Tuesday, July 20, 2021

Each individual jiva-soul (marginal living entity) is a one of a kind independent PERSON with their own unique spiritual bodily form and personality separate from all other personalities, including Krsna.p

No two jiva-souls are the same. The spiritual world's of the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka-Vrindavana are "personal" places made up of individual living entities serving Krsna, and not a "one" all-pervasive "impersonal" consciousness that are only individual persons when embodied, no, such nonsense impersonalism does not exist in the spiritual world.

Genuine devotional service to Krsna is ALWAYS based on a "two-way" exchange of personal expressions and feelings that manifest as loving acts of reciprocation between Krsna and His pure devotees, who voluntarily contribute their own unique (one of a kind) expressions of devotion as the real act of surrendering to Krsna's will.

Loving exchanges and free will are not possible on a a "one-way" street, there MUST be "two."

Without this basic rule of having loving exchanges in the spiritual planets, then there can NEVER be genuine love or service within one's relationship with Krsna.

Emotions expressed "one-way" without personal contributions that expands and enriches loving affection and sentiment, only experienced in a "two-way" exchange, is NOT love at all, it is selfishness and impersonalism.

The spiritual world's of Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana are NOT a dictatorial "one-sided" impersonal directive, or a domineering demanding dictatorship that denies loving reciprocal relationships between two, which is a voluntary participation that includes personal contributions and self expression being always encouraged, instead of allowing a God to do all the thinking and decision making for you.

No, the spiritual planets are NOT a horrible impersonal emotionally dead place like that.

The fact is, in Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana (the Kingdom of God) there are ALWAYS loving exchanges, voluntary cooperation and contributions going on that enrich, expand and ad mystery to one's unique relationship with Krsna.

In the spiritual world, personal unique contributions based on "free will," is the bases of life there.

There is always loving enriching contributing actions reciprocated with Krsna going on because without these attributes there can never be love.

Srila Prabhupada - "Love is reciprocal, voluntary, good exchange of feeling. Then there is love. Not by force, no, Krsna does not want to become a lover like that." (Washington DC July 8, 1976)

Therefore "loyalty" is ALWAYS a "two-way" street where the jiva-souls have their own unique individual personality separate from Krsna's Personality, who adds their own personal unique expressions into the relationship that expands and forever enhances and enriches one's friendship with Krsna.

Krsna will NEVER "force" us to do what we do not "choose" to do in Vaikuntha or Goloka-Vrindavana because we are NOT Krsna's mindless "yes" men or women or slave.

Krsna does not control the surrender jiva-souls in every way like a puppet master controls his puppets with the movement of strings, denying self expression and individual contributions.

Srila Prabhupada - "Krsna does not want to become a lover by force, from the point of revolver. ‘You love me, otherwise I shall kill you!’ That is not love; that is threatening. Love is reciprocal, voluntary, good exchange of feeling. Then there is love. Not by force; that is rape. Why one is called lover, another is called rape?” (July 8, 1976 in Washington, D.C.)

So, clearly surrendering to Krsna and His pure devotees is NOT impersonal, it does NOT mean giving up your intelligence, free will, individuality and the awareness of being an independent unique contributing person you are eternally.

The spiritual world's of the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka Vrindavana, are NOT an impersonal domineering mindless place for the individual jiva-souls in their relationship with Krsna or God.

No, the Kingdom of God is not like that in anyway, there is ALWAYS voluntary loving exchanges of feelings and emotions going on based on reciprocation between Krsna and His devotees.

Srila Prabhupada - “The jiva-soul's position in the spiritual world is voluntary. Some devotee wants to serve Krsna as flower; they become flower there. If I want that "As a flower I shall lie down at the lotus feet of Krsna," he becomes flower, voluntarily, and he can change his, from flower to human body. That is spiritual life. There is no restriction. If some devotee wants to serve Krsna as cow, he serves Krsna as cow, as calf, as flower, as plant, as water, as ground, field, or as father, as mother, as friend, as beloved, anything. It is inconceivable, yet a fact." (SB, Canto 6.1.1-4 - Melb, Australia May 20, 1975)

Srila Prabhupada - "If you have no free will, then you are a stone. The stone has no free will. You want to be stone? Then you MUST have free will! But don't misuse your free will. But don't try to become stone either. That is not life." (Aug 5, 1976, New Mayapur France)

One's relationship with God (Krsna) in His Kingdom, is NEVER a "one-sided" master/slave mindless none contributing dictatorship as explained above, Prabhupada is telling us here.

