Madhva is described as a personality of eight feet
in height and that every one could have darsan of the
bust of that personality as he moved in the midst of
crowds in procession.]

The earth was created in the Krta yuga

and therefore its measurements agree with the
standards of that age.
Lord Sri Maha Visnu
created the earth during the first Krta yuga
of the first 'Kalpa1.
[Here, a 'Kalpa* means a day of the four-faced
Brahma, the obvious creator*
The first day of his
51st year was devoted to the creation of the earth and
all other things*
A day of Brahma is equal to 1000
1Mahayugas* - the four ages Krta, Treta, Dvapara and
Kali put together; and his night is of equal duration*
The four ages rotate in the same order.
Creation of
the earth was during the very first Krta yuga.
The
first day of Brahma, referred to above, goes by the
name *Padma Kalpa1 since the created earth and the
heavenly regions followed the patterns of the lotus
flower.
This period lasted for 432 crore human years*
- Mahayuga r= 43,20000 x 1000 years*
On the second day of Brahma began the *Sveta
Varaha Kalpa *, of which mention has been made in
respect of lifting up the earth to its position by
Lord Varaha, God in Boar form.
This Kalpa has run a
course of six Manu Kalpas and we are now under the
regime of the seventh Manu, Vaivaswata, The first one

56

was Svayambhuva Manu or Adi Manu*

(Compare - Adima,
Xdim, Adam, Adham).
From the commencement of the
regime of di Manu it is 197*29,49090 years upto 1989
A.D.
And, from the commencement of Padma Kalpa when
the earth was createdf it is 1060 crore years in round
figures*
If only the Christian pandits had known
thisi- the geologists and biologists of the Renaissance
period in Europe would not have found fault with the
facts about creation as presented in the Bible*
Even
according to the Bible, 6000 years means six Manu
Kalpas, each Manu1s life-span being 1000 years*
A
Manu *s regime lasts for 71 Mahayugas*
Therefore each
year of a Manu is equal to 300000 human years.
This*
multiplied by 6000, gives a figure of 180 crore years
Since the Bible says that it is 6000 and odd years,
add the period covered by 27 Mahayugas of Vaivaswata
Manu Kalpa + Krta, Treta and Dvapara and 4989 years of
the present Kali age;
and that will be 180 +
1 7 ,2 9 , 4 9 0 8 9 - 1 9 7 ,2 9 ,4 9 0 9 0 years as given in our
1Pancanga1 (Hindu Calendar).]

THE TERRESTRIAL REGION

(55

58)

Basing our concept on the measurements

indicated here-to-fore
the earth should be
understood as consisting of the seven islands
and the seven oceans, the middle most island
Jambudvipa measuring one lakh yojanas, and
each of the outer islands being twice as
large as their inner complements* Similarly
the seven surrounding oceans too should be

57

considered. Thus, the diameter of the circu

lar earth measures 5 crore and 7 lakh yojanas
upto the encircling land of gold, which
itself is surrounded by the land of diamond.
The last two are known as 1Antyadhyardha
sthala'
This point will now be discussed.
ANTYADHYARDHA STHALA
(Land of gold and land of diamond)
With
reference to the
location
of
Lokaloka parvata (which surrounds the entire
terrestrial region) the measurement of earth
other than Brahma bhumi' is said to be 6.08
crore yojanas. To reach the full measurement
of 7.14 crore yojanas, we still require 1.06
crore yojanas. The measurement given for the
region around ^uddhodaka ocean being 1.28
crore yojanas, the land of gold should there
fore measure 64 lakh yojanas on each side.
'Adhyardha' does not actually mean half; but
it means 'with a little addition to half'.
Therefore, a little more than half of 64
should be taken as 42 instead of 32 in order
to satisfy the scriptural statement.
[If this procedure is followed, the total measure
ment will be i) Earth with seven islands and oceans - 5.07 crore
ii) Land of gold, both opposite sides
- 0.64 "
0.64

58

iii) Land of diamond, both sides

- 0*42 *
- 0*42
7.19 crore
yojana^

The excess of 5 yojanas (7*19 - 7.14 == 0*05)

should be assigned to Brahma bhumi extending beyond
*Vajralepa1 (Land of diamond) and forming part of the
foot of the Lokaloka mountain - just a fringe of it*]

If this position is not maintained, the

measurement of the Brahmanda interior would
be more than 50 crore yojanas.
If the Land
of gold is taken to measure 96 lakh and the
land of diamond, half of that - 48 lakh, then
the
terrestrial
region
would
measure
5.07+0.96+0.96+0.48+0.48 = 7.95 or 8
crore
yojanas.
Following the ratio of 1:2:4, the
Land of darkness will have to measure 16
crore and Ghanodaka, 32 crore.
The total
would would be 56 crore yojanas; and this is
entirely wrong.
What has been said herein about the Land
of gold and Land of diamond is in agreement
with the opinion of Acarya Purnaprajna.
If
the fringes of the earth were just earthy, it
being prone to denudation, the measurement,
given as exact to a mustard seed would not
remain constant.
Hence Lord Sri Hari has
created the hard diamond land around.
59

[Finally Saint Sri Vadiraja says in all humbleness

that his statements are certified to be correct by
^carya Sri Madhva, residing in his heart.]

ANDHANTAMAS
(Region of complete darkness)
(79 -83)
The
pit
of
darkness
known
as
*Andhantamas' is situated below the earth
level,
sunk in Ghanodaka.
This region
surrounds the LokSloka parvata and is termed
as Wdhogati' or the downward path.
Because
1Andnantamas'
is
below
the
level
of
Ghanodaka, it is possible for sinners to go
down into it to someextent and to come up
again.
That they go down and come up
has
been stated by Sri Vyasa maharshi, the author
of Brahma Sutras.
(The pit of darkness is
veryvery deep. Sinners,
who deserve greater punishment than what they
may
suffer in the ordinary hells, are made to go down into
the pit of darkness to some extent and they come up.
But those, who are thrown down into the lower parts
known as 'Tamas*, 'Maha Tamas' and 'Andhantamas',
never come up.
They are the third kind of souls who
are doomed to suffer in the eternal hells.]

The principle of darkness extends even

higher than the Lckaloka parvata which is 51
60

lakh yojanas high.

It is petrified darkness
like water turned into ice.
If it were not
so, where was the need for Sri Krsna, Lord of
the Yadus, to create a tunnel through it by
means of his Cakra (disc weapon)?
*

'

[The Cakra weilded by Sri Krsna is of the princip

le of light in the main.
It is praised thus "Sudarsana mahajw2tla koti surya sama prabha" - a
weapon blazing with the brightness of crores of suns.
When Sri Krsna had to drive Arjuna's chariot towards
'Anantasana' in the Ghanodaka - far beyond the petri
fied circle of darkness, he had to cut through it and
make a tunnel.
It was easy for the disc of light
(Cakra) to cut through the darkness.
This was on the
occasion of bringing back the dead son of the Guru. ]

From time immemorial, demons like Kali

and his troop have been dropped into this pit
of darkness and are bound to suffer acute
pains.
Their number is uncountable.
(It is
because there are innumerable Kalis with
their followers, those who were thrown into
*Andhantamas' during the countless previous
Brahma Kalpas.) Even during 1Maha pralaya'
(the long period following final dissolution
of the universe), just even like Vaikunta
loka, this hell remains in its place without
undergoing extinction by the consuming fire
of 'Pralaya' and the like. But the suffering
demons of that region are taken up into the
belly of Sri Hari (who rests on the banyan
61

leaf like an innocent child).

Even when the
demons are there in Gods belly, they suffer
pains so natural to their own non-material
bodies - sore-eyes, headache, stomach pain
and also different kinds of bodily and mental
illness.
(Body here means the non-material
body).
Again, by the command of Sri Hari,
they are assigned to 'Andhantamas' - the hell
of eternal damnation, when another universe
is created.
There they are tormented by
fire, rock-fall, sharp weapons and piercing
beaks of birds; and by being made to wade
through excretion, urine, blood and the like.
They suffer varieties of pains as they did
during the previous Kalpas.
No doubt, it is
their fate to suffer in 'Andhantamas'; but
such suffering is the need of their very
nature.
They are incorrigible,
veteren
sinners,
whose
perverted
knowledge
(Mithyajnana) makes them so.
Because the selves are non-material, they
cannot be cut to pieces and made into parts.
As such, rock-fall or useof weapons do not
destroy the spiritual selves;
they only
inflict pain.
When the demons are made to
suffer being bit by leeches with diamond-like
teeth, being subjected to the heat of fire,
by rock-fall, or by being made to wallow in
the mire of excretion, urine and blood, and
by hearing constant wails and fearful cries,
or when punjent and bitter liquids are poured
62

into their eyes, ears and noses, it is their

innate sorrow that expresses itself.
These
painful experiences are referred to as Panca
Rasta (five-fold torture affecting the sense
organs)
- hearing hurtful cries,
seeing
horrible weapons,
smelling nasty things,
torture suffered by the taste of hot liquids,
and suffering cuts by sharp weapons.
[For any ordinary person, this description appears
to Be repugnant.
But that is due to the wrong notion
of universal kindness.
Those who plead for divine
mercy for one and all are only the kind-hearted good
souls ? it is not the demons themselves.
They prefer
suffering and blasphamy; and they find pleasure in it.
It is like Satan in Hiltons Paradise Lost, saying
"I can make a Heaven of Hell".
This aspect is not
very easy to appreciate unless one takes the trouble
to understand what the non-material soul is and how
souls
differ from each other
by
their
very
natures.
(The
mango tree prefers the sweetening
minerals for its growth while the neem tree prefers
only minerals that give bitterness.)]

THE NETHER WORLDS

(93 - 98)
Within the hollows of tbe earth down
below are seven worlds ranged one below the
other.
They are Atala, Vitala, Sutala,
Talatala,
Mahatala
Rasatala and Patala.
Each of these is 10000 yojanas in extent
63

(width and height). Thus they occupy a total

area of 70,000 yojanas.
The Meru mountain
has its base into the earth to the extent of
16,000 yojanas.
The gaps between the seven
nether worlds make a total of 3000 yojanas
(500 yojanas in each case).
The earth
extends still further below to a depth of 11
thousand yojanas; it is all rocky in nature.
(16+70+3+11 = 100 thousand)
[In Srlmad Bhagavatam,
the eight directional
elephants {Asta diggajas) are said to be standing
beneath Patalaloka, supporting the worlds above them.
Evidently, their location should be within the range
of the last mentioned 11,000 yojanas.]

ADI 1SESA
(99 - 102)
Adi
ISesa is worshipped by all
the
serpents of Patala loka.
He has his situa
tion in the Ghanodaka down below; and he is
immortal.
He finds himself supported by
'Vayu Kurina1 - Mukhya Prana in tortoise form;
Adi 'Sesa's tail rests thereon.
He is quite
strong.
Lifting one of his thousand hoods,
he supports the worlds above him so that the
earth does not sink into Ghanodaka. Hence he
is hailed as *Sarva loka dhurandharah".
4.
[Hearing about the effort put by Adi esa in
keeping the earth from sinking down, any modern person

64

is sure to laugh at the very idea in view of Newton *s

Law ofGravitation*
But/ one who knows the truth,
laughs
at the modern man for his sheer
ignorance#
The earth is not just a globe of 8000 miles in diame
ter, going round the sun. In fact, it does not move at
all.
It has a stretch of 30 crore miles, with the
Meru mountain at the centre and the nether worlds
beneath*
The gravitational force is towards 1Visnu
m
Kurina 1
who supports the Brahmanda with
the whole
universe within it*
Gravitational force is nothing
but the will of the Omnipotent Lord working through
material bodies* Gods ways are wonderful, not easily
understood just by human intellect. He has huge forms
as well as forms which are more minute than the minu
test*
The 'Visnu
Kurina* form enters into the various
* *
Vayu Kurina1 forms giving gravitational forces to all
things - big and small, according to their masses*
Therefore, we may say that Newtons guess was right?
but he had no chance to know the whole truth.
The
secret of secrets is that it is the Omnicient Lord
Himself who acted as the original (Bimba) of Newton or
Keplar or Einstein and discovered certain secrets of
nature - of course not all, only to work out the
features of Kaliyuga. He is known as 1Yugadikrt1*]
#

Adi 'Sesa by himself/ is not competent to

support the worlds.
His strength is derived
from the Supreme Lord 1Samkarsana1, whom he
worships in his heart. The space occupied by
Adi 'Sesa <j>m Ghanodaka is 99,000 yojanas.

