2

The Intriguing Vedic Universe

Caitanya Chandra Dasa
2022

This is a free ebook, a humble offering to all the exalted Vaishnavas in

Srila Prabhupada's movement. It can be downloaded for free on:
[Link]/thepathofbhakti
[Link]

Feel free to share it with your friends.

If you have any thoughts or questions, be welcome to contact the author:

bhagavatamrta@[Link]
[Link]/[Link]

We gratefully acknowledge the BBT for the use of verses and purports from
Srila Prabhupada’s books, as well as some of the illustrations found in this
boo. All such verses and purports are copyright of the Bhaktivedanta Book
Trust International, Inc.

Cover illustration by Paramak

My deepest gratitude to Madhavendra Puri Prabhu, who spent a great

deal of his valuable time revising and giving valuable feedback on the
contents of this book. Thanks to his timely help this work could become
much deeper and more detailed than it would be otherwise.
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Introduction 5
Chapter 1:
What does the Bhagavatam say? 8
Chapter 2:
Different perceptions of reality 23
Chapter 3:
A Multidimensional Universe 31
Chapter 4:
Vedas vs Science 39
Chapter 5:
Understanding Bhu-Mandala 46
Chapter 6:
Is the Earth flat? 55
Chapter 7:
The orbit of the sun 61
Chapter 8:
The different planetary systems 74
Chapter 9:
The realms of the Devas and Asuras 80
Chapter 10:
Time and space in the Vedic Universe 89
Chapter 11:
Cycles that affect our planet 98
Chapter 12:
Dawn of a new Golden Age 104
Chapter 13:
Cosmic cycles 109
Chapter 14:
How the cosmic dates given in the Vedas match modern science 115
Chapter 15:
Are we living in a different dimension than people from other eras? 125
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Chapter 16:
The journey of a soul through the Universe 129
Chapter 17:
Prabhupada explains the material Universe 140
Appendix 1:
Why space exploration is a waste of time and money 145
Appendix 2:
Satya, Treta, Dwapara and Kali, or Satya, Dwapara, Treta and Kali? 150
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Introduction

The Vedas explain many topics, including the soul, metaphysics, God, and
superior beings living in higher planetary systems. Most of these topics
can't be proven or disproven by modern science since they are outside the
realm of experimentation. One can make experiments only with things or
beings that are lower than himself. One can freely experiment with
inanimate matter or even with animals, but one can't experiment with
beings that are more powerful than him. A researcher may experiment
with rats and rabbits, but he can't make experiments with the president of
the United States, for example. Unless he would agree to come and be
experimented upon, the researcher would be baffled. Similarly, one can't
make experiments with God: or he accepts the conditions set up by Him, or
he will not get anything.

Science is based on experimentation and therefore is by design not an

effective tool for getting knowledge about God, the soul, or higher beings,
as well as subtler entities or higher levels of reality that are beyond our
sense perception. These are topics that will always remain out of the reach
of modern researchers. One may accept or not the Vedas, but the fact is
that there is no other source that gives detailed knowledge about these
topics. That's an area where the Vedas have a monopoly we can say.

However, there is a part of Vedic knowledge that overlaps with modern

science: cosmology. The Vedas give knowledge about the structure of the
universe, as well as important historical events that can be proven or
disproven by experimentation.

This is a very important point because if it's proved that the cosmological
knowledge of the Vedas is correct, this makes a very strong case that
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everything else in the Vedas is correct, including all the spiritual knowledge.
However, if the cosmological knowledge from the Vedas can be disproved
by modern science, this makes an equally strong case that everything else
in the Vedas may be incorrect, and everything may be actually just a big
fantasy.

The British in India did a very good job of discrediting the Puranas with
their spurious translations and false propaganda, to the extent that even
most Indians believe that the Puranas are just myths. As a result, other
parts of the Vedas are also not taken seriously and people are deprived of
the spiritual knowledge they contain. Once the Puranas are discredited,
people automatically become skeptical about the knowledge from the
Bhagavad-Gita and other books of spiritual knowledge.

The problem with the cosmology of the Puranas is that it offers a

description of the world that is different from our sense perception. It's not
easy to understand and even harder to harmonize with recent
cosmological discoveries. Many read the 5th canto of the Srimad
Bhagavatam and get under serious doubts. Do I need to believe that the
earth is flat and the men never went to the moon to be a devotee of Krsna?

When the first Apollo mission landed, many were skeptical that they really
went to the moon. The quality of the footage was quite bad, and the
dispute with the USSR and other factors raised a lot of questions for a lot of
people. Many started to wonder if that first mission was not just some kind
of hoax. Prabhupada himself wrote a letter raising a number of questions
about the landings.

However, with the subsequential Apollo Missions, as well as probes from

the USSR, Europe, China, and India the evidence started to mount. The
same evidence was verified by different sources, making it very difficult to
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contest that men indeed were going to this piece of rock orbiting our
planet that we call The Moon.

Similarly, it's very easy to prove that the Earth we can observe with our
senses is not flat. Greeks did so more than 2000 years ago using simple
experiments. Especially nowadays, when so much information is just a
Google search away, it's becoming increasingly difficult to just dismiss all
the scientific information in this regard as hoaxes.

I have been studying the Vedas, and especially the books of Srila
Prabhupada since 1992, and the enigmatic descriptions of the Universe
offered in the 5th canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam are a topic that always
intrigued me. However, over the years I started to better understand it,
helped by the research of Sadhaputra Prabhu, Drutakarma Prabhu, and
many others.

In this book, I try to "stand on the shoulders of giants", sharing what I

learned about this topic over the years and trying to offer a simple and
inclusive explanation of how to make sense of the cosmological knowledge
of the Puranas. As a bonus we will study how modern science is actually
corroborating the knowledge from the Srimad Bhagavatam, which is quite
amazing, considering that the Puranas were written more than 5000 years
ago.

How the sages of ancient times were able to give dates for the creation of
the solar system, as well as the creation of the universe itself and extinction
events whose dates were discovered only recently by modern researchers
is a question that modern scientists still have to answer.
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Chapter 1:
What does the Bhagavatam say?

The first step to understanding the model of the Universe given in the
Puranas is to study it. This same explanation is repeated in the different
Puranas, but to keep the description short, here we will focus on the
description of the Universe offered in the 5th canto of the Srimad
Bhagavatam. In this chapter, I will just give a short description of the
model, and the rest of the book will be dedicated to explaining it.

The Srimad Bhagavatam compares our Universe to a coconut. A coconut is

composed of several layers, with a hollow space inside that is half-filled
with water. Because of the coverings, the space inside the coconut is
completely dark. A living entity living inside a coconut would never see the
light shining outside.
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Vast as it may be, our universe is just one amongst many universes that
float in the causal ocean, just like balls floating on water. The entirety of the
causal ocean, including all the universes, equals just one-quarter of the
total creation. Outside there is the spiritual realm that represents the other
three quarters.

Each universe is composed of seven coverings and a hollow space in the

middle. Half of this space is filled with subtle water, over which Lord
Garbhodakasayi Vishnu lays down on the bed of Sesa Naga, while the other
half is empty. This is the space where the Universe is created by Lord
Brahma.

All the distances mentioned in the Srimad Bhagavatam are given in

yojanas. There is debate related to the exact length of the yojana, but Srila
Prabhupada in his commentary adopts the probable length of 8 miles per
yojana for the verses of the Srimad Bhagavatam. Other authors accept
different measures, substantiating their hypotheses with the help of
experimental knowledge.

The main structure of the Vedic Universe is Bhu-Mandala. Situated in the

horizontal middle of the empty space, Bhu-Mandala is 500,000,000 yojanas
(4 billion miles) in diameter, which is roughly the size of our solar system.

In Srimad Bhagavatam 5.16.1, it’s mentioned that “the radius of

Bhu-mandala extends as far as the sun spreads its light and heat and as far
as the moon and all the stars can be seen”. This verse should not be taken
literally, since SB 5.20.37 mentions that the light of the sun extends only up
to the Lokaloka mountain (which is positioned in the middle of
Bhu-Mandala), and also because different beings may see things in
different ways, but it gives us an idea of its size.
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Bhu-Mandala (source: Sadaputa Prabhu)

Bhu-Mandala is formed by a sequence of seven concentric islands,

separated by oceans. These oceans came into existence from the ditches
created by the chariot of Maharaja Priyavrata (SB 5.1.31).

It's mentioned that the planetary system of Bhu-Mandala resembles a lotus

flower and the seven islands resemble the whorl of the flower.

At the center of Bhu-Mandala lies the island of Jambudvipa, of which

Bharata-Varsa is part. This island is circular, with a width of one hundred
thousand yojanas. To be able to understand this model we need to first
forget about the model offered by modern astronomy and concentrate
solely on the features of Bhu-Mandala as described in the Srimad
Bhagavatam. We will try to harmonize this model with what we see when
we look at the sky in the subsequent chapters of this book.
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Jambudvipa at the center of Bhu-Mandala, surrounded by the salt ocean

(source: Sadaputa Prabhu)

Jambudvipa is subdivided into nine separate portions of land, each one

with a length of 9,000 yojanas. These tracts of land are inhabited by
different races of intelligent beings and are separated by very tall
mountains.

At the center, there is Ilavrta Varsa, which contains the Sumeru mountain,
which is made from solid gold. This mountain looks like an inverted golden
cone that is very similar in form to the pericarp of a lotus flower. The
presence of this mountain is a feature that makes Bhu-Mandala look very
much like a lotus flower.
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Another significance of this golden mountain is that it makes Jambudvipa

look like an arena of a fire sacrifice. This reminds the inhabitants that this is
a place for performing yajnas with the purpose of ascending into higher
realms, instead of just spending our time in useless sense gratification.

This mountain is extraordinarily tall. It is mentioned that the height of the

mountain is also 100,000 yojanas, the same measurement as the width of
Jambudvipa. Of this, 16,000 yojanas are buried inside the earth, and thus
the total height of the visible part of the mountain is 84,000 yojanas.

A normal mountain has a large base and a narrow peak, but Sumeru is
inverted, and thus it is narrow at the base and wide at the peak. The width
of the mountain at the top is 32,000 yojanas, and this space is occupied by
nine towns dedicated to Lord Brahma and the eight principal demigods.
Although all these demigods have their own planets, they also preside over
 13

these cities. Sometimes it is described that these cities at the top of Mount
Sumeru are like summer villas for these demigods.

On the four sides of Sumeru are four smaller mountains, called Mandara,
Merumandara, Suparsva, and Kumuda, that are like its belts. These
mountains are 10,000 yojanas in length. At the top of these four
mountains, there are four gigantic trees, positioned like flagstaffs. These
trees have a height of 1,100 yojanas and their branches spread over the
same length.

Other verses of the 16th chapter of the 5th canto describe other
geographical features of the island of Janbudvipa, including lakes and other
mountains. All these features are absolutely gigantic compared with the
geographical features of our planet. Just to compare, the Earth of our
sensory experience has a diameter of 7,926 miles (991 yojanas), which is
less than the size of one of the four trees positioned at the top of the
above-mentioned mountains! Similarly, the Himalayas we can experience
with our earthly senses have a height of just five and a half miles, which is
nothing compared with the 672,000 miles of the visible part of the Sumeru
mountain.

It’s also important to note that SB 5.16.9 mentions that the Himalayas are
10,000 yojanas tall. Obviously, the sages who transmitted this knowledge
were intelligent enough to understand the difference between a mountain
5.5 miles tall and 10,000 miles tall. This hints at the idea that different
features of the Vedic Universe may be perceived differently by beings with
different sets of senses and in different stages of spiritual evolution. This is
something we will examine more carefully in the subsequent chapters of
this book.

Surrounding Jambudvipa is a great ocean of salt water that also extends for
100,000 yojanas, the same length as the island itself. If we could see this
 14

structure, the view would be breathtaking. Sadaputa Prabhu made at his

time a 3D rendering of Jambudvipa with accurate proportions:

Can you see the minuscule trees on top of the mountains that surround
Mount Meru? Each of these trees is bigger than our planet. This gives an
idea of how gigantic this structure is.
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The river Ganges flows from the celestial planets to the top of Sumeru
mountain, where it divides into four branches that flow in the four
directions, bathing different portions of Jambudvipa, and ultimately flows
into this salt ocean. The Ganges we see on our planet is a feature of the
Alakananda branch, that flows through Brahmalaya and reaches
Bharata-varsa after passing through many mountains.

We live in Bharata Varsa, which is the field of activities where souls take
birth to create a new set of karma that will enjoy or suffer in their
subsequent lives. Inhabitants of Bharata Varsa are supposed to worship
the Lord by following the Varnasrama system.

The other varsas that are part of Jambudvipa are celestial places, inhabited
by souls who are enjoying the results of their past karma. A different
incarnation of Krsna presides over each of these varsas and is worshiped
by the inhabitants. You can find the complete description in the 18th
chapter of the 5th canto.
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Jambudvipa and its salt ocean are surrounded by a series of concentric

islands called Plaksadvipa, Salmalidvipa, Kusadvipa, Krauncadvipa,
Sakadvipa, and Puskaradvipa. Each of these islands has its own ocean, and
each is two times wider than the previous. In this way, the distances
increase exponentially, culminating with the 51,200,000 miles of
Puskaradvipa.

Beyond it, there is a huge concentric mountain called Lokaloka, which

marks the boundary of the portion of the universe that is illuminated by
the sun. After the Lokaloka mountain, there is Aloka-varsa, a dark tract of
land where the rays of the sun are not visible.

On the top of Lokaloka mountain, there are four huge elephants (called
gaja-patis) that balance it, preventing it from tilting in any direction.

The total distance from Mount Sumeru to the Lokaloka mountain is

125,000,000 yojanas (1 billion miles), and Aloka-Varsa extends for the same
distance. The universe thus has a radius of 250,000,000 miles (from Mount
Sumeru to Lokaloka Mountain), and the total diameter of the universe is
calculated as 500,000,000 yojanas or 4 billion miles.

Bhu-Mandala is thus a gigantic flat structure that is fixed in place.

According to Vedic cosmology, the sun goes around Mount Sumeru in a
circular orbit. It’s described that the sun-god seats in a chariot that has only
one wheel. One side of the axle is fixed at the top of Mount Sumeru, and
the side with the wheel goes on Manasottara Mountain, situated in the
middle of Puskaradvipa.

Vertically, the sun is situated close to the plane of Bhu-Mandala, and

horizontally it is situated close to Sumeru Mountain. It circles around
Bhu-Mandala once a year, and as a result, the inhabitants of Bhu-Mandala
receive less sunlight during part of the year. When the sun is in the north,
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the inhabitants of the south receive less light and when the sun is in the
south the inhabitants of the south receive less light. This led to the pastime
of King Priyavrata creating an artificial sun and circling Bhu-Mandala on the
opposite side to make the distribution of light equal (SB 5.1.30).

This diagram made by Sadaputa Prabhu gives the idea of the orbit of the
sun around Bhu-Mandala:

Advanced Astronomy, Back to Godhead

This may at first appear like a very simplistic description that doesn’t
explain the movements of the sun as we observe on our planet, including
the passage of the days and nights and the seasons of the year. It happens
that the orbit of the sun in the Vedic model is much more complex than it
may appear at first glance. We will discuss this in more detail in the
following chapters.
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Apart from the orbit of the sun, Srimad Bhagavatam also describes the
orbits of the planets of our solar system. All the planets circle around in
orbits higher than the plane of Bhu-Mandala. Different from Bhu-Mandala,
which is a flat structure, all the planets are globes that float in space, much
like believed in modern astronomy. According to the description, however,
the moon is much bigger and more distant, being 800,000 miles above the
sun over the plane of Bhu-Mandala.

Considering that the axis of the sun is supported by Mount Sumeru (which
has an elevation of 84,000 yojanas, or 672,000 miles, above the plane of
Bhu-Mandala), we can calculate that the moon described in the Srimad
Bhagavatam is much more distant than the gross moon studied in modern
astronomy. We will discuss more on this point in the subsequent chapters.

Apart from this horizontal description of the universe, which describes

Jambudipa and the other islands that form Bhu-Mandala, there is also a
vertical description of the universe, which describes the other planetary
systems. These planetary systems are described as being like discs
positioned one on top of the other.

Very close to our plane, starting from the area of the upper atmosphere
there is the plane of Bhuvarloka, inhabited by the subtle beings who are
followers of Kuvera. Their realm spreads around Mount Sumeru. It's
described in the Mahabharata that the Pandavas visited this realm while
traveling through the Himalayas, being able to access mount Sumeru
through paths that are inaccessible to us.

Higher than Bhuvarloka is Swargaloka, the abode of the demigods.

Swargaloka is situated higher than the top of Sumeru mountain. Demons
frequently go there to battle the demigods, and sometimes they win,
temporarily gaining control over the celestial plane.
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10,000,000 yojanas higher than Swargaloka is Maharloka, and 20,000,000

higher than Maharloka is Janaloka. These are the abodes of great sages
who dedicate their lives to worshiping Lord Vishnu and cultivating spiritual
knowledge. These are higher elevated beings, who live for extraordinarily
long lifespans and are unaffected by the disputes between the demons and
demigods.

Diagram of the different planetary systems from the Rupanuga Vedic College

80,000,000 yojanas above Janaloka is Tapoloka, the abode of great ascetics,

who perform solitary meditation on the Supersoul. This is the planet where
the Four Kumaras live. 120,000,000 yojanas above Tapoloka is Brahmaloka,
the abode of Lord Brahma and the most elevated planetary system of our
universe. Only extraordinarily elevated souls can take birth there.
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You can find a detailed description of life in these different planetary

systems in the Brhad Bhagavatamrta, a book that describes the travelings
of Gopa Kumara through the higher planetary systems and his experience
in these different planes. Although it may sound like a work of fiction at
first, the Brihad Bhagavatamrta narrates a true story that happened long
ago in a different universe, a story that Sanatana Goswami could capture in
his meditation and write in the pages of his book.

Just like there are planetary systems above our plane, there are also the
lower planetary systems. These are subterraneous realms that are situated
lower than the plane of Bhu-Mandala. These are the abodes of the Asuras,
consisting of the planes of Atala, Vitala, Sutala, Talatala, Mahatala, Rasatala
and Patala. Lower than Patala are the hellish planets, the abode of
Yamaraja, and still lower is Ananta-Sesa, who sustains the whole Universe
on the top of His hoods.

Illustration of the seven subterraneous planetary systems from the ToVP

At first, this description may seem very bizarre, since it's completely
different from what we can see using our senses, or any type of instrument
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we have at our disposal. It's very easy to attest that the earth is not flat
(one just needs to take a plane and go around it), and it's easy to see that
we don't have a gigantic island with a golden inverted cone 672,000 miles
high after the north pole.

Srila Prabhupada was quick to point out that since this explanation is given
in the Srimad Bhagavatam, it must be correct. The sastras are not the fruit
of mundane experimentation, but a knowledge that is received from higher
sources, going all the way to Krsna himself. Since Krsna is perfect, the
knowledge of the Vedas must also be perfect, and this includes not only the
metaphysical knowledge about the soul but also the cosmological model of
the Universe given in the Srimad Bhagavatam. If the description given in
the Puranas sounds too far out it's just because there is a deficiency in our
perception or the methods we are using to try to understand it.

However, Srila Prabhupada didn't try to explain all the details of this model
himself. Instead, he left the mission to explain it and depict it in the Vedic
Planetarium to his disciples and grand disciples. As he wrote in a letter to
Svarupa Damodara (27 April, 1976): “So now you all Ph.D.'s must carefully
study the details of the 5th Canto and make a working model of the
universe. If we can explain the passing seasons, eclipses, phases of the
moon, passing of day and night, etc. then it will be very powerful
propaganda.”

At the time they looked for Indian astronomers and astrologers who could
explain it, but they were as perplexed by it as the devotees themselves.
They even brought a pandit to see Srila Prabhupada, but he quickly had to
admit that he could not explain it.

The first to try to explain it in a scientific way was Sadaputa Prabhu,

followed by Drutakarma Prabhu and others. By studying their works, I
started to understand that the cryptic description of the Universe in the
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Srimad Bhagavatam is quite fascinating and holds the key to a higher level
of understanding. There is a lot more information there than it appears on
the surface.
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Chapter 2:
Different perceptions of reality

According to modern astronomy, our universe is extremely vast but almost

empty. The different stars and planets are separated by such extreme
distances that it is practically impossible for one to go from one to the
other. According to modern astronomers, Proxima Centauri is
40,208,000,000,000 km away from Earth, and that's the closest star. There
is even doubt if life exists on other planets, or if it’s just an anomaly that
just appeared once on Earth.

Modern view of the Universe

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At first, the model of the Universe given in the Vedas may look primitive,
but a more careful study reveals that this is actually a quite elaborate
explanation, which is in many aspects more far-out than the wildest
science fiction.

Once we go beyond the superficialities, the model of the Universe

described in the Vedas is quite complex and offers a quite compelling
explanation of the metaphysical structure of the Universe, with multiple
dimensions, cosmic passages, and mystical features, based not on matter
and physical laws, but different levels of consciousness. Studying the model
of the Universe given in the Vedas is the key to not only better
understanding the complexities and subtleties of our universe but also how
to expand and elevate our consciousness.