The jiva-souls in Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana are forever voluntarily expanding the expression of their individuality with an increasing variety of personal devotional offerings based on free will that make them the PERSONS they are eternally.

Srila Prabhupada - "We have got the propensity to love. Love means somebody else. Love cannot be one or love cannot be executed only one, personally. There must be another one. I love somebody; somebody loves me, there must be lover, there must be beloved, and the transaction, then love." (Lecture on SB, Canto 1 Ch 2 text 6, Delhi, Nov 12, 1973)

Srila Prabhupada - "Love means you take and you give also. Suppose if you love somebody and you simply take from him, but you don't give. Oh, do you think it is very good? No. It is not good. That is NOT love. That is exploitation. If I go on simply taking from you, and if I don't offer you anything, that is simply exploitation." (Lecture on BG, Ch 9 text 2-5, New York City, Nov 23, 1966)

Srila Prabhupāda – "Unless there are two persons, where is the question of love? Love means two persons, then there is exchange, then there is love. I must deal with you open-hearted, you must deal with me open-hearted, then there is love. So if you want to love Kṛṣṇa, God, then these things must be there." (Aug 9, 1976, Tehran)

Srila Prabhupada - "Their impersonalist philosophy is oneness. So how there be love with just one? Is it possible? Have you got any such experience that love means one? No. Love means two. There MUST be two, the lover and the beloved. Kṛṣṇa is already lover. He loves you so much that He's trying to get you back. That is Kṛṣṇa's attempt. "Please, My dear boy, or My dear friend, My dear servant..." (Lecture on SB Canto 2 Ch 1 text 3, Paris, June 12, 1974)

Real love or Bhakti is reciprocal, it is NEVER a "one way street" where surrender to Krsna takes away one's sense of self, free will, individuality and one's personal contributions of voluntary offerings in Krsna's Abode.

Each individual jiva-soul has their own independent personality (yet simultaneously dependent on Krsna), separate from Krsna's Personality, which means having their own personality and sense of self, their own "unique identity" that they individually each have.

These attributes are part and parcel of each individual marginal living entity (jiva-soul) making each of them the unique "PERSON" they eternally are.

"Free will" in its full potential, is ONLY fully experienced in the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka-Vrindavan, which are the jiva-souls original perpetual home.

Srila Prabhupada - "Free will means that you can act wrongly. That is free will. Unless there is chance of doing wrong or right, there is no question of free will. Where is free will then? If I act only one sided, that means I have no free will. Because we act sometimes wrongly, that means free will."

Hayagriva - "A man may know better but still act wrongly."

Srila Prabhupada - "Yes, but that is free will. He misuses his. Just like a thief, he knows that his stealing, it is bad, but still he does it. That is free will. He cannot check his greediness, so in spite of his knowing that he is doing wrong thing—he will be punished, he knows; he has seen another thief, he was punished, he was put into prison— everything he knows, but still he steals. Why? Misuse of free will. Unless there is misuse of free will, there is no question of free will." (Excerpt from: Philosophy Discussions with Srila Prabhupada – Rene Descartes)

Bali Mardana - "An example of free will is someone can choose Kṛṣṇa or turn away? Is that an example of free will?"

Srila Prabhupāda - "Yes, because if you accept Kṛṣṇa, then you must follow what Kṛṣṇa says. If you don't follow Kṛṣṇa, then what is the use of talking of Kṛṣṇa? If he accepts Kṛṣṇa, he must abide by the injunction of Kṛṣṇa."(Morning Walk, Jan 22, 1974, Hawaii)

Vipina Purandara - “Why doesn’t Krsna protect me from thinking independently from Him?"

Srila Prabhupada - “That means you lose your independence. That is force, in Bengali it is said, "If you catch one girl or boy, ‘You love me, you love me, you love me. Is it love? You love me, otherwise I will kill you!’ Is that love?" (July 8, 1976 in Washington, D.C.)