65

[In fact, the Serpent form supporting the worlds

is Lord Samkarsana Himself; and He is known as
'Ananta*. Ada. Sesa is only like a tool in the hands
of a master.3

LOCATION OF HELLS
(103 - 107)
On the left hand side (south, in this
instance) lower than the visible earth level,
there is a big moat, many yojanas wide and
deep.
At its edge is 'Samyamanlpura1, God
Yamadharma's city, where he is always atten
ding to his duties.There are thousands of his
servants who are very cruel by appearance.
The 'Vaitaranl' river is here; and it is a
terror to sinners. After crossing this river
with a foretaste of the sufferings
in
store, they are taken down into hells like
'Raurava', which are horrible.
Thousands of
such hells are there for punishing sinners of
different kinds.
These hells are in the
southern direction, at the level of the
'Astadiggajas' beneath Patala loka.
Another capital city of Yamadharma's
kingdom is also in Heaven. It is the harbin
ger of happiness to those who have done
meritorious deeds here on earth.

66

"Sun-1 lakh vojanas

Moon-1

above

the M anasottara mountain ;

lakh yojanas higher (near our globe); and location of h e lls."

[The directions spoken of in the Puran~as are not

conventional as the modern Theory of Relativity would
consider it*
Just as there is the Sarnyaman ipur a of
Yamadharma on the slopes of the Manasottara mountain,
there is the Devadhani , city of Indra, 90 degrees away
from it on another part of the mountain slopes*
Another 90 degrees away from it and just opposite to
Devadhani, is the Nimlochani city of king Varuna, Just
opposite
to Samyamanipura there is the
city
of
Alakavati, where Kubera is the King].
The Meru mountain being the central
relative
point of reference, the four cities are said to be to
its south.
The Meru mountain itself and the Pole
star#
right above it at the tail end of Lord Isimsumara,
are to the north of all else on earth*
Bharatadesa, the heart of Bharata Khanda, faces the
south?
and sunrise to the Bharatiyas (Indians) is
in the longitudes of Indra's cityy Devadhani. That is
east for Indians. When this is decided, it is easy to
decide the other directions.
For India, Japan is in
the eastern longitudes and it is appropriate to have
called it as the fLand of the Rising sun1.
In Srimad Bhagavatam, the hells are said to be
located beneath the earth, but above Ghanodaka. Since
the hard earth extends downward, upto where it finds
support on Adi Sesa1s head, the hells, which are in
line with the directional elephants, are naturally
above Ghanodaka and below the surface of the visible
earth.

67

Here is substantial ground for us to conceive that

the seven islands with their surrounding oceans, are
not flat like a single rupee coin; but they take a
terraced type of arrangement. Thus, the Pu^kara DvTpa
is two lakh yojanas lower than the upper edge of the
basket-like Jambudvipa?

and the surface of Ghanodaka,

beyond the region of darkness, is in line with Puskara

dvlpa
The location of hells is slightly above this
line.]
V IS lfO

(106 - 109)
Underneath the earth borne by Adi
, Ghano
daka
extends to a
depth of 24 r 99 lakh
yojanas,
where it touches the golden shell
of
Brahmanda. That shell itself is 100 crore yojanas in
thickness? and it rests on the back of Visnu Kurina,
almost like an atom*
[In the case of Adi Isesa, the weight of
the
vast earth is compared to that of a mustard seed; in
the case of Vinu Kurma, the weight of the Brahmanda,
with the entire universe in it, is compared to that of
an atom.
Really speaking, this is only to make us to
see the difference between Adi Sesa and Maha Visnu
In the case of the latter it is no weight at all.]

68

THE UPPER WORLDS

(110 - 123)

Including the visible terrestrial world,

the upper worlds are seven in number, the
seventh and the uppermost being 'Satya loka'.
The
'Antariksa loka* begins one lakh
yojanas above the earth. The 1Svarga loka is
at an altitude of 50 lakh yojanas.
It is
beautiful with divine palatial buildings.
Antariksa loka and Svarga loka are one crore
yojanas breadthwise.
Above Svarga loka is
'Mahar loka', at an altitude of 75 lakh yoja
nas above the former.
It is populated by
Siddhas and rsis in large numbers.
Above it
is 'Jana loka1 at an altitude of 1,12,50,000
yojanas. Then comes 'Tapo loka', 1,68,75,000
higher up.
This loka is fully
populated
with Siddhas and rsis;
and provides abun
dance of
amenities of all
kinds.
The
three lokas
now
spoken of - Maharloka,
Janaloka and Tapoloka, have abodes beautified
with varities of gems in plenty.
The extent
of these three lokas is similar, each measu
ring
a
third fraction of 50 crore
16,66,66,666
yojanas
and
2
krosas.
Putting
together the altitudes of all the
lokas spoken of and adding the gaps
in
between the adjecent lokas, the total alti
tude
will come to 4,06,25,000
yojanas.

69

Having a simialr distance in between, the

'Satya loka begins.
Therefore, it is at an
altitude
of
8,12,50,000
yojanas
above
the earth.
That is where Brahma's abode is
situated.
Its extent is similar to that of
the three lokas beneath it.
The Satya loka
itself
has an altitude
of
4,12,50,000
yojanas.
(The total altitude of all the
upper worlds will be 16,25,00,000 yojanas).
The Satya loka of Brahma is shaped like a
tuber at its base.
It is somewhat thin in
the middle like a stalk and, at the top, it
spreads out all round like the petals of a
lotus flower. It is very very wide.
The lokas of the universe, being all
shaped to resemble lotus flowers, the whole
thing looks like a huge lotus blooming upon
the Ghanodaka.
[Considering the earth itself, we should take into
account, the pedestal-like Jambuddvipa, the terraced
arrangement of the other six islands and the mountain
ring of Puskara dvipa; and also the other mountain
ranges
of the other islands.
Then, Bhuloka verily
looks like a huge lotus flower.]
V A IK U N fA LOKA

(129 - 133)
At an altitude, twice that of Satya loka,
there is Visnu loka, which the seers call

70

Vaikunta.
It
is
at an
altitude
of
16/25,00,000 yojanas above the earth.
Its
extent is twice that of Brahmas loka.
It
is neither created, nor destroyed. From its
centre at the base, right upto the shell of
Brahmanda, it measures 8,75,00,000 yojanas.
It is there that the released souls move
about in celestial planes of the non-material
world.
THE BRAHMANDA
(129 - 133)
Measuring from the base of the Meru moun
tain, upto the shell of Brahmanda above, it
is
25,00/00,000
yojanas.
All the lokas
are contained within this range.
Upward,
eastward, westward, north or south, or in any
other direction it measures 25 crore yojanas.
This iswith
reference to the centre at the
base of
the Meru mountain.
But, putting
together the measurement from the Meru centre
towards
the
south upto the
shell
of
Brahmanda, the Brahmanda as a whole measures
fifty crore yojanas every way from end to
end. It
is fully round and made of gold.
It's thickness is 100 crore yojanas.

71

THE THREE ABODES OF VISNU

(133 - 149)

Upon the Ghanodaka on the northern side

is the Abode of Visnu,
known as 'Anantasana1.
**

It is Sridevi who is in the form of that

loka where the released souls are.
The
learned say that it is at a height of one
lakh yojanas. A similar Abode is in the milk
ocean (F.sira Samudra) at an altitude of one
and a half lakh yojanas with reference to its
neighbouring earth.
This Abode is called
'Sveta dvipa'.
The three Abodes - Vaikunta, Sveta dvipa
and Anantasana are only the forms of Sridevi.
(They are non-material).
They are thronged
again and again with limitless numbers of
released souls; and yet, they afford more and
more accomodation. They are never completely
filled up. Even a hall constructed by Visva-
karma (the architect of gods) is able to
accomodate limitless number of persons and
things.
Then, is it any wonder that the
Abodes of Visnu are ever more and more accom
modative? The belly of a sage (Sage Agastya)
could contain the ocean.
As such, the three
Abodes of Visnu certainly possess wonderful
capacity since they are no other than Maha
Laksmi, the source of all abilities. During
the period of 'Maha Pralaya' the released
72

souls enter the womb of Vis^u; and there too,

they are happy since their
non-material
bodies are just the stuff of joy. During the
period of creation, they return to the said
Abodes.
Their joy consists in praising the
Lord's glory - Joy Galore, prostrating at His
feet and looking at His admirable form, often
and often.
They also enjoy different kinds
of pleasures - of course, non-material.
The capital city of Vaikunta, Ayodhya by
name,
lies within seven fortifications and
only the released souls enter into it. This
city brightens the directions all around on
account of its beautiful terraced quarters,
adorned with wonderful gems.
This city area
is
called 1Parama Vyoma'
- non-material
space. Around this city of Ayodhya flows the
'Viraja' river which rids the souls of the
burdens of their causation bodies (linga
^ariras) when they, take a dip in its waters.
The river is like a moat encircling the city.
No unreleased soul can ever cross it. Upto
the seventh inner gate of the outer fortifi
cations there is fear of bondage on account
of the 'Pradhana Vyoma*(material sky) there.
Within the bounds of the Viraja river, this
sky is powerless.
Hence it is declared in
the Puranas that it does not exist there.
Therefore, the Viraja river is said to flow
betweeen the material sky and the non material sky.
Brahma takes a dip in that
73

river with the other eligible souls at the

time of release from bondage.
The causation
bodies of all of them are got rid off; and
then they get ir\to the inner city, Ayodhya.
Even Brahma goes only upto the seventh gate
of the outer fortification before release; he
does not enter the inner city*
Then who else
can ?
[The city of Ayodhya has seven rounds of fortifi
cation with abodes and inter spacesThese are meant
for the released souls of different grades*
Right in
the middle of the quadrangle inside the fortification,
there
is Visnu* s superb mansion with its three
fortificatons*
The 1jlvanmuktas* (souls who have no need of
rebirth, but are yet with their causation bodies) are
permitted
to enter the outer fortifications
of
Vaikunta loka and to share the joys thereof.
It was
here, at the seventh inner gate, that Jaya and Vijaya
were cursed by the four sages of tender age - Sanaka
and the others.
The binding force of Maya is there.
This part of Vaikunta gets destroyed during 1pralaya *
and is reconstructed when a new universe is created. 1

NINE OUTER ENVELOPES

(150 - 152)
The golden Brahmanda is the earthy enve
lope surrounding the universe.
It is one
hundred crore yojanas thick.
Surrounding it
74

are nine other envelopes, each ten times

bigger than its inner complement. They are
the envelopes made of the subtle material
principles - water, fire
air, sky, ego
(ahamkara tatva), intellect (mahat tatva),
Tamas, Rajas and Satva. The fourteen worlds
of the universe are all contained at the core
of these envelopes.
Such is our wonderful
universe. But, with all its envelopes, it is
so tiny that it is not enough to occupy fully
a "''single hair-pit on the body of Lord Sriman
Narayana.
Then, who else among the gods can
stand comparison with Him?
Let the learned
ones find out.
[The universe, with its ten envelopes (including
the
earthy
envelope
of
Brahmanda),
measures
1000000000050 crore yojanas.
If this cannot fully
occupy a hair-pit of Lord Narayana, imagine his
stature!
This form of the Lord is known as *Brihan
Narayana 1.
Hence it is said of him "Atyatistat
dasangulam". 'Angula' here means each one of the enve
lopes.
The same Lord Narayana is also in our fore
brain (cerebrum) with the name Vasudeva*.
Measuring
from the chin upward with fingers held sideways. He is
above the measure of ten fingers.]

