In most references in Srimad Bhagavatam, it says the ''earth" element is the first layer of our small single material universe's surrounding Brahmanda.
There are billions of these Brahmanda greater egg shaped universal shells, each with a smaller single material universe of planetary systems deep within them.
All the massive Brahmanda material universes originates from the Body of Maha Visnu as seen in photo below.
Although Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 3 Chapter 26 Text 52 says water is the first layer, most references say the seven layers of the Brahmanda our single secondary universe is in, begins with the earth element.
Srimad Bhagavatam - ''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]." (SB, Canto 6 Ch 16 Text 37)
Srila Prabhupāda - "This verse describes the coverings of the universe (saptabhir daśa-guṇottarair aṇḍa-kośaḥ)
The coverings of our secondary material universe inside the Brahmanda larger material universe are-
1 - EARTH,
2 - WATER,
3 - FIRE,
4 - AIR,
5 - SKY,
6 - TOTAL MATERIAL ENERGY (mahat-tattva),
7 - FALSE EGO.
Beginning with the covering of earth, each covering is ten times greater than the previous one. Thus we can only imagine how great each the Brahmanda material universe is, and there are many millions of these material universes." (SB, Canto 6 Ch 16 Text 37 Purport)
Srila Prabhupada - ''The mahat-tattva, the total material energy, is called avyakta. Then, when it is agitated by the glance of the Supreme Lord, the three modes of material nature acts. And by interaction of these three modes of material nature, the whole cosmic manifestation comes into being." (Lecture SB, Canto 1 Ch 2 text 33 Vrndavana, Nov 12, 1972)
Srila Prabhupada - ''So actually, there are twenty-six different elements which is conducting this material world. Etat kṣetraṁ samāsena sa-vikāram udāhṛtam. Kṣetra means this body. Either you take this body or this material world, they are interaction of these twenty-four elements.
Either you take the gigantic body of this universe or you take the body of this planet or you take this your body, my body, or a cat's body, dog's body, all these bodies, they are formed of these twenty-four elements, sa-vikāram, by action and reaction.
Just like chemically, if you mix one chemical with another chemical, a third element is produced, similarly, originally the reservation of all these elements is called mahat-tattva. It is called pradhāna, upadhāna.
So, gradually they manifest, they divide by three guṇas. Three guṇas means in the mahat-tattva, in the total material reservoir, three guṇas, three modes of nature, first of all appear and they act with one another, and then gradually, one after another, the twenty-four elements become manifested. Etat kṣetraṁ samāsena sa-vikāram udāhṛtam." (Lecture BG, Ch 13 text 6-7 Montreal, Oct 25, 1968)
Srila Prabhupada - ''So mahat-tattva, the total material energy, and six, five elements, sixteen, sixteen, ṣoḍaśa-kalam.
What are those?
The five elements, namely, earth, water, fire, air, and sense objects and senses and the spirit soul. In this way, sixteen.
And from sixteen, it expands to twenty-four. That is the explanation of our Vedic creation. Ṣoḍaśa-kalam." (Lecture SB, Canto 1 Ch 3 text 1 Vrndavana, Nov 14, 1972)
Srila Prabhupada - "The total energy of material creation is called mahat-tattva or pradhāna. Then, when the mahat-tattva is agitated by the three guṇas, then they become divided into twenty-four elements." (Lecture SB, Canto 3 Ch 26 text 11-14 Bombay, Dec 23, 1974)
Srila Prabhupada - "That mahat-tattva is above this universe, above the sky. Above the sky there are seven layers. Each layer is ten times more than the other layer. In this way, that is called mahat-tattva. Total material elements, they are stocked there. And then these varieties take place. And above that mahat-tattva, there is spiritual world." (Lecture SB, Canto 3 Ch 26 text 10 Bombay, Dec 22, 1974)
Srila Prabhupada - "As confirmed by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gītā (BG 10.42)-
athavā bahunaitena
kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna
viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam
ekāṁśena sthito jagat.
"But what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge? With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe."
The entire material world manifests is only one fourth of the Supreme Lord's energy. Therefore He is called ananta." (SB, Canto 2 Ch 2 Text 28 Purport)
Srila Prabhupada - ''The extent of the cosmic phenomenon or our individual universe is calculated to be diametrically four billion miles in size.
Then the outer covering known as the ''Brahmanda universal shell'' begins.
The first covering of earth element is calculated to extend forty billion miles, (10 times the size of the inner universe) and the subsequent coverings of the universe are respectively of water, fire, air, sky, total material energy, false ego one after another, each extending ten times further than the previous.