Krsna does NOT want followers who deny others their right to choose for themselves on how they want to serve Krsna by offering their own unique personal contributions, or even rejecting Krsna if they choose as Prabhupada explains.

There is always a choice and that is why free will ALWAYS exists in God's Kingdom otherwise we are no better than dead emotionless stone.

The spiritual world's of Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana are personal Kingdoms based on loving exchanges and cooperation between Krsna and His devotees, it is NEVER a "one way" demanding forceful relationship.

Ultimately we are all Krsna's servant and very dear friends however, that does not mean we have to give up our "free will" and "individuality" to be Krsna's friend and servant.

The conclusion is, free will MUST exist in Goloka-Vrindavana if voluntary unique self expression is to exist.

This individual quality is part and parcel of the constitutional make up of every marginal living entity (individual jiva-soul) otherwise how can there be unique voluntary contributing acts of genuine loving devotion and exchanges with Krsna?

In other words, Krsna ALWAYS allows "free will" because if He didn't, then loving exchanges and personal contributions can NEVER exist!

And that is what you call loveless impersonalism.

This is why the jiva-souls MUST have their free will if they are to experience voluntary loving exchanges and reciprocation with Krsna.

Srila Prabhupada has made it clear, it is only by Krsna’s sanction EVERYTHING is happening because Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of ALL causes.

However, for Him to experience genuine loving exchanges, Krsna must allow the jiva-souls to voluntary participate in a "two-way" loving relationship.

In other words, Krsna MUST allow free will.

So, Krsna must also give His approval for the jiva-souls to have their free will too.

The fact is, if Krsna denied the jiva-soul's their "free will" then we are no better than dead useless mindless stone Prabhupada clearly tells us.

Without free will, the jiva-souls can NEVER experience loving exchanges or emotions because ultimately love is a "two-way" exchange of personal feelings experienced when there are voluntary contributions between two, that can only happen if there is free will.

Both loving exchanges and free will are NEVER possible when there is just "one" there must be "two"

Srila Prabhupada - "The impersonalist philosophy is "oneness," so how there be love with just one? Is it possible? Have you got any such experience that love means one? No. Love means two. There MUST be two, the lover and the beloved. Kṛṣṇa is already lover. He loves you so much that He's trying to get you back. That is Kṛṣṇa's attempt. "Please, My dear boy, or My dear friend, My dear servant..." (Lecture on SB Canto 2 Ch 1 text 3, Paris, June 12, 1974)

Srila Prabhupada - "We have got the propensity to love. Love means somebody else. Love cannot be one or love cannot be executed only one, personally. There must be another one. I love somebody; somebody loves me, there must be lover, there must be beloved, and the transaction, then love." (Lecture on SB, Canto 1 Ch 2 text 6, Delhi, Nov 12, 1973)

Srila Prabhupada - "Love means you take and you give also. Suppose if you love somebody and you simply take from him, but you don't give. Oh, do you think it is very good? No. It is not good. That is NOT love. That is exploitation. If I go on simply taking from you, and if I don't offer you anything, that is simply exploitation." (Lecture on BG, Ch 9 text 2-5, New York City, Nov 23, 1966)

Srila Prabhupāda – "Unless there are two persons, where is the question of love? Love means two persons, then there is exchange, then there is love. I must deal with you open-hearted, you must deal with me open-hearted, then there is love. So if you want to love Kṛṣṇa, God, then these things must be there." (Aug 9, 1976, Tehran)

Genuine love can NEVER be experienced in a dictatorial "one-sided" impersonal version of "surrender" in the name of Krsna.

To deny a jiva-soul's individual acts of self expression of personal offerings as an independent individual, and instead allow one's self to be always told what to do and think in the name of surrender, never encouraged to make one's own voluntary contributions, is NOT surrender at all!

The idea that "surrender" means forgetting or extinguishing your free will, which means being encouraged to voluntarily express yourself as a contributing individual, and instead allow Krsna to take complete control of all your thoughts and actions, is not only impersonalism, but also spiritual suicide!

Emotions expressed in a "one-way" mood without any exchange between "two," is NOT love at all, it is selfishness and dangerous impersonalism.