The first point to understand is that the view of the cosmos given by
modern science is based on sense perception, or what we can observe
using our vision and other senses. It doesn’t matter if one tries to observe
the universe using his naked eye or a telescope: he will be limited by his
senses and intelligence.

In the Jyotish sastras, the Vedas also give a view of the universe very similar
to modern science. Radha Mohan Prabhu shares that in the Surya
Siddhanta, it’s described that the diameter of the Earth is 8000 miles (very
close to the modern estimate of 7928 miles), and the distance to Mars is
estimated to be 1.54 AU (astronomical units) -- again very close to the
modern estimate, that is 1.52 AU. The average distance to the moon is
given as 415,210 km (close to the modern 384,000 km), and so on. The
Surya Siddhanta even hints at the orbit of Uranus, which was “discovered”
only in 1781. Therefore, the view of the Universe described by modern
science was not unknown to the sages of previous ages. The question is
that the Vedas offer something more.
 25

In the model offered in the Srimad Bhagavatam, as well as in the other

Puranas, our universe is organized in several levels of planetary systems,
which resemble disks one on top of the other. In the middle, we have earth
and other intermediary planetary systems. In the lower half, we have the
lower planetary systems, where the Asuras live, while in the upper half we
have the planetary systems where the Devas, as well as very elevated
sages, live. In this description, each planetary system resembles a disk, and
these different disks are stacked on top of the other, separated by a certain
distance.

This view of the universe is radically different from what we learn in school,
and also different from what we can observe when we look at the sky. How
can we understand it?

The situation is that modern astronomy, as well as the Surya Siddhanta,

describes the universe according to the sense perception of human beings,
matching what we can perceive using our senses. The Puranas on the other
hand describe the Universe from the point of view of superior beings, who
have different sets of senses and thus perceive reality in a completely
different way than we do.

Most of the books in the Vedas were received by humanity from higher
beings. Most of them were spoken by great sages or by inhabitants of the
higher planets, while others were spoken by perfect beings from the
spiritual realm. The Surya Siddhanta however was received from Maya
Danava, an architect from the lower planetary systems. Being a materialist,
Maya Danava is interested in the practical aspects of matter and not in
spirituality. Therefore, he gave humanity knowledge of the gross
dimension, the same we can also perceive. It’s not surprising thus that the
model of the universe given in the Surya Siddhanta is very similar to the
model conceived by modern cosmology.
 26

In the Surya Siddhanta, very ingenious calculations are given. These

calculations allow one to calculate the position of a planet at any given
time. Nowadays, the calculation of orbits of planets is done by complex
software that takes a lot of processing power to run, while the calculations
in the Surya Siddhanta were developed to be simple enough to be solvable
by hand. This knowledge was used by sages in older times to calculate the
position of different planets, eclipses, etc. calculations necessary for
performing astrological calculations, which were taken very seriously by
people in previous ages. This knowledge has thus a practical application.

The description offered by the Puranas on the other hand was given to
humanity by higher beings, and thus describes their view of the cosmos.
These beings live in a subtle dimension and have not only a much higher
level of consciousness but also different sets of senses.
 27

It may sound strange that different beings can have such different
conceptions of reality, but this is something that can be observed even on
our own planet. Some carnivorous animals, like tigers, see in black and
white, while we see in color. Butterflies can see ultraviolet light that is
invisible to us, while certain animals can’t see at all, being guided only by
smell. In fact, our concept of reality is based on electrical signals our brain
receives from our eyes, nose, ears, etc. If one would receive a different set
of senses, he would perceive reality differently.

In other words, we can only experience the world to the extent our senses
allow, therefore our sense perception is not the most reliable instrument to
understand how things really work. The same way a person who is
completely blind will never be able to understand what color is, the
limitations of our senses prevent us from seeing and understanding many
things that are experienced by higher beings.

Apart from physical differences, there is also a difference in consciousness.

The concept of reality of an ant is rudimentary if compared to a human
 28

being. Similarly, our concept of reality is very limited if compared to the

view of more evolved beings.

For us, the numerous planets and stars that compose the Universe are
distributed in a more or less random fashion throughout the cosmos. For
the demigods, however, planets and stars are grouped according to the
level of consciousness of their inhabitants. Therefore, planets inhabited by
beings of higher consciousness are grouped together and similarly, planets
of beings of lower consciousness are close to each other. However, the
planets of the higher beings are very far from the planets of lower beings.
This leads to the semantical and hierarchical perception of the Universe
that is described in the Puranas.

We can better understand how the universe may be perceived so

differently by different beings with a simple example: In the same room,
we can have different frequencies of radio signals, like AM, FM, TV, 3G, 4G,
5G, WiFi, etc. each one carrying a particular set of information. Although all
the signals are simultaneously available, one can tune in according to the
device he is using. Someone using an old radio will be able to capture only
sound, while another with a television will be able to also see images. One
with a phone will have access to the internet, which includes much more
content, including radio and TV programs.
 29

Not only different frequencies may carry completely distinct sets of

information, but the same information may be organized in different ways
on different medias.

On the TV, programs are organized in a linear way, and therefore two
chapters of the same series may be very "distant" from each other (one
may have to wait for a whole week), while on the internet the same
programs are organized by topic, and one can go from one episode to the
next effortlessly. On the TV, an episode of the series may be "closer" to a
news program that is exhibited immediately after it, while the next episode
may be very "far" being exhibited only in the next week, but on the
internet, things are organized in a semantic way, and therefore one who is
using the internet see them "close" to each other, in the same site or
playlist, while the news program may be "distant", in a completely different
address.

Similarly, our universe is composed of different dimensions, and space is

organized in different ways according to the dimension one is living. Not
only reality is much more complex than we can perceive with our senses,
but different beings have different sets of senses and can perceive the
universe in different ways. Just like the conception of reality of a human is
much more evolved than the concept of reality of an ant, superior beings
perceive the universe in a very different way than we do. For the Devas,
everything is much closer and they can travel from one planet to the other
the same way we visit different cities.

One can "syntonize" these different dimensions according to the particular

set of senses he got, which is in turn determined by his previous
consciousness.
 30

According to the Vedas, our concept of reality is determined according to

our consciousness. Because of our consciousness, we assume a particular
type of body, on a certain planet, and have access to a certain level of
reality. In our case, we live in a gross dimension, where the universe
appears cold and almost vacant, with the stars and planets very distant
from each other and practically inaccessible to us. We are essentially
imprisoned on our little planet by the law of gravity. Even if we send some
probes or astronauts, at an exorbitant cost, to investigate what is beyond,
we can't find anything very interesting outside.
 31

Chapter 3:
A Multidimensional Universe

One of the keys to understanding the model of the universe described in

the Puranas is to understand the idea of multidimensions: Different beings
have different sets of senses and thus can observe the universe in different
ways. As mentioned, the model of the universe described in the Surya
Siddhanta, as well as in our modern astronomy, is based on our sense
perception, while the universe described in the Puranas is based on the
perception of higher beings. The reason why this higher model of the
universe is described is exactly to help us syntonize with this subtler
dimension, helping us to get free from our gross senses and intelligence.

That's why we have two models of the universe described in the Vedas: The
model of the Surya Siddhanta (based on our sense perception) is used
when one wants to understand practical aspects of the solar system, be
able to calculate orbits of planets, eclipses, and so on, while the model
given in the Puranas (based on the perception of higher beings) can help
one to elevate one's consciousness.

While for us everything is very far away, separated by inconceivable

distances we measure in thousands of light-years, for the Devas (as well as
for advanced Asuras) everything is much closer and accessible. Devas can
go from their planets to the milk ocean to pray for Ksirodakasayi Vishnu
just like someone may go to India. Similarly, Asuras can cross the Universe
to fight the demigods just like Napoleon crossed Europe to invade Russia. If
we would try to reach other stars of the universe in a spaceship, this would
take millions of years, but the Devas and Asuras can cover such vast
distances quite quickly. Very advanced sages like Narada Muni can go even
 32

faster, going practically instantly from one extreme to the other of the
Universe.

One explanation for how superior beings have such a different concept of
space than we do is the existence of interplanetary pathways. It’s
described, for example, that certain passages in the Himalayas connect our
planet to the celestial planets, but only persons with a certain level of
consciousness can access such passages. In the Mahabharata, for example,
it is described how the Pandavas ascended to the place of Kuvera, the king
of the Yakshas through one of these pathways.

For one who is able to cross these pathways, the other parts of Jambudvipa
are just a walk away, and therefore the Srimad Bhagavatam describes
these different interconnected fragments as a continuous area, which is
exactly the perception of one who is traveling through them, although in
our sense perception these different parts of the structure are spread
through different planets.

This explains the huge dimensions of the geographical details of

Jambudvipa described in the Srimad Bhagavatam. The enormous
mountains and trees described there are not found on our planet (at least
not in our gross dimension), but qualified people can access these
geographical locations through these subtle passages.

For one who doesn't have the proper qualification, however, the pathways
are invisible, and he will be stuck on this planet. As a result, when he
crosses the Himalayas he goes to China instead of the celestial planets.

We can better understand how this can be possible by a simple example.

Imagine two tall buildings built beside each other:
 33

Normally, to go from an apartment on the top of the first building to

another on the top of the second, one would have to go all the way down
and then all the way up, which could be a long way. If he had access to a
walkway between the two buildings, he could go from one apartment to
the other very easily. For him, the distance between the two apartments
would be very short, while for other people, who had to take the long way,
it would still be very far.
 34

Similarly, a person who could use the pathway would have the perception
that the two apartments form a continuous area instead of being part of
two separate buildings. In the same way, the fact that the Devas can travel
easily through the Universe makes their concept of space very different
from ours.

The existence of connected objects that are far apart, as well as “shortcuts”
that allow one to access places that are far away may sound like fantasy,
but these ideas are also discussed in modern physics, with the
phenomenon of quantum entanglement and the theory of the wormholes,
for example.

According to modern theories, wormholes link separate points in spacetime, like a tunnel
connecting two ends at separate points in time space and time.
 35

In the theory of Quantum entanglement, discussed in modern physics, two particles can be
linked together in a certain way so that their state remains the same, no matter how far apart
they are in space.

Another concept given in the Puranas is the idea of a subtle vertical

dimension. More than just a change in geographical location, to access
higher planets one has to also change his consciousness, which can be
done only by practicing a spiritual process of self-realization.

Not only other planets are very far from earth, but even if one goes there,
he will find only rocks, dust, poisonous gasses, and extremes of
temperature, without the possibility of interacting with the local
inhabitants, who will be living in a different dimension. For example,
according to our tridimensional view of reality, measured by experimental
methods, the moon is situated at about 384,000 km from earth, and one
can reach it in about three days in a space probe. Unfortunately, if one
goes there he will find only dust and rocks.

The Puranas, however, state that the moon is in reality a celestial planet,
with a standard of living much superior to our planet. There, people live for
10,000 celestial years, drinking soma-rasa in the company of celestial
ladies. The question is that to access it one has to develop a very subtle
consciousness, similar to the superior beings who live there. Without this
change in consciousness, one may visit this piece of rock orbiting our
planet that we call the Moon, but he will see only rocks. The celestial moon
described in the Puranas will however remain inaccessible.
 36

This can be explained with yet another example. Suppose you want to visit
an office on the 82nd floor of a prestigious building in Manhattan. You may
take a taxi and go to the front of the building, and this would bring you
close to the office in the horizontal dimension. However, to finally reach it
you would need to also travel in the vertical dimension, taking the elevator
or the stairs and going up until you reach the right floor.

If somehow your credentials would not allow you to enter the building, you
would be stuck in the street, which would not be as luxurious as the inside.
 37

Where are the apsaras? I’m seeing only rocks...

Similarly, when a human being tries to go to the moon without the proper
consciousness he will not be able to travel in the subtle vertical dimension
and will thus be stuck in the gross dimension, where there is only dust and
rocks. Our universe is composed of different dimensions and we can
synchronize in each one according to the particular set of senses we have,
which is in turn determined by our level of consciousness.

Many discuss if man really went to the moon or not. It actually depends on
what one calls "moon". If we accept the moon as this piece of rock that is
384,000 km distant from Earth, then it's perfectly possible to go there on a
spaceship, the point is that there will be nothing interesting to observe
 38

there. However, if we accept the moon as the celestial planet described in

the Puranas, then it's possible to attain it only by mystical means.

The Puranas state that the celestial moon is actually very far from Earth in
the subtle vertical dimension, even further away than the sun. To reach
there, one has to radically change his level of consciousness. A space probe
will not help.

The process to access the celestial moon involves not only changing one’s
consciousness and thus traveling in the subtle vertical dimension but also
acquiring a particular set of senses and a suitable body to live there. In the
past, this was an art understood by yogis, who were able to travel through
the Universe by elevating their consciousness and thus transferring
themselves to the desired planet. Nowadays we try to do the same using
probes and space suits, but the results are not the same.
 39

Chapter 4:
Vedas vs Science

Once, I was speaking with a very senior person, a disciple of Srila

Prabhupada who has been practicing Krsna Consciousness since before
most of us were even born. She was explaining to me how this point of the
cosmology of the 5th canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam is a difficult point
for many devotees. In the 1970s, when the fifth canto of the Srimad
Bhagavatam came, she explained, some left after not being able to
reconcile the view of the Universe given in the Srimad Bhagavatam with the
modern view.

Modern science is flawed in many ways because often physicists and

paleontologists want to be over their heads, explaining things that are
above their experimental knowledge, like the existence of God and the
origin of life. However, when it comes to measuring and testing things, the
information given by modern science can't be easily dismissed. We can
presume that most of the data we get in terms of distances,
measurements, and time periods that come from modern science is
correct. What is incorrect is the interpretations many give out of them.

Paleontology, for example, gives us information that there were lifeforms

living on our planet billions of years ago, and that they looked different
from the forms we have now based on fossils and other findings, which is
perfectly reasonable. The problem is when people try to use this to sustain
the idea that life appears by chance, which is a huge leap of faith.

Science is good at explaining things one can measure using his sense
perception. The point is, as Srila Prabhupada mentions on several
 40

occasions, the view of reality we have by measuring things with our gross
senses and imperfect intelligence is not the most accurate.

One may correctly measure the dimensions of one's body, and even
understand how the internal organs work, the flow of the blood, and so on.
However, without information about the soul, this study may lead one to
conclude that the body works by itself and there is no superior cause
behind it. The anatomical study of the body may thus be used to support
the wrong conclusion that human beings are just a combination of material
elements and that life has no higher purpose. We can see that in this case,
the problem is not the data gathered by measuring and studying the body,
but the wrong conclusion derived from it.

When we read in the Vedas that the soul resides in the heart and the
energy of the soul is what sustains the body, we may at first think that this
contradicts the scientific knowledge that attests that the body is
maintained by the nutrients carried by blood circulation, but it's not
difficult to understand how the two ideas fit together. The soul is inside the
heart and the subtle energy of the soul maintains the whole body. Blood
circulation is just a feature of this process.

If however, one would argue that there is no blood circulation and that the
nutrients are mystically distributed throughout the body due to the
presence of the soul, it would be a problem, since this idea could be easily
disproved by experimental knowledge. Once it would be proved that there
is indeed blood circulation, people may be inclined to distrust him in other
areas. This is an important point to consider when we speak about Vedic
Cosmology.

For example, the Srimad Bhagavatam mentions that the moon is 800,000
miles above the sun over the plane of Bhu-Mandala. This doesn't necessary
means that the moon is more distant than the sun (for this we would need
 41

to also calculate the horizontal distance) but in any case, it means that the
distance to the moon is not less than 2,368,948 km, much more than the
figure of 384,000 km obtained by modern methods.

The problem is that this is very easy to disprove experimentally. One can
measure the distance to the moon using light, and that's exactly how it's
done in recent times. Astronomers send laser beams that are reflected
back by mirrors installed on the rocky moon by astronauts on the Apollo
missions. The time is measured and quite accurate measurement of the
distance is given. One can also measure the distance by sending rockets
and probes, which was also done several times. Other experiments give
similar results, therefore it's difficult to dispute that, according to
experimental knowledge, the moon is approximately 384,000 km from the
earth and not 2,368,948 km or more as described in the Bhagavatam.

At this point, one has three options.

One option is to accept that the information given in the Srimad

Bhagavatam is incorrect. The implication is that if the Bhagavatam is wrong
about astronomy, maybe it's also wrong about other things. Maybe
everything is wrong. That's the conclusion some came to in the 1970s and
after that, and that's the reason some left.

The second option is to accept that the Bhagavatam is correct and science
is wrong. This is better than the first, but it requires one to switch off his
intelligence and accept fanatically that the earth is flat, the moon is 800,000
miles higher than the sun, and so on, things that can be easily disproved
experimentally. This makes us look very silly and causes many intelligent
people to keep themselves far away.

To say, 50 years ago, that Nasa never went to the Moon, and everything
was staged in some desert made reasonable sense at the time. However,
 42

later more missions were sent, then the Japanese sent a probe, then
Chinese and Indian agencies joined the list. Now it sounds very silly to say
that the Moon is 800,000 miles higher than the sun and men never went
there when everyone is sending probes and confirming the same
information.

We then come to the third possibility, which is to accept that there are
higher levels of reality that are different from the gross reality we can
perceive with our senses. There is a gross moon, a piece of rock that orbits
our planet, where we can send our small probes and measure using our
small lasers, and there is a celestial moon, where people drink soma rasa
and live for 10,000 celestial years. If we accept this possibility, then we
need to accept that there are many things in the Universe that we can't
observe or experiment upon. There is the gross reality we can study using
our telescopes, and there is a subtle reality we can study only through the
Vedic scriptures. One just needs to decide what's more interesting to him.

Many very intelligent devotees who researched this subject for many years
came to this third explanation. This is an explanation that doesn't require
one to doubt the scriptures, nor to shut down his brain. If we accept this
idea, then many things explained in the Srimad Bhagavatam and other
scriptures make perfect sense. Since we accept the existence of the soul
(that is by definition also impossible to measure experimentally) then why
is it so difficult to accept that our whole concept of reality is limited and
that there are higher levels of reality?

We can see that Srila Prabhupada never claimed to be a specialist in

astronomy. What he did was uphold the principle that the knowledge given
in the scriptures is correct, and that when it conflicts with experimental,
sensorial knowledge it means that there must be some subtler point being
missed. Srila Prabhupada at first categorically dismissed that men could go
to the Moon, upholding the principle that the moon is a celestial planet,
 43

and that it's impossible for modern human beings to go there. Later,
however, as more information came, Srila Prabhupada raised other
possibilities, like the idea that maybe they landed on Rahu, that maybe
they went to the moon but were not able to meet the inhabitants due to
not having sufficient qualifications or proper senses, and so on.

Modern men can go to this piece of rock that orbits our planet. This piece
of rock may be a gross representation of the moon in our gross dimension,
or it may even be Rahu, as Srila Prabhupada suggested on occasion. The
point is that this is an exercise of futility since there is nothing interesting
for us there. As Srila Prabhupada wrote:

"It may be remarked in this connection that even the modern

so-called scientists who are going to the Moon are not able to stay
there, but are returning to their laboratories." (SB 7.15.50-51)

"Though the modern astronauts go to the Moon with the help of

spaceships, they undergo many difficulties, whereas a person with
mystic perfection can extend his hand and touch the Moon with his
finger." (NOD)

One may plant a flag and collect a few rocks, or one may even try to build a
small colony there and maintain -- at an exorbitant cost -- a few astronauts
living in cramped conditions, but they are missing the point. What the
Vedas explain is that there is another moon, a celestial moon, that is bigger
and more distant from the earth, where the inhabitants live for 10,000
celestial years, drinking soma rasa in the company of celestial apsaras. This
moon however can't be reached by mechanical means.

It's just like a computer or phone where there are two users: an admin who
has complete access, and a limited user who has access to only certain
features. The environment they see can be completely different. Even if
 44

they open the same folder, the contents they see can be distinct. If the
restricted user and the admin would start describing what they can see and
the resources they can use, their descriptions would be different. It's not
that one is right and the other is wrong, it's just that they are describing
different environments.

In Los Angeles, on December 26, 1968, Srila Prabhupada had a long

conversation with a reporter about moon landings. There Srila Prabhupada
made the point that one can only go to the moon by achieving a suitable
body. If science could produce such a body one could go to the moon,
otherwise not. The reporter raised the point about space suits, and
Prabhupada countered that this is not a suitable body, and therefore an
astronaut in a spacesuit would not be able to visit the moon. A few months
later, when Neil Armstrong set foot on the Moon, Srila Prabhupada was
watching the footage on TV with a few disciples. When the images were
shown, Srila Prabhupada exclaimed: "I told you they would not go! See!".
Neil Armstrong reached the rocky satellite that orbits our planet, but he
was never able to reach the celestial moon Srila Prabhupada was talking
about.