The fearless devotee of the Lord penetrates each one of them and ultimately reaches the absolute atmosphere where everything is of one and the same spiritual identity.
Then the devotee enters one of the Vaikuṇṭha planets, where he assumes exactly the same form as the Lord and engages in the loving transcendental service of the Lord.
That is the highest perfection of devotional life. Beyond this there is nothing to be desired or achieved by the perfect yogī." (SB, Canto 2 Ch 2 Text 28 Purport)
Srimad Bhagavatam - The material coverings of the massive Brahmanda universe that encases and surrounds our inner secondary material universe are-
1 - "The first layer is of earth and is ten times greater in size than the space within the universe.
2 - The second layer is water, and that is ten times greater than the earthly layer.
3 - The third covering is fire, which is ten times greater than the water covering.
In this way each of the seven layers are ten times greater than the previous one." (SB Canto 3 Ch 29 Text 43)
Srimad Bhagavatam explains there are millions of individual massive Brahmanda material universes coming from Maha Visnu making up the material creation (1/4 of the Spiritual Sky) each Brahmanda housing their own secondary universe universe inside them as painting below reveals.
All secondary material universes inside their Brahmandas are of different sizes, some, like ours, are only 4 billion miles in diameter.
Our 4 billion miles (500,000,000 yojanas) diameter material universe with its 14 planetary systems that are deep inside our Brahmanda, is one of the smallest material universes, it would also fit in the description of Bhu-Mandala (4 billion miles (500,000,000 yojanas) diameter)
Sadaputa dasa ACBSP (Richard L. Thompson) earned his Ph.D. in mathematics from Cornell University. He is the author of several books on Vedic Cosmology explain what Bhu-Mandala is-
''In the Bhagavatam, Bhu-Mandala—the “earth mandala” (not to be confused with our small earth globe), is a disk 500 million yojanas in diameter (4 billion miles).
One yojana is a unit of distance that equals about 8 miles long, therefore 8×500 million yojanas = 4 billion miles. So, the diameter of Bhu-Mandala is about 4 billion miles which is also the size of our secondary material universe.
Bhu-Mandala is marked by circular features designated as islands (Dvipas that can also mean planets) and oceans.
Srila Prabhupada -"The "planets" are called "dvīpas." Outer space is like an ocean of air. Just as there are islands in the watery ocean, these planets in the ocean of space are called dvīpas, or islands in outer space." (CC, Madhya 20.218, Purport)
So clearly, Bhu-Mandala is far too big to be our small earth global sphere we live on.
Sadaputa dasa - "Of course, Bhu-Mandala is earth centered, its innermost island, Jambudvipa, contains Bharata-varsha, which Srila Prabhupada has repeatedly identified as the planet earth." (Vedic Cosmology by Sadaputa dasa)
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 earth, water, fire, air and sky, along with the total material energy and false ego—are NOT only within the universe but cover the universe in seven layers, each layer ten times bigger than the previous one.
In this way, each and every 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 therefore see from one material universe to another, this is because our individual secondary material universe is surrounded and encased by 7 material layers that is the massive Brahmanda material universe.
So it is impossible to see the millions of other Brahmandas outside our inner universe (inside a massive Brahmanda) because of those 7 material layers.
However, there are rare mystic yogis and advanced devotees like Arjuna who can see and pass through those 7 material layers. So of course Krsna and Arjuna did not encounter such limitations that we experience with the combination of these elements earth, water, fire, air, sky, false ego, mahat-tattva - all gross elements as Bhagavad Gita 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 universal shell that surrounds and encases our secondary material universe.
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 massive outer Brahmanda covering), and therefore although the material 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 material universe there is one Lord Brahmā, and there are other demigods on other planets, but there is only one sun in each material universe within the Brahmanda." (SB, Canto 5 Ch 21 Text 11, Purport)
Srila Prabhupāda - "Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī confirms that a part of the material nature, after being initiated by the Lord, is known as the mahat-tattva.
1 - A fractional portion of the mahat-tattva is called the false ego.
2 - A portion of the ego is the vibration of sound.
3 - A portion of sound is atmospheric air.
4 - A portion of the airy atmosphere is turned into forms.
5 - Forms constitute the power of electricity or heat.
6 - Heat produces the smell of the aroma of the earth.
7 - The gross earth is produced by such aroma.
8 - And all these combined together constitute the cosmic phenomenon.
The extent of the cosmic phenomenon or our individual universe is calculated to be diametrically four billion miles in size.
Then the outer covering, known as the Brahmanda shell begins.