THE HERD MOUNTAIN

(153 - 163)
The
yojanas

golden
high.

Meru mountain is one lakh

It is surrounded by the nine
75

Khandas (Varsas of Jambu dvipa).

It is the
abode of Siddhas (souls who have attained a
high degree of perfection). For all measure
ments concerning the universe, the Meru is
the central point of reference.
This moun
tain is thin at the base and goes on broade
ning gradually towards its top which is quite
broad.
The mountain resembles the 1Unmatta'
flower.
At the surface base it has a width
of 16,000 yojanas and it goes down into the
earth to the extent of 16,000 yojanas.
From
the base upto the top, the Siddhas and yogis
dwell.
At the top, the mountain has a width of
32.000 yojanas.
It is round at the top
and
three
sided at its base (like the
cornered base of a nail).
From the base to
the top the mountain measures 84,000 yojanas.
The circumference at the top is 96,000 yoja
nas (in round figures).
There, in the
middle, is the city of Brahma, known as
'festakaumbhi'.
Its
palatial mansions are
beautified with rare gems.
The city is
10.000
yojanas long and equally
broad.
There, the Gandharva chiefs, the prominent
ones among the Siddhas, sages like Vafeista
and gods headed by Indra worship Brahma
seated on the throne of gems.
At the edges
of the Meru top there are eight cities of the

76

" M e ru

M o u n t a in "

w ith

B r a h m a 's a b o d e a t t h e

to p .

directional
directions.
all.

gods, one in each of the eight

The Meru mountain supports them

THE RIVER GANGA

(164 - 171)
River Ganga pours down constantly in the
open courtyard of Brahma's
palace
such
that
he
might use the waters for his
'Sandhya
vandana'
(worshipping
Surya
Narayana
thrice aday - morning,
after
noon and evening).
The other gods
there,
also use it.
By Brahma's behest the river
Ganga takes four courses to come down to
earth from the Meru top and to purify the
denizens here.
Even now we can see it. The
branch
'Slta' joins the sea (Lavana Samudra)
on
the east.
'Alakananda' pours
into
the southern sea and is quite famous as the
purifier of the world.
The branch 'Caksu'
reaches the western sea and 'Bhadra' joins
the northern sea.
This river purifies those
who use its waters in worshipful manner where
ever
they be in the four quarters (of
Jambudvlpa).
The river was again brought to
our earth in another form by the
efforts
of
Bhaglratha.
This river
is
called
'Mandakini' in the Himalayas.
When it began
to pour down in the Himalayan region, Isiva
locked it up in the meshes of his knotted
hair.
(This was to mitigate the force with

77

which
Ganga came down;
hence the name
'Mandakini1).
Being let down from
the
knotted hair and following Bhagiratha
the
fresh flow of waters joined the original
course of the river; and after crossing the
point at 'Devaprayaga', the river went down
into the bowels of the earth to reach Kapila
a'srama' in the nether world to sanctify the
ashes
of
the
60,000 sons
of
Sagara
cakravarti, burnt down by the angry look of
Sage Kapila.
[The Gang5 river flows in visible and invisible
forms. ('Rupantarena vahati), it is also in the form
of the stars of the Milky Way {Akasa Ganga')].

ILAVRTA KHANDA
(171 - 183)
This Khanda (Varsa) spreads around the
Meru base which measures 8000 yojanas from
its centre, in every direction.
There are
four supporting mountains on each of the four
sides around the base.
These mountains are
each 2000 yojanas wide and 10,000 yojanas
high.
Beyond these mountains there is a
stretch of 5000 yojanas, and this makes up
the 9000 yojanas from the Meru base.
The
four
supporting
mountains
are
Mandara, Merumandara, Kumuda and Suparfeva, in
the four directions commencing from the east.
78

 Ground plan of Jambudvip.

'"The Meru at the centre and the nine Varshas Ulavrita (M iddle)
Bhadrasva (east) Ketumala (W est) Ramyaka, Hiranmaya and Uttara
Kuru (north) ; Harivarsha, Kimpurasha Varsha and Bharatha Varsha
(South) ;

There are four gigantic trees on the four

mountains - Cuta (mango),
Jambu
(rose
apple
tree),
Plaksa
(indian fig)
and
Nyagrodha (banyan) respectively.
Each of
these trees is 100 yojanas high and the
spread of the branches is to the extent of
1100 yojanas. The fruits of the trees resem
ble- mountain peaks.
The ripe jambu fruits of the tree upon
Merumandara (south) drop down and the juice
flows as the Jambu river.
The juice sprea
ding on its banks, when dried up, becomes the
finest gold which is known as Jambunada'.
The divine beings, who visit this region,
drink the juice and make different kinds of
ornaments for themselves out of 'Jambunada'
(gold).
[Taking into account half of the Meru base and
adding the width of the supporting mountain on any of
the four sides, the total will be 10000 and there
should remain another 7000 yojanas, not 5000, because
the Ilavrta Khanda measures 34,000 yojanas from end to
end.
Perhaps, we have to allow a gap of 2000 yojanas
between the Meru base and the supporting mountains
(Kiladris).
We should, however, make provision for another
round of mountains, not mentioned in this text.
According to Srlmad Bha'gavatam,
there are eight
mountains, each 9000 yojanas long; and two of them

79

placed on each side.

Since they are compared to the
*Ku&a' grass bundles put around the sacrifical altar,
each of the two mountains should be in a continuous
line, with' some gap or no gap between them. Evidently
their location is within the range of 5000 yojanas
indicated above.
Srimad Bhagavatam is the authoritative text which
tells us about Cosmography; and information gathered
from any other source should be in accordance with it.
That is what Acarya Madhva says
"Yatha bhagavatetu uktaxn bhauvanam
ko'fea laksanam,
Tasya avirodhato yojyam
anya granthantare sthitam"]

In this Varsa we find only the fair sex

moving about day and night.
No male person
enters it for fear of Bhavanidevi1s curse.
If any one trespasses, he is transformed into
female form like Ila, the son of Manu.
The
female
attendants of Gaurldevi are
one
hundred million ('arbuda') in number. /Siva,
along with Gaurldevi, worships the form of
Lord Samkarsana, one of the 'caturmurtis'
Vasudeva, Samkarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha.
Lord Samkarsana is the SUNtbrightening
the hearts of yogis.
This Ilavrta Varsa is bounded by four
mountains on the four sides. On the eastern
80

side is the Gandhamadana mountain stretching

between Nila and Nisadha mountains.
It is
2000 yojanas in width. Of the same width, on
the southern side, is the Nisadha
mountain.
*
It stretches from the eastern ocean upto the
western.
(This refers to the Lavana Samudra
around Jambudvipa) .
On the western side is
the Malyavan mountain, lying between Nila and
Nisadha even like the Gandhamadana.
On the
northern side of Ilavrta is the Nila moun
tain,
as wide and as long as Nisadha.
Siddhas inhabit these mountains.
BHADRA&VA KHANDA
(183 - 193)
The eastern part of Jambudvipa is occu
pied by only one Varsa, the Bhadrasva.
It
stretches
upto the ocean on the
east.
Bhadrasravas, the son of Dharma, is there
worshipping Lord Hayagriva; and he is the
ruler of that Varsa.
It is fully populated
with his subjects. There are two other boun
dary mountains within the Khanda - Jatara and
Devakuta, to the east of Gandhamadana.
The
two
mountains
extend between Nila
and
Nisadha, each being 2000 yojanas wide and
18 ,'0OO yojanas long. Barring the space occu
pied
by
the
three
mountain
ranges
(Gandhamadana,
Jatara
and Devakuta) the
Bhadraiva Varsa measures 27 thousand yojanas
from west to east.
Although Bhadrasva is a
81

single V a r s a the two extra mountain barriers

mentioned,
have
'Seen
created
by the
Omnicient
Lord to maintain symmetry on all
the
four
sides.
A similar arrangement
is
there
in the western Varsa.
With
the
two
*

additional
mountain ranges the Bhadrasva
Xhanda is divided into three stretches, each
nine thousand yojanas in width.
It should be
thus construed
because xt is said in the
texts that each of the nine Khandas
of
Jambudvipa
is
9000 yojanas
in
width.
Symmetry is thus maintained.
THE THREE SOUTHERN VARSAS
(193 - 208)

To the south of the mighty Nisadha moun

tain lies the Hari Varsa Khanda.
It is 9000
yojanas
wide.
Here the great devotee,
PrahlSda and the denizens of the Varsa wor
ship the Narasimha form of the Supreme Lord.
The
boundary mountain on the south
is
Hemakuta, 2000 yojanas wide and 10,000 yoja
nas high.
(Its length is 10% less
than
that of Nisadha.
Therefore, it is 90,000
yojanas in length).
To the south is Kimpurusa Varsa,
9000
yojanas in width. It is bounded on its south
by the Himavan mountain, similar to HemakGta
in breadth and height. The length is less by
10,000 yojanas (in round figures) on account
82

"Bharatavarsha w ith Bherathe Khanda at the

erigu"

of the circular shape of Jambudvipa and the

ocean surrounding it. Along with the inhabi"the Varsa, Hanuman (the greatest of
devotees) worships Sri Ramacandra, Lord of
Sitadevi.

ol

Then
comes
Bharata Varsa
(to
the
south of the Himavan mountain), having the
same width as that of the neighbouring Varsa.
It stretches upto the ocean on the southern
side. This is the Varsa that provides oppor
tunities for human beings to earn merit.
On a peak of the Himavan mountain, the
sacred
'Badarikasrama* is situated.
Here,
Narayana with Nara (Lord Nara-Narayana) is
worshipped by expert yogis.
Sage Narada and
the seven rsis too worship Nara-Narayana, day
after day.
It is here too that the Lord in
the
form of Vedavyasa is servedby Acarya Sri
Madhva, the third avatara1 of Sri Vayudeva.
There are many other 'munis* following his
example.
In between the boundary mountains, each
of the three Varsas is 9000 yojanas in width.
The
same concept holds good in the cases of
the
three northern Vardas also. If it is not
thus conceived, the measurement of 50,000
yojanas on every side from the Meru centre
cannot be maintained.
If the Ilavrta Varsa
is taken to measure 34,000 yojanas, each of
83

the two varsas on its sides gets

27,000
yojanas
allowing space for the boundary
mountains.
The same concept holds good in
the cases of the three northern and the three
southern varsas, each being 9 000 yojanas wide
and the boundary mountains occupying
2000
yojanas each.
(9x34-2x3

= 33 thousand).