In conclusion, if we systematically study what the Vedas explain about the

structure of the Universe, we can see that the knowledge we find can be
divided into three groups:

a) A set that is more or less in harmony with modern science (like the
figures given in the Surya Siddhanta)

b) A set that is completely different from modern science (like the

cosmological knowledge given in the Srimad Bhagavatam), that
describes the reality of higher beings.
 45

c) Knowledge about a spiritual reality that is completely beyond our

sense perception and experimental knowledge.

We can see that these three portions of knowledge describe exactly these
three levels of reality:

a) The gross reality we can experiment with.

b) The subtle reality of the demigods and other evolved beings.

c) The spiritual reality of the spiritual plane.

A and C are pretty straightforward to understand, but B is more tricky. If

we don't understand the difference between A and B, we can become
seriously confused.
 46

Chapter 5:
Understanding Bhu-Mandala

One of the most notable features of the Universe described in the Vedas is
Bhu-Mandala, which comprises the intermediate planetary systems.
Bhu-mandala is situated in the middle of the universe and essentially
divides it in half, being the lower and dark part reserved for the Asuras, and
the upper luminous part for the Devas. Human beings live close to the
surface of this structure, on the luminous side.

Illustration from the ToVP showing a stylized representation of Bhu-Mandala

Our planet is situated close to the center of the gigantic structure, in a

landmass called Jambudvipa, which is surrounded by other islands and
oceans. In the middle, there is a mountain chain, which culminates in
Sumeru Mountain. The Srimad Bhagavatam gives a detailed explanation of
the different beings who live in different parts of this structure.
 47

This is the part of the Vedic Universe that is most difficult to understand,
especially because it brings to mind the idea of a flat earth, which is
obviously not the case. The Srimad Bhagavatam, for example, states that:

“People living in countries at points diametrically opposite to where

the sun is first seen rising will see the sun setting, and if a straight line
were drawn from a point where the sun is at midday, the people in
countries at the opposite end of the line would be experiencing
midnight. Similarly, if people residing where the sun is setting where
to go to countries diametrically opposite, they would not see the sun
in the same condition.” (SB 5.21.9)

This verse describes the basic notion of the Earth as a globe and the
motions of the sun, resulting in the passages of days and nights as we can
observe. When it’s midday in Japan it will be midnight in Brazil, for
example. The same Srimad Bhagavatam also describes the movements of
the sun that result in the passage of seasons. The main difference is that it
explains from a geocentric perspective, while modern astronomy uses a
heliocentric model. However, for practical purposes, both work for
describing the movements of the sun and of the different stars and
planets.

As stated:

"Let it be understood at the outset that it makes no difference, from

the point of view of describing planetary motion, whether we take the
Earth or the Sun as the center of the solar system. Since the issue is
one of relative motion only” (Astronomer, Fred Hoyle)

"I can construct for you a spherically symmetrical universe with Earth
at its center, and you cannot disprove it based on observations. You
 48

can only exclude it on philosophical grounds. In my view there is

absolutely nothing wrong in that." (Physicist, George F. R. Ellis)

"We know now that the difference between a heliocentric and a

geocentric theory is one of motions only, and that such a difference
has no physical significance." (Astronomer, Fred Hoyle)

Apart from that, the Srimad Bhagavatam describes that in the higher
dimensional Universe of the Devas, other intermediary planetary systems
are on the same plane as our planet and can be accessed by sufficiently
evolved beings through interplanetary passages. It’s described for example
that Pariksit Maharaja, the grandson of the Pandavas, was able to visit
other parts of Jambudvipa and receive tribute from the different kings
living there.

For us, however, the other parts of Jambudvipa are inaccessible, since we
don’t have the required level of consciousness and thus we are isolated on
our little planet.

Sadaputa Prabhu explains that the description of Jambudvipa offered in the

Srimad Bhagavatam actually includes four different explanations.
According to one’s previous knowledge and area of interest, one could get
one of these four understandings from the same explanation. This is
possible due to the nature of the Sanskrit language, where the same words
can have more than a meaning, and thus an expert poet is capable of
composing sentences that have multiple simultaneous meanings.

One elementary example of this clever usage of the Sanskrit language is

given in the first chapter of the Bhagavad-Gita, where Duryodhana, not
wanting to displease neither Bhisma nor Drona (his two senior generals),
used a clever construction to praise both at the same time, using the
sentence “aparyaptam tad asmakam balam bhismabhiraksitam”. This
 49

sentence simultaneously means “Our strength is immeasurable because we

are protected by Bhisma'' and “Our strength is insufficient because we are
protected by Bhisma”. When Bhisma heard this sentence, he took the first
meaning and was therefore encouraged. Dronacharya, on the other hand,
took the second meaning, understanding that Duryodhana was glorifying
him by minimizing the capacity of his rival.

Such clever usage of words is common in Sanskrit literature, however, in

the Srimad Bhagavatam it goes to a completely new level of complexity,
explaining not less than four different models simultaneously in just a few
chapters. This explains the many apparent contradictions one may find in
it. Some verses describe the earth as a globe, while others appear to
describe a flat island. Some describe the structure of rivers that were
flowing in ancient India, while others describe mountains and other
structures that are not found on our planet.

According to Sadaputa Prabhu, the first explanation is Bhu-mandala as a

stereographic projection (or a planisphere) of our planet, taking the north
pole as the center. This is commonly used to represent the features of a
sphere on a map.
 50

His research indicates these maps were used for astronomical purposes,
helping one to understand the movements of the sun, planets, and
important stars. Such planispheres were also used in instruments such as
the astrolabe. A planisphere is very convenient in such situations because it
allows one to calculate the position of stars and planets, as well as land and
maritime routes without entering into all the complexities of calculating the
curvature of the earth. That’s basically what we do every time we use a
map.

Astrolabe

The second explanation is Bhu-mandala as a topographic map of

south-central Asia, offering a basic description of the geography of our
planet, with a focus on the area of the Himalayas, India, and adjacent
countries. This model describes the different rivers which flowed there in
antiquity.
 51

The third explanation is as a map of the solar system. In this explanation,

the borders of the different islands of Jambudvipa describe the orbits of
the planets of our solar system from the geocentric point of view adopted
by the Puranas. Sadaputa Prabhu did a lot of research that confirmed that
the borders of the islands of Bhu-Mandala, as described in the Srimad
Bhagavatam roughly match the orbits of the planets of our solar system.

Article by Sadaputa Prabhu on Back to Godhead Magazine

 52

Finally, the fourth explanation is as a map of the intermediate planetary

system (which includes our planet), as observed and experienced by the
Devas. Although this description doesn’t directly match what we see when
we look into the sky, nor the information we can get by experimentation, it
is actually the most important of all, because it helps us to elevate our
consciousness.

In this way, in just a single explanation, Srimad Bhagavatam offers

astronomical, geographical, and mystical knowledge. Due to the complexity
of the explanation, the details may appear contradictory at first, but as one
delves into the details, the picture starts to suffice. Naturally, the
geographical and astronomical part is covered by modern geography and
astronomy, but the mystical knowledge about the subtle structures of the
Universe is exclusive to the Puranas.

Illustration of Jambudvipa from the Rupanuga Vedic College.

This illustration of Jambudvipa from the Rupanuga Vedic College may help
to get the picture. Our planet resides in a different dimension than the rest
of Jambudvipa, therefore the rest of the structure is invisible to us, but if
 53

everything would be put together we would have a similar picture to what

is depicted here. In this illustration, the Earth is relatively big in relation to
Jambudvipa, but if the correct proportions would be used, it would appear
as just a small dot.

We can see that the Earth is positioned on the outskirts of Jambudvipa. The
planet is spherical and slightly tilted. The sun and the moon orbit around it,
resulting in the days and nights, as well as the passage of the seasons.
Mount Sumeru is close to us, but it doesn’t block the light of the sun since it
is in a different dimension; the passage of days and nights for us happens
solely due to the movements of the sun around our planet, as we will
discuss in more detail in chapter 7.

The moon is higher than the sun in relation to the plane of Jambudvipa.
Higher than the moon are the other planets of our solar system as well as
the different stars.

We can see that the model of the Universe described in the Srimad
Bhagavatam diverges from modern astronomy in certain aspects, such as
the idea of a geocentric Universe instead of a heliocentric one, and the
differences in the distance to the moon and different stars. However, when
it comes to describing the passage of days and night, as well as the seasons
and the movements of stars and planets, both models work.

When we study the description of the Srimad Bhagavatam it’s important to

understand that some verses describe geographical features of our planet,
geographical features of Jambudvipa, the orbits of the different planets of
the solar system, and the characteristics and orbits of the sun and moon.
In some situations, the same verse may mix elements of more than one
model, like when it's described that the sun-god rides in his chariot around
Bhu-Mandala. The chariot of the sun is part of the model of Bhu-Mandala,
while the orbit being described can also be observed from our plane.
 54

When we put everything together, we can understand that everything

forms a single picture, but until we can realize that, different verses appear
to contradict each other.
 55

Chapter 6:
Is the Earth flat?

One difficulty with the description of the universe given in the Puranas is
that it can be easily misunderstood as a description of a flat earth. Such
misunderstanding is very common since the subtle aspects of the Vedic
Universe are rather difficult to comprehend.

One may be then tempted into a simplistic conclusion that the earth is flat
because that's what he understands when he reads Srimad Bhagavatam,
while others may be propense to reject the teachings because it doesn't
match his view of the cosmos. Both are mistaken.

Many things we take as irrevocable facts can be different or even opposite

in different contexts. For example, we all learn that water boils at 100
degrees celsius and this can easily be proved by just boiling some water
and checking the temperature with a thermometer, right? Well, not exactly.
For most of us, the water will not boil at 100 degrees, but at 99.5, 98, 95, or
even 87, according to the altitude one lives. One would have a hard time
cooking a meal on top of Mount Everest, for example, since there the water
boils at just 68 degrees!

Things are also different according to the point of view. For example, we
understand that as a planet, the earth is spherical. However, for one who is
standing on the ground, it appears quite flat. Since the earth is so big, the
curvature can only be seen if one goes quite high. Although the earth is
spherical, islands and continents are not, therefore one who lives on an
island like Mauritius or Seychelles actually lives in a flat structure that is
part of a spherical planet.
 56

Similarly, the spherical earth is part of a flat structure: the solar system,
which in turn is part of an also relatively flat structure: the milky way
galaxy. Therefore, one's concept of living in a flat or spherical structure, as
well as any description created by him, can vary, according to which level
he is speaking about. One can say that he lives on a flat island, that is part
of a spherical planet, that is part of a flat solar system, and the three
statements are going to be simultaneously true.

Such apparent contradictions are also found in the Vedic literature, where
our cosmic house is described as spherical or flat according to the context.
The earth itself is described as Bhu-Gola, which can be translated as "the
earthly globe", but it's also stated that our planet is part of a bigger
structure called Jambudvipa, which in turn is part of an even bigger
structure called Bhu-Mandala. Both Jambudvipa and Bhu-Mandala lie on a
flat plane. Such structures cannot be observed from our dimension,
therefore when we look into the sky we see only the vastness and darkness
of space, but according to the Vedas, higher beings can see such subtle
structures, and thus their view of reality is very different from ours.

As Srila Prabhupada mentions in a morning walk (December 9, 1973, Los

Angeles):

"In Vedic literature it is bhu-gola, jagad-anda. These words are there.

We can see also it is round, jagad-anda. The universe is round. And
Goloka. Or Bhu-gola. Bhū-gola, the earth is round. So in the Vedic
literatures... Therefore their knowledge is also imperfect because they
do not refer to the Vedic literatures. It is already there. Bhu-gola. Bhu
means the earth; gola means round. It is already there. And the
geography's called, according to Sanskrit, it is called Bhu-gola. Long,
long ago, before Galileo."
 57

Therefore, just like one can simultaneously live on a flat island, on a

spherical planet, and on a flat solar system, one also lives simultaneously
on a spherical earth which is part of a larger flat structure. There is the
round Bhu (Bhu-Gola) and the flat Bhu (Bhu-Mandala), and both exist
simultaneously. As human beings, we have access only to the gross
dimension, and thus we can see only the earthly globe where we live, but
higher beings can see more, and their understanding of reality is different
from ours. Their view of the Universe is conveyed in books like the Srimad
Bhagavatam, and thus such books of knowledge describe a reality that
does not directly correspond to what we can observe using our human
senses.

Thus, different levels of reality are described with the same words, and one
can pick one or the other according to his level of understanding. This is
simultaneously one of the most intriguing, and one of the most difficult to
understand aspects of the Vedic literature.

Another interesting point to be observed is how the view of the Universe of

different people from antiquity was similar. The Vedas explain that before
the beginning of Kali-yuga, our present age, different peoples of antiquity
were part of a global Vedic culture, and thus had access to the same
knowledge. This explains how different groups had similar views of the
universe, from the Chinese to the American Indians, including practically
everyone in between. The Vedas explain that all these ancient civilizations
were once connected with the Vedic culture. They had thus access to the
same knowledge about the structure of Bhu-Mandala.

With the passage of time, however, the advanced concepts were forgotten
and these different civilizations became stuck with a flat earth concept,
imagining our universe as some kind of flat island with the abode of the
Gods above, demons living below in subterranean abodes, and some kind
of great mountain in the middle.
 58

The Universe, as conceived by the ancient Chinese, Nordic people, Native American Indians,
and Mayas
 59

This concept ended up being described also in the Bible and the Quran,
leading to the modern flat-earth theories. Flat earthers are thus actually
not completely wrong, the problem is that they base their beliefs on
impoverished incomplete descriptions of the Vedic Cosmos, failing to
understand its higher aspects.

On the other hand, the modern view of the cosmos is purely based on our
sense perception, which leads to a mechanistic view of the Universe that
discards all the subtle and spiritual aspects. Many instinctively disagree
with this materialistic explanation and start looking for a more holistic view
of the cosmos, that accounts for the subtle dimensions they can
understand and sometimes even perceive.

It’s not a wonder thus that there is a growing interest in Vedic Cosmology.
The Vedas offer a much more complete view of the Universe, which
accounts for both gross and subtle aspects and allows for the expansion of
our consciousness. By meditating on the subtle aspects of the Universe
described in the Vedas, one can gradually elevate his consciousness and
attain the same level of awareness as higher beings. Conversely, the
materialistic view of the universe offered by modern science offers one a
dead universe, which leads only to the stagnation of one's consciousness.

The fact that our planet is a globe also illustrates another concept given in
the Vedas. We think we are imprisoned on this planet because of the law of
gravity, but actually, we are prisoners of our own consciousness. One who
tries to access higher realms by mechanical means will not be able to go
anywhere, just like a person who tries to escape our planet by walking will
just come back to the same place after circumambulating the globe. He
may even go to Mars or Venus, but without changing his consciousness he
will remain stuck in this gross dimension and will not be able to find
anything interesting there. Real freedom is thus connected with the
 60

expansion of one’s own consciousness. Without a change in consciousness,

one may go anywhere in the cosmos, but he will remain in prison.

The great contribution of the model of the universe given in the Puranas is
that it gives a mystical and theistic view of the universe, a universe that is
teeming with life. By meditating on these descriptions, one can gradually
elevate his consciousness and attain the same level of awareness as higher
beings.

The great challenge when we study the model of the universe given in the
Srimad Bhagavatam is to reconcile what we can observe with our gross
sense perception and the ideas of multi-dimensions, different sets of
senses, and degrees of consciousness, and the idea of a subtle vertical
dimension. Without understanding these concepts, one may end up with
some simplistic or limited understanding.
 61

Chapter 7:
The orbit of the sun

One question one could raise when discussing the structure of

Bhu-Mandala is the orbit of the sun and the passage of days and nights, as
well as the passage of the seasons.

It appears that the Srimad Bhagavatam describes that the sun goes around
Bhu-Mandala in a fixed orbit, once per year. Accepting that our planet is
part of Bhu-Mandala, being situated somewhere on the outskirts of
Jambudvipa, how can we explain the passages of days and nights?

The point is that the movement of the sun around Bhu-Mandala is much
more complicated than it may seem at first. We need to be very attentive to
understand how the sun circles Bhu-Mandala and how these movements
result in the passage of days and nights as well as the seasons.

One axle of the sun is fixed on Mount Sumeru and the Manasottara
Mountain. This is the horizontal axle that makes the sun circumambulate
Bhu-Mandala once per year in a counter-clockwise direction.

Since Mount Sumeru is higher, the axle is sustained on the other side by a
gigantic wheel that revolves on top of Manasottara Mountain, a gigantic
ring-shaped mountain. The axle itself, as well as other features of
Bhu-Mandala, are not visible to us, but we can experience the practical
result of this motion as the annual movement of the sun.
 62

The horizontal axle of the sun over Bhu-Mandala, as conceived by Sadaputa Prabhu

One may be quick to point out that this explanation does not explain the
passage of days and nights, nor does it properly explain the passage of the
seasons and the variation of the length of the days and nights as the year
passes. If the Earth would be flat, we would see the sun circling around and
it would never be night. If we accept the Earth as a sphere situated close to
the center of Bhu-Mandala, this model would result in a very long day that
would take a whole year to be completed, with 6 months of sun and 6
months of darkness. This is because the orbit of the sun around
Bhu-Mandala is not the complete model. There is more.

SB 5.21.14 describes that the sun has also a vertical axle, which is fixed in
Dhruvaloka:

“As in an oil-pressing machine, this first axle is attached to a second

axle, which is one-fourth as long [3,937,500 yojanas, or 31,500,000
miles]. The upper end of this second axle is attached to Dhruvaloka by
a rope of wind.”

The vertical axle connected to Druvaloka makes the sun rotate in a

clockwise direction, while the horizontal axle fixed on Mount Sumeru is
 63

responsible for a counterclockwise motion. So, in one sense, the sun

travels around Druvaloka, maintaining both Druvaloka and Mount Sumeru
on its right, and in another sense it travels around Mount Sumeru, facing
the constellations of the Zodiac and keeping both Mount Sumeru and
Druvaloka to its left.

At first, this idea sounds contradictory, if not absurd. How can the sun
move simultaneously in both directions? This apparent contradiction was
caught by Maharaja Pariksit, who asked a timely question:

"My dear lord, you have already affirmed the truth that the supremely
powerful sun-god travels around Dhruvaloka with both Dhruvaloka
and Mount Sumeru on his right. Yet at the same time the sun-god
faces the signs of the zodiac and keeps Sumeru and Dhruvaloka on his
left. How can we reasonably accept that the sun-god proceeds with
Sumeru and Dhruvaloka on both his left and right simultaneously?"
(SB 5.22.1)

Srila Prabhupada didn't comment on these verses on Srimad Bhagavatam,

but he gave the answer later when he was discussing the structure of the
universe with his disciples with the purpose of creating the universal model
of the universe for the temple of the Vedic Planetarium. At that time he
explained:

"This planetary system is rotating from east to west, and it is hanging

like the chandelier, taking shelter of the polestar. That we can see
every night. Now where is the situation, which planet, where is sun,
where is moon—so that he has to assert." (March 2-3, 1977, Mayapur)

Another similar explanation was given in a letter to Svarupa Damodara

Maharaja (April 27, 1976):
 64

“My final decision is that the universe is just like a tree, with root
upwards. Just as a tree has branches and leaves so the universe is
also composed of planets which are fixed up in the tree like the
leaves, flowers, fruits, etc. of the tree. The pivot is the pole star, and
the whole tree is rotating on this pivot. Mount Sumeru is the center,
trunk, and is like a steep hill... The tree is turning and therefore, all
the branches and leaves turn with the tree. The planets have their
fixed orbits, but still they are turning with the turning of the great
tree... Distances are also described in the 5th Canto just how far one
planet is from another. We can see that at night, how the whole
planetary system is turning around, the pole star being the pivot. Each
planet has its orbit fixed but the sun is moving up and down, north
and south.”

In modern cosmology, the days and nights and the passage of the seasons
are explained by the rotation of the earth combined with the annual orbit
of our planet around the sun. This explanation is centered on a heliocentric
model of the universe.

As discussed previously, Vedic Cosmology is based on a geocentric model,

where the earth is fixed in space, as part of Bhu-Mandala. In this model,
the sun, as well as the stars and planets, move around the whole structure.

Srila Prabhupada uses the example of a chandelier that rotates. We can

imagine all the stars and planets as components of a gigantic chandelier.
All the parts of this cosmic chandelier are kept together by ropes of subtle
wind.

As the whole chandelier rotates, all the parts move together as part of the
chandelier, but at the same time, each part has its own motion relative to
the other parts. The combination of both motions when observed from our
 65

planet result in the movements of the sun, planets, and stars that we see
when we look into the sky.

Model of the universal chandelier made by Sadaputa Prabhu

We can imagine something like many particles of dust caught in a

whirlwind. All the particles are moving with the whirlwind, but at the same
time, each particle is moving independently in relation to the others. In
other words, all the particles are moving in relation to the ground,
following the general flow of the wind, but each particle moves in a subtly
different way and thus the particles also move in relation to each other.