The first covering of earth is calculated to extend forty billion miles, (10 times the size of the inner material universe inside Brahmanda)
And the subsequent coverings of the universe are respectively of water, fire, air, sky, total material energy, false ego one after another, each extending ten times further than the previous.
The fearless devotee of the Lord penetrates each one of them and ultimately reaches the absolute atmosphere where everything is of one and the same spiritual identity.
Then the devotee enters one of the Vaikuṇṭha planets, where he assumes exactly the same form as the Lord and engages in the loving transcendental service of the Lord.
That is the highest perfection of devotional life. Beyond this there is nothing to be desired or achieved by the perfect yogī." (SB, Canto 2 Ch 2 Text 28)
Srimad Bhagavatam - "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]." (SB, Canto 6 Ch 16 Text 37)
Srila Prabhupada - "The Brahma-saṁhitā (5.48) says:
yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya
jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ
viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
The origin of the material creation is Mahā-Viṣṇu, who lies in the Causal Ocean. While He sleeps in that ocean, millions of universes are generated as He exhales, and they are all annihilated when He inhales.
This Mahā-Viṣṇu is a plenary portion of a portion of Viṣṇu, Govinda (yasya kalā-viśeṣaḥ).
The word kalā refers to a plenary portion of a plenary portion.
From Kṛṣṇa, or Govinda, comes Balarāma; from Balarāma comes Saṅkarṣaṇa; from Saṅkarṣaṇa, Nārāyaṇa; from Nārāyaṇa, the second Saṅkarṣaṇa; from the second Saṅkarṣaṇa, Mahā-Viṣṇu; from Mahā-Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu; and from Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu controls every material universe.
This gives an idea of the meaning of ananta, unlimited. What is to be said of the unlimited potency and existence of the Lord? This verse describes the coverings of the universe (saptabhir daśa-guṇottarair aṇḍa-kośaḥ).
The first covering is earth, the second is water, the third is fire, the fourth is air, the fifth is sky, the sixth is the total material energy, and the seventh is the false ego.
Beginning with the covering of earth, each covering is ten times greater than the previous one. Thus we can only imagine how great each universe is, and there are many millions of universes. As confirmed by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gītā (10.42):
athavā bahunaitena
kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna
viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam
ekāṁśena sthito jagat
"But what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge? With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe.”
The entire material world manifests only one fourth of the Supreme Lord’s energy. Therefore He is called ananta." (SB, Canto 6 Ch 16 Text 37 Purport)
Is the first layer of our outer Brahmanda shell Earth or water?
There is some passages in Bhagavatam that says the first layer is earth and other places it says the first layer is water.
Srimad Bhagavatam says there are 7 layers that make up our outer Brahmanda shell that surrounds our single inner material universe inside it.
The circumference of our small secondary material universe inside our Brahmanda is 12.6 billion miles. And within that area are the 14 planetary systems.
Srila Prabhupada - ''The extent of the cosmic phenomenon or our individual universe is calculated to be diametrically four billion miles in size. Then the outer covering known as the Brahmanda shell begins.
The first covering of earth is calculated to extend forty billion miles, (10 times the size of the inner universe) and the subsequent coverings of the universe are respectively of water, fire, air, sky, total material energy, false ego one after another, each extending ten times further than the previous" (SB, Canto 2 Ch 2 text 28 Purport)
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura is referring to the circumference of our Brahmanda universal shell our single material universe is within, in following text-
Caitanya Caritamrita - "Kṛṣṇa said, ‘Your particular universe has a diameter of four billion miles; therefore it is the smallest of all the universes. Consequently you have only four heads." (CC Madhya 21.84)
Srila Prabhupada - "Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, one of the greatest astrologers of his time, gives information from the Siddhānta-śiromaṇi that this universe measures 18,712,069,200,000,000 x 8 miles.
(That's 18 quadrillion, 712 trillion, 69 billion, 200 million yojanas. So, multiply that figure by 8 to get miles which is 149 quadrillion 696 trillion 553 Billion 600 million miles in circumference).
This is the circumference of this Brahmanda universe according to some, this is only half the circumference to others."(CC Madhya 21.84 Purport)
It seems this is circumference of our ''Brahmanda universal shell'' that includes our 4 billion mile diameter universe that is deep within it.
The diameter of the massive Brahmanda with its 7 material layers is 44 quadrilllion, 444 trillion, 444 billion miles. If measured from the outer edge of the inner 4 billion mile diameter "secondary material universe" inside it, then it is twice that figure.
Compiled by Gauragopala dasa ACBSP - Vedic Cosmology Decoding the 5th Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam.
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