[The Hiitiavan mountain referred to is the boundary

mountain between Kimpuru^a Vara and Bharata Var$a
2000 yojanas wide, 10,000 yojanas high and 80,000
yojanas long*
But, the Himalaya mountain with which
we are familiar is only 50 yojanas (300 miles) wide, 1
yojana (5*5 miles) high, and 330 yojanas (2000 miles)
long.
Its
location
is in
*Dandakaranya'
of
Bharata Khanda, which forms just a big lump at the
edge of Bharata Varsa, which has a width of 9000
yojanas (60000 miles in round figures).
The Badarikasrama and the Kilas in our Himalaya are only mini
prototypes.
Then, when it is said that Acarya Sri
Madhva flew off from Anu Badari to Maha Badari, it
means that he took a jump from our Himalaya to the
bigger Himalaya covering a distance of 96,000 k*m.
This is nothing to be marvelled at in the case of our
Acarya who is the avatar of Vayudeva, who enters into
every one of the activities of this universe. ]

84

* B harat a K h a n d a -o b h q u e d ire c tio n s of s a te llite s .

KETUMALA VARSA
(208 -213)
On th e w e s te rn p a r t o f Jambu d v lp a
aa~,.Qnly one v a r s a ,
th e

th e Ketum ala

B h ad rasva on th e

u p to th e sea on i t s
is

w o rs h ip p e d

is

" lik e

on.

e a s t).

w e s t.

th e re

(re se m b lin g

T h is

H ere,

e xte n d s

Lo rd V is n u

w it h th e name ' Kamadeva *.

cro re s o f

(Manmatha

'Mam oathas1

and h i s

w e ll- k n o w n f o r b e a u ty ) .

He

combined

in

spouse R a t ld e v i are
Our L o r d 's b eau ty i s

p a r - e x c e ll e n c e .
The l i f e - s p a n o f man on e a r th i s
to

36,000 days and 36,000 n ig h t s .

lim it e d
There a re

as many (72,000) d a u g h te rs o f Brahma,

th e

lif e - c o u r s e s

S ri

o f human b e in g s .

'm a n t r a s

s p ir it
fu lly

and

of

th e

w h ich she

is

Kamadeva
th e

m eanings o f w h ich

lif e

she

is

aw are.

H ere t o o ,

as i n

Bhadra'sva V a rs a ,

a r e tw o e x t r a m ou n tain s i n p ro p e r
m a in t a in in g
d in g

They se rve

Ram adevi who w o rs h ip s h e r Lo rd

w it h

lo r d in g

th e 9000 y o ja n a s

th e re

p o s it io n s ,

measure r e g a r

t h e w id t h s o f th e V a rs a s .

Pavana

and

Lo rd

S ri

H a r i has c r e a te d them t o make th e is la n d

lo o k

P a r iy a t r a

a re th e two m o u n ta in s.

s y m m e t r ic a lly b e a u t i f u l .

[The last sentence of the above Paragraph speaks

of the artistic sense of Saint Sri Vadiraja; and it
also pays a humble tribute to Sri Maha Visnu, the
Artist of artists.]

THE THREE NORTHERN VARSAS

(214 - 224)
To the north of the Nila mountain is the
Ramyaka Varsa.
This is also 9000 yojanas in
width.
Here, Vaivasvata Manu and the sages
of the Varsa worship Lord Sriman Narayana in
His 'Matsya1 (fish) form. The boundary moun
tain on the north is '13vet a '.
It extends
between the eastern and the western oceans;
and its length is 1/10 less than that of the
Nila mountain. Width is simialr.
To its north is the 'Hiranmaya Varsa' and
its
northern
boundary
is
formed
by
SSringavan*
mountain.
It also
extends
between sea and sea and is comparable to the
Sveta' mountain in this respect.
But its
length is 10% less than that of 'Sveta'.
There are many Siddhas and rsis here.
In
this Varsa the Supreme Lord is worshipped in
His Tortoise form (Kurma) by Aryama, the
chief
among manes,
and by
the
other
inhabitants.

86

Beyond Hiranmaya Varsa is the Uttara Kuru

Varsa, inhabited by divine beings and rsis.
It extends upto the ocean on the north. With
reference to its boundary mountain feringavan,
this Varsa also has an extent of 9000 yo janas.
It is like its counter-part - Bharata
Vara on the south.
Here, Lord Sri Narayana
is always worshipped in His Yajna Varaha
(Boar) form by Bhudevi and the occupants of
the Varsa.
Hari varsa and the other two to the south
of Ilavrta varsa are similar to Ramyaka,
Hiranmaya and Uttara kuru on the northern
side.
Each ot these six varsa* extends from
occen to occen, lengthwise.
[When it is said of a few mountains that they are
inhabited by Siddhas and rsis, it is indicative of the
fact that all other mountain regions are similarly the
abodes of sagely persons
In fact, there is not an
inch of space in this universe which is not made use
of for some purpose or the other.
Every mountain *
every valley , every river has its own presiding deity
with assistants to provide amenities to the devotees
of God.]

POOR OTHER MINOR MOUNTAINS

(224-227)
On the eastern side of Himadri there is
another Kailasa mountain where resides the
87

three-eyed god Isiva

spouse of Umadevi.
On
the western side of Himavan there is the
Karavlra mountain. In the same way there are
two mountains on each side of SrngavSn
to
the east and to the west.
They are Trsrnga
and Makara*
Here too there are siddhas and
rsis in large numbers.
With these four
mountains the Meru appears to be strong with
four arms.
{Mention of Kailasa as a seperate mountain where
feiva resides with Umadevi reminds us that feiva1s abode
is in several parts of the universe/ discharging
various functions to bless the beings and to earn
merit for himself to a very high degree. He resisdes
at the Kailasa peak of the Himalayas of Bharatadesa,
at the Kailasa mountain right now mentioned, at the
foot of the Meru mountain and Tapoloka above.
We
should know that he resides in all these places simul
taneously and not frequently.
Divine personage are
capable of being at different places at the same time
with their fractional spiritual parts, having the
fullness of the original for all purposes.]

LAVANA SAMUDRA
(227-229)
The Jambudvlpa is vast containing as it
does the nine varsas. Having the golden Meru
mountain at its centre, it is the midmost
island, with a diameter of one lakh yojanas.
It
is
surrounded
by
the
'Lavana

88

Samudra*(Occan of brackish water), the width

of which is also one lakh yojanas (six lakh
miles in round figures.)
[Before

proceeding

further to

learn

about

the

other six islands surrounding Jambudvipa, it is neces

sary

to

Bharata
know

have

a clear concept of Bharata

Khanda which form parts of that

Varsa

and

island.

We

that Bharata Varsa is the southernmost

division

with the bigger Himalaya as its northern boundary

and

having a width of 9000 yojanas (55,000 miles).

Jambudvipa

should be considered as being

like

in shape for obvious reasons.

tude

of

one lakh yojanas.

This

It

basket

has an alti

statement

may

be

supported by the following argument The island is circular.

the

moon

are

almost

Bharata Khanda,
the

words

sun's

in line with

our globe.

the

Equator

of

This is corroborated

by

of Srimad Bhagavatam which speaks

'Odagayana'

(southern

The orbits of the sun and

(northern

course),

of

the

'DaksinSyana

course) and 'Vaisuvadayana' (course corres

ponding to the celestial equator).

The orbit of Rahu

is said to be 10,000 yojanas (60,000 miles) lower than

that

of the sun.

eagle)
regions

Birds like garuda

(white-breasted

and swan and syena (hawk) are said to

still farther down below.

fly

in

All these are not

possible if the entire earth, 30,0000000 miles wide,

should be entirely flat.
It must therefore have
higher

and

lower

highest level.

parts,

Jambudvipa

being

at

the

Our globe, Bharata Khanda, is pereked

at the southern edge of the basket-like Jambudvxpa.

It is not a planet going round the sun.
This concept
is
substantiated by the statement of one,
Sri
Anantharamu of Bangalore, who had joined the crew of
the first Indian Antarctic expedition.
He says that
the south pole region projects downwards like a cone.
He also says that this region has not been properly
surveyed.
Therefore it is indeed a fiat lie to say
that the south pole region is slightly flat like north
pole region.]

THE OTHER SIX ISLANDS

(230 -241)

Surrounding the Lavana Samudra there is

the 'Plaksa' island (which is so called
because it abounds with Plaksa trees - indian
fig trees of gigantic size).
It is double
the width of the ocean of brackish waters
(two lakh yojanas).
Of similar width is the
'Iksu Samudra'
(ocean of waters with the
taste of sugarcane juice) around Plaksadvipa.
It is populated by Siddhas (the highly quali
fied souls). Around it is the 'Salmala dvipa,
four lakh yojanas in width and the 'Sura
Samudra' (of wine-like waters), of the same
width, spreads around it.
After that is
'Kusadvlpa'
(where Kulba grass clusters grow
very very tall like blazing pillars).
It has
double the width of 'Salmala dvipa'.
It is
surrounded
by 'Sarpi Samudra'
(ocean of
waters with the qualities of ghee) having the
90

"S ev e n islands and seven oceans, surrounded by lo k a -a io k a Parvata'

same width.
Then we have 'Krauncha dvipa'
(which derives its name from the mountain of
the same name).
This island and the 'Dadhi
Samudra (with waters of yogurt quality) have
double the widths of their inner complements.
Each of these is 16 lakh yojanas wide.
The
next is
'^Saka dvipa' surrounded by
'Kslra
Samudra1/ (ocean of milk-like waters), each
32 lakh yojanas in width.
The last of the
seven islands is 'Puskara dvipa* (island of
huge lotus flowers of gold), 64 lakh yojanas
wide.
It is surrounded by the ocean of pure
waters - 'Subhodaka Samudra' having the same
width. The entire earth is surrounded by the
land of gold - 'Hema bhumi', along with the
adjoining land of diamond - *Vajralepa'. The
Lokaloka
mountain goes round the
whole
stretch of earth described so far. The limit
of the earth is marked by this mountain ring.
In this way the earth spreads round the Meru
centre on all sides and it is there to
provide all the needs of living
beings
including the divine class, the sages, the
manes,
the sovereigns as well as human
beings. This earth provides happy conditions
to one and all.
The presiding goddess,
1Bhudevi' is most dear to Lord Sri Narayana.
The earth is plentiful with all kinds of
plant life and holy forests, crowded with the
hermitages of 'munis' (sages).
Rivers with
waters are also there.
Mother earth
kesISfee living beings happy and contented.
91

There are rich mines containing precious and

useful metals and the rarest gems. It is for
this reason that the earth gets its name
'Vasundhara.
She is indeed the mother of
the world displaying proverbial quality of
forbearance. Being seated on the lap of Lord
Varaha, she looks quite pretty.
[Saint Sri Vadiraja has given a breif but precise
description of the features of Brahnianda, not with a
view to duplicate the details found elsewhere; but it
is to say things without leaving room for doubts
regarding locations,
measurements and such other
things.
The way in whic* the text is prepared indi
cates that there must have been a good deal of confu
sion in the minds of the learned men of his days.
He
has removed misapprehensions in the clearest manner.
In a concluding verse he himself says that it is so.
"Vakyartha kathana vySjSt bhugolam iti varnitam". ]

KAIA CAKRA (THE TIME WHEEL)

(242

- 256)

The limitless Time (Mahakala) is rendered

possible to be reckoned by the human beings
since it is made countable as 'ghatika*, day
and
night,
'Paksa'
(fortnight),
'Masa1
(month
l^tu * (season) and Ayana' (course
of six months) and, finally 'Varsa* (year).
The wonder-working Lord has formed this K51a
Cakra* in order to create facility for the
courses of the nine planets,
the Rasis

), '