In this model, the sun circles around our planet every 24 hours, following
the rotation of the whole sky. This is its clockwise rotation around
Druvaloka, connected with the vertical axis.
 66

However, there is also the counterclockwise rotation around Mount

Sumeru, which takes one full year to complete. This second movement is
connected with the horizontal axis connected to Mount Sumeru.

The inhabitants of Bhu-mandala live on a flat surface. As a result, for them,

the sun is always overhead. Because the sun is always circling their plane,
they never experience complete darkness. Due to the rotation of the sun
around Druvaloka, there is some variation in the amount of light received,
which they perceive as the passing of days and nights, and at the same
time, the annual movement of the sun around Mount Sumeru results in
additional variations they perceive as the passage of the seasons.

For the demigods, things work differently. Because their planets are also
circling around Druvaloka as part of the universal chandelier (in other
words, because they are moving alongside the sun around Druvaloka), the
only movement of the sun noticed by them is the annual counterclockwise
rotation of the sun around Mount Sumeru. They perceive this space of time
(which is one year for us) as a very long day, during which they have the
opportunity to enjoy the heavenly delights that surround them.

When we come down to our plane, things again work differently. Because
our planet in the gross dimension is a globe, only half of the planet
receives direct light from the sun at a time and we have a clear distinction
between days and nights. This is confirmed on SB 5.21.9 (as quoted
previously): “People living in countries at points diametrically opposite to
where the sun is first seen rising will see the sun setting, and if a straight
line were drawn from a point where the sun is at midday, the people in
countries at the opposite end of the line would be experiencing midnight.
Similarly, if people residing where the sun is setting where to go to
countries diametrically opposite, they would not see the sun in the same
condition.”
 67

The cycles of days and nights described in this verse are connected with the
clockwise rotation of the sun (when it orbits around Druvaloka). This makes
the sun rise in the east and set in the west every 24 hours, resulting in the
passages of our days and nights.

At the same time, there is the counterclockwise rotation of the sun around
Mount Sumeru that takes one year to complete. It happens that because
our planet is tilted, this movement is perceived as the sun going from south
to north and then from north to south as the year passes, following the line
of the ecliptic. This movement results in the passage of the seasons. It
works quite similarly to what is believed in modern cosmology, but the
model works from a geocentric perspective, with the earth fixed and the
sun and other luminaries moving around it.

This is explained in SB 5.21.3-6, where is stated:

“While passing toward the north, toward the south or through the
equator, in accordance with the order of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, it is said to move slowly, swiftly or moderately. According to
its movements in rising above, going beneath or passing through the
 68

equator — and correspondingly coming in touch with various signs of

the zodiac, headed by Makara [Capricorn] — days and nights are
short, long or equal to one another.
When the sun passes through Mesa [Aries] and Tula [Libra], the
durations of day and night are equal. When it passes through the five
signs headed by Vrsabha [Taurus], the duration of the days increases
[until Cancer], and then it gradually decreases by half an hour each
month, until day and night again become equal [in Libra].
When the sun passes through the five signs beginning with Vrscika
[Scorpio], the duration of the days decreases [until Capricorn], and
then gradually it increases month after month, until day and night
become equal [in Aries].
Until the sun travels to the south the days grow longer, and until it
travels to the north the nights grow longer.” (SB 5.21.3-6)

In other words, the daily rotation of the sun around Druvaloka makes it
circle around our planet, resulting in the passage of days and nights, and
the annual rotation of the sun around Mount Sumeru is perceived on our
planet as it gradually going up and down, moving from north to south and
from south to north, and passing through the different signs of the zodiac.
This vertical movement explains the passing of the seasons.

This illustration can help to better understand this concept:

 69

As previously mentioned, our planet is tilted in relation to Bhu-Mandala. As

a result, the sun doesn’t circle the planet around the equator, but on a
slightly different path that we call the ecliptic. We can see that this path
corresponds to the path of the sun around Bhu-Mandala.

The daily rotation of the sun happens around the path of the equator,
while the annual movement of the sun happens on the path of the ecliptic.
Because of this difference, we see the sun rising in the east and setting in
the west every day (the daily rotation around the equator) and we see the
sun gradually moving from north to south, or south to north as the days
pass, resulting in the passage of the seasons and the variations in the
length of days and nights. These two movements go on simultaneously.

Other visible planets also have a daily rotation around Druvaloka, as part of
the universal chandelier, and at the same time have their own independent
 70

orbits relative to the sun and to each other. The combination of both
movements results in the motions we can observe when we look into the
sky. Similarly, different stars also appear to be moving in the sky due to
different particularities of their own orbits.

In Srimad Bhagavatam, Srila Sukadeva Goswami uses the example of ants

moving in a potter’s wheel. A potter's well is always rotating in the same
direction, but ants on top of it may move simultaneously in different
directions, and in this way, the ants simultaneously move alongside the
wheel and follow their own motions relative to each other. As a result, they
will appear sometimes on one part of the wheel and sometimes on
another. One who is observing the scene would see that the ants rotating
with the wheel would sometimes appear closer to the outer extremity and
sometimes closer to the inner axle, or appear to be closer or more distant
from each other.

If we would slightly tilt the wheel, we would see the ants sometimes more
to the south and sometimes more to the north, as they continuously rotate
with the wheel and simultaneously go on with their independent
movements.
 71

Potter’s wheel

Accepting that our planet is a sphere and it is tilted in relation to

Bhu-Mandala (which corresponds to the line of the ecliptic), from our point
of view the annual movement of the sun is almost exactly on the same
perspective as the potter's wheel in the photo. As the sun moves around
mount Sumeru, it actually goes to the north or to the south according to
our perspective, and this results in the sun appearing higher or lower in the
sky and the days becoming longer or shorter. This movement is described
in SB 5.21.3-6 that I quoted earlier.

It’s important to also consider that in the gross dimension we live, Mount
Sumeru as well as the rest of Bhu-Mandala is not visible, therefore it
doesn’t block the passage of the light in any way, just like the rest of
Bhu-Mandala. All we can see in our dimension is the sun circling around,
illuminating the two halves of the planet at different times, and gradually
moving to the north or to the south with the passage of the seasons.
 72

I again invite you to have an attentive look at the same illustration I

included before to get a better idea of how the model looks from the
perspective of someone who could simultaneously see Bhu-Mandala and
the gross Earth:

When we take things in this perspective, we can see that the model of the
universe given in the 5th canto Srimad Bhagavatam explains both how the
universe is experienced by the demigods and how it’s experienced in our
gross dimension. However, because both explanations are given
simultaneously, it appears that different verses are describing two different
models that are contradictory to each other, while actually these are just
different features of the same multidimensional model.

When we take things under this perspective we can see that the 5th canto
of Srimad Bhagavatam actually harmonizes the models of the universe
from the Puranas (which describe the subtle dimension of the demigods)
and the model of the Surya Siddhanta (which describes our gross
dimension). It appears that actually both models are not contradictory, but
the explanation of how exactly they fit together was lost with the passage
 73

of the centuries. The 5th canto of Srimad Bhagavatam gives thus some
insight of how they fit together.
 74

Chapter 8:
The different planetary systems

Apart from our immediate surroundings, Srimad Bhagavatam describes

other planetary systems that comprise our universe. This hierarchical view
of the universe illustrates the different levels of consciousness of
inhabitants of different levels.

Goloka Chart

The Asuras, races that have a consciousness too much focussed on matter,
live under the ground, without access to the light of the sun. In the Vedic
 75

Universe, their abodes are organized in the lower planetary systems, below
our plane. Many of these are described as heavenly realms, where the
inhabitants live in great material opulence and try to enjoy their senses to
the fullest extent, while others are not so desirable. At the bottom are the
hellish planets, where souls that committed serious crimes go to pay for
their debts before they can take their next births. To fall into these lower
realms can lead to a very difficult and painful time, therefore the Puranas
alert us to the existence of such places so we may avoid the course of
actions that leads there. Modern people tend to reject the idea of hell,
preferring to believe that there is no life after death, or that everyone they
care about will go to paradise, but just putting one's head inside the earth
like this can lead to serious risks. One who ignores the advice of the sastras
and leads a sinful life can face a very unpleasant reality after death.
 76

In any case, what is more interesting are the higher planetary systems, to
which one can ascend to the degree he can purify and elevate his
consciousness through the practice of a spiritual process.

The closest planetary system to us is Bhuvarloka, where different subtle

beings live, notably the Yaksas and Rakshasas. It’s described that their
realm starts in the upper atmosphere, very close to us, but despite this, we
can’t see it, since they live in a subtle dimension. Due to this proximity,
however, they can easily contact human beings, which leads to many
mystical experiences narrated through history. They are a mixed bag,
including benevolent and malevolent entities.

These beings from Bhuvarloka are however different from ghosts

(disembodied human beings living in our plane) because they live on a
plane where they have different sense objects and can thus enjoy life just
as we do, different from ghosts that are subtle beings stuck in a gross
plane, where they can’t interact with people or objects. This plane of
Bhuvarloka is described as a beautiful place with lakes and forests,
controlled by Kuvera, who possesses great material opulence.

In the model of the Universe described in the Srimad Bhagavatam, this

abode is around mount Sumeru, immediately above our plane. During
their exile, the Pandavas went there using the mystical passages through
the Himalayas, and Bhima even fought the army of Yaksas of Kuvera.

Higher is the planetary system of Swargaloka, where the Devas live in great
delight. What is one year for us equals just one set of day and night in their
abode, and consequently one year for them equals 360 years in our plane.
On many planets, the inhabitants live for 10,000 such celestial years, and
some of them live for even longer periods. Indra reins for a manvantara,
which equals more than 300 million years of our time.
 77

The main difference between the Devas and Asuras is that the first group
has a subtle consciousness, focused on subtle material enjoyment,
connected with music, dance, and arts, while the second group has a gross
consciousness, focused on material objects and gross enjoyment thorough
tact, vision, hearing, smelling and taste. One group is interested in the
subtle aspects of matter, while the other is interested in the gross aspects
(this difference is explained in the book “Mystic Universe”, by Ashish
Dalela). The main difference however is that the demigods are devotees of
the Lord and cooperate with Him in the conduct of universal affairs, while
the demons are envious of God and desire to just exploit the material
nature.

Higher still are the higher planetary systems of Maharloka, Janaloka, and
Tapoloka, inhabited by pure souls who are very serious about the path of
self-realization. These realms are described in detail by Sanatana Goswami
in the Brihad Bhagavatamrta. The souls in Maharloka live in great serenity,
living in a pristine environment and dedicating their time to chant mantras
and offer oblations to the fire, while souls in Janaloka and Tapoloka
practice meditation.

There are other abodes described in Srimad Bhagavatam, including the

abodes of the Saptarishi and Druvaloka, which is a spiritual planet
appearing inside our universe, as well as others. These different abodes
can be observed from Earth as the numerous stars we see in the night sky.

Above all, there is Brahmaloka, the abode of Brahma, the architect of this
particular Universe. Brahmaloka is a very subtle abode, which is not
observable from earth. Hierarchically, it is situated at the very top. During
the existence of the Universe, many pious souls gradually elevate
themselves through the different planetary systems, up to this level, where
they can continue living until the end of the Universe. When the Universe
 78

reaches its end, all these pious souls go alongside Brahma to the spiritual
realm.

One important point when we study the Vedic Universe is the distances. All
the measurements of the universe given in the Puranas are based on a unit
called yojana. This is a measure of distance based on the characteristics of
the human body, much like the inches and feet used in the imperial
system.

One definition is that a yojana equals 8,000 times the height of a man.
Another is that it equals 32,000 sets of 24 finger widths. Yet another
definition states that a yojana equals four times the maximum distance a
healthy man can shout and still be heard. That’s one of the reasons the
length of the yojana varies through different sources, sometimes as 5
miles, 8 miles, etc.
 79

Similarly, there is reason to contemplate the possibility that the yojana may
vary across the cosmos, reflecting the perception of distance of the
inhabitants in different planetary systems. As food for thought we can
mention that according to the description of the Srimad Bhagavatam and
other Puranas, the demigods are gigantic. It’s described that Lord Shiva is
almost as big as Great Britain, for example.

Therefore, although Bhu-Mandala is only 500,000,000 yojanas from one

extreme to the other (roughly the size of our solar system), the vertical
dimension could be extraordinarily bigger, since the size of the yojana
would become exponentially bigger as one advances to higher planetary
systems.

If one accepts this idea, the Universe starts to look more like a cone, where
the narrow side represents the lower levels of
consciousness of human beings and Asuras, and
the large side represents the higher states of
consciousness of more elevated beings. In this
model, Bhu-Mandala is on the narrow side of the
universe, and thus its dimensions are relatively
modest on a cosmic scale, while higher planetary
systems are on the wide side, which is practically
infinitely big. This view is capable of harmonizing
the descriptions of the Puranas with the huge
cosmic distances that can be observed in modern
astronomy. The main point is that although we
are limited by such distances, higher beings are
not.
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Chapter 9:
The realms of the Devas and Asuras

The Vedas explain that the Universe is divided into the planetary systems
inhabited by the Suras (or Devas), and the planetary systems inhabited by
the Asuras. The Suras are evolved beings who are advanced in terms of
knowledge, culture, piety, and spirituality. They are in charge of
maintaining the universal order and are in direct contact with the divine.
The Asuras on the other hand are atheists who are more interested in
satisfying their carnal desires. Many Asuras are quite pious and charitable,
but their idea is to evolve economically and not spiritually. They are more
interested in matter than in what is beyond it.

The Vedic Universe is thus divided between these two categories of beings.
The Devas live in the higher planetary systems, where the light of the sun
can be seen. The movements of the sun according to the Vedas are more
complex than described in modern astronomy, involving annual ascending
and descending cycles. These cycles correspond to the days and nights for
the Devas on the higher planets.

Our days and nights are connected with the movements of the sun and the
earth, and thus our days and nights have only 24 hours, but the days and
nights of the Devas are connected with these larger cycles, and thus a day
and night for the Devas have a total of 360 days of our time (a full lunar
year). Similarly, 360 of such days correspond to one year for them, and
they live for 10,000 of such years. Their lifespan is thus calculated as 3.6
million years of our time. Extraordinarily long.

As Srila Prabhupada mentions on SB 3.32.3: "Life on the moon is said to

last ten thousand years according to the calculation of the demigods. The
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demigods' time is calculated in such a way that one day (twelve hours) is
equal to six months on this planet."

Just like there is a gradation in the superior planetary systems, with the
most spiritually advanced groups living in the upper levels and the ones
who are more engrossed with matter living on the lower floors, the realm
of the Asuras is also divided into several levels. The higher levels are
paradisiacal places called Bila-svarga, where pious demons live. They are
good-mannered and charitable, but they are not interested in spirituality at
all. Because they are self-centered, many are propense to become angry
when upset. The lower levels however are the home of races of envious
and violent beings who abandon all kinds of moral values.

These descriptions of different levels of planetary systems described in the

Vedas are based on the levels of consciousness of the inhabitants of
different planets of the universe. In our dimension, planets inhabited by
Suras and Asuras are spread over the cosmos, therefore we can’t see any
clear division when we look at the sky. Srila Prabhupada explains this point
in a letter to Rupanuga from 20 December, 1968:

“Regarding your question of the planetary systems, the planets are

arranged in each universe in layers like the petals of a lotus. But in
each layer there is mixed both heavenly, hellish and middle planets.
On the outside layer there are these three kinds of planets, on the
middle layers there are the three kinds of planets and on the
inner-most layer there are found these three kinds of planets. Above
these layers, in the center, is the Brahmaloka where Lord Brahma, the
creator is residing. So the earth planet and the moon planet are both
on the same layer but the earth is middle planet and the moon is
heavenly planet.”
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However, in the dimension where the demigods live, the realms inhabited
by beings of similar levels of consciousness appear to be close together.
The model of the universe described in the Vedas is based on how the
universe appears from their point of view, that’s why it looks different from
the universe we observe when we look at the sky.

Our planet is located exactly in the middle of the reams of the Devas and
Asuras. Just like smaller countries are frequently the stage of proxy wars
between bigger countries fighting for hegemony, our planet is also the
stage of a perpetual dispute between the two sides.

In Satya-yuga, the first era of the cosmic cycle, there is a greater influence
of the Devas, and our planet is almost exclusively inhabited by pious and
enlightened souls. This is a time when everyone lives in peace and disease,
wars and famine are unheard of. During the ages of Treta-yuga and
Dwapara-yuga things gradually decline and in Kali-yuga, the age we live, the
influence of the Asuras is much stronger. In this age, many Asuras take the
opportunity to take birth on our planet and advance their exploitative
agendas, while others try to influence us by subtle means.

It's said that in Satya-yuga Suras and Asuras live on different planets. In
Treta-yuga they live in different continents (like Bharata and Lanka, as
described in the Ramayana), in Dwapara-yuga they live in different cities,
but in Kali-yuga, our age, the same person may act like a Deva or an Asura
in different situations. There is a constant struggle between these two
frequencies of consciousness inside our own heads.

The influence of the Devas can be felt like a push in the direction of
spirituality, pious life, non-violence, living a natural life, etc. while the
Asuras push humanity to the other extreme, in direction of a materialistic
and artificial lifestyle, consumerism, environmental degradation, etc.
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Usually, persons more in sync with the Devas tend to be spiritualists, who
try to live a simple and pious life, while persons more influenced by the
Asuras want to live a more artificial lifestyle, in the direction of
consumerism and materialism. The first group tends to evolve in the
direction of the higher planetary systems or go to the transcendental
realm, while the second group tends to slide down to the planets of the
Asuras in the lower realms, or to animal life.

As mentioned before, the Asuras live in subterraneous realms, where there

is no sun. All the light in their realms comes from other sources, like
different types of artificial lights, fire, or special jewels. Naturally, in our
plane jewels simply reflect light from other sources, but it’s described that
in their plane special jewels are used for illumination.

The fact they live under the ground doesn’t mean that their lives are
miserable though. Asuras are quite intelligent and they are experts in
manipulating matter. Since they are interested only in matter, and not in
developing higher consciousness, like the Devas, their attention is entirely
focused on economic development, and thus their standard of living is
actually even higher. It's described that the higher Asuras live in celestial
abodes, with palaces, parks, fountains, and so on. They have an incredible
ability in terms of handcraft, and thus they can create the most intricate
objects and possess all kinds of mystical perfections, just like advanced
yogis.

Although also living in very comfortable positions, the Asuras in the

Bila-svarga constantly resent the Devas because they live in the higher
abodes, and sometimes there are great wars between the two groups. Such
cosmic wars normally happen on the higher planets, with the Asuras
attacking and the Devas defending. Subtle and mystical weapons are used
in such disputes, including Brahmastras, a subtle type of nuclear weapon
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described in the Vedas, where the sound of mantras is used to break the
structure of matter and convert it into energy.

Most of the time the Devas defeat the Asuras, but sometimes the Asuras
win and the Devas are forced to flee from their abodes. Thus the cosmic
order is inverted for some time, with impiety being rewarded and piety
being punished until Lord Vishnu comes as an avatar to help the Devas to
expel the Asuras back to their realm, reestablishing thus the cosmic order.

It may be difficult to understand how the Devas and Asuras can interact in
such ways since the Asuras live in the lower planetary systems, which are
lower than our planet. Since we can't see or interact with the Devas, who
live in a higher dimension, how can the Asuras?

Normally, the Vedic Universe is depicted with the planetary systems of the
Devas on top, the intermediary planets (like our own) in the middle, and
the abodes of the Asuras at the bottom. This describes the different levels
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of spiritual evolution of the inhabitants. However, if we classify in terms of

gross or subtle, the asuras in the Bila-swarga or the higher amongst the
lower planetary system actually live in a subtle dimension, while the
inhabitants of the lowest amongst the lower planetary systems live in a
gross dimension, similar to us.

The words “gross” and “subtle” may not precisely convey the idea, but I use
them here due to the absence of better terms. For the demigods and
Asuras the type of “subtle” matter they have around them looks as solid as
the matter we have on our planet looks for us. However, the type of matter
that constitutes their words is fundamentally different from the type of
matter that makes our planet. Just like water is subtle than earth, in the
sense that it’s liquid and transparent, and air is subtler than water in the
sense that it is much lighter and more compressible, the type of matter
that constitutes the abodes of the devas and asuras is subtle in the sense
that we can’t detect or interact with it in any way. It is similar in principle to
the idea of dark matter present in modern cosmology. One meaning of the
word “subtle” is something that is mysterious and not easily understood,
and another is as something refined, while “gross” applies to something
lower, that lacks such refinement. I use these words here in these senses.

In any case, the relationship between the Devas and Asuras becomes easy
to understand if we imagine the higher and lower planetary systems side
by side, instead of on top and bottom. When we see it in this way, the
relationship becomes more obvious.