Therefore, without free will, without being allowed to contribute personal offerings and have independent choices, even though fully dependent on Krsna, the jiva-souls will NEVER experience wonderful loving exchanges, reciprocation and being able to offer their own personal unique gifts of individual contributions to Krsna.

As Prabhupada says, without "free will" we are no better than dead stone!

“Free will” or the ability to “choose” is eternally part and parcel of the jiva-souls (marginal living entities) natural constitution and ALWAYS exists without beginning or end in ALL the spiritual planets.

This is the real meaning of personalism.

As said above, free will in its full potential ONLY exists in Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavan, which is the jiva-souls original perpetual home.

As Srila Prabhupada explains, the relationship between Krsna and the individual jiva-soul, is never a "one-way" domineering dictatorial relationship that denies personal contributions and choices.

No, love is ALWAYS based on the reciprocation between two because love can only exist when there are two as Prabhupada explains-

Srila Prabhupāda – ”Love means two persons, then there is exchange, then there is love. I must deal with you open-hearted, you must deal with me open-hearted, then there is love. So if you want to love Kṛṣṇa, God, then these things must be there." (Aug 9, 1976, Tehran)

Srila Prabhupada – "So everyone can know that independence means one can use it properly, or one can misuse it. That is independence. If you make it one way only, that is not independence, that is force." (Los Angeles, June 23, 1975)

Srila Prabhupada – "So, unless there is a possibility of misusing our free will, there is no question of freedom." (Dialectical Spiritualism, Critique of Descartes)

Ultimately each individual jiva-soul is a unique person who can choose for themselves to voluntarily serve Krsna the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of all causes, or ignore Him if they choose.

Free will also must allow this too otherwise free will has no meaning.

As Prabhupada explains, Krsna never forces you to surrender to Him, never forces you to love Him, that MUST be voluntary.

Srila Prabhupada – "Krsna NEVER forces you to love Him, that MUST be voluntary. Love is reciprocal, good exchange of feeling. Then there is love. Not by force, no, Krsna does not want to become a lover like that, at the point of a gun." (July 8, 1976)

Devotee – "In Srimad Bhagavatam, it says that Krsna did not want us to come to this material world. If Krsna did not want us to come, why are we here?” Why doesn’t He save me from thinking like that?"

Srila Prabhupada - "That means you lose your independence. That is force, in Bengali it is said, ‘If you catch one girl or boy and demand, you love me, you love me, you love me, is it love? You love me, otherwise I will kill you! Is that love? So Krsna does not want to become a lover like that, on the point of revolver, you love me, otherwise I shall kill you! That is not love; that is threatening. Love is reciprocal, voluntary, good exchange of feeling. Then there is love. Not by force; that is rape. Why one is called lover, another is called rape?" (July 8, 1976 in Washington, D.C).

The jiva-souls in Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana are forever expanding their expression of individuality with personal offerings based on free will and selfless loving reciprocation with Krsna, it is NEVER a one-sided master/slave relationship with God (Krsna)

Real love, bhakti or service is always reciprocal, as said above, and is NEVER a "one-way" dictatorial domination where "surrender" to Krsna takes away one's "free will," sense of a unique independent identity, individuality, a personality separate from Krsna's Personality, and the freedom to voluntarily offer personal contributions to Krsna.

This is important to understand because each individual jiva-soul has their own autonomous personality separate from Krsna's Personality, having their own sense of independent self, and their own unique characteristics THEY only have that no other jiva-soul also has.

Each jiva-soul is unique.

An independent individual with their own "one of a kind" personality.

As said above, all these qualities are part and parcel of each individual marginal living entities (jiva-souls) make up in the spiritual world as the "PERSONS" they are eternally.

Srila Prabhupada - “Because you are Son of God you have got independence, full independence, therefore you have acquired the quality of your father. "So God does not interfere with your independence." (Conversation Melb, Australia June 25, 1974).

Having the attributes of being an eternal PERSON also includes having free will as part and parcel of the jiva-souls constitutional make up.

Krsna does not want to be surrounded by mindless drones who have no individual unique personality who can choose to expand, enrich and expand one's relationship with Krsna based on loving exchanges.

Some religious groups wrongly preach that you must give up (surrender) your "free will" to enter Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavana.