(constellations
of stars),
the
Taras'
(stars), the seven sages (Saptarsis) and the
divine,
dazzling
star-like vehicles
of
Gandharvas, Siddhas and the merited human
souls.
The courses are located differently
in space and the Lord holds them all in their
courses at all times.
The courses are all
circular at different distances and alti
tudes, and they look quite brilliant with the
lustre
of rare gems.
The courses are
thousands and thousands of yojanas apart.
The wheels of the 'Kala Cakra* are twelve
nine for the nine Planets, one for the
'Saptarsis', one for
the stars and one
for
the
'Rasis'
(constellations).
The
knowers of scriptures call this
as 'Kala
Cakra'.
Since
the
'Hemanta ' and
the
'Sisira'
seasons are considered together,
the Cakra is considered as having
five
spokes; and, with reference to the twelve
months, it is also said to be having twelve
spokes.
Since the mechanism helps the counting of
time divisions, it is known as 'Kala Cakra'.
The 'Vamana sukta' speaks of 'Dvada'sara' and
'Pancara' only for the said reason.
This
Kala Cakra extends over crores of yojanas in
the wide wide sky.
Above the Meru mountain, the Supreme
Lord,in the form of 'Isin&umara' (the scorpion
93

form) stands to a Height of 36 lakh yojanas,

with his pretty face turned downward and his
tail
end held up to -touch the
'Dhruva
Mandala1 (Pole star orbit).
The body of
this form is ringed in the middle and the
tail part goes up.
The brilliance of this
form of Lord 'Simfeumara is much morethan that
of a thousand suns.
It is He whomakes the
Time Wheel to go round and round as if it is
a part of Himself.
The main shaft-like
powerline has
its starting point atop the
Meru mountain
and extends outward to the
extent of crores of yojanas.
[Although Time is an abstract concept, yet it is
some thing.
According to Grammar, whatever can be
thought of and named is a thing? it need not necessa
rily be material by nature.
As such, Time is some
thing although it cannot be perceived by our external
senses as material objects are perceived.
Modern
thinkers say that it has no local standing except in
the relative sense of being taken into account as
deciding the order of events as past, present and
future.
But, even as they themselves predict, the
present universe will meet its end only to recreate
itself.
That means that the order of events, parts
and wholes, continue to be and they have their pasts,
presents and futures. Therefore, the sense of Time is
eternal.
If the concept of Time were not seperate
from the events, we could only think of events and not
of .their sequence.
Therefore efcernality, in its
abstract sense (apart from events), is undivided and

94

inconceivable; but yet, it is there. It is known as

'Maha Kala'.
This Haha Kala cannot be recognised as
such by us; but, the Omnicient eternal Co-ordinator of
all things knows it as some thing that is.
Even during the period of 'Maha Pralaya", when the
present universe is consumed and another is yet to be
created, the things to be created - causal matter and
spritual entities, remain in the womb of 'Bala Krgna'
lying upon the banyan leaf like an innocent child.
Mukhya Prana, the would-be Brahma, carries on the
function of respiration in the spiritual bodies of the
other souls, who are awaiting further courses of trai
ning for liberation.
The process of respiration is
by repeating Hamsa mantra',; not by means of physical
air.
When Mukhya Prana completes 21,600 repetitions
of the mantra, it covers a duration equal to one human
day of 24 hours.
Thus Mukhya Prana too knows the
passing of Time by the grace of the Supreme Lord - The
Co-ordinator of all.
The period of 'Maha Pralaya' is
recognised as being equal to the life-span of a
Brahma, which is known as Para* (864,0000000 x 360 x
100 human years).
With reference to the Supreme
Being, ParaBrahma, this 'Para' period is something
like a night of 12 hours.
When this night is nearing
its end, when an hour and a half is still remaining,
(12 1/2 years of Brahma's life-span), Srldevi, the
eternal spouse of Lord Sri KSr^yana, assumes her
'Durga' form and praises the Lord with the hymns of
'Srutigita' entreating the Lord to begin the creation
of a new world for the sake of the souls to be
released. Oh,how kind is that Mother of the universes 1

95

During
the period of creation, the same Maha
Kala, running like a continuous stream, presents
itself to be recognised in the form of the Time Wheel
giving room for the movements of the planets and
enabling human beings to take note of the passing of
time in its fractional parts like moments and its
wholes like hours, days, months and years*
Thus we
see that Time is a seperate abstract something,
flowing eternally like a stream, during the passage of
which events occur*
Therefore Time is not dependent
on its relation to the occurence of events.
In fact,
in a way, every thing else depends upon Time? or, Time
is almost synonymous with the Will of God.
It is the
Will of God that orders the events of the universe.
The grand-old-sire, Bhismacarya, pointed out at
Sri Krsna sitting with the Pandavas before him
as he
himself lay resting upon the bed of arrows, and said
to Dharmaraya, "the events of this world are all
ordered by the Time factor and that is no other than
the charming personality of Krsna sitting before us.
It is also interesting to note that 1Mukhya PrSna1
and *Garuda *, born of him, are also in charge of
Kala*
(Time) and they too go by the name
'Kala*.
There is yet another who goes by that name; and that
is fYamadharma1, god of death. He knows when to send
for the living beings to have a tryst with him I
In the description of the K51a Cakra given by
Saint Sri Vadiraja we see that there are star-like
devine vehicles distinct from the 27 star groups and

96

the constellations*
They are said to be crores and
crores in number and crores and crores of yojanas
apart.
Certainly, our Saint did not use a modern
telescope , nor did he use electronic methods for
computing numbers and distances.
Yet, here is the
truth about heavenly bodies.
Vedic information is
correct.
Modern findings, though approximating Vedic
truth, are nevertheless faulty to a large extent*
Suppose a star-like vehicle of a Gandharva kings
servant is following the starlike vehicle of the
Master,
The two being different in brilliance, how
can
the
scientist distinguish
them
precisely?
Evidently his calculations will be erroneous*
The mention of 1Dhruva manda la* suggests that the
seemingly motionless Pole star has its own very small
local orbit* The word lMandala* is suggestive*
Scientists do not know how the celestial bodies
acquired their motions at unimaginable velocities*
They simply call it constant velocity*. Why and how,
they cannot tell.
But^ as the wise Einstein has opined, there must
be a universal coordinating spirit directing the
events of this universe with their spatio-temporal
relationships.
Here is the actual description of the
coordinating factor*
Lord ^imsumSra, with head down and tail up, turns
round and round like a gymnast right above the Meru
axis and, projecting shaft-like power lines from Bis

97

body and with power lines from Pole Star Point,

^controls the movements of ail celestial bodies* Lord
Sim&umara gradually lifts the Kala Cakra up during a
period of six months and lowers it during the next six
teonths making the Suns chariot cross the Equator
northward and southward, as also making the moon and
the Rahu planet to keep pace with the sun.
The
seasons occur for this reason; and the earth need not
go round the sun with inclined axis as the too clever
Copernicus suggested *
Srlmad Bhagavatam clearly points out how the Time
Wheel is lifted and lowered when it speaks
of
*Udagayana * {the northern course),* Daksinayana1(the
southern
course) and 1Vaisuvadayana*
(equatorial
course).
1Vi^huvad rekha1 means the Equator.
This
also suggests that Bharata Khanda is indeed globular
m shape*
The same V Canto of Srlmad Bhagavatam tells us
about the extensions of 9Candra mandala* and *Rahu
mandala * saying that the extension in the case of the
Sun is 10,000 yojanas; and it is 12,000 (dvadasa), in
the case of the moon and 13,000 (trayodasa) J.n the
case
of Rahu.
Pandits misconstrued the
words
*dvadafea * and 1trayoda'sa *.
Vi jayadhva ja acarya, an
authoritative commentator, following the verdict of
Scarya Sri Madhva, has said that dvadafea* means
*dvidasa* - twice ten, i.e. twenty; and trayoda'sa*
means tridafea* - thrice ten or thirty.
Pandits also
made the mistake of confusing the word 'mandala* to
me* the orb instead of its orbit.

98

The correct interpretation is as follows

- The extension of- the sun's course is 5000 yojanas to
the north of the celestial Equator and 5000 yojanas to
the south of it.
Hence the extension of 'Surya
mandala1 is said to be 10,000 yojanas.
Similarly, to
keep pace with the sun in the northern and the
southern courses, the extension of the moons course
is 10,000 yojanas up and 10,000 yojanas down, and the
extension of Rahu's course is 15,000 north and 15,000
soutrh. (Some say it is 20,000 and 20,000 - 'dviguna').
Apart from the annual northern and southern
courses, the moon has also northern and southern
courses every fortnight.
This may be seen by any one
by observing the moon's position in the sky night
after night.]

THE MAIN WHEEL (DHARA) OF KALA CAKRA

(257 - 265)

There is one horizontally placed wheel of

gold (not the gross material gold with which
we are familiar), located just above the
Mansottara 'mountain in Puskara dvlpa, the
outermost of the seven islands.
This wheel
always goes round and round and it is meant
to take the entire Kala Cakra with it.
[Every heavenly body has its own wheel forming
part of the Kala Cakra to go round along with it, but
with varying velocity.
The entire Kala Cakra may be

99

compared -to an open umbrella with its apex at the Pole

Star and its base at the main wheel.
Saint Sri Vadiraja refutes the arguments of the so
called learned men of his days who maintained that the
said main wheel was meant for the sun's movement only.
He argues how it would be possible for one and the
same wheel to go both slow and fast at the same time.
Therefore, he says, that the sun's chariot has a wheel
of its own apart from the main wheel of the Kala Cakra
which is meant to take the entire mechanism with it.
Since it is studded with stars and star-like bodies,
it
is known as *Jyotiscakra'.
This wheel moves
because Lord feimfcumSra moves it. ]

Our saint asks, "How can the horses

running upon the main wheel, dragging the
sun's chariot, also make the wheel to move
with them?
Also, how can we account for the
slower movement of the sun's chariot as com
pared to the faster movement of the Time
Wheel? In the world of mechanical devices we
are familiar with two wheels - one horizontal
and the other verticle upon it for two kinds
of movements simultaneously.
The same rule
should be applied here also.
[Should we not marvel at the engineering knowledge
displayed by our saint?
It is from the Vedic store?
not from modern scientific findings and appliances.I

100

Kala Chs k r a - ' T h e T i m e W h e e l ' - Sun s pat h around t he M e r u C e n t r e , ' *

The movement of the sun's chariot is

similar to the movements of the other celes
tial chariots - those of the planets, the
stars and the like.
Every one of these
chariots has its own circular golden path
befitting it.]
THE SUNS CHARIOT
(266 - 295)

Upon the main wheel of the Kala Cakra

runs the sun's chariot drawn by seven horses.
This chariot has only one wheel and its
course upon the Kala Cakra is right above the
Mansottara mountain ring.
This is also of
gold, brightening every direction with the
brilliance of gems. The diameter of the
circular course is many many yojanas and it
is held dear by Lord Sri Hari.
The Kala Cakra or Jyoti'scakra is compara
ble to a huge chariot; and it is motivated by
Sri Hari in His 'Simfeumara form.
Day after
day it moves with great velocity, having the
Meru mountain at the centre. This Kala Cakra
covers a distance of nine crore and fifty one
lakh yojanas every day, taking the stars and
planets along with it. The changes in seasons
- cold, warm and hot, occur on account of
this Jyoti's cakra.
(This is due to the
northern and the southern courses manipulated

101

by the lifting and lowering of the Time Wheel

by the tail end of Lord 'Simisumara).
Because
of the three seasonal changes effected, this
Cakra is said to consist of three sections of
its hub {'Trinabhi').
This Cakra (main
wheel) itself is made to run without the need
of horses to draw it; hence it is called
'Anarva' (Horseless).
But, asit makes use
of seven modes of learning, itis also said
to be drawn by seven horses (This is in a
metaphorical sense); and the seven horses are
also considered as one. The Cakra is said to
be drawn by seven horses or seven-in-one
because
of its fast motion resembling
the
gallop
of
horses.
But it
should
be
remembered that this Cakra (main wheel) is
different from the sun's chariot which is
indeed drawn by seven horses.
[This description shows evidently that Saint Sri
Vadiraja is refuting the wrong view held by the other
pandits who were confusing the Kala Cakra with the
sun's chariot.
Another point to note is this - It
is said that the main wheel of the Kala Cakra, upon
which the suns chariot runs, covers 9 crore 51 lakh
yojanas in a day.
It means that the circumference of
the wheel is also 9,51,00000 yojanas.
Therefore, its
radius will be
9,50,00000 miles in round figures
(9,51,00000 x 6.06 / (21/7) x 1/2 ); and the distance
between us and the sun is the same. Compare this with
the modern astronomical figure, 9,30,00000 miles. Is
it not something to wonder at?