When observed from this perspective, the highest amongst the lower
planets fit in a similar level to Swargaloka, the abode of the Devas, and the
lowest in a similar level to us. In other words, the higher Asuras live in the
same subtle dimension inhabited by the Devas, and this explains the
interactions between the two groups.
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In the previous ages, Satya-Yuga, Treta-Yuga, and Dvapara-Yuga, human

beings also lived in a subtler dimension, therefore interactions between
human beings, Devas, and Asuras are also possible. In the Mahabharata,
it's described how Arjuna was capable of traveling to the higher planetary
systems and assisting the Devas in their fight against the Asuras, and how
during their exile Bhima fought and defeated a powerful rakshasa from
Bhuvarloka. However, in our age, Kali-Yuga, we live in a gross dimension
and thus such interactions are not possible. We just live on a different
frequency from both groups.

In our age, Devas and Asuras influence humanity by subtle means, or

sometimes by taking birth here. It's believed that the powerful
Madhvacarya, who appeared in India in the 13th century, was an
incarnation of the Deva Vayu, for example.

Another interesting point is that we live in the same gross dimension as the
lower Asuras. These are Asuras who are impious and more absorbed in
gross matter. Instead of mystical perfections, they use technology to
maintain an artificial lifestyle. Due to their advanced technology, these
races are capable of traveling in spaceships. Books like “The War of the
Words” and “Ender's Game” depict scenarios where our world is invaded by
hostile, more advanced civilizations. In reality, however, if the lower Asuras
would try to invade us with their advanced technology, there would be little
we could do to protect ourselves. Fortunately, there are higher forces in
the Universe that prevent this.

Another example of beings of the lower planets who can sometimes

interact with human beings are the Nagas. Some Nagas are pious like
Udupi who kidnapped Arjuna to marry him, but others are not very good
people to hang out with.
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Although both the Devas and the high Asuras live in great material
opulence, there is a great difference in the path chalked by both groups.
The high Asuras are exhausting the good karma they accumulated by doing
good deeds in previous lives, thus paving their way to a gradual descent
into the lower realms, while the Devas are following an upward path, that
leads to the upper planetary systems and gradually to transcendence.

After Swargaloka, the heavenly realms where the Devas live, there is a
sequence of highly evolved planets inhabited by great sages, including the
realms of Marloka, Janaloka, Tapaloka, and Brahmaloka. The inhabitants of
these planetary systems live for extremely long periods and have almost
complete knowledge about the workings of the Universe. Different from
the Devas and Asuras, however, they are solely interested in
transcendence, and therefore rarely get involved in their affairs.

In other words, the high Asuras are in a comfortable position now but they
are on a descending path, while the Devas are exhausting their previous
karma, satisfying their remaining material desires and preparing to go
higher into the subtler realms.

Human beings are essentially in the middle and we choose which path to
follow according to our actions in this life. The Vedas are knowledge
transmitted by transcendental sources to help humanity to progress on the
upward path. For the ones interested in joining the Devas in the celestial
planets there is the path of karma-kanda, which consists of pious life and
religious rituals, and for the ones who are interested in ascending to the
transcendental realm, there are the paths of Karma-yoga, Jnana-yoga, and
Bhakti-yoga, explained in the Bhagavad-Gita.

The path of materialism and hedonistic life, however, leads to nothing but
suffering in the realms of the lower Asuras or the animal kingdom. This
may be a tempting path of instant gratification, but the ones who take it
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just go down into further ignorance, creating a descending spiral that leads
to dangerous consequences.

Different from animals, human beings are gifted with a higher intelligence
that can be used to find the best path and to progress spiritually. One who
misuses this higher intelligence for just achieving immediate gratification is
a very unfortunate person.
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Chapter 10:
Time and space in the Vedic Universe

In this material world, we live under the limitation of time, space, and
physical laws. Time acts as an oppressive force, making us hostage to its
influence. Sometimes there is not enough time, and sometimes time drags
forever.

Another restriction is space. We may hear about some distant place that
looks particularly interesting, but we can't go there easily: It requires
money, effort, time, and patience to do the trip. In other situations, the
problem is the opposite: lack of space. Most of us would like to get a bigger
apartment, a bigger car and so on.

We can see how both time and space are constricting forces. They seem
just like inexorable forces that we can't avoid, right? Not really. Actually,
both can be bent. This is another interesting subject explained in the Vedic
literature.

Let's start with time.

Not only does time work differently in different parts of the cosmos, but
time is also relative: It can be stretched or contracted practically infinitely.
That's a point where modern science and Vedic literature agree.

According to the theory of special relativity by Einstein, the flow of time can
change due to the influence of speed or gravity. Someone traveling near
the speed of light, or living very close to a strong gravitational field (like a
black hole) would age much slower than someone living here on earth. For
him, time would pass at a much slower rate. This can be empirically tested
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by sending clocks to space: a clock installed in a satellite orbiting the planet

(and thus subjected to a weaker gravitational pull) runs at a faster pace
than an identical clock on the ground. This is a phenomenon that is well
studied by physicists and had to be taken into account during the
development of the GPS.

Similarly, the Vedic literature explains that the flow of time is different in
gross planetary systems and in subtle planetary systems. The practical
implication of this is that beings on the higher planets don’t become old
like us and things don’t degrade quickly like here.

For example, what is 360 days for us, is just one day for the demigods in
swargaloka, which is part of the subtle dimension. There, people live for
10,000 such years, therefore their lifespan equals 3.6 million earthly years!

Similarly, what is 8.6 billion years for us, is just a day for the inhabitants of
Brahmaloka, the highest and most subtle planet of this universe, which is
the abode of Lord Brahma, who acts as the architect of this particular
universe. Their lifespan equals trillions of years of our time. Because their
bodies and consciousness are so subtle, they live for a span of time that is,
by our calculation, practically limitless.

On the other hand, time passes faster on the hellish planets. In this way,
the souls that fall there pay their debts in a time frame that doesn’t
interfere with their transmigration to their next body. One may stay for a
very long time in hell, according to his perception, while just a few days
may pass for us here on Earth.

The position of a living entity in the Universe is determined by his

consciousness, therefore souls with higher consciousness are promoted to
the higher planets, where they not only have access to better material
facilities but are also less subject to the passage of time, while souls with
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lower consciousness are forced to live in the lower planets under stringent
laws.

We can see thus that according to one’s level of consciousness, one is

constricted by material laws to a higher or lesser degree. However,
everyone who lives inside the material sphere is constricted, from Brahma
to the smallest organisms.

There is only one place where people are not constricted by time: the
spiritual realm. This is the place where there is no time. Everything is
eternal, all Krsna's pastimes exist eternally and one has access to them
according to his meditation, or according to the influence of the internal
divine potency. This is a place where there is no past or future. Everyone
just lives in an eternal present, centered on their relationships with Krsna.
This is the place we can attain as soon as our consciousness is sufficiently
purified.

The most interesting point is that life in the spiritual realm doesn’t
necessarily imply a change in the physical location. It’s not so much about
reaching a particular location, but a state of consciousness. The inhabitants
of the spiritual world are continuously absorbed in this eternal present,
constantly meditating on Krsna's names and activities. As we become
absorbed in a similar mentality through the practice of the bhakti-yoga
process, we have the opportunity of connecting with this eternal present,
even while still technically living in this material world.

Time brings fear since we fear losing what we have. Even if we attain a
comfortable situation in this world, we can't really be happy, because we
will be fearful of losing it. We can't have peace and, as Krsna mentions in
the Bhagavad-Gita, there is no question of happiness without peace. In the
spiritual world there is no fear: everyone lives a life of bliss and knowledge,
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without fear of loss. That's why the spiritual world is called Vaikunta: the
place without anxiety.

So, we understand that time is relative. It flows at different rates in

different parts of the cosmos, and there is a place where time does not
exist at all. If time is relative, what about space? It happens that space is
also relative.

Higher beings are not only affected by time differently, but they also
perceive space differently from us. For them, the Universe is a beautiful
place, thriving with life, and everything is very accessible. What is
thousands of light-years away for us, is just a vimana drive away for the
demigods. They can go from one planetary system to the other just like we
go to the beach. For them, space works in a completely different way than
it does for us. Not only are the demigods less constricted by time and
space, but they are less constricted by physical laws. They can fly, create
material objects, produce subtle nuclear explosions using mantras, and
control the forces of nature at will, just to mention a few examples.

We can explore this point about space from the perspective of higher
beings from two perspectives: How Krsna, as the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, can manipulate space, time, and physical laws, and how the
same laws can be manipulated by ordinary mortals, like yogis and ascetics.

Let’s start with Krsna. As he mentions in the Bhagavad-Gita: kalo 'smi, “time
I am”. Time is one of His energies, and just like all the other energies, time
is completely under his control. In his pastimes, we can find many
instances where he manipulates time and space.

In the Srimad Bhagavatam it is mentioned that when the gopis came to

him at night, attracted by the sound of His flute, desirous of dancing with
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Him, Krsna made the night extend for the equivalent of a whole day of
Brahma, which equals to billions of years!

Conversely, when he assumes the gigantic form of Maha-Vishnu to create

the material universes, he makes the whole period of the life of Brahma as
short as a breath for him. To properly appreciate that, it's worth
mentioning that this is a period of time equivalent to 311.04 trillion years!

He can also manipulate physical laws at will, like when He lifted the
Govardhana hill, nullifying the law of gravity. In this pastime, he lifted a
huge mountain using just His small finger, with the purpose of using it as
an umbrella to protect the inhabitants of Vrindavana from the rain.
Ordinarily, it’s not possible for someone to lift a mountain (even if one
would be sufficiently strong to do that, the mountain would crumble under
its weight), but by nullifying the law of gravity, Krsna could do it in the most
elegant way.

Not only can He manipulate time and physical laws, but he can also
manipulate space. For example, when Krsna was present on this planet, he
manifested the whole Vrindavana, the whole spiritual sky inside the
boundaries of the earthly Vrindavana, which has a circumference of a few
dozen miles. It's difficult for us to understand how an infinite space can fit
into a finite space, but by Krsna’s will, it became possible. As he says in the
Gita: pasya me yogam aisvaram: "Behold my mystic opulence!".

Similarly, the city of Dwaraka created by Krsna in the midst of the ocean to
shelter the Yadu dynasty was a manifestation of the Dwaraka in the
spiritual sky. Just as in the case of Vrindavana, an unlimited space with
trillions of inhabitants living in palaces was manifested inside the
boundaries of a certain geographical location of our planet.
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Both Dwaraka and Vrindavana (as well as Mayapur and other sacred
places) work as a kind of spiritual portals, where the material and spiritual
spheres come in touch. From the outside, one could see the material
Vrindavana, which had a limited circumference, but as soon as one entered
the area, he would have access to the unlimited spiritual sky. Even
nowadays this connection remains, and people who are advanced
spiritually can see the spiritual reality when they enter Vrindavana.

Krsna's bending of space was also shown in the pastime of Brahma stealing
the calves, described in the 10th canto of Srimad Bhagavatam. At a certain
point, he summoned the Brahmas of all material universes. Every Brahma
was present in his own universe, just like our Brahma was situated in our
universe, and in the Vedic literature, we get the information that the
different material universes are trillions of yojanas apart. Still, all the
Brahmas were put together in the same place by Krsna's mystic potency.
Somehow, Krsna created an extra dimension, where all the Brahmas could
be together, despite being separated by trillions of yojanas in the ordinary
subtle dimension and an incalculable distance in the gross dimension.

Another example is Krsna showing the whole creation inside his mouth to
mother Yashoda. To a mundane observer, Krsna was situated on our
planet, which is part of a particular material universe. If Krsna was situated
inside one particular universe, how could the whole creation be situated in
his mouth? It's described that mother Yashoda could see herself and Krsna
inside Krsna's mouth. Therefore, not only the whole creation was situated
inside Krsna's mouth, but Krsna Himself was situated inside His own
mouth! That's definitely a feat that our material brains have a hard time
conceiving.

Apart from Krsna, even mundane yogis can manipulate space to a certain
extent. These are ordinary mortals, like you and me, who attain
supernatural powers due to their practice of Astanga-yoga or by other
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means. A yogi can stretch his hand and grab something that is thousands
of miles away by accessing higher dimensional passages that bridge
locations that are far away. Similarly, a yogi can become very big or very
small by accessing features of reality that are unknown to us.

Such mystical feats are called Ashta Siddhis (the eight mystic perfections)
and become available when an advanced yogi is capable of connecting with
the divine energy, becoming thus a conductor for it. Just like a bar of iron
becomes red hot due to contact with fire (and can thus burn, just like fire),
or a piece of wire becomes electrified due to a connection with the power
grid, a yogi becomes surcharged with mystical potency when he can
successfully connect with the source of such potency.

These are examples that can be observed in this material world. If we go to

the spiritual world, things become even more amazing. In the spiritual
world, space (as a limiting factor) doesn't exist at all. All the inhabitants can
freely go from one place to the other simply by their meditation. Everything
is just one remembrance away.

Similarly, in the spiritual sky, there is no matter to be manipulated and

consequently no physical laws. Anything can be created simply through
one’s meditation, out of one's consciousness. The gopis don't have to
spend hours cooking in front of the fire manipulating different substances
to make a preparation for Krsna. Whatever they want to cook, is created
simply by their meditation.

We can understand that, just like matter, both time and space are
phenomena that affect only the inhabitants of this material universe.
Although time and space can be defined as real in the sense that someone
created and someone is experiencing them, both are ephemeral, not much
more real than a game running on a computer.
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We are not products of this material world: We are spiritual beings

entrapped in a material experience. Our existence here in this material
plane had a beginning when at some point in eternity we desired to come
here. Becoming attached to the material energy, we have been forcing
ourselves to remain here ever since. Self-realized souls are capable of
seeing things in the proper perspective, and thus they become indifferent
to this phenomenal world.

All the experiences that are there to be experienced in this material world
are already created and happen cyclically. It's just like a computer game,
where all the events in the game are individually created by the developer
and displayed in a certain order to the player, creating an illusion of
continuity. The player can't change the order or speed of the events, but
the developer has complete control. Similarly, Krsna is not under the
control of space, time, or any physical law. Just the opposite: he is the one
who calls the shots. Just like the demigods see the universe differently from
us, Krsna has a much higher perception of reality than even the demigods,
just like he displayed when he evoked all the Brahmas of different
universes in the presence of the Brahma of our universe. As the creator
and controller of the whole material creation, Krsna has complete control
over it, just like a programmer has complete control over his own software.

As long as we are in this material world, we are not only under the
influence of time but also constricted in other ways. For example, our
planet is spherical, so we can't leave it easily. If one tries to escape the
planet by walking, he will just end up going back to the same place. Even
when we send probes or astronauts to other planets of the universe, we
can't find anything interesting there, because we don't have access to the
higher dimensional realms. We may go to the moon or mars, but we will
find only rocks, radiation, extremes of temperature, and other inhospitable
conditions. In other words, even if we leave our planet, we still can't leave
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our prison. Ultimately, not only are we imprisoned by these different

forces, but our knowledge of reality is very limited.

So, accepting the idea that both time and space are relative, and thus
illusory, what is real? Actually, the only thing that is real is consciousness.
Reality is simply a manifestation of consciousness. By changing our
consciousness we can change our reality. One with the appropriate
consciousness can travel all around the universe, like Narada Muni. Having
a spiritual body, he is not affected by material conditions, or even by
distance, and thus he can freely move around the universe according to his
will.

From this, we can see that although expressed in simple language, the
Vedic literature brings us ideas that go much further than the most far-out
science fiction. The universe is much bigger and more mysterious than we
can imagine, and the key to unlocking its mysteries is the purification and
expansion of our consciousness.
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Chapter 11:
Cycles that affect our planet

Apart from cosmology and metaphysical aspects of the Universe, another

important component of Vedic cosmology is the cycles our planet and
other parts of the universe go through. These cycles affect different parts
of the Universe in different ways. Our planet is directly affected by such
cycles, while inhabitants of the higher planets are less perceptible.
Understanding these cycles is fundamental to understanding our history.

The modern conception of history is that humanity is evolving, coming

from the caveman to the industrial revolution. However, our understanding
of the past is limited. The oldest artifacts that can be accepted as recorded
history date from about 5000 years ago. Most of the theories about what
happened before are based on indirect evidence, like fossils and artifacts.
Paleontologists use whatever they find to try to create a coherent view of
the human past, but it’s very difficult to find the truth without direct
information from people who lived there.

Many cultures from the past had a conception of a forgotten golden age.
The Greeks for example believed that humanity went through a sequence
of four ages before the present times. In the first, the Golden Age, humans
lived almost like gods, living a long and opulent life without having to work
and never experiencing suffering. In the next age, called the Silver Age,
humans became vastly inferior in appearance and wisdom and had to work
to make a living. However, they still lived very long lives, with children
playing for 100 years before growing up. In the third age, called the Bronze
Age, or the Age of Heroes, men were strong and warlike and had shorter
lives. Greeks believed to live in the last age of the cycle, an Iron Age where
humans are evil and selfish, burdened with weariness and sorrow.
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According to them, in this age piety and other virtues disappeared and the
gods abandoned Earth.

In the Vedas, the Greeks are described as the Pulindas (SB 2.4.18), people
close to Vedic culture who, although not a direct part of it, shared much of
its values and knowledge. It’s not a wonder thus that the concept of the
Golden, Silver, Bronze, and Iron ages of the Greeks is also described in the
Vedas, but in this case with more detail.

According to the Vedas, our planet goes through a sequence of four ages.
Just like we have four seasons in a year and these seasons repeat, similarly,
these cosmic cycles also go on cyclically.

Different from modern theories that conclude that modern human beings
are the result of a long evolutive process that ultimately happened by
chance, the Vedas explain that modern humans are actually the fruit of a
devolutive process. The idea given in the Vedas is that humanity is
originally created by higher beings in a state close to perfection and slowly
degrades up to a point of complete barbarism.

This actually makes a lot of sense once we understand that successive

copies of the DNA result in errors and mutations. Modern theories are
based on the idea that such mistakes, combined with natural selection,
lead to improvements in the species, an explanation that makes sense
when one tries to explain the existence of intelligent human beings starting
from the belief that life comes from matter. The Vedas however offer a
different explanation, based on the idea that human beings were created
by higher beings. When we start from this principle, the idea of a gradual
devolution starts to make sense.

According to the Vedas, the first of the four ages is called Satya-yuga, the
Golden Age. That’s the age of purity, where enlightened souls chalking up
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an ascending path towards the transcendental platform, take birth on this

planet to practice self-realization. In Satya-yuga humans live almost like the
inhabitants of higher planetary systems: they live in a subtle dimension and
have bodies that are free of diseases. Through the practice of meditation,
they can extend their lives, and thus most are capable of living for
incredible 100,000 years. At this age all necessities of human beings are
supplied by nature, nobody has to work on farms or factories to make a
living. By living such natural and pure lives, people of this age are
completely free of anxiety and are thus capable of reaching spiritual
perfection through the practice of Astanga-Yoga.

Satya-yuga lasts for 4,800 celestial years. Each celestial year corresponds to
360 years of our time, and therefore Satya-yuga lasts for a total of
1,728,000 years. During this period there is a gradual decline in the level of
consciousness, which in time leads humanity to the second age in the
cycle: Treta-Yuga, or the Silver Age.

During this period, people become interested in economic development.

Agriculture becomes very prominent and society is divided into different
classes, with pious kings watching over the well-being of the general
population. Most people in this age are still quite pious, and their level of
consciousness is sufficient to award them bodies capable of living up to
10,000 years. The preferred method of self-realization in this age is the
performance of elaborate ceremonies with the perfect chanting of Vedic
mantras.

Treta-yuga lasts for 3,600 celestial years, or 1,296,000 years of our time.
Again, there is a gradual deterioration of collective consciousness, and
slowly bad habits and lower qualities become more prominent, leading
humanity to the third age: Dwapara-yuga, or the Bronze Age.
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In this age, about half of humanity is dominated by lust, greed, and other
bad qualities. At the start of Dwapara-yuga people live for 1,000 years, but
life expectancy diminishes gradually and by the end of the period it’s close
to 100 years.

There is also an acute division between groups that continue to follow the
path of piety and spirituality, and groups that succumb to the influence of
lower qualities, and therefore wars become frequent. Still, wars in this
period were conducted in a chivalrous way, where warriors would fight
one-on-one following certain rules until one side would surrender.
Typically, the two sides would previously agree on a certain place and the
battles would happen away from the general population. We can see that
this martial code was still followed to a certain extent in ancient Greece
and more recently in Japan amongst the Samurai.

The battle of Kurukshetra that took place right after the Bhagavad-Gita
happened in the final years of Dwapara-yuga, events that are described in
detail in the Mahabharata. We can see how at those times there was a
strong polarization around the virtuous Pandavas and the impious
Kauravas, and that the group that supported the Kauravas was bigger. The
Pandavas managed to assemble seven divisions of soldiers in their army,
while the Kauravas amassed eleven divisions. Things became better for
some time under the rule of the Pandavas, followed by Pariksit Maharaja,
but after that things started to become darker.

