An unlimited number of almost spherical universal egg shaped universes known as Brahmandas, emanate from the Body of Kāraṇārṇavaśāyī Viṣṇu (Maha-Visnu) via the pores of His skin and His breathing, spreading out as the material creation.
These massive material universes (Brahmandas) make up the unlimited multi-verse known as the material creation or mahat-tattva.
Furthermore, each massive Brahmanda universe surrounds and encases a smaller "secondary universe" that exists deep inside each Brahmanda universe where Garbhodakashayi Visnu and Lord Brahma reside.
Our secondary material universe, inside our surrounding Brahmanda, is often called Bhu-Mandala because our material, like Bhu-Mandala, is 4 billion miles in diameter according to 5th Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam.
There are seven higher heavenly (celestial) planetary systems, and seven lower (hellish) planetary systems with our Earth globe being in the middle planetary system known as Bhurloka.
Our secondary material universe is deep inside a massive surrounding material universe called a Brahmanda.
As said above, inside the "secondary material universe" deep within the Brahmanda universe, there are 14 planetary systems called Lokas-
Satya-loka (Brahma-loka)
Tapa-loka
Jana-loka
Mahar-loka
Svar-loka (Svarga-loka)
Bhuvar-loka
Bhu-loka (where our small earth global sphere is found)
Atala-loka
Vitala-loka
Sutala-loka
Talatala-loka
Mahatala-loka
Rasatala-loka
Patala-loka
Srila Prabhupada - "The universe is divided into fourteen planetary systems. Seven planetary systems are upward planetary systems, one above the other and called-
Bhūr, (where our Earth global sphere is found)
Bhuvar,
Svar,
Mahar,
Janas,
Tapas,
Satya,
There are also seven planetary systems downward, known as
Atala,
Vitala,
Sutala,
Talātala,
Mahātala,
Rasātala,
Pātāla,
One below the other. In this verse, the description begins from the bottom because it is in the line of devotion that the Lord's bodily description should begin from His feet. Śukadeva Gosvāmī is a recognized devotee of the Lord, and he is exactly correct in the description." (SB, Canto 2 Ch 1 Text 26, Purport)
Srila Prabhupada - "The first incarnation in the material creation, namely Kāraṇārṇavaśāyī Viṣṇu, is the plenary part of the original Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, described in the Brahma-saṁhitā (BS 5.38) as follows-
"All the innumerable universes are maintained only during the breathing period of Mahā-Viṣṇu, or Kāraṇārṇavaśāyī Viṣṇu, who is only a plenary part of Govinda, the original Personality of Godhead Lord Kṛṣṇa."
Kāraṇārṇavaśāyī Viṣṇu is the first incarnation of the Supreme Lord, and He is the master of-
eternal time,
space,
cause and effects,
mind,
the elements,
the material ego,
the modes of nature,
the senses,
the universal form of the Lord,
Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu,
the sum total of all living beings, both moving and non-moving.
The material creation is not permanent has been discussed many times hereinbefore. The material creation is but a temporary exhibition of the material energy of the Almighty God.
This material manifestation is necessary to give a chance to the conditioned souls who are unwilling to associate with the Lord in the relationship of loving transcendental service.
Such unwilling conditioned souls are not allowed to enter into the liberated life of spiritual existence because at heart they are not willing to serve. Instead, they want to enjoy themselves as imitation Gods.
The living entities are constitutionally eternal servitors of the Lord, but some of them, because of misusing their independence, do not wish to serve; therefore they are allowed to enjoy the material nature, which is called māyā, or illusion.
It is called illusion because the living beings under the clutches of māyā are not factually enjoyers, although they think that they are, being illusioned by māyā.
Such illusioned living entities are given a chance at intervals to rectify their perverted mentality of becoming false masters of the material nature, and they are imparted lessons from the Vedas about their eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa (vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15).
So, the temporary creation of the material manifestation is an exhibition of the material energy of the Lord, and to manage the whole show the Supreme Lord incarnates Himself as the Kāraṇārṇavaśāyī Viṣṇu just as a magistrate is deputed by the government to manage affairs temporarily.
This Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu causes the manifestation of material creation by looking over His material energy (sa aikṣata).
In the first volume of this book we have already discussed to some extent the explanation of the verse jagṛhe pauruṣaṁ rūpam.
The duration of the illusory play of material creation is called a kalpa, and we have already discussed the creation's taking place in kalpa after kalpa. By His incarnation and potential activities, the complete ingredients of creation, namely-
time,
space,
cause,
result,
mind.
The gross and subtle elements and their interactional modes of nature,
goodness,
passion,
ignorance.
And then the senses and their reservoir source, the gigantic universal form as the second incarnation Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, and all living beings, both moving and standing, which come out of the second incarnation, all became manifested.