102

Our saint anticipates objections and gives proper

answers as can be seen in the following explanation. ]

The Kala Cakra extends from the Meru

centre to the mid part of the Manasottara
mountain and reaches right upto the Pole star
above.
The 'Svetadvipa Abode' of Lord Sri
Narayana is located in the Milk ocean, within
the bounds of the Cakra. The objection would
be, 'How can the Cakra pass through the Abode
of Svetadvipa without obstruction?'
The
answer is that just as the all-pervasive
Visnu (the proprietor of the sky and the sky
itself, it being known as Visnupada') does
not obstruct the movements of the heavenly
bodies, so also the "Svetadvipa Abode stands as
no obstruction.
GHATIKA AND MOHURTA
(277 - 288)

The statement that day and night are

equal to thirty, thirty means that they are
equal to the periods of thirty 'ghatikas'
each.
In
word-compounding in
Sanskrit
language there is what is known as 'Lupta
madhyama samasa' - missing the middle term in
compounding the words.
(Similar is the case
in question.
The missing word is to be
understood from the context.
Therefore,
'thirty' here means thrity ghatikas).
A
'ghatika' , then, will be equal to 24 minutes

<12 x 60 /30 ).
The 1ghatika1 concept is
there to arrive at the concept of 'Muhurta'
which is recknoed for going through auspi
cious rituals (2 1/2 ghatikas = 1 Muhurta.
24 x 2 1/2 = 60 minutes. Here we find the 24
hours-a-day concept).
It is thus to be
conceived cleverly, not simply clinging to
the word meaning. This is the verdict of the
Divine Lord Vedavyasa.
This almost equal division of day and
night of 30 ghatikas each is true only when
the sun is in conjunction with the Tula1
(Libra) and the 'Mesa' (Arie.g) constella
tions .
These two months do not clearly
witness the increase or decrease in the
durations of day or night. During the months
'Tula' (Libra) and 'Mesa1 (Aries),
a day
consists of 12 muhurtas; and twelve muhurtas
make a night.
When the sun*s position goes
on changing towards the upper five or the
lower five constellations, the durations of
days and nights also vary.
It is for this
reason that Sri "Suka Maharsi said in Srlmad
Bhagavatam that the twelve muhurta concept
should not be applied to months other than
Tula' (Libra) and 'Mesa' (Aries).
[For those in the northern hemisphere, duration of
day time goes on increasing as the sun migrates
northward from one 'rSsi' to the other, commencing
from 'Vrsabha (Taurus); and the duration of nights

104

increases as the sun goes southward f

5Vrscika * (Scorpio).

commencing from

Here we have the clearest indication to say that

our ancients knew our part of the earth to be a globe;
and that was unlike the Greeks of Ptotemy1s time who
considered it to be flat and round like a rupee coin*
However they were not entirely wrong because the wide
wide ea^rth upto the sweet-water ocean ffeuddhodaka
Samudra* - a stretch of 30 crore miles# is certainly
round like a rupee coin although not fully flat.
The
Greeks and the other learned men of the Middle East
had forgotten all about this wide invisible expanse of
the earth and they mistook our part of the globular
earth to be flat.
Why, for that matter, even most of
the oriental pandits of our own times have such wrong
notions.
They must revise their opinions by learning
to read between lines.
How this should be done, I
will illustrate with two examples.
(1) Jambudvipa should be considered as being basket
like in shape because, it is said that the sun,
the moon and the stars do not shed their lights in
the Iiavrta Varsa, the middle most region.
(2) The moon's chariot should be located not too far
from our globe as in the case of the sun
just
because it is
said that its course is one
lakh
yojanas above
that of sun.
Srimad Bhagavatam
clearly states
that the moons chariot is
above
the rays of the
sun, not above the sun.

105

But our pandits miss the meaning of the words

1arka
gabhastibhyah uparistat1, meaning, above the rays of
the sun.]

MOVEMENTS OP THE PLANETS

{288 - 294)
The S u n 1s chariot covers a distance
of
34,00800 yojanas in a muhurta, this being its
velocity day after day.
In this way,
the
total distance covered will
be
8,16,20000
yojanas (to the nearest thousand).
[However, this still falls short of the distance
covered by the supporting wheel of the Kala Cakra,
which is 9,51,00,000 yojanas.
This falls short by
1,33,80,000 yojanas. But the position of the sun with
reference to the constellations will be just 1 degree
behind.
The Kala Cakra will have gone X degree
further than its starting point along with
the
constellations when the sun reaches the starting point
in 24 hours* This is like a person walking forth in a
moving train, in the the same direction, from the last
carriage upto the first one near the engine.
Let us
say he will have covered 1000 feet by walking.
But,
actually,
he will have
covered the
distance
travelled by the train plus the distance covered by
walking*
If he were just sitting in
the last
carriage, he would have covered only, say, five miles
when the
train had covered that distance
andstopped.
But, inthe said instance, he will have covered five
miles, plus 1000 feet*]

106

Retrograde movements of the sun and the moon , and the phases of the moon

This is what. Sri l3uka Maharsi has said

about the lagging of the sun's chariot.
Hence there is no contradiction involved in
his statement.
The sun's chariot, along with 1Aruna1 and
the seven horses, is at an altitude of one
lakh yojanas above the earth.
Moving slower
than the Kla Cakra, the sun touches the
constellations behind, gradually, one after
the other.
The constellations move faster,
almost with the same velocity as that of the
Kala Cakra. They too lag to a slight extent,
but the sun's lagging is perceivably more.
This is known as 'Vamagati*
(retrograde
motion) .
The sun takes one month to cover
each constellation by the retrogression, as
it were.
THE OTHER PLANETS
(295

- 309)

The moon's motion being much slower than

that of the sun, it remains far behind the
sun every day; and by its quick retrogression
every constellation is covered just in 2 1/2
days.
The velocity of the moon's chariot,
therefore, exceeds that of the sun to far as
retrograde motion is concerned.

107

1Guru (Jupiter) takes one year to cross

each
constellation
by
retrogression.
Similarly, 'feani1 (Saturn) takes two years to
touch each successive constellation behind.
Its velocity being slower than that of the
other six planets, the name 'Isanaiscara *
(slow-mover) is appropriate.
In this way, the movements of the planets
are said to be in the backward direction.
(But, that is with reference to the constel
lations).
This backward movement resembles
that of an ant going round upon an oil
machine wheel in the same direction.
During
every round it finds itself more and more
backward with reference to the hub at the
centre. (The fact to be noted is that the ant
does not move backward;
but it only falls
behind; and this is like going backward with
reference to a companion starting at the same
point as another,
but out-stripping the
latter and making that other to fall behind).
If all the planets really move in the
backward direction, at sunrise we can see the
back of the Sun god instead of his front; and
how then is it possible to offer him arghya'
(water *to wash his hands)?
Therefore, the
movements of the planets must be understood
only as explained by us.
It is in agreement
with what is said in Srlmad
Bhagavatam,
stating that the Sun keeps the Meru mountain

both to his right and to his left as he moves

upon the Kala Cakra in the same direction.
We should also know that the deities of the
planets do not misbehave by circumambulating
Lord 'SimsumSra in the wrong direction.
They
do certainly go one full round along with the
Kala Cakra every day, keeping the Lord (and
the Meru below) to their right. -They also
fall behind with reference to the Kala Cakra
itself on account of their lagging; and this
is as if they are keeping the Lord to their
left.
A

thick shaft of gold, projecting from

the Pole star point, holds the mechanism of
the Kala Cakra in position without allowing
it to drop down upon the earth.
The deities in charge of the constella
tions , who determine the 'ghatikas', have
greater velocities while moving upon the Time
Wheel; but the planets are prone to fall
behind.
PLANETS RAHU AND KETU
(309 - 320)
The Rahumandala (the route of Rahu's
circuit) is situated upon tne lowest wheel of
the Kala Cakra, at an altitude of 90,000
yojanas above the earth (10,000 yojanas below
the level of the sun's path).
The planet
Ketu, with a hundred tail-like projections,
109

is also at the same spot (It is as if the two

planets are twins whose bodies are joined
together, back-to-back).
The glorious Lord
cut off the head of the demon Rahu (as also
the head of Ketu) when he attempted to share
nectar
stealthily
at
the
time
of
'Amrtamanthan'.
The heads of the two demons
have occupied the status of planets having
just tasted a few drops of nectar.
They are
there only to torment the sun and the moon.
However, their spiritual presence in the
planets is negligible. The oblations offered
to Rahu and Ketu are accepted by divine
presences dwelling in those two planets; and
the
Lord Himself accepts the
offerings
through those divine presences and blesses
the worshippers.
The Suns route lies on a different wheel
of the Kala Cakra, one lakh yojanas above the
earth.
He is there to bless the world with
his bright auspicious rays.
On another
wheel, one lakh yojanas still higher, the
moon moves upon its own path.
On the occasions of eclipses, the sun and
the moon face each other, moving as they do
on their own paths. On the new-moon day they
are towards the same constellation; and on
fuH-moon days too, they face each other
being exactly towards opposite constella
tions. If Rahu also takes position at similar
110

"Solar and lunar eclipses. Sun's rays or moon's rays cut off by the black jet pirn setting from Raltu-

longitudes, then an eclipse takes place. What

is known as 'Pancagraha yoga', also happens
under similar conditions (Five planets ranged
towards a common constellation).
[Rahu is a black planet below the level
of our
part of the
earth. Ketu is dark-brown
in
colour.
Their path is 10,000 yojanas lower than the path of
the sun; not exactly down below the sun
Similarly
the, moon is one lakh yojanas higher; but not right
above the sun*
According to the Puranas, the moons
path lies above the *Lavana Samudra1 surrounding
Jambudvlpa.
It is thus to be construed because it is
said that there is an island called *Candradvlpa ',
within the area covered by the moons orbit, 4000
yojanas awayfrom JambOdvlpa and that
it is 1000
yojanas wide*
It is also said that theGangS waters
coming down from the cleft in Brahmanda, washing the
uplifted left foot of Lord Trivikrairta, reached the
several upper worlds and ultimately touched the top of
the Meru mountain; and as it did so, it covered the
'Candra mandala1, which extends downward from the
breast of Lord Simsumara and covers the area enclosed
by the moon's orbit.
This would be possible only if
the moon's orbit were somewhere above the 'Lavana
Samudra* and not at all if it were right above the
sun's path.
Since

B.Khn

and

Ketu

pester the

moon

also

by

cutting off the moon's rays coming to us, their planet

should be nearer to our earth than the moon.