Dwapara-yuga lasts for 2,400 celestial years, or 864,000 years of our time.
It’s followed by Kali-yuga, the last era of the cycle, the era we are currently
living. This age started 5,123 years ago, exactly at the time Krsna left this
world. In the Surya Siddhanta is described a particular alignment of planets
(very inauspicious according to astrology) that happens at the start of this
era, a piece of information confirmed by modern calculations.
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There is a great shift in consciousness after the end of Dwapara-yuga. With

the beginning of Kali-yuga, humanity descends to a gross dimension, where
we don’t have contact with higher beings (more about that in chapter 15).
During this age, our planet is basically quarantined. This idea explains why
we can’t find much evidence of evolved civilizations from the past: these
were evolved humans, who were living in the subtle dimension, to which
we don’t have access in our time. As a result, when we dig the ground we
can find only bones and stone artifacts from aboriginal humans that were
living in the same gross dimension as ourselves.

During Kali-yuga, humanity slowly degrades, as beings from the lower

realms get the opportunity of taking birth on our planet to accumulate a
new set of Karma. This is also the shortest of the four eras, lasting for just
1,200 celestial years, or 432,000 years of our time.

An easy way to remember the length of the four eras is to remember that
Dwapara-Yuga lasts for 2 times the period of Kali-Yuga, Treta-Yuga for 3
times, and Satya-Yuga for 4 times as long. Combined, the four eras last for
10 times as long as Kali-Yuga.

At the beginning of the age of Kali, people live for about 100 years, but just
as before the life expectancy gradually diminishes as time goes on. As
people from this age have short lifespans and are not capable of
concentrating for long periods, the recommended process for
self-realization is the path of Bhakti-yoga, and especially the process of
sankirtana.

As Kali-yuga progresses, good qualities such as truthfulness, self-control,

simplicity, nonviolence, freedom from anger, tranquility, compassion,
gentleness, and forgiveness gradually decrease, and bad qualities such as
lust, anger, greed, illusion, and enviousness increase, creating a difficult
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condition, especially for persons trying to follow a spiritually progressive

path.

As Kali-yuga progresses, humanity degrades to such an extent that people

gradually lose their humanity and descend into complete barbarism. It’s
described in the Srimad Bhagavatam that by the end of Kali-yuga the
planet’s ecosystem will be polluted and destroyed to such an extent that
agriculture will become impossible. Animals will become much smaller and
people will live for no more than 20 years. People will live mainly on meat
and cannibalism will be rampant. People will have to work very hard to get
just a few morsels of food. Moral principles will completely disappear and
people will be prepared to kill for the slightest gain.

It’s narrated that by the end of this period the Avatara Kalki comes.
Aniquilating the oppressive kings and soldiers that by the time will be no
more than plunderers of the poor citizens, he creates the conditions for the
beginning of a new Golden Age. Under the guidance of superior beings,
humanity is restored to its original state, and a new Satya-yuga starts,
marking the beginning of a new cycle.
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Chapter 12:
Dawn of a new Golden Age

In the previous chapter, we studied the cycles of four eras explained in the
Vedas, as well as the progression of events in Kali-yuga, the age we live in.
Kali-yuga lasts for 432,000 years from which only 5,123 years have passed.
In other words, there’s still a long way to go.

By studying recent history, we can see that Kali-yuga is not a very bright
period for humanity, with constant wars, degradation, and examples of
inhuman cruelty. According to the Vedas, all of this happens as a predicted
cosmic cycle of events, which is connected with the spiritual level of the
souls allowed to take birth on our planet in each part of the cycle.

Being part of the intermediary planetary system, our planet is a place

where souls from all over the cosmos come to perform activities, make
their choices, and thus create a new set of karma that is going to determine
their future destinations. In this sense, we can imagine our planet as a
universal airport, where people can decide where to go next. Souls who
perform pious activities take their next birth on higher planets, where they
can have the association of evolved beings and thus get the chance of
progressing further, while souls who cultivate bad habits and commit
violence to others go to the lower planets, where they take birth amongst
similarly inclined souls.

Similarly, souls take birth at one of the four ages according to their
previous karma and their level of consciousness. In Satya-yuga, only highly
elevated souls can take birth on this planet, and therefore the spiritual
level is quite high. The entrance barrier is progressively lower on Treta and
Dwapara Yuga, and thus the spiritual level of the society is similarly lesser.
 105

In Kali-yuga there is practically no entrance barrier, and therefore we have

all kinds of problems.

Since our situation in this age is so complicated, there is also a great

opportunity for spiritual advancement through the process of sankirtana.
What would take thousands of years of practice of Ashtanga-yoga in
Satya-yuga to achieve can be quickly obtained in our age. This opportunity
makes this era actually quite fortunate, to the extent that beings from
higher planetary systems desire to take birth on our planet during this age.

Is exactly this possibility of quick spiritual progression, combined with the

presence of souls coming from higher realms that leads to the predictions
of a Golden Age amid our modern age, a glimmer of hope for the ones that
are not interested in experiencing the rigors of the later stages of this age.

In the Brahma Vaivarta Purana, it’s predicted that the first 5,000 thousand
years of Kali-yuga, would be a period of darkness. Studying history we can
see that it was indeed so, with the dark ages, slavery, wars, and so on.
Fortunately, this period is passing. Now we are in the second part of the
predictions. The Brahma Vaivarta Purana (4.90.32-33) states that after this
period, an age of spiritual progress would emerge. During half of this
period, the river Ganges will be present, alongside temples and the study of
the sacred scriptures, and in the second half, spiritual knowledge will be
propagated by enlightened spiritual teachers traveling through the planet.

Similarly, the Bhavishya Purana (20.71-73) states that persons born in

western countries will practice this spiritual knowledge, becoming
Brahmanas by initiation and qualification, and will propagate this
knowledge around the world. Through their efforts, humanity will change
in a course of just a few generations, leading to an ascending period of
spiritual prosperity.
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The conditions for this Golden Age were set by the appearance of Caitanya
Mahaprabhu in the 15th century. Although geographically limited to India,
the spiritual movement started by Him created the conditions for this
gradual shift.

Just like other acaryas who lived in the past centuries, Srila Bhaktivinoda
Thakura made a few predictions about the appearance of this golden age.
In fact, many of them already materialized, like the one that the sankirtana
movement of Mahaprabhu would spread in the western countries, and
English, French, Russian, German, and American people would join forces
to push it further forward.

Another prophecy is that a magnificent temple built in Mayapur, West

Bengal, the birth site of Caitanya Mahaprabhu would be a milestone in the
appearance of this golden age, serving as a catalyst for the growing
spiritual wave. This temple, the ToVP, is going to be inaugurated soon, so
we may see some expressive changes still in our lifetimes.
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In the Srimad Bhagavatam (SB 11.5.38) it’s mentioned how enlightened

souls who lived in other eras, as well as inhabitants of higher planetary
systems, take advantage of the opportunity to take birth on this planet and
thus conclude their spiritual practice and ascend to the transcendental
realm. While here, they act as enlightened teachers, helping the rest of
humanity to reach the same higher goal. This combination of people from
this age that attain enlightenment through spiritual practice and elevated
souls from previous eras and higher planetary systems has the potential to
gradually turn the tide of materialism, leading to a revival of spiritual
values, combined with growing material prosperity. This is a trend that
tends to continue for some time as the Golden Age takes hold, a global
spiritual awakening that can lead to a very fortunate period.

It may seem hard to believe, but sometimes global changes can happen
quite fast. Who could predict, in 1970, that in 50 years 11% of the
population of the United States would be vegetarian or vegan, and that a
global network would connect the whole world population? This process of
gradual spiritual growth will continue until most of humanity will become
spiritually advanced. The progression may not be linear, there may be
periods with difficulties or even a few global catastrophes, but the general
tendency during this period will be of improvement. As these fortunate
souls conclude their spiritual advancement and move towards the
transcendental realm or the higher planetary systems, the percentage of
the population not interested in spiritual cultivation will again gradually
increase, leading to a descending period.

You can imagine this in the form of two lines in a graph. In the ascending
period, the line representing spiritually advanced people slowly increases,
while the line representing materialistic people gradually declines. This
continues until most people become spiritually advanced, leading to the
blossoming years of the Golden Age. However, as these souls leave the
planet, going toward higher realms, new souls take birth here and thus the
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percentage of materialists starts to increase again, leading to a descending

period, where the spiritual level of society will slowly decay over a period of
a few thousand years.

Again, people will gradually become materialistic and hedonistic, and

humanity will slowly degrade, both culturally and spiritually. People will
become angry and cruel, and life will again become difficult and full of
anxieties. As the last advanced souls leave the planet, the stage will be set
for the remaining 417,000 years of Kali-Yuga, which will not be a very good
period to be born into.

However, instead of being concerned about the dark times ahead, the best
for us is to dedicate our time to cultivating self-realization now. These
events of Kali-yuga take place because many adopt a selfish and
exploitative nature, polluting and exploiting the natural resources, as well
as fellow human beings, and thus eventually have to face the karmic
consequences. By following a different path, we become eligible for going
back to Godhead, or at least for taking our next birth in the higher
planetary systems, creating a much brighter future for ourselves. Part of it
is to also enlighten others, spreading the message so others can also
benefit from it.
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Chapter 13:
Cosmic cycles

In the previous chapters, we studied the cycles of four eras that affect our
planet. The cycles of Satya-yuga, Treta-yuga, Dwapara-yuga, and Kali-yuga
go on cyclically like the seasons of the year.

Each complete cycle of four eras is called chatur-yuga, or divya-yuga, and it

lasts for a total of 12,000 celestial years or 4.32 million years. It may seem
like a very long period, but it’s just a moment in the cosmic scale of time.

It’s described, for example, that inhabitants of Indraloka live for 10,000
celestial years. From there, we can see that not only the living standard but
also the perception of time on different planets of the cosmos differ.
What’s almost a complete universal cycle for us, is just a lifetime for such
higher beings.

The cycle that affects the inhabitants of the higher planetary systems more
directly is the Manvantara. To understand this next cycle we need to
understand how our universe is managed.

Although the modern understanding is that everything works by just the

combination of physical laws, the Vedas explain that the different forces
that control the universe are under the supervision of the Devas, like Indra,
Surya, Vayu, etc. Although the term “Deva” is usually translated as
“demigod”, the Devas are also mortal beings. It’s just that because of their
high qualification they receive positions of trust where they become
responsible for controlling the forces of nature. Their positions can be
compared with those of ministers, who although regular human beings,
receive the power and responsibility of looking over certain aspects of the
 110

state. The names attributed to them are actually posts that are occupied at
different times by different personalities. The current Indra, for example, is
called Purandara, and the next will be Bali.

A manvantara is composed of 71 chatur-yugas and lasts for a total of

852,000 celestial years or 306,720,000 years in Jambudvipa. The events at
the end of a Manvantara are much more dramatic than the events of the
end of kali-yuga, resonating all over the cosmos.

All the Devas, led by Manu, live for the period of a single Manvantara.
When the period is concluded, they pass away and a new generation of
Devas has to take their places. During this time there are many
disturbances in the universe and it takes some time until things get back on
track. During this period, life on most planets ceases almost completely,
and everything starts again with the advent of a new Manu, who receives
the mission of repopulating the universe with all the different species of
life. This period of transition is called Sandhya, and it lasts for 1.728 million
years.

The next cosmic cycle is called a Kalpa, and it lasts for a total of 4.32 billion
years. At the end of this period, all the gross planets and other structures
of the universe are destroyed, and only the material elements remain. All
the lower planets, as well as the terrestrial realms of Bhu-Mandala and
Swargaloka, are completely destroyed. It's narrated in the
Brhad-Bhagavatamrta that only the higher realms of Jana-Loka, Tapa-Loka,
and Brahmaloka remain. Even the powerful sages of Maharloka are forced
to emigrate to Jana-Loka at this time, since their planetary system becomes
too hot, even for them. After the end of the cycle, there is a long period of
darkness that persists for another 4.32 billion years.
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The Kalpa cycles correspond to the days and nights of Lord Brahma. During
the 4.32 billion years of his day, the different cycles of the Universe go on,
and the Universe remains dormant during the 4.32 billion years of his
night.

Although very powerful, Brahma is a mortal being, just like us. However,
due to his great qualification, he receives the responsibility of
administering the Universe, like a king or president. It may look like a
prestigious position, but in reality it’s a quite difficult job. Most of us
already have trouble maintaining a small family with a few children.
Imagine having a whole Universe depending on you. It’s narrated, for
example, that long ago, Brahma fell asleep during his day, which triggered
 112

a partial devastation of the Universe! This illustrates how things can go

wrong with Brama’s slightest inattentiveness.

When the Universe is destroyed, all the souls who take part in it enter into
a state of deep sleep. Just like we have to sleep at the end of a busy day,
everyone has to sleep during this period, it’s just that this slumber lasts
much longer. When Brahma finally wakes up, he has to recreate the
Universe from the material elements left from the previous cycle, allowing
all the souls to get new bodies and start again their activities from where
they stopped last time.

As part of this process, Brahma has to re-create all the planets, as well as
repopulate the Universe, starting from the most elevated beings. One
personality who has a pivotal role in this is Manu, who is in charge of
creating the first representatives of each species on each planet, as well as
supervising the universal affairs. Just like in the case of the Devas, “Manu”
is not a name, but a post that is occupied by different personalities at
different times. As mentioned, Manu works in cooperation with the
demigods to maintain the order of the cosmos. Each team of a Manu and
different demigods lives for a Manvantara, and there is a succession of 14
different teams during a Kalpa.

If you try to do the calculation, the numbers at first will not add up. Each
Manvantara corresponds to 71 chatur-yugas, and thus 14 Manvantaras
correspond to just 994 chatur-yugas instead of 1000. This difference
corresponds to the duration of the initial creation, as well as the sandhyas
at the end of each Manvantara. We can say that each Manvantara includes
71 complete cycles of chatur-yugas and there are a few other fragments
left over, corresponding to the sandhyas. Including these fragments, the
number adds up to exactly 4.32 billion years.
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According to the Vedas, we are in the 28th Kali-yuga of the 7th manvantara
of the current day of Brahma. In other words, we are close to the middle of
his day. We can thus calculate that the Universe already went through
about 2.281 billion years of this particular cycle of creation. It may sound
like a very long time, but this is nothing compared to the total age of the
Universe.

According to the Vedas, we are on the first day of the 51st year of the life of
Brahma. This means that our Brahma already lived half of his life, which
equals 18,000 cycles of creation and destruction. In total, our Universe is
more than 155 trillion years old.

Brahma lives for a total of 311.04 trillion years, an extremely long time.
During this period the universe goes through 36,000 cycles of creation and
destruction, corresponding to the passage of his days and nights. After this
period, Brahma finally reaches the end of his life. With his death, the
universe is completely destroyed.

Here we come to another difference. We measure time by solar years,

which have 365 days, but the Vedas inform us that years in all the high
planetary systems have 360 days. This includes the realms of Bhuvar-Loka,
Swarga-Loka, Mahar-Loka, Jana-Loka, Tapa-Loka and Brahma-Loka. We also
have years with 360 days on our planet when the lunar calendar is used,
which was done in many ancient cultures, including the Vedic cultures of
India.

In any case, even the mind-boggling 311.04 trillion years of the life of
Brahma are not the end. After an equally long period, the universe is
created again by Maha-Visnu. There is a new Brahma and a new cycle of
311.04 trillion years starts. Again, all the different cycles repeat.
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That’s the secret behind these detailed descriptions of the future offered in
the Vedas. Time in our plane works in a circular way, with the same general
events repeating cyclically, just like a theatrical performance that is staged
again and again, with the same script but different actors. The higher
beings that transmitted this knowledge can see the circular nature of time,
and they share this knowledge with us in the form of the Vedas, so we can
understand how the cycles work and make the best out of it. We tend to
think that our everyday events are so important, but they are just an
imperceptible blip in the vast scale of universal affairs.
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Chapter 14:
How the cosmic dates given in the Vedas
match modern science

One question I always had about the dates of the creation of our planet
and other cosmic dates given in the Puranas is that they are quite close to
the dates given in modern science, but the numbers are always about half
of the results found by modern methods.

To put it in context, we should keep in mind that except for the Vedas, all
the dates for the creation of the cosmos from ancient civilizations are
radically different from modern science. Or no specific dates are given (like
in Greek Mythology), or the creation of the Universe is dated to just a few
thousand years back. Orthodox Christians in Russia believed the world was
created in 5508 B.C., the Hebrew Calendar starts at 3760 B.C. (the date they
believe the world was created), while the Mayas believed the world was
created in 3641 B.C. As far as I know, the Vedas are the only ancient branch
of knowledge that offers dates for the creation of the solar system, as well
as dates for mass extinction events that are in the same scale of time as
modern calculations.

Nowadays different scientific dating methods are used, such as radiometric

dating with potassium-argon, rubidium-strontium, and uranium,
sclerochronometry, cosmic background radiation, baryon acoustic
oscillations, and so on. These different methods give slightly different dates
for the creation of the Solar System and other events, but the dates are all
close together. They all put the date of the creation of the Solar System at
about 4.5 billion years ago. Similarly, different dating methods put the
Permian–Triassic extinction at about 250 million years ago.
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Although all scientific methods based on sense perception are fallible,

when radically different methods lead to very similar results, the chance of
all being completely wrong simultaneously becomes quite small. Science
should not be followed blindly, but it can't be completely dismissed either.

The interesting point is that the Puranas mention both events. The creation
of the solar system equals the creation at the beginning of the day of
Brahma, while the Permian–Triassic extinction matches the description of
the extinction that happened at the end of the last Manu (which led to the
pastime of Matsya Avatara). However, the dates given by the Puranas to
both are about half of the dates given by modern studies, at respectively
2.281 billion years and 125.576 million years. We can see that the numbers
diverge by a factor of two.

The key to solving this mystery came with the work of Madhavendra Puri
das and Siddharth Chhabra, published in the book "The Big Bang and The
Sages". In their research, they discovered a commentary by Sridhar Swami
(the original commentator of Srimad Bhagavatam) on Vishnu Purana (1.3.7)
which led to the conclusion that a day in Bhu-Mandala equals two days of
our time. This discovery was named “Sridhara Swami’s factor of two”.

All the dates given in the Puranas are given in accordance with the time in
Bhu-Mandala, but time in other parts of the cosmos goes at different rates.
Historically, Puranic scholars believe that time on our planet flows at the
same rate as time in Bhu-Mandala, but the discovery that time here
actually goes faster has several implications.

The first implication is that since two years here equals one year in
Bhu-Mandala, we need to multiply all the cosmic dates given in the Puranas
per two to get the actual dates of events according to the time on our
planet. With this adjustment, we come to the staggering realization that the
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dates given in the Puranas almost exactly match the dates given in modern
science!

The date of the creation of the solar system given in the Puranas is thus
4.562 billion earthly years ago (2.281 billion x 2), and the date for the great
mass extinction at the end of the reign of the last Manu began 251.15
million earthly years ago (107.575 million x 2). These numbers almost
exactly match the 4.567 billion years and 251.9 million years given by
modern studies.

As the dating processes used by modern researchers are not 100%

accurate (especially in such large scales of time) and the methods and
techniques can still be refined, it’s quite possible that in the future they will
come to numbers that will be even closer to the numbers given in the
Puranas, proving that the knowledge of the Puranas is correct.

What is even more interesting is that when Sridhara Swami’s factor of two
is taken into account, the Puranas give the correct date for the beginning of
the Universe. It's mentioned that we are living on the first day of the
second half of the life of Brahma. In other words, Brahma already
completed 50 years of his life and we are precisely on the first day after
that.

As mentioned in Srimad Bhagavatam 3.11.34, as well as in other

references, the life of Brahma is divided into two parardhas, each
corresponding to 50 years of his life. What is more interesting, however, is
that the Vayu Purana (2.38.240) mentions that all the constituents of the
Universe last for a single parardha, and at the end of this period they are
completely dissolved.

At the end of each day of Brahma, the universe is partially destroyed, but
all the material elements, as well as the higher planets of the universe,
 118

remain. However, at the end of the first half of his life complete destruction
takes place, and all the planets, as well as the material elements, are fully
disintegrated and the universe is created anew.

This is confirmed in the commentary of Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura

on SB 3.11.37, where he mentions that all the high planetary systems,
including Mahar-loka, Jana-loka, Tapa-loka and Satya-loka were dissolved at
the end of the first half of Brahma’s life, and all the sages living in these
lokas entered the body of Maha-Vishnu and had to wait until the next
creation at the beginning of the current day of Brahma. Still according to
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, the current Kalpa is called
Padma-kalpa, which indicates that in this Kalpa all the planetary systems
are created anew from the material elements deposited in the steam of
Brahma’s lotus flower.

By this description, we can understand that such complete devastation

happened at the end of the previous day of Brahma. After this event, there
were 8.64 billion years (4.32 billion x 2) of the night of Brahma. After this,
there were 616 million years of the Manvantara Sandhya (308 million x 2),
plus 4.562 billion years (2.281 x 2) since the creation of our solar system.
This brings the total since the total annihilation to 13.819 billion years of
the time on our planet.

It happens that the most widespread estimation of the date of the

beginning of the universe in scientific circles is 13.801 billion years ago.
Again, we can see that the modern date almost perfectly matches the date
given in the Puranas!