These nonsense groups should know that you must always have free will so one can voluntary choose to participate in loving exchanges with Krsna.

Such a two-sided relationship is ONLY possible when the jiva-soul HAS their free will!

One must properly study Srila Prabhupada's Books and lectures to understand that surrender does NOT mean giving up your free will and letting Krsna control your every thought and actions.

In one class in one within one of these bogus religious, a so called sannyasi foolishly said-

"If you surrender to Krsna then you do not even need to think for yourself, Krsna will do all the thinking for you."

This nonsense talk of trying to extinguish one's unique personality and free will is impersonalism and spiritual suicide!

Many have foolishly believe that extinguishing your individuality and free will, is the real meaning of surrender.

They demand you must hand over and surrender your individuality, intelligence and free will, and let Krsna's will flow through you and control your every actions and thoughts, just like a puppet master controls a puppet."

Such nonsense preaching is Mayavadi impersonal.

"Real surrender" is using your free will to choose how to serve Krsna in one's own unique way, by forever voluntarily increasing your service atitude with a constant variety of personal contributions, and NOT give up one's ability to think for yourself as the bogus religionists above wrongly preach!

Such nonsense bogus impersonal surrender of attempting to give up (extinguish) your free will in the name of "surrender", is impersonalism that will only destroy who you really are as a unique individual PERSON, with the God given ability to contribute as a unique individual PERSON, and not as some mindless drone in a collective.

Love is NEVER a one-way street, there MUST be "free will" that makes the relationship a "two-way" exchange based on loving voluntary offerings.

This is what REAL personalism is.

Srila Prabhupada - "If you have no free will, then you are a stone. The stone has no free will. You want to be stone? Then you MUST have free will! But don't misuse your free will. But don't try to become stone either. That is not life." (Aug 5, 1976, New Mayapur France)

We should ALWAYS remember the jiva-souls (marginal living entities) are personalist - and that means a PERSON who has a unique personality, who is naturally involved in a "two-way" loving exchange with Krsna and NEVER trapped in a one-way mindless dictatorship.

Therefore, being a PERSONALIST in the spiritual world means you MUST have your "free will" to voluntarily experience self expression, otherwise you are just a programmed "yes man or women" in a mindless collective who are never encouraged or nurtured to contribute as an independent individual.

The spiritual world is NOT an impersonal collective of jiva-souls who all think and act in the same way llike a mindless robot machines on a factorise assemble line that is always controlled, manipulated and programmed by the factory owner to only obey and only obey.

Srila Prabhupada - "In the spiritual world service here is always voluntary. Some devotee wants to serve Krsna as flower; they become flower there. If I want to be a flower I shall lie down at the lotus feet of Krsna, he becomes flower, voluntarily, and he can change his, from flower to human body. That is spiritual life. There is no restriction. If some devotee wants to serve Krsna as cow, he serves Krsna as cow, as calf, as flower, as plant, as water, as ground, field, or as father, as mother, as friend, as beloved, anything. It is inconceivable, yet a fact." (SB Canto 6 Ch 1 text 1-4 - Melb, Australia May 20, 1975)

In the spiritual world the choice of the jiva-soul's relationship with Krsna is always voluntary, from a blade of grass to a tree, a cow or gopi or a 4 armed or two armed form on the Vaikuntha planets serving Narayana (Visnu) or in Goloka-Vrindavana with Krsna. ^**^×

In Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana there are always voluntary loving exchanges, respectful cooperation and personal unique contributions of offerings to Krsna going on.

Such contributions and service are based on "free will", that is always expanding, enriching and adding variety and mystery to the jiva-souls friendship with Krsna.

In this way "loyalty" or devotion to Krsna, is always a "two-way" street that can only genuinely exist in a positive way fully in Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana (the Kingdom of God), and not in the temporary decaying material creation where free will is greatly restricted and almost does not exist.

In fact, only in the human form (400 thousand different human species graded from higher consciousness, to lower primitive humans of almost animal intelligence) does the conditioned jiva-soul in the material world experience a little free will.

All the other 8 million species of life are dictated to by nature - the instincts of

eating,

sleeping,

mating,

defending.