ITT

We may thus note how the Puranas have located

Sun

the

and the Moon at distances of 9,30,00000 miles and

2#50/000 miles away from our globe respectively* Just

because some learned men misinterpret things, we
should not try to find fault with the Puranas

without

proper understanding*
For instance, the greatest
oriental religious adventurer, Srila Prabhupada,
the
sponsor of the 1Hare Krsna* movement, has said that it
is not possible to believe that astronauts landed upon
the Moon because that planet is crores of yojanas away
being located one lakh yojanas above the sun.

He has

also said that the astronauts must have reached only a

nearer planet like Bahu.
of

This is against the version

the Puranas as well as against the modern findings

by geometrical method.
Itis strange that the staunch followers of
gious

teachers believe

implicitly

whatever

teachers say without using discretion*

scientific

reli
those

Although

guesses may not be correct as in the

all
case

of stellar distances, we should attempt to harmonise

rational findings with puranic faccs.
For example,
the distance between our earth and the sun is said

to

be 950 lakh miles (approximately) both in the puranas

and in our geography texts.
Coming
disagree

to the occurance of eclipses,

entirely with the views of

we have

modern

to

astrono

mers*

Rahu and Ketu are the slowest in motion taking

aboout

18 years to cover each constellation by retro

gression while moving also forward along with the Time

Wheel.

Therefore, they often meet the sun or the moon

112

at the same longitudes*

They are not merely nodes or

crossing points of the paths of the sun and the

moon*

The planet of Rahu and Ketu is actually there. Modern

astronomers have not turned their telescopes towards
that planet; or perhaps, it is not recognisable, being
dark in colour*
To

say that the earth covers the moon or that the

moon covers the sun during eclipses,

is but a

conve

nient guess*
The three planets are never in the same
straight line.
If this argument is put forth, the
scientists readily take shelter under parallax effect*
But that is no excuse*
The

fact

different

is

different.

altitudes,

The planets

there is no question

coming together in a straight line,

same

longitudes,

being
of

at

their

Rahu, when at the

sends out a black jet and cuts

off

the rays of the sun or the moon as the case may be*
This is known as 1Grasa 1 or swallowing*
If it is the
turn of Ketu, he sends up dark brown rays and consumes
the rays of the sun or the moon.
Any one can verify
this statement during lunar eclipses, finding black or
dark brown shadow upon the moons orb - black when
is

the turn

Ketu.

it

of Rahu and brown when it is the turn of

Actually, there will be no shadow upon the sun

or the moon.

To us it looks like that since the rays

are cut off from our view partially or fully*]

113

THE STAR WORLD

(320 - 345)

Above the moon's orbit, the star world

extends upto 30 lakh yojanas.
In the middle
areas the merited souls - Gandharvas and
Siddha class of divine personalities, along
with their consorts, enjoy life, moving as
they do in their divine vehicles. They eat
nice food, drink sweet juices and they sing
and dance.
They drink the sweet waters of
the Gang pervading in the sky (ka'sa GangS).
Their vehicles are crores and crores in num
ber and they are in the forms of stars. (They
are stars of their own kind).
Even now men
can see them.
Because of the brilliance of
these star-like vehicles and of the stars and
planets,
the
Time Wheel is called
as
1Jyotiscakra' - the Wheel of Light'.
The location of the constellations is in
between the moon and the stars (the 27
star
groups).
The planet ISukra (Venus) is two lakh
yojanas
higher than the
stars.
Budha
(Mercury) is two lakh still higher; Kuja
(Mars), another two lakh higher; another two
lakh higher is Brhaspati (Jupiter),
the
divine priest.
Two lakh yojanas
above
Jupiter
is
'Sanaifecara
Saturn).
The

x(

1Saptarsi mandala1 (great bear) is 11 lakh

yojanas above Saturn;
and
fDhruvarnandala1
(Pole star)
is 14 lakh yojanas above the
orbit of the Saptarsis.
Thus, the Pole star
is at at an altitude of 37 lakh yojanas above
the earth.
[Here we are certainly at loggerheads with modern
scientists and astronomers, who say that the nearest
star
'Alpha* is at least 4 light years away and that
the Pole star is still farther away.
Having seen how
Vedic information is fully correct, we should not be
afraid of finding fault with human calculations.
There

must

instruments
star

be something wrong somewhere

or their mode of calculation*

The

is only 2,22,00000 miles away from us,

more than 200000000000000 miles away.

are

with

star-like

and

Just as

divine vehicles below the

Pole

their
Pole
not
there
star,

there are also divine vehicles of greater brilliance

and velocities at higher altitudes near the upper
worlds, moving in different directions.
Perhaps,
these

are

mistaken

as

Pulsars

and

Quasars

and

Galaxies.]

As the planets go along their courses,

Gandharvas and Apsaras sing and dance and go
with them in front.
They make themselves
merry again and again with sweet scents,
flowers, delicious food and nice drinks* The
learned brahmins on earth chant hymns in
their praise and offer oblations and saluta
tions.
These divine beings bless the good
115

souls with auspicious things and

bad ones with disastrous effects[Here

curse

is the truth about the satellites or

the

moons

of the planets.]

Thus the glory of the Kala Cakra has been

described.
The Puskara dvlpa surrounds the Milk
ocean (Kslrabdhi).
In its middle part runs
the Manasottara mountain ring brightening all
directions. In between the opposite sides of
this mountain ring, the distance is 2 crore,
51 lakh yojanas. The Kala Cakra extends thus
far.
Some say, out of ignorance, that the sun
sinks into the western ocean and enters the
Nether worlds and then rises in the east.
This is against Vedic information. It should
not be accepted.
On account of the terraced
formation of the seven islands, Puskara dvipa
is the lowest; and therefore the setting
point and the rising point of the sun are at
lower levels in comparision with the location
of our part of the earth.
Hence it looks as
though the Kala Cakra goes down and comes up.
[Here we see how Saint Sri Vadiraja criticises the
wrong views held by the ignorant ones, who said that
the earth is round like a rupee coin, surrounded by a

116

deep ocean.
This is how the early Greeks
Europeans of the medival period
thought.

and the
Indians

were

by

no

Greeks

exception,
after

influenced as they were

Alexander's invasion of India.

To

the
be

truthful, all this is due to the curse of Sage Gautama

and

the onset of the Kali Age.

the thankless
dimmed.
It

is

sad

Sage Gautama

sages that their knowledge

to note

that

the

great

cursed

should

be

Aryabhata

unwittingly accepted the Heliocentric theory proposed

by the later Greeks.]

In Mahabharata it is said that there is

another Time Wheel in Patala loka upon which
move another sun and another moon.
The
denizens of that region swoon down during day
time on account of the hot rays of
the sun
and are revived when the cool rays
of the
moon strike them.
This Time Wheel also is
said to be lifted and lowered.
The ignorant
ones have confused this Time Wheel for the
Kala Cakra of the 'Antariksa' above
the
earth. This is like mistaking a rope for the
snake.
We

should believe only in the words of

Sage Vedavyasa who is none other than Lord
Sri Narayana.
That the terrestrial Kala
Cakra goes round and round circumambulating
the Meru mountain, can be understood by

117

observing the 'Saptarsi Mandala' which goes

round the polar axis, as every one can see.
TffK ENVELOPES COVERING BRAHMANDA
(3-45-348)
The Brahmanda (the golden shell covering
the universe) is 100 crore yojanas thick. It
is surrounded by the watery envelope which
has
a thickness of 1000 crore
yojanas
(Arbuda).
Around it is the envelope of -the
fire element with a thickness of 'Nirbuda1
yojanas (10,000 crore) .
Similarly, there
are other seven envelopes, each ten times
thicker than its inner complement.
They are
- Air element,
'Kharva' (100,000 crore); Sky
element,
'Maha Kharva' (1000,000 crore); Ego
element
(Ahamkara),
'Padma'
yojanas
(10,000,000 crore),
Mahat tatva
element
(principle
of intellect),
'Maha
Padma*
(100,000,000 crore); Tamoguna (principle of
ignorance),
1000,000,000 crore - 'Ksoni';
Rajoguna
(principle
of
activity
10.000.000.000 crore - 'Maha Ksoni';
and
Satvaguna (principle of light and knowledge),
100.000.000.000 crore yojanas
- "'Sankha'.
But the extent of the universe within the
Brahmanda is only 50 crore yojanas.

),

[Here
said (St.

we should recollect what has already

152).
The huge Brahmanda, with its

been
nine

envelopes, is not big enough to fill a hair pit on the

body

of Lord Narayana.

By this we should understand

cnat every thing has a limit; but our Lord is limit

less.
He is the limit for every thing.
There is no
question
of
what is beyond,
although with our
materialmindedness we are sure to pose such
a
question.]

CONSUMATION OF THE UNIVERSE

(348 - 358)

As the 'laruti1 declares, "Yasya bramhaca

Ksatranca ubhe bhavati odanam",
the living
beings
of the four castes,
the
great
sovereigns, ordinary human beings and the
other creatures as well as divine beings,
demons, serpents, yaksas, gandharvas, acquatic creatures, pi'sacas in crores - all, all
are sanctified by the ghee of their bodies
and are consumed by the Lord at the time of
dissolution.
He has a variety of drinks in
the oceans.
Vegetation and fruits of diffe
rent
kinds form the herbal
medical stuff.
All
these are cooked inthe fires
of
1Pralaya1 and the Lord Himself is the cook.
Having consumed everything, he mixes the
ashes of the golden Brahmanda into
the
surrounding water envelope and drinks it up
like a digestive potion.
He then rests upon
the
banyan leaf like an
innocent child,
tasting the thumb of his lotus-foot, inserted
into his lotus-mouth, the foot being held by
his lotus-hand.

119

"Kararavindena padaravindam
mukharavinde vinivesayantam,
Vatasya patrasya pute
"sayanam balam mukundam manasa smarami."
[Here
taking

is

back

a description of
the

created things

the
to

1Laya' process,
their

original

state, step by step. The concept of the Lord swallo

wing everything does not mean that He is hungry and
thirsty.
He is not at all affected in any manner by
the process of creation or dissolution. He is praised
in the 'Purusa sukta' thus - "S3ane anafeane abhlh". Ht
creates and sustains so that the dependent selves may
qualify themselves for their final goals; and, when he
goes on with the work of dissolutin, he gathers up the
merits and demerits earned by the souls to reward or
to punish them, and he also converts the created
material world into its original state of 'Avyakta',
the unmanifest 'Prakrti'.]
#

'SAMARPANA1 (DEDICATION)
(358 - 361)

Thus, a description of the universe has

been offered that the Lord may be pleased
with this act.
This is authored by Vadiraja
Bhiksu, the devotee of Acarya Sri Madhva.
Let the gods find pleasure in going through
it.
The writing of the text was occasioned
by the debate regarding certain details about
the universe.

My salutations to Lord Laksxnipati who is

the resort of the yogis; and my salutations
to crya Sri Madhva, who knows the Sastras
perfectly.

Sri Krsnrpanam astu

121

ANNEXURE - 1
What: Scientists say
ibout the Theory of Evolution

The traditional view of evolution is that

living things change gradually over millions
of years. But the fossil record always shows
abrupt changes;
new groups of organisms
replace
old ones with no
evidence
of
transitory forms.
'Missing links' was the phrase conve
niently used.
It is as though new groups
evolve in isolation, then rapidly spread and
completely replace the old ones.
The meteorite theory is put forward
extinction of species on a large scale.
volcanic theory is being advanced now.

for
The

Regarding the meteorite it is said - The

sun's .companion star, with elongated orbits,
comes nearer and upsets the cloud of comets
which bombards the earth.
This occurs every
26 million years.
"It is a nice theory, but not all geo
logists and astronomers accept it." [Compare
- The Puranas declare that
catastrophies
occur every 30 million years.
This is known
122

as 'Manu Kalpa Pralaya* =

(4320000 x 71 years) J.