It's important to note that Brahma is not the direct creator of everything
we see in the sky. It's mentioned that Brahma creates the solar system as
well as a number of stars and planets. Considering the multidimensional
nature of our Universe, it’s difficult to understand how exactly the creation
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of Brahma matches what we see when we look into the sky, but taking into
consideration the staggering dimensions of the observable Universe, it
would not be a huge leap of faith to speculate that most of our galaxy, as
well as other galaxies we see in the sky, are other features of our universe
created by material nature. If it's so, it’s not strange that this work could go
on while the Brahma of our universe was sleeping.

In the description given in the Puranas, the creation of Brahma is relatively

small. Bhu-Mandala, which spreads horizontally inside the shell of the
universe, has just 500 million yojanas (4 billion miles) in diameter, which
roughly corresponds to the size of the solar system. The vertical dimension
is more difficult to measure because there is the possibility that the length
of the yojana may change as we go higher (following the change in the
perception of distance of the inhabitants of higher planets) but if we would
not take this into consideration, then the universe would also measure
roughly 4 billion miles in the vertical dimension.

Outside of Brahma's creation, there are the seven coverings of the

universe, composed of primordial matter. The first covering is composed of
primordial earth, and is 10 times bigger than the universe itself, with a
diameter of 5 billion yojanas. The second covering is composed of
primordial water, and extends for 10 times the length of the first covering,
a total of 50 billion yojanas. In this way, each of the other coverings (fire,
air, sky, the total material energy, and false ego) is 10 times larger than the
previous. According to the Brhad Bhagavatamrta, not only all these
coverings are inhabited, but souls living there have access to a level of
sense enjoyment that we can’t even conceive. It’s described that elevated
souls have the opportunity of stopping on these different coverings and
satisfying any remaining material desires before leaving for the
transcendental realm.
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When taking into account all the coverings, the size of the Vedic Universe is
on a similar scale to what modern scientists believe to be the size of our
Milky Way Galaxy. Apart from our tiny universe, there are other universes
created by other Brahmas, as well as the vastness of the causal ocean, and
all of this combined corresponds to just one-quarter of the total creation
(the other three quarters being the spiritual planets).

One may be inclined to conclude that the solar system is the creation of
Brahma, the rest of the Milky Way galaxy corresponds to the seven
coverings of the universe and other galaxies correspond to the creation of
other Brahmas. While this would be a logical conclusion, it’s probably not
correct. Sadaputa Prabhu, for example, argues that we are not supposed to
be able to see outside of the seven coverings, and that’s also the
conclusion of Srila Prabhupada on SB 5.21.11p.

It could very well be that the length of the yojana changes as we go up in

the vertical dimension and thus our universe is practically infinite. In this
case, it would not be very difficult to imagine that everything we see in the
sky is part of our own universe, and the universes created by other
Brahmas are completely separated from ours. The image below may help
to understand this concept:
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This image is an artistic representation of the modern understanding of the

observable universe with our solar system in the middle and the rest of the
structures of our Milky Way galaxy, as well as other galaxies positioned
around it, with the distances increasing at a logarithmic scale. This means
that everything becomes exponentially smaller as we move away from the
center of the image. In this way, we have our solar system in the center,
surrounded by the other stars of the Milky Way galaxy and by other
galaxies.

We can notice that it’s actually very similar to artistic representations of the
Vedic Universe where the seven coverings are also depicted on a
logarithmic scale. In reality, each one of the coverings is 10 times the
circumference of the previous, with the first covering being 10 times the
circumference of the Universe itself. However, to keep things in a
manageable size, these illustrations depict a big Universe and narrow
coverings around it, similar to the previous illustration. When we see from
this perspective, these two views of the Universe are actually not so
different:
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Goloka Chart

Another point to consider is that in modern astronomy it’s believed that all
stars we see in the sky are similar in nature to our sun, emitting enormous
quantities of light. All the distances are thus calculated under this
assumption, which leads to the gigantic distances mentioned in modern
observations.

The Vedas, however, insist that the stars we see in the sky are
fundamentally different in nature from our sun, emitting rather modest
amounts of light. For someone observing from Earth, it’s very difficult to
understand if it’s one or the other, because all stars appear as just small
dots of light in the sky. There is thus the possibility that our Universe may
actually be much smaller than believed by modern science, with the stars
being much smaller and much closer together. Even if it would not be the
case in our gross dimension, we can’t tell how things work in higher
dimensions.

In the end, we just need to accept that the material cosmos is much more
complex than we can conceive and there are many structures that we just
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don't understand. The knowledge given in the Vedas helps us to

understand the general structure of the Universe and presents us with an
opportunity to find our way out of it, but we should not expect that we will
ever be able to fully understand everything we can see in the sky.

In any case, the current cycle of creation of the universe started when
Brahma went to sleep at the end of his previous day, a date that almost
exactly matches the estimates of modern studies.

The Puranas also describe the process of destruction of our solar system,
which will happen in a little over 4 billion years (one can actually calculate
the exact number based on the information given, but I prefer to give an
approximate number since we don’t understand exactly how long these
events take place). The destruction starts a little before the end of the day
of Brahma and is concluded by the time he goes to sleep.

It's described (Vayu Purana 2.38) that the sun will become red, like an
incandescent ball of iron and its size will increase seven times, scorching
Bhu-Mandala and the heavenly planetary systems, destroying all forms of
life in these places. Only great sages living in the planetary systems of
Maharloka and upwards will survive this devastation and continue living
during the night of Brahma.

This description also matches the current theory that our sun will become
a red giant in the future, destroying most of the planets in our solar
system. Modern estimates calculate that this process will start in between
3.5 and 5 billion years. Again, we can see that the date given in the Puranas
fits this range given by modern studies.

The Vayu Purana also mentions that after this process the sun will
disintegrate, ejecting gigantic luminous clouds in all directions. This also
matches the modern theory that after about 150 million years of the red
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giant phase the sun will explode into a large planetary nebula, ejecting
clouds of hot plasma in all directions and becoming a white dwarf. Again,
this matches the description of darkness during the night of Brahma.

The main difference between modern theories and the Puranas is that
modern theories predict that the universe will continue indefinitely until
the sun and all stars exhaust their fuel and the universe just becomes a
dark and cold wasteland. The Puranas give a more optimistic revelation,
showing how not only the stars will continue shining for a much longer
period (311,032 trillion earthly years, until the next complete devastation),
but our solar system will be re-created at the start of the next day of
Brahma.

All these numbers and details are very strong proof of the superior nature
of the knowledge of the Vedas. How could it be that sages living in the
forest could come to numbers so close to modern estimates without access
to any kind of modern equipment? The only possible explanation is that the
knowledge of the Puranas was received from superior sources.
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Chapter 15:
Are we living in a different dimension
than people from other eras?

The Universe described in the Puranas is clearly multi-dimensional. It's

easy to understand that we don't live in the same dimension as the
demigods for example. The moon is described as a paradisiacal place,
where the inhabitants live extremely long lives in great opulence, but when
we go there in our rockets we see only rocks and dust.

However, one interesting ramification of the idea that two days on our
planet equals one day in Jambudvipa is that since time flows at a faster rate
for us, it means we are not exactly living in Bhu-Mandala, but in a gross
representation of it, that is lower in the cosmical hierarchy. In other words,
we are currently living in a lower dimension than people from previous
ages.

It's important to remember in this connection that time flows at a faster

rate in the lower planetary systems and at a slower rate in the higher
planetary systems. If time is flowing at a faster rate for us, it proves we are
actually living in a lower position relative to Bhu-Mandala in the scale
based on levels of consciousness described in the Puranas. This also helps
to explain many other incongruences we can find between the world we
can observe and the descriptions of the scriptures.

For example, based on the descriptions, we know for sure that people of
previous ages lived in Jambudvipa. There are many descriptions of the
geographical features of their land. The trouble is that these descriptions
don't match our current geography. It's mentioned that India was 72,000
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miles (9000 yojanas) from north to south, and the Himalayas were 80,000
miles high, for example.

People from Vedic times were not stupid, they were used to walking from
north to south of India and many would climb the Himalayas. They would
not take the current 3,214 km from one extreme to the other of India for
72,000 miles, nor the 8,848 meters of the Himalayas for 80,000 miles. The
only explanation is that they indeed lived in a higher dimension where
things are indeed bigger.

Something similar happens with the moon. The celestial moon is described
as being much further away and much bigger. However, the
four-dimensional projection of the moon we can see in the sky has a
diameter of just 3,474 km.

Another point is that the population in previous eras was much bigger than
nowadays. It's mentioned that King Citraketu had 10,000,000 wives, all of
them princesses. If there were 10 million princesses at that time, the total
population must have been in the trillions. It would not be possible for
such a huge population to live on the same planet we live on, but if in their
dimension the earth is so much bigger, as described, then it would be
perfectly feasible.

It's also described that people in previous ages were much taller. Some
references speak about people being 6+ meters tall. If they were living in
the same dimension as us, it would be difficult to miss all the bones and
other artifacts left by such giants. It would be all over the place. However,
that’s not what is found in archeological excavations. Many bones are
found, but these are bones from animals and primates, not from human
beings similar to us. Even in Kuruksetra, where millions of people died and
so many weapons were fired, very little is found.
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This idea of advanced human beings from previous ages living in a

different dimension also matches other descriptions from the Puranas. It's
mentioned, for example, that there are currently a number of sages from
previous eras living in Badarikasrama, including Vyasadeva and potentially
even Uddhava. However, no one was ever able to find such a place. It's
usually concluded that this is so because these sages live in a subtle
dimension, and only qualified persons can contact them (like in the case of
Srila Madvacarya, who was able to personally meet Srila Vyasadeva).

If such sages from previous ages live in a subtle dimension, would it not
make sense to believe that other people like the Pandavas also similarly
lived in a subtle dimension? Arjuna went to Swargaloka after all, how could
a human being with a gross body do so? If the Pandavas had subtle bodies,
and they were interacting with all kinds of people, it would imply that most
people at their time lived in a similar subtle dimension.

By all these different details we can speculate that we currently live in a

gross representation of Bharata Varsa, which is much smaller than the
"real" Bharata Varsa where people lived in previous eras. Because we live in
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a gross dimension, we don't find bones and other artifacts when we dig the
ground and time flows at a faster rate for us. We can't access (or even see)
the other parts of Jambudvipa, and so on.

It's worth mentioning that there is little archeological evidence of advanced

human civilizations in the distant past on our planet. If people from
previous ages were living in a different dimension, it’s perfectly feasible
that our gross planet was previously inhabited only by animals and
primitive human beings who lived in the same gross dimension we do.

When we consider all these details, the explanations given in the Puranas
make perfect sense, both in the light of our sense perception and modern
studies. As mentioned, this is proof of the divine nature of Vedic
knowledge.
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Chapter 16:
The journey of a soul through the
Universe

In the previous chapters, we studied the structure of the Universe, as well

as the concept of space and time according to the Vedas.

This chapter is dedicated to describing the journey of a soul through the

Universe. This is our story: how we came to the place we are now, and
where we can go from here.

The model of the universe described in the Puranas is focused on

describing the different planetary systems, giving us a map of the different
realms of the cosmos and the standard of consciousness one has to
develop to access each of them. Although described as disks, these
different planetary systems are more like different levels of consciousness
that one has access to according to his purity and advancement in spiritual
knowledge.

In other words, the Vedas give us a map that helps us to understand where
we are, and what is the path to reach the desired destination. The material
universe is incredibly big and complex, and a soul can follow innumerable
different paths, transmigrating from one body to the next in the wheel of
samsara. By understanding this process, we can chalk a brighter path for
ourselves, and help others. The secret to understanding this explanation is
to not try to match these different locations with different stars and
galaxies, but to try to understand the different levels of consciousness of
the inhabitants there.
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We understand that we are not the body, nor the mind, but a spiritual
particle of pure consciousness, who is independent of the body. Just as one
may change his clothes, abandoning the previous ones that are old or
damaged, a soul changes to another body when it becomes too old or
damaged. When a soul abandons one particular body, we call it “death”,
and when he accepts a new body, we call it “birth”. This is a cycle that is
going on for a very long time.

The Vedas explain that there are 8,400,000 forms of life in this universe,
amongst which there are 400,000 species of intelligent life, spread through
different planets. Different from the modern scientific definition, which
classifies species according to their capacity of generating viable offspring,
the species described in the Vedas describe different levels of
consciousness. A dog living on a different planet may have a different type
of body, and thus not be able to mate with a she-dog from the Earth, but
still, they are considered one species according to the Vedas, since they
have the same level of consciousness.

The souls transmigrate through these different species of life according to

their consciousness, actions, and desires in the cycle of samsara. But when
did this start? When is it going to end? How does the spiritual soul enter
into this material universe, and how can he leave?

It’s explained that every soul has an eternal relationship with Krsna, a
spiritual identity that is eternal and unbreakable. This identity is the true
ego or the real identity of the soul. How the soul can go from this position
of eternal bliss to the perpetual struggle in the material world is a mystery.
However, when this happens, the journey of the soul inside the material
realm starts in the Karana Ocean, on the border between the spiritual
plane and the material energy. Just like to enter a country one has to pass
through its border, similarly, the Karana ocean is a border between the two
words, a borderline position between the spiritual and the material.
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Goloka chart
 132

The Karana ocean contains the sum of the material energy but at an
unmanifested state. One way to see it is as an ocean as it is described in
poetic language. Another is as a cloud, an unmanifested mass that covers
part of the spiritual sky, and yet another way to see it is as a river, that acts
as a frontier between the spiritual and material worlds. The same thing is
described in these three different ways in the scriptures, according to the
idea being emphasized.

To create the material universes, Krsna expands Himself as Maha-Vishnu,

Who lays down in the Karana ocean, creating the material universes and
impregnating the material energy with the innumerable souls who desire
to take part in the material creation.

In the Karana ocean, the soul is still in an almost pure state and enjoys a
degree of spiritual bliss. However, desiring variety the soul assumes the
covering of the false ego, which brings him to material designations. False
ego means to accept an identity that is not one's original spiritual position.
Under the influence of the false ego, the soul accepts the identity of human
beings, demigods, animals, and other species.

The false ego leads to the other coverings of the soul: intelligence and mind
(that form the subtle body), the senses, and finally the gross body.

The Karana ocean is the ultimate destination for followers of the sunyavada
doctrine (Buddhists), who call it Nirvana. This is a place where one is free
from material duality but doesn't have access to the varieties of the
spiritual kingdom. Souls can stay for a long time there, in perfect peace,
but the desire for variety makes them eventually fall into the material
universes.

Descending from an almost pure state, the soul takes his first birth in
Satyaloka (or Brahmaloka), the most elevated planet inside this material
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universe. There he lives a very long life, full of knowledge and free of
miseries. In fact, it’s described that the only suffering the inhabitants living
there experience is compassion for the inhabitants of the lower planets,
who don't enjoy the same standard of living. Due to this, some of these
inhabitants take birth on the lower planets, as philosophers and spiritual
teachers to share their knowledge and thus help others to progress on the
spiritual path.

The point is that although very long, the life of the inhabitants of
Brahmaloka is limited. Time ticks for them the same way it ticks for us.
When the time comes, they need to move out. The problem is that being
Brahmaloka the most elevated planet in the universe, there are only two
possibilities: To get out, and go back to the spiritual realm, or to go down,
to some of the lower planets.

The souls who become further entangled with matter go down on the
second path and take birth in one of the upper planetary systems situated
directly below Brahmaloka: Tapoloka, Janaloka, or Maharloka. These are
subtle planetary systems where high pious souls live. The ones that are
very pure and attracted to meditation live in the first two, while the ones
that are attracted to discipline and pious deeds live in the third.

Again, the soul has the choice of going up or down. The ones that are
serious about self-realization may attain liberation and go back to the
spiritual planets, or even take another birth in Brahmaloka, but others that
become yet more entangled with matter go down, taking birth in
Swargaloka, the celestial planets.

Pious souls live on these planets in great delight, having the opportunity of
satisfying their sensual desires. The women there are called apsaras, and
are just like angels, with exquisite beauty and irresistible feminine charms,
while the men are extremely strong, intelligent, and handsome. Being
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pious, people are good-natured and innocent, there is very little anger or
envy there. This planetary system matches very well the descriptions of
paradise we have in other religious scriptures.

A common characteristic of all the upper planets, down to Swargaloka, is

that the inhabitants there live a completely natural lifestyle, in harmony
with nature. They have mystic perfections that allow them to manipulate
matter at will, and thus they don’t require machines.

Each of the celestial planets in swargaloka is presided by a particular

demigod, who apart from taking part in the maintenance of the Universe,
maintains the inhabitants of his own planet.

The problem with Swargaloka is that because of the practically unlimited

opportunity for sense gratification, most souls use their time there to
simply enjoy heavenly delights instead of pursuing the path of
self-realization. Therefore, after a long life there (10,000 celestial years, or
3,600,000 years of our time) the soul falls again.

The ones who have a little bit of pious credit left, take a last birth in
heavenly conditions in one of the earthly kingdoms of Bhu-mandala. The
inhabitants there have lower standards of body, but they still enjoy a
comfortable living, not as good as the inhabitants of Swargaloka but still
quite comfortable.

These celestial locations are just like vacation resorts where the ones that
are falling from higher realms, or who performed pious deeds in the past
are allowed to stay for some time to enjoy their remaining good karma.
Instead of dollars or euros, the stay there is paid for by one’s pious deeds.
However, just as one has to leave a resort when his money finishes, one
has to leave these heavenly locations when his past merits are exhausted.
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Having exhausted his pious credits, the soul takes his next birth on this
earthly planet. It’s described that the souls fall to this realm with the rain.
They get thus transferred to different plants that grow grains. Taking
shelter in these grains, the soul is transferred to the semen of a man, and
finally to a fetus when there is conception. This is the place we are now.

Planet Earth or Bharatha Varsa is one of the planets in the intermediary

system. This is a place where the inhabitants experience a mixture of
conditions from higher and lower planets. There is heat, but there is also
cold. There is happiness, but there is also suffering. There is goodness, but
also cruelty. There is love, and there is hate. There is peace, but there is
also war. This is a world of extremes, where we have contact with both
good and bad. A place of duality.

The soul is originally pure, but as one goes downwards inside the material
universe he becomes progressively more involved with lower qualities, like
lust, anger, and greed. This degrades one's consciousness and makes one
go progressively deep in the sequence of different planetary systems. This
continues to a certain point, where he again comes in contact with spiritual
knowledge, be it through a book, a friend, or a spiritual teacher, and
decides to start his way back, this time progressing back to higher levels of
consciousness.

Our planet is described in the Vedas as Karma-ksetra, a place where souls

who exhaust their past karma go to execute different activities and thus
create a new baggage of Karma which will determine their next destination.
In other words, this planet is a kind of a cosmic crossroads, and the
decisions we make here are going to have long-lasting implications.

Being a place where we have a difficult life, where we need to work very
hard for any small amount of material success, this planet is considered an
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ideal place to cultivate spiritual knowledge and follow the path of

self-realization.

Different from the heavenly planets, where there is too much distraction,
from the Earth a soul can go to any other material planet (from the
heavenly Swargaloka all the way to Brahmaloka, the topmost planet of the
material universe), or attain liberation, going back home, and re-attaining
his original position in the spiritual planets.

However, there is also a great danger: the ones that misuse the
opportunity become more and more materialistic. They continue the way
down, going thus to the lower planets, where people are just after material
comforts and there is little opportunity for self-realization. This part of the
Universe is described in the Srimad Bhagavatam as a dark hole because
once one enters there, it’s difficult to come out.

The lower planets are subterraneous realms where the natural light of the
sun doesn’t enter. The inhabitants live underground on a perpetual night,
depending on different arrangements of artificial lights. Materialists who
are very pious have the opportunity of taking birth in the Bila-Svarga,
heavenly lower planets, where the inhabitants live in comfort, surrounded
by material facilities, in cities created by the great architect Maya Danava.
In terms of standard of living, the inhabitants of these planets don’t live
much differently from the inhabitants of Swargaloka. The main difference
is that in Swargaloka the inhabitants are God-conscious and thus have the
opportunity of progressing to higher realms, be it directly or after a stop on
Earth. The inhabitants of the lower heavenly planets, however, are atheists.
The law of Karma doesn’t discriminate between the two classes, and thus
the demons can enjoy a similar standard of living compared to the
demigods, as long as they remain pious. The problem is that without good
association, they tend to gradually lose their piety, and thus sink into the
lower levels.
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Materialists that are less pious take birth at the lower levels. These are
technologically advanced realms and, different from the Bila-Svarga, there
is a lot of anxiety in these places, with lots of pressure and competition.
Not all have the same opportunities and everyone struggles to be on top of
the other. It’s a standard of life that is similar to the way people live in
most big cities nowadays. In these realms, the inhabitants live completely
artificial lives, disconnected from nature. On some of these planets, people
are very much addicted to sex, and the ones that fall there are exploited for
this purpose. Not exactly a good place to go, despite the material facilities.