Proper devotional service happens only when the individual jiva-souls can voluntarily contribute their own unique expressions of loving service in their relationship with Krsna.

Without this basic rule of having loving exchanges in the spiritual planets, then there can never be genuine love or service within one's relationship with Krsna.

A relationship expressed in a "one-way" domineering mood without allowing and encouraging personal contributions only stagnates any relationship making it cold and impersonal.

A healthy relationship is based on a voluntary "two-way" mutual respectful exchange, that expands, enriches and forever increases loving affection and sentiment.

This can only be experienced in a "two-way" exchange of feelings and not in a "one-way" impersonal dictatorship.

A one-way dictatorial leadership is devoid of loving reciprocation and exchanges. Forced surrender is selfishness and cold impersonalism.

The spiritual worlds of Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana are not a dictatorial "one-way" impersonal directive, or a domineering demanding dictatorship that denies personal contributions and where God or Krsna does all the thinking and decision making for everyone.

No, the spiritual planets are not impersonal like that, where personal individual contributions are suppressed, denied and totally controlled.

Which only means that the personality, individual identity and independent character of the individual jiva-soul, is emotionally dead due to never being encouraged to experience healthy exchanges by contributing to them in their own unique way.

One's relationship with Krsna is voluntary, based on individual unique contributions and loving exchanges.

Any God, spiritual master or guru who demands your free will MUST be surrendered are bogus fools and must be rejected and even eliminated to protect all innocent seekers of truth.

The fact is, in Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana (the Kingdoms of God) there are always loving exchanges, cooperation, personal unique individual contributions based on "free will", and loving enriching reciprocation going on between Krsna and His devotees because without these attributes there can never be love.

Srila Prabhupada - "Love is reciprocal, voluntary, good exchange of feeling. Then there is love. Not by force, no, Krsna does not want to become a lover like that at the point of a gun." (Washington DC July 8, 1976)

Pure selfless devotional service is always a "two-way" street where the jiva-souls have their own unique individual personality separate from Krsna's Personality.

Where they can express their own personal unique devotional contributions, and add them into the relationship with Krsna in Vrindavana, expanding and forever enhancing and enriching one's friendship with Krsna.

This is why the marginal living entities (jiva-souls) are always aloud by Krsna to have their free will in Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana.

Krsna will NEVER "force" the jiva-souls to do what they do not "choose" to do in Vaikuntha or Goloka-Vrindavana.

All service there is always voluntary.

This is because the jiva-souls are not Krsna's mindless "yes" men or women who are controlled in every way like a puppet master impersonally controls his emotionless puppets with the movement of strings.

Srila Prabhupada - "Krsna does not want to become a lover by force, from the point of revolver. ‘You love me, otherwise I shall kill you!’ That is not love; that is threatening. Love is reciprocal, voluntary, good exchange of feeling. Then there is love. Not by force; that is rape. Why one is called lover, another is called rape?" (July 8, 1976 in Washington, D.C.)

So clearly, serving Krsna and His pure devotees is not impersonal, it does not mean giving up your intelligence, free will, individuality, ability to voluntary make personal contributions and having the awareness of being an independent unique contributing PERSON in Krsna's (God) Kingdom eternally.

The spiritual worlds are not a "one-way" impersonal domineering mindless totalitarian place for the individual jiva-souls in their relationship with Krsna.

And who would want to live in such a emotionally dead version of God's Kingdom?

Krsna's Kingdom is not like that in anyway, everything that the jiva-souls do there is strictly voluntary.

There is always voluntary loving exchanges of feelings, emotions based on respect going on there in a caring mood of reciprocation between Krsna and His devotees.

Srila Prabhupada - "The jiva-soul's position in the spiritual world is voluntary. Some devotee want to serve Krsna as flower; they become flower there. If I want, I can be a flower and lie down at the lotus feet of Krsna and become flower voluntarily, and can also change from being a flower to having human bodily form like Krsnas. That is spiritual life. There is no restriction. If some devotee wants to serve Krsna as cow, he serves Krsna as cow, as calf, as flower, as plant, as water, as ground, field, or as father, as mother, as friend, as beloved, anything. It is inconceivable, yet a fact." (SB Canto 6.1.1-4 - Melb, Australia May 20, 1975)

Srila Prabhupada - "If you have no free will, then you are a stone. The stone has no free will. You want to be stone? Then you must have free will! But don't misuse your free will. But don't try to become stone either. That is not life." (Aug 5, 1976, New Mayapur France)

As emphasised above, one's relationship with God (Krsna) in His Kingdom is never a one sided master/slave mindless none contributing dictatorship as Prabhupada has told us above.