71

maha

yugas

"Yet the problem remains of seeing how

one group of organisms changes into another."
"We could therefore hardly expect to
detect
gradual
changes
into
another.
(Quotations from Edward Ashpole's article,
Deccan Herald, Sept. 2, 1984).
F.J. Noronha (Deccan Herald, Sept. 30,
1984) refutes Edward Ashpole's views, saying,
that the latter's statements show contra
diction when he says,
(i) "But the fossil record does exist. That
is the important point.
Evolution has
certainly taken place." - As against
this.
(ii) "But the fossil record always shows
abrupt changes. New groups of organisms
replace old ones with no evidence of
transitory forms."
F.J.Noronha continues - "Ever since Darwin
published 'Descent of Man' in 1871, it has
been the pet theory of evolutionists that man
has descended directly from the ape by mere
chance.
The idea sparked off a worldwide
search for missing links.
Many of the
123

Discoveries* proved to be frauds.

The most
famous was Piltdown Man installed in the
British Museum in 1912f and exhibitted as
irrefutable proof of evolution.
Investiga
tion
revealed that the skull of an ancient
human was attached to the jaw of a freshly
killed monkey and that the famous tooth had
been painted to lend antiquity* Such aberra
tion from scientific integrity must cast
serious doubts on the authenticity of fossil
records *"
[Fossil records there are; and they do point out
the stages of creation by the agents of God as has
been
pointed out in the introduction.
Mere human
guess leads one no where* For example scientists hold
the opinion that the iceland of Antarctica was once a
greenland.
But it is strange -that they overlook the
phenomena of the movements of the earth's crust during
periods of catastrophe*.
They only think of meteors
and volcanoes. But our Puranas tell about the upsurge
of the ocean and consequent disturbances during 'Manu
Kalpa Pralayas1.
The fault is not that of the modern
scientists who blindly follow the revolutionist Renai
ssance thinkers, who were not satisfied with the views
of the religious magnates of their times. But if only
they had access to our Puranas in those days, things
would have been quite different.]

Albert Einstein - (based on Abraham Pais1

Biography of Einstein - article by Rajendra
Prasad, Deccan Herald, 25.3.1984). There is
124

a remark about Einstein's "unceasing quest

for harmony in natural and social phenomena."
[This is certainly a pointer signifying the need
of an omnicient,
omnipresent, omnipotent Supreme
Being.
The very first stanea of Srimad Bhagavatam
speaks of such a Being who is responsible
for
'harmony'
since He is in the right know of things
"Arthesu abhijnah, swarat* (He, the source of all
knowledge, knows what things and spiritual beings are
and He is independent Master)].

Einstein has said, "The basis of all

scientific work is the conviction that the
world
is an ordered and
comprehensible
entity."
Regarding
the
scope
of
scientific
research he says, "But I do not doubt that
the day will come when the description too
(his own theory of relativity) will have to
yield to another one, for reasons which at
present we do not yet surmise.
I believe
that the process of deepening the theory has
no limits".
"Science
without religion
is
religion without science is blind."

of

lame?

"Truth, independent of man, independent

consciousness,
independent of
sense

125

experience, independent of morality " - this

wa's Einstein's religion[Is this
attributes 1]

not like Brahman,

free

from

material

Talking
of
the deep and
wonderful
experience of the mysteriousness of
the
cosmic structure, he said, "I content myself
with making amazing conjectures about these
secrets and humbly try to create a far-fromfull
mental
picture
of
the
perfect
structure."
"Need to believe always provides
impetus for the need to know."

greater

Fraud in Science
(C.S.G.Prasad, Deccan Herald, Aug. 14, 1983)
"The famous case of the Piltdown
surely the most celebrated hoax of all
in science"

man,
time

Why does fraud occur at all in scientific

fields?
There are many reasons why.
There
is
firstly the culture of "publish
or
perish".
'Massive cooking up of results' is
there.
There is enormous competition in the
world of science - to get ahead of his or her
126

peers*
There
results 1.

is

temptation to

*fabricate

Some times perfectly respectable studies

are labelled as frauds because established
science does not like the implications of
this or that particular study.
[This is what has happened to puranic
our country. ]
Competition
the two
science.
We

most

still

and preconceived notions,

important

reasons

behind

truths

in

then,

are

fraud

in

do not know how many undetected

frauds

continue to adulterate science; there is no way of

knowing either.
Given this dismal prospect, how can
we continue to believe in scientific truths ?.
[Nature of stars and stellar distances belong to
this field of scientific truths, largely conjectures,
not established truths.]

Photograph of the Earth

A photograph of the globe earth was
published in 'Kannada Prabha1 as the complete
picture of the earth (28.9.83).
I doubt if it is a true photograph or a
cooked u p 1 picture of the artists'
skill.

127

How could one obtain a full photograph of the

entire earth
8000 miles in diameter, from a
distance
(height of 600 mi
, is indeed
surprising.
The
therein
fraud.

clear contours of the continents

certainly point out to artistic

128

ANNKXURE - 2

Surya Siddhanta
(Astronomy based on Helio-centric theory)

If we look into the 'Bhugola Adhyaya' (P.

of 'Surya Siddhanta1; which is in the
form of a dialogue between the Sun God and
Mayasura,
(Kasi Sanskrit Granthamala - 144),
any discerning person will easily find out
that the meanings of the original texts are
perverted to make out preconceived meanings.
The twisting of meanings could not be done
while translating the original verses; but 1
the perverted meanings are given in the
latter half of the chapter, stating clearly,
"It is the opinion of all the
ancient
thinkers that all the planets go round the
earth; but the new thinkers are of opinion
that the sun is steady and the planets /
including the earth, go round the sun (P.
245)

225).

The very text of 'Surya Siddhanta' seems

to be a mixture of sensible puranic verses
and inserted new ones to press forward modern
views.
Moreover,
'Surya Siddh5nta* is meant to
delude the demoniac minds of 'Kaliyuga',

129

those who follow Mayasura,

the demons -

the architect of

In this context, it may be noted that the

'Maya Civilisation'
reminds us of Mayasura
and his brood,
who only could have
created
marvellous artistic and engineering models,
beyond the ability of ordinary human beings,
referred to in "Chariots of the Gods".

annexohe

- 3

(Miscellaneous)

Two Indian mathematicians working in a

Siberian University, Dr. Paul Gulati and his
wife Shobha Gulati, authors of 'Similarity
Theory1, say that Einstein was wrong.
They
say, "In this theory, light velocity is not
held as constant (as Einstein did) and there
is
no clock paradox which follows from
Einstein1s theory".
Fifth Force in Nature

"When you see something as fundamental as

a new force
it is likely to change many
things.
We will have to rethink many views
of Particle Physics and Cosmology".
(Sunday Herald, Bangalore, 26.1.86)
Chinese links with Vedas

Prof Huang Xinchuang ponders whether the

Vedas sustained the Chinese dynasties.
The
Chief Editor of the Chinese Encyclopedia'
now being compiled, Prof. Huang told visiting
researchers of the Institute of Oriental
Study from Thane, near Bombay, recently, that
"virtually every Chinese dynasty got the
Vedas translated from Sanskrit to classical
Chinese".
Manuscripts on Yoga and Ayurveda

131

including Patanjali's "Yoga Sutra

and the
"ISushruta" and
"Charaka" Samhitas
were
similarly translated, the professor said and
claimed that over 5000 such manuscripts are
available in China, several of them pre
dating manuscripts extant in India.
(Deccan Herald - Saturday, Aug. 23, 1986)
Sri M.B.K. Sharma, Astronomer, Usmania
University, says, "The moon is too large to
be regarded as a true satellite".

132

ANNEXURE - 4

Process of Creation
'Avyakta Prakrti' - Latent original matter consis
ting of only pure 'Satva* and pure 'Tama' at rest in
God's womb.

I
Disturbed

by Go d s will at the

outset of creation.

(Ksobha or Disturbance * Physical mixture)

I
133

'Satva', principle of light, intelligence and joy

acts upon
Tama', principle of darkness, ignorance and misery

I
^Sabala1 - multi-coloured principle

(1) Satva (yellowish)

(2) Raja (reddish)

100 Satva + 10 Raja + 1 Tama

(3) Tama (bluish)

Mahat Tatva1 - principle of intellect, partly used for

the body of Caturmukha Brahma, apparent Creator,
(Vi<|iiu in Brahma)

I
Mahat Tatva + Some Satva + Some Raja + Less Tama

J
Ahamkara Tatva
(Body of 'iva' )

I
Some A.T.+ some Satva+
some Raja + less Tama
'Vaikarika Ahamkara'
(Visnu in 'feiva)

Bodies of
divine beings
(very very
subtle)

Subtle Mind
(To be
located in
the core of
the spinal
chord.)

Some A.T+
more Raja
Taijasa
(Brahma

some Satva+
+ some Tama
AhamkSra1
in 'Siva)

Five abilities
of sense organs

Some A.T.+ less Satva +

some Raja + more Tama
1Tamasa Ahamkara'
tfsiva proper)

Five abilities
of motor organs

I
1) Principle
of Sound
(Sabda
Tamnatra )

2) Principle
of Touch
(Vayu
Tanmatra)

1Tanmtras1

3) Principle
of Sight
(jas
Tanmatra)

4) Principle
of Taste
(Rasa
Tanmatra)

5) Principle
of Smell
(Gandha
Tanmatra)

AMHKTDRK ~ 5

Panclkarana
(Creation of gross matter by 'Al&dana' or Chemical combination)
Inside the shell of Brahmanda, purest gold, Gandha Tanmatra* principle,
concretised.

I
Contents of Brahmanda
(five subtle material principles, the 'Tanmatras' dissolved
in the watery principle entering into Brahmanda).

I
136

Watery principle concretised as hardened water

(Ghanodaka or Garbhodaka) to fill the lower
half of the hollow shell. The upper half
remaining as Subtle Sky).

I
Formation of gross matter
(Panclkarana)
Sound
Principle

Touch
Principle
20

120
20

120

Sight
Principle

Taste
Principle

20

20

20

20

Smell
Principle
20

Gross
element
Material Sky

Sound
Principle

Touch
Principle

Sight
Principle

Taste
Principle

Smell
Principle

Gross
element

20

20

120

20

20

* Fire

20

20

20

120

20

Water

20

20

20

20

120

= Earth

137

Earth * Formation of mineral salts, etc., settling down to occupy

the middle part of the surface of the hardened subtle
waters.
The formation of earth, 48 crore k.m# in
diameter, in ecologistic and artistic manner - the hand of
Goc I
All this is Vedic information, not scientific guess.

ANNEXURE - 6
Final Verdict

The theory of evolution was the product

of European Renaissance.
The intelligentia
of the west probed into the past of Greece,
Egypt and China, to some extent, the last
two grudgingly.
They never cared to look
into the past of India, perhaps, due to the
prejudicial
feeling
created by
British
domination.
A study of Vedic literature on oriental
lines will show much internal evidence to say
that the Vedas are Revelations; not just the
cream of human thought.
When we familiarly come across astounding
inspiration and intuition, is it not right to
respect the intuition of the great seers ?
Ramanujam, the mathematical prodigy, once
said to his peers in England that his family
deity, Namagiriyamma gave in his dream the
solution for a difficult problem that was
worrying the heads of every one of them.
As regards Cosmogony and Cosmography, the
western
scholars gathered only hazy and
distorted notions from later Greece and its
successor Rome.
It is for the wise ones to dig deep into
the oriental mines.
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