Materialists who are impious, and too much affected by lower qualities
take birth on the lowest planets. There’s where things start to become quite
dark. These planets offer progressively poorer living standards, more
anxiety, and less peace of mind. The mentality of the inhabitants is
progressively lower, and more lust, anger, and violence are present. The
lowest of these planets are dark places, where gigantic intelligent snakes
live in holes. Envious and violent, they live disturbed lives, where the
weaker serpents fear the stronger and they all fear Garuda who regularly
devours them.

Finally, there are the hellish planets, places where people who commit
serious crimes go specifically to pay for the violence they committed to
other living beings. Souls who arrive there listen while all their
wrongdoings are described by Chandragupta, a servant of Yamaraja, and
are sentenced to different levels of punishment according to the severity of
their crimes.

It’s described that one who lives by killing animals, for example, has his
body pierced by the horns and teeth of the same animals he killed, and the
ones who had lives centered around promiscuous sexual relationships
have to embrace red-hot metal forms of the opposite sex. Persons who
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imprison and torture animals have to live in caves where they are tortured
by hellish beings. It’s not a place one would like to go.

The hellish planets are at the bottom of the universe. From there, there is
no further way down. A soul who reaches this level has, after paying for his
crimes, the opportunity to again take birth on this Earth or other
intermediary planet, usually as a plant or animal, and from there slowly
progress in the karmic evolutive process until he again can take birth as a
human being, a position where he again has the choice of going up or
going down.

To take birth as a human being on Earth is considered very fortunate,

because here one has the chance of meeting spiritual teachers who
propagate transcendental knowledge, and thus start his way up, back to
the spiritual realm.

However, it’s easier to make the wrong choices and follow the path of
materialism and sense indulgence, instead of taking the path of
self-realization, which demands discipline. That’s why most souls end up
staying in the material sphere for a very long time, going up and down in
the cycle of samsara.

It’s like investing money. One who has a certain capital, may invest his
money and multiply it by making the right choices. This is going to bring
him yet more money, which will multiply his investment opportunities, up
to the point he may become a billionaire. However, one who just spends
his money on a decadent life will eventually spend everything. He may then
keep his artificial living standard for some more time by making debts, but
eventually, his credit will dry out and he will not have other alternatives
apart from doing hard work to pay his debts, and from there start again
from the bottom.
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Similarly, in our current life, we have the choice of cultivating spiritual

knowledge and self-control and thus create a brilliant path for ourselves by
following the spiritual path, which will allow us to take birth on the higher
planets or to attain liberation, or we may surrender to carnal desires and
abuse the opportunity, creating a path that may not be so pleasant. That’s
the beauty, and the danger, of human life.

In the Bhagavad-Gita, it is mentioned that “That which in the beginning

may be just like poison but at the end is just like nectar and which awakens
one to self-realization is said to be happiness in the mode of goodness.”

The material path involves instant gratification of one’s senses, thus it is a

path that is pleasurable in the beginning, but painful in the long run. The
path of progress on the other hand involves discipline and restraint. One
who is studying to pass a test and enter a good university has to renounce
many things he would otherwise want to do, and instead spend days and
nights immersed in his studies. However, this allows him to achieve a much
better position in the future. Similarly, the path of self-realization involves
working on our bad habits, vices, and lower qualities, therefore it is a path
that may present certain challenges in the beginning, but will bring us to
the most sublime results in the end.
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Chapter 17:
Prabhupada explains the material
Universe

In the Sri Isopanisad, mantra 14, Srila Prabhupada gives a simple and
concise explanation of the workings of the material universe that
summarizes many aspects of the universe I tried to explain in the previous
chapters.

"From the Visnu Purana (6.7.61) we receive the following information:

visnu-saktih para prokta

ksetrajñakhya tatha para
avidya-karma-samjñanya
trtiya saktir isyate

Lord Visnu, the Personality of Godhead, possesses different energies,

known as para (superior) and apara (inferior). The living entities
belong to the superior energy. The material energy, in which we are
presently entangled, is the inferior energy. The material creation is
made possible by this energy, which covers the living entities with
ignorance (avidya) and induces them to perform fruitive activities. Yet
there is another part of the Lord’s superior energy that is different
from both this material, inferior energy and the living entities. That
superior energy constitutes the eternal, deathless abode of the Lord.
This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita (8.20):

paras tasmat tu bhavo ’nyo

’vyakto ’vyaktat sanatanah
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yah sa sarvesu bhutesu

nasyatsu na vinasyati

All the material planets – upper, lower and intermediate, including the
sun, moon and Venus – are scattered throughout the universe. These
planets exist only during the lifetime of Brahma. Some lower planets,
however, are vanquished after the end of one day of Brahma and are
again created during the next day of Brahma. On the upper planets,
time is calculated differently. One of our years is equal to only
twenty-four hours, or one day and night, on many of the upper
planets. The four ages of earth (Satya, Treta, Dvapara and Kali) last
only twelve thousand years according to the time scale of the upper
planets. Such a length of time multiplied by one thousand constitutes
one day of Brahma, and one night of Brahma is the same. Such days
and nights accumulate into months and years, and Brahma lives for
one hundred such years. At the end of Brahma’s life, the complete
universal manifestation is vanquished.

Those living beings who reside on higher planets like the sun and the
moon, as well as those on Martyaloka, this earth planet, and also
those who live on lower planets – all are merged into the waters of
devastation during the night of Brahma. During this time no living
beings or species remain manifest, although spiritually they continue
to exist. This unmanifested stage is called avyakta. Again, when the
entire universe is vanquished at the end of Brahma’s lifetime, there is
another avyakta state. But beyond these two unmanifested states is
another unmanifested state, the spiritual atmosphere, or nature.
There are a great number of spiritual planets in this atmosphere, and
these planets exist eternally, even when all the planets within this
material universe are vanquished at the end of Brahma’s life. There
are many material universes, each under the jurisdiction of a Brahma,
and this cosmic manifestation within the jurisdiction of the various
 142

Brahmās is but a display of one fourth of the energy of the Lord

(ekapad-vibhuti). This is the inferior energy. Beyond the jurisdiction of
Brahma is the spiritual nature, which is called tripad-vibhuti, three
fourths of the Lord’s energy. This is the superior energy, or
para-prakrti."

This is a lot of information condensed into just three paragraphs. Let's try
to break it down into simple ideas:

1- Krsna possesses two energies: The superior energy (para) and the
inferior energy (apara). The souls are part of the superior energy, and the
material nature is part of the inferior energy.

2- The material energy covers the souls with ignorance (avidya), and this
ignorance makes the souls acquire material bodies and perform different
material activities, forgetting their original spiritual nature.

3- Apart from the souls, there is another part of Krsna's superior energy,
which constitutes the spiritual universe. Krsna's energy has thus three main
components: The spiritual creation, the material creation, and the souls,
who can choose between being part of the spiritual or material creation.

4- The material universes are repeatedly created and destroyed, but the
spiritual creation is eternal. In the material universes there is repeated
birth and death, but in the spiritual creation there is no death.

5- There are many planets scattered throughout the universe. These

planets exist only during the lifetime of Brahma. When Brahma dies, all the
planets of the universe are destroyed.

6- At the end of each day of Brahma, lower planets are destroyed (up to
Swargaloka) and only the higher planets (Maharloka and higher) remain.
 143

The planets that are destroyed are created again on the next day of
Brahma.

7- Time on the upper planets is calculated differently from our planet. One
of our years is equal to just twenty-four hours (one day and night), on
many of the upper planets. Similarly, the four ages of the earth (Satya,
Treta, Dvapara, and Kali) last only twelve thousand years according to the
time scale of the upper planets.

8- One day of Brahma (12 hours) corresponds to 1,000 sequences of Satya,

Treta, Dvapara, and Kali-Yugas. There is also the night of Brahma (the other
12 hours of his day) that lasts for the same period. Such days and nights
accumulate into months and years, and Brahma lives for one hundred such
years. At the end of Brahma’s life, the complete universal manifestation is
vanquished.

9- During the night of Brahma, all the living beings from the planets that
are destroyed, such as this planet, the sun, and the moon (which are part
of Swargaloka) as well as the lower planets, are merged into the waters of
devastation during the night of Brahma.

10- During this period, these living entities remain materially unmanifest,
although spiritually they continue to exist. This unmanifested stage is
called avyakta and lasts for the period of the night of Brahma.

11- When Brahma finally dies, there is another avyakta state, when all the
living beings who didn't achieve liberation are merged into the body of
Maha-Vishnu and have to wait for a very long period until a new cycle of
creation starts.

12- Both the materially unmanifested state that occurs at the end of the
day of Brahma, as well as at the end of his life are called avyakta. There is
 144

another avyakta that is the spiritual world. There, all beings are also
materially unmanifested, but there they are spiritually active.

13- In the spiritual world (the spiritual atmosphere, or nature) there are a
great number of spiritual planets that exist eternally.

14- All the planets in the spiritual sphere continue to exist even at the end
of Brahma's life. They are not affected by the cycles of creation and
destruction that happen in the material universes.

15- There are many material universes, each one under the jurisdiction of a
particular Brahma. The combination of all the different material universes
constitutes just one-quarter of the energy of the Lord (ekapad-vibhuti). This
is the inferior energy.

16- Beyond this inferior material energy there is the spiritual nature, which
is called tripad-vibhuti, three-quarters of the Lord’s energy. This is the
superior energy or para-prakrti.
 145

Appendix 1:
Why space exploration is a waste of time
and money
Nowadays much is spoken about manned missions to Mars, and maybe
even a future colony on the red planet. Authors of science fiction have
been pushing the idea of space exploration for a long time, and the most
recent push is the idea of creating a colony on Mars.

The idea of visiting other places of the cosmos is a natural inclination. Srila
Prabhupada explains that in his natural condition, the soul is free to
wander around the spiritual and material universes. One example is
Narada Muni, who, being a liberated soul, is completely free to travel as he
likes. To be jailed on a particular planet is thus an unnatural condition for
the soul. The question is that there is a proper way to travel through the
universe. Without following the rules one can't attain a good result.

In 1960 Srila Prabhupada wrote his famous book Easy Journey to Other
Planets, explaining the idea of space exploration through subtle means.
That's the way to visit other planets: to purify our consciousness, so in our
next life we can take our next birth there, receiving a body adapted to live
in their environment. If one tries to force his entrance by mechanical
means, he will end up floating in space without shelter like Trishanku.
That's precisely the mistake of modern astronauts.

When I was small, I used to read books by Isaac Asimov. He wrote many
stories about how the advancement of technology would allow humanity to
explore and colonize space in just a few decades. It was not just me. Since
the 1950s, generations grew up believing that humanity would soon be
able to colonize space. Many books were written on the subject but it never
 146

really happened. Apart from a few manned missions to our closest satellite
and the construction of a small space station in lower orbit, not much
happened. It doesn't seem we are much closer to exploring space than we
were in the 1960s.

Nasa was selling this idea for a long time, and now we have private
companies selling it. Elon Musk has been promoting the idea of building a
self-sustainable colony on Mars with 1.000.000 inhabitants in the next few
decades. It looks very amazing, but it will never work. Why?

The first problem with colonizing space is that we don't have access to the
higher dimensions where more evolved beings live. According to the Vedas,
there are living beings living comfortably in most places of the Universe,
but they have bodies adapted to the conditions there.

We have bodies adapted to the environment we find on our planet, and it's
very difficult for us to live anywhere else. Not only is it very difficult to leave
our planet, due to gravity, but even when we finally get into space we see
only inhospitable environments, extremes of temperature, and other
hazards. Unless one is capable of elevating his consciousness to gain
access to the higher dimensions of the universe, he will find only dangers
and misery outside our planet.

Apart from the philosophical aspects of the celestial status of the different
planets of our universe and the existence of different dimensions, there is
another very simple, logical, and down-to-earth question: Economics. Why
don't we build colonies at the bottom of the ocean? It's not because it's not
technically possible, but it's just because it is too expensive.

Science fiction novels are always based on leaps of faith. Some new
revolutionary technology, like an inexhaustible source of fuel, a cheap way
to lift materials to space, or some easy way to build giant space stations
 147

with materials produced from thin air. However, when one examines the
real challenges of sending materials to space and creating liveable
conditions for humans in space or on other planets one sees that although
it is not an unsolvable problem, it is just too problematic and too
expensive.

The International Space Station, which started being built in 1993, cost a
total of about 160 billion dollars. And this is just for a very small station,
built-in low orbit, very close to our planet. The same station built in an orbit
around Mars, for example, would cost several times more. If it would be
built on the surface of the red planet, it would cost even more.

Some speculate that the cost of spaceships and space stations can drop
dramatically with the economy of scale. According to these sources, if we
would start producing them in mass they could cost as little as a
commercial jet. Well, not really. Maybe one could build a space probe at
the cost of a small plane, but the real problem is the enormous amount of
fuel necessary to put it into space and transport it to distant planets. The
cost of the probe may go down if one mass-produces it, but the fuel to put
it in orbit, as well as the rockets and other disposable materials will not
become any less expensive.

The Mars Curiosity Rover, for example, weighs about 889 kilos. It did cost
2.47 billion dollars to send it to Mars, which equals 2.78 million dollars per
kilogram. Just imagine, if you would be living on Mars and your mother
would want to send you a small package with some presents, it would cost
2.78 million dollars to send it there!

After solving the initial problem of sending a few humans to Mars, together
with some small habitat and supplies, another problem would be how to
maintain them there.
 148

Imagine the amount of food, water, clothes, and other products you use
during your life. An average human eats about 35 tons of food during his
life. He also needs water, clothes, and other supplies. To live in an
inhospitable environment like Mars one would also need space suits,
radiation shields, sources of energy, vehicles, and many specialized tools,
apart from the habitat he lives on.

Unfortunately, there is no Walmart or Amazon on Mars, therefore all of this

would need to be sent from earth, at a cost of 2.78 million dollars per kg!
Most of us don't make so much money in our entire lifetimes. How many
people on the planet would be rich enough to live on Mars at such a cost? I
don't think many. The cost of maintaining a small colony on Mars would be
on the scale of trillions of dollars.

Worse than that: colonies in space will always have to be supplied from the
earth at an exorbitant cost. One may be able to recycle water and produce
some food on Mars by bringing some soil and tools from Earth. It may also
be possible to produce some water from gasses in the atmosphere or mine
it from underground sources, but what about everything else? How to
produce a computer or a hover on Mars? These things will always have to
be brought from Earth at an exorbitant cost. The colony would never be
self-sufficient and as soon as the interest in it would start to wane people
would not want to continue spending so much money on it and the project
would have to be abandoned. What would happen to the people struggling
to live there at this point would be a good question.

Apart from that, there is another problem: Life in space will always be
miserable. Just like in the ISS, people living in space or in space colonies
will always be forced to live in cramped and uncomfortable conditions,
drinking their own urine in the form of recycled water, cultivating
vegetables in their own stool, suffering the harmful effects of solar
 149

radiation and other hazards and living in constant alert in inhospitable

conditions.

The record of permanence in space was set in 2016 by Valery Polyakov,

who spent a total of 437 days in the ISS. However, the environment is so
harsh that most astronauts are not capable of staying nearly as much in
space, and these are people who are rigorously selected and trained for
this kind of mission. To think that a normal person would be able to live all
his life in such harsh conditions is a great leap of faith. Even if it would be
possible, only a crazy fellow would voluntarily choose to do so.

Human bodies are just not made to survive in outer space. We have bodies
that are capable of living in the environment we were made to live in, on
our own planet. A human being who would try to live on Mars or any other
planet would just condemn himself to a very short and miserable life.

The only viable process to travel in outer space and visit other planets is to
elevate one's consciousness and use the appropriate process to acquire a
suitable type of body to live there. One who does so will attain a body
capable of not only living in a different atmosphere but able to experience
the environment and interact with the inhabitants there. This is what it
really means to travel to other planets. Compared to that, the harsh
conditions in cramped, unsafe space probes constructed at an exorbitant
cost look very childish.
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Appendix 2:
Satya, Treta, Dwapara and Kali, or Satya,
Dwapara, Treta and Kali?

Everyone knows that there are four eras: Satya-Yuga, Treta-Yuga,

Dwapara-Yuga and Kali-Yuga.

We also know that Satya-Yuga lasts for 1,728,000 years and the process for
self-realization is meditation, Treta-Yuga lasts 1,296,000 years and the
process of self-realization are fire sacrifices, Dwapara-Yuga lasts for
864,000 years and the Dharma is elaborate temple worship, and finally,
there are the 432,000 years Kali-Yuga, during which the process for
self-realization is to chant the holy names.

Right? Well, not so fast. In Srimad Bhagavatam 1.4.14 we find an enigmatic

purport by Srila Prabhupada:

"There is a chronological order of the four millenniums, namely Satya,

Dvapara, Treta and Kali. But sometimes there is overlapping. During
the regime of Vaivasvata Manu, there was an overlapping of the
twenty-eighth round of the four millenniums, and the third
millennium appeared prior to the second. In that particular
millennium, Lord Sri Krsna also descends, and because of this there
was some particular alteration."

At first, this purport doesn't appear to make much sense. Prabhupada

himself tells us in numerous other passages that the sequence of eras is
Satya, Treta, Dwapara, and Kali, and only in this purport does he appear to
tell us something different. However, if we go to the verse itself, the
 151

meaning is unequivocal: "Suta Gosvami said: When the second millennium

overlapped the third, the great sage [Vyasadeva] was born to Parasara in
the womb of Satyavati, the daughter of Vasu."

Both the verse and the purport are speaking about the change in the order
of the millenniums. We know that is this present Divya-Yuga we are, the
order was indeed Satya, Treta, Dwapara, and Kali, but this verse and
purport tell us that it's not always like that.

This is consistent with other references from the Srimad Bhagavatam itself
(like 7.14.39) and passages from other Puranas. In most references, we find
the order of the yugas mentioned as Satya, Treta, Dwapara, and Kali, but
there are a few references, like this one, mentioning that actually, the usual
order is Satya, Dwapara, Treta, and Kali, and sometimes (the special
Divya-Yuga where Lord Krsna appears) the order is changed to the familiar
Satya, Treta, Dwapara, and Kali. How does it work?

These references suggest that the normal order of the yugas is Satya,
Dvapara, Treta, and Kali. Everyone agrees that Satya-Yuga lasts for
1,728,000 years and the process for self-realization is meditation, up to
here there is nothing to be confused about. The confusing part is that
normally the next is Dwapara-Yuga (and not Treta), which lasts for
1,296,000 years and where the process of self-realization are fire sacrifices.
The third is Treta-Yuga, which lasts for 864,000 years and where the
process of self-realization is temple worship, and finally, Kali-Yuga, where
the process is the chanting of the holy names.

However, in the special Divya-Yuga when Krsna appears (the one we are in)
the order changes and the order becomes Satya, Treta, Dvapara, and Kali.
In this particular Divya-Yuga, the order of the yugas is switched. Treta-Yuga
comes first, and Dwapara-Yuga comes after it.
 152

In this special Divya-Yuga, Treta-Yuga lasts for 1,296,000 years and the
Dharma for the age is temple worship. Dwapara-Yuga in its turn lasts for
864,000 years, and the Dharma is fire sacrifices.

This is further corroborated by the Mahabharata. We can see that during

the whole book the Pandavas and others are doing fire sacrifices. Temple
worship is mentioned just in a few passages (like in the marriage ceremony
of Rukmini), and not as something very central. This clearly shows that in
this particular Dwapara-Yuga the Dharma was indeed fire sacrifices and not
temple worship as usual. It appears that in this particular age, large-scale
temple worship was introduced only a few thousand years ago.

This change happened to facilitate Krsna's pastimes since He comes in the

age of the Ksatriyas to annihilate the demons and protect the devotees. In
the normal course of Yugas, the age of the Ksatriyas would come earlier,
right after Satya-Yuga, and the next age would be an age where people
would do temple worship. Both eras would be relatively peaceful since
there would be powerful Ksatriyas in Dwapara-Yuga, but they would be
virtuous, and in Treta-Yuga when people would have more vices there
would not be powerful Ksatriyas anymore and thus not so many conflicts.

However, when Krsna comes the order is switched, and we have the
explosive combination of the vices of the third age combined with the
presence of powerful Ksatriyas, setting the stage for all the conflicts that
Krsna uses as a pretext for His pastimes involving the Pandavas, the battle
of Kuruksetra and so on.
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With this, we come to the end of the book. I hope this work was able to give
you some food for thought about the complexities of the way our Universe
is described in the Vedas. Thank you for coming all the way here.

This is a free book, so if you think it can be useful for others, you are free to
share it.

If you have any thoughts or questions about the contents of the book, you
can drop me a line on:

bhagavatamrta@[Link]

…or [Link]/[Link]

If you appreciated this work and would like to send a donation, you can
send it to my address on Paypal, or [Link]: bhagavatamrta@[Link]

You servant,
Caitanya Chandra Dasa
 154

Hare Krishna
Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna
Hare Hare
Hare Rama
Hare Rama
Rama Rama
Hare Hare