Ultimately, all these creative elements and the creation itself are but potential manifestations of the Supreme Lord; nothing is independent of the control of the Supreme Being." (SB, Canto 2 Ch 6 Text 42, Translation and Purport)
The planetary systems actually exists within the lotus stem that originates from the navel of Garbhodakashayi Visnu and Lord Brahma's abode is found at the end or top of that lotus stem.
Srimad Bhagavatam tells us there are billions of individual Brahmanda universes however, the sizes of the each Brahmanda universe and its small inner secondary universes inside it, varies.
For example, our "secondary material" universe, deep inside our surrounding massive Brahmanda universe, is also called Bhu-Mandala because Bhu-Mandala is described in Srimad Bhagavatam as being almost 500,000,000 yojanas in diameter (4 billion miles in human calculations)
This means Bhu-Mandala and the secondary material universe inside the massive Brahmanda, are the same material secondary universe. One yojana equals 8 miles which means 500,000,000 yojanas equals 4 billion miles.
According to Srimad Bhagavatam's 5th Canto, there are 14 planetary systems in our 4 billion mile diameter universe however, the amount of planetary systems may be different in other universes deep inside their Brahmanda.
As explained, within the stem of the lotus coming from the naval of Garbhodakashayi Visnu, there are fourteen divisions of planetary systems created by Lord Brahma, and our earth spherical global planet is situated in the middle of the stem.
Srila Prabhupada - ''We have to imagine that these universes (Brahmandas), which according to our limited knowledge are expanded unlimitedly, are so great that the gross and subtle ingredients—the five elements of the cosmic manifestation, namely
1 - Earth,
2 - Water,
3 - Fire,
4 - Air,
5 - Sky,
6 - Total material energy,
7 - False ego.
All are not only within the material universe but encase or material universe with seven material layers of matter, each layer ten times bigger than the previous one. In this way, each and every material universe is very securely packed, and there are numberless universes.
All these universes float within the innumerable pores of the transcendental body of Mahā-Viṣṇu. It is stated that just as the atoms and particles of dust are floating within the air along with the birds and their number cannot be calculated, so innumerable universes are floating within the pores of the transcendental body of the Lord. For this reason, the Vedas say that God is beyond the grasp of our knowledge." (Krsna Book 87)
We cannot see from one material universe to another material universe because our "secondary universe" inside our Brahmanda, is surrounded and encased by 7 material layers that makes up our outer surrounding Brahmanda universe.
And yes, it is impossible to see the millions of other Brahmandas outside our inner secondary universe (inside the massive Brahmanda) because our secondary universe is surrounded by 7 material layers that only rare mystic yogis and advanced devotees like Arjuna and Narada Muni can see and pass through.
Krsna, Arjuna and Narada Muni and many other great devotees do not encounter such limitations or barriers of material elements like
earth,
water,
fire,
air,
sky,
total material energy,
false ego.
All the gross and subtle elements as Bhagavad Gita As It Is explains.
Srila Prabhupada - ''The Lord is not visible to the eyes of ordinary men, those who are beyond the covering layers because of their transcendental devotional service can still see Him." (Krsna Book 87)
We cannot see through our Brahmanda that surrounds and encases our small secondary material universe within it, Srila Prabhupada is clear on this.
Srila Prabhupada - ''Lord Krsna and Arjuna crossed over the great region of darkness covering the material universes. Arjuna then saw the effulgence of light known as the brahmajyoti. The brahmajyoti is situated outside the covering of the material universes, and because it cannot be seen with our present eyes, this brahmajyoti is sometimes called avyakta." (Krsna Book, 89)
Srila Prabhupada - ''Each universe is covered by various layers of material elements (The 7 layers of the outer Brahmanda covering), and therefore although the universes are clustered together, we cannot see from one universe to another. In other words, whatever we see is within this one universe. In each universe there is one Lord Brahmā, and there are other demigods on other planets, but there is only one sun." (SB, Canto 5 Ch 21 Text 11, Purport)
Srila Prabhupāda - ''Every universe is covered by seven layers—earth, water, fire, air, sky, the total energy and false ego—each ten times greater than the previous one. There are innumerable universes besides this one, and although they are unlimitedly large, they move about like atoms in You. Therefore You are called unlimited [ananta]''. This verse describes the coverings of the universe (saptabhir daśa-guṇottarair aṇḍa-kośaḥ)." (SB, Canto 6 Ch 16 Text 37)
There are 7 material layers of the greater Brahmanda universe that encase our 4 billion diameter inner secondary material universe. Each layer is 10 times thicker than the previous beginning with multiplying the 4 billion miles diameter of our inner universe by 10 to get the diameter of the first layer which is earth-
1 - Earth - 40 billion miles in diameter,
2 - Water - 400 billion miles in diameter,
3 - Fire - 4000 billion (4 Trillion) miles in diameter,
4 - Air - 40,000 billion (40 Trillion) miles in diameter,
5 - Sky - 400,000 billion (400 trillion) miles in diameter,
6 - Total material energy - 4000,000 billion, (4 quadrillion) miles in diameter.