Srila Prabhupada - "Love means you take and you give also. Suppose if you love somebody and you simply take from him, but you don't give. Oh, do you think it is very good? No. It is not good. That is not love. That is exploitation. If I go on simply taking from you, and if I don't offer you anything, that is simply exploitation." (Lecture on BG, Ch 9 text 2-5, New York City, Nov 23, 1966)

Srila Prabhupāda – "Unless there are two-persons, where is the question of love? Love means two persons, then there is exchange, then there is love. I must deal with you open-hearted, you must deal with me open-hearted, then there is love. So if you want to love Kṛṣṇa, God, then these things must be there." (Aug 9, 1976, Tehran)

Srila Prabhupada - "Their (the impersonalist mayavadis) philosophy is oneness. So how there be love with just one? Is it possible? Have you got any such experience that love means one? No. Love means two. There MUST be two, the lover and the beloved. Kṛṣṇa is already lover. He loves you so much that He's trying to get you back. That is Kṛṣṇa's attempt. "Please, My dear boy, or My dear friend, My dear servant..." (Lecture on SB, Canto 2 Ch 1 text 3, Paris, June 12, 1974)

Real love or Bhakti is reciprocal, it is never a "one-way sided domination where surrender to Krsna takes away the jiva-soul's sense of self, free will, individuality and their personal voluntary contributions of service to Krsna.

It needs to be emphasised that each individual jiva-soul has their own independent unique personality separate from Krsna's Personality (yet always dependent on Krsna), which means having their own method of giving and receiving while making their own personal contributions.

These personal attributes each individual jiva-soul possess, they are part and parcel of each jiva-soul's eternal constitutional make up, making them the unique "PERSON" they eternally are.

"Free will" in its full potential, is only fully experienced in Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavan, which are the jiva-soul's original perpetual home.

The jiva-souls home is never in the material world trapped in the horror of material bodily vessels repeated birth and death.

Srila Prabhupada - "Free will means that you can act wrongly. That is free will. Unless there is chance of doing wrong or right, there is no question of free will. Where is free will then? If I act only one sided, that means I have no free will. Because we act sometimes wrongly, that means free will."

Hayagriva - "A man may know better but still act wrongly."

Srila Prabhupada -"Yes, but that is free will. He misuses his. Just like a thief, he knows that his stealing, it is bad, but still he does it. That is free will. He cannot check his greediness, so in spite of his knowing that he is doing wrong thing—he will be punished, he knows; he has seen another thief, he was punished, he was put into prison— everything he knows, but still he steals.Why? Misuse of free will. Unless there is misuse of free will, there is no question of free will." (Excerpt from: Philosophy Discussions with Srila Prabhupada – Rene Descartes)

Vipina Purandara - "Why doesn’t Krsna protect me from thinking independently from Him?"

Srila Prabhupada - "That means you lose your independence. That is force, in Bengali it is said, ‘If you catch one girl or boy, ‘You love me, you love me, you love me.’ ” Is it love? “You love me, otherwise I will kill you!’ Is that love?" (July 8, 1976 in Washington, D.C.)

Krsna does NOT want followers who deny others their right of self expression of choosing for themselves on how they want to serve Krsna.

As said above, all jiva-souls in the spiritual world voluntarily offering their own unique personal contributions in service to Krsna.

Or even rejecting Krsna if they choose to do so as Prabhupada explains.

This is always possible because there is always a choice, and that is why free will happens to always exists in God's Kingdom (otherwise we are no better than dead emotionless stone.

The spiritual world's of Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana are Krsna's personal Kingdoms, based on voluntary association, loving exchanges and cooperation that never denies personal offerings.

Therefore serving Krsna is never a "one-sided" demanding forceful relationship.