7 - False ego - 40,000,000 billion (40 quadrillion) miles in diameter.
The total size of our Brahmanda that our small 4 billion mile diameter secondary universe is in, is 44 quadrillion 444 trillion 444 billion miles in diameter according to calculations from Canto 5 of Srimad Bhagavatam.
Beginning with the covering of earth, each covering is ten times greater than the previous one. Thus we can only imagine how great and massive each Brahmanda outer universe is, and there are many billions of universes.
Lord Krsna - "But what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge? With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe."(BG As It Is, Ch 10 text 42)
The entire material world is only one fourth of the Supreme Lord's energy. Therefore He is called ananta.
Srila Prabhupada - "The first puruṣa is the Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. From His skin holes innumerable universes have sprung up. In each and every universe, the puruṣa enters as the Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. He is lying within the half of the universe which is full with the water of His body. And from the navel of Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu has sprung the stem of the lotus flower, the birthplace of Brahmā, who is the father of all living beings and the master of all the demigod engineers engaged in the perfect design and working of the universal order.
Within the stem of the lotus there are fourteen divisions of planetary systems, and the earthly planets are situated in the middle. Upwards there are other, better planetary systems, and the topmost system is called Brahmaloka or Satyaloka. Downwards from the earthly planetary system there are seven lower planetary systems inhabited by the asuras and similar other materialistic living beings." (SB, Canto 1 Ch 3 Text 2, Purport)
As said above our secondary material universe deep inside our Brahmanda is divided into fourteen planetary systems.
Seven upper planetary systems-
Bhūr,
Bhuvar,
Svar,
Mahar,
Janas,
Tapas,
Satya,
There are also seven lower planetary systems known as-
Atala,
Vitala,
Sutala,
Talātala,
Mahātala,
Rasātala,
Pātāla.
There was no beginning to the marginal living entities (jiva-souls) existence, nor will there be an end as Bhagavad Gita As It Is explains.
The jiva-souls are eternal spiritual living PERSONS and can never be destroyed, terminated or extinguished, the jiva-souls are indestructible.
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - “Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be.” (BG, Ch 2 text 12, 1983 edition)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - “As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change." (BG, Ch 2 text 13, 1983 edition)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - “O son of Kuntī, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed." (BG, Ch 2 text 14, 1983 edition)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - “Those who are seers of the truth have concluded that of the nonexistent [the material body] there is no endurance and of the eternal [the soul] there is no change. This they have concluded by studying the nature of both." (BG, Ch 2 text 16, 1983 edition)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - “That which pervades the entire body you should know to be indestructible. No one is able to destroy that imperishable soul." (BG, Ch 2 text 17, 1983 edition)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - “Neither he who thinks the living entity the slayer nor he who thinks it slain is in knowledge, for the self slays not nor is slain." (BG, Ch 2 text 19, 1983 edition)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain." (BG, Ch 2 text 20 “corrected” 1983 edition)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "O Pārtha, how can a person who knows that the soul is indestructible, eternal, unborn and immutable kill anyone or cause anyone to kill?" (BG, Ch 2 text 21, 1983 edition)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones." (BG, Ch 2 text 22, 1983 edition)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "The soul can never be cut to pieces by any weapon, nor burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind." (BG, Ch 2 text 23, 1983 edition)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, present everywhere, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same." (BG, Ch 2 text 24, 1983 edition)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "It is said that the soul is invisible, inconceivable and immutable. Knowing this, you should not grieve for the body." (BG, Ch 2 text 25, 1983 edition)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "One who has taken his birth is sure to die, and after death one is sure to take birth again. Therefore, in the unavoidable discharge of your duty, you should not lament." (BG, Ch 2 text 27, 1983 edition)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "Some look on the soul as amazing, some describe him as amazing, and some hear of him as amazing, while others, even after hearing about him, cannot understand him at all." (BG, Ch 2 text 29, 1983 edition)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "O descendant of Bharata, he who dwells in the material body can never be slain. Therefore, you need not grieve for any living being." (BG, Ch 2 text 30, 1983 edition)
Srila Prabhupada – “There are no new souls, new and old are due to this material body, but the jiva-soul is never born and never dies, so if there is no birth, how can there be new souls?” (Letter to Jagadisa dasa, 7/9/1970)
If the jiva-souls choose, they CAN stay in the temporary decaying material universe's cycles of birth and death and cycles of annihilation and creations for infinity!
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