Ultimately, we are all Krsna's servant and very dear friends however, that does not mean we have to give up our "free will" and "individuality" to be Krsna's friend and servant.

Therefore, of course free will always exists in Goloka-Vrindavana and Vaikuntha that is part and parcel of the constitutional make up of every marginal living entity (individual jiva-soul) as said above.

And yes, Krsna always allows "free will" because if He didn't, then loving exchanges will never be recognized and exist, and the spiritual world would be a cold impersonal stagnant useless place!

Srila Prabhupada has made it clear, it is only by Krsna’s sanction and approval the jiva-souls have anything including their free will.

However, free will is necessary because it allows the jiva-souls to voluntarily make their own unique contributions based on their own choices that having free will can only allow.

Of course, such free will in its full potential, only fully exists in the spiritual world, and is almost non-existent in the material world.

Without free will the jiva-souls are no better than dead stone as Prabhupada says above.

The fact is, if Krsna denied the jiva-soul's there free will then there really is no life, one is simply like a mindless puppet always controlled by the strings of the puppet master (a useless God).

So, if Kṛṣṇa never allowed free will or denied the jiva-souls their free will, then the the jiva-souls would never be able to experience loving exchanges or meaningful emotions because ultimately love is always a "two-way" exchange of personal feelings only experienced when voluntary contributions are allowed by Krsna.

Genuine loving devotional service can never be experienced in a "one-way" totally controlled environment run by Krsna or anyone.

For love to truly exist there must be a two-way exchange of feelings with Krsna otherwise the idea of spiritual life is dead.

Such impersonal emotionless association means one is no better than dead useless stone

Emotions expressed in a one-way mood without any exchange of feelings between two, is not love at all, it is selfishness and dangerous impersonalism.

Therefore, without the free will of being allowed to contribute their own personal offerings, based on independent choices, the jiva-souls will never experience wonderful loving exchanges, reciprocation and have the choice to choose their own personal unique offerings to Krsna.

As emphasised above, "free will" or the ability to "choose" is eternally part and parcel of the jiva-soul's (marginal living entities) natural constitution.

And always exists without beginning or end in all the spiritual planets, but greatly restricted in the material creation where free will almost does not exist.

Having free will in its full potential only exists in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavan, which is the jiva-souls original perpetual home.

The relationship between Krsna and the individual jiva-soul is never a "one-way, one-sided" domineering forceful relationship, that denies personal contributions and individual decision making from the jiva-souls.

No, love is always based on the reciprocation between two because love can only exist when there are two as Prabhupada explains-

Srila Prabhupāda – "Love means two-persons, then there is exchange, then there is love. I must deal with you open-hearted, you must deal with me open-hearted, then there is love. So if you want to love Kṛṣṇa, God, then these things must be there." (Aug 9, 1976, Tehran)

Srila Prabhupada – "So, unless there is a possibility of misusing our free will, there is no question of freedom." (Dialectical Spiritualism, Critique of Descartes)

Ultimately, each individual jiva-soul is a unique PERSON who can choose for themselves how to voluntarily serve Krsna the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of all causes, or even ignore Him if they choose.

Krsna never forces you to love Him, surrender to Him, never demands you to love Him, that MUST be voluntary.

Srila Prabhupada – "Krsna never forces you to love Him, that must be voluntary. Love is reciprocal, good exchange of feeling. Then there is love. Not by force, no, Krsna does not want to become a lover by force like that." (July 8, 1976)

Devotee – "In Srimad Bhagavatam, it says that Krsna did not want us to come to this material world. If Krsna did not want us to come here, why are we here?” Why doesn’t He save us from thinking like that?”

Srila Prabhupada - "That means you lose your independence. That is force. In Bengali it is said, "If you catch one girl or boy and demand, you love me, you love me, you love me, is it love? You love me, otherwise I will kill you! Is that love? So, Krsna does not want to become a lover like that, on the point of revolver, you love me otherwise I shall kill you! That is not love; that is threatening force. Love is reciprocal, voluntary, good exchange of feeling. Then there is love. Not by force; that is rape. Why one is called lover, another is called a rapist?" (Lecture July 8, 1976 in Washington, D.C.)

The jiva-souls in on the Vaikuntha planets and in Goloka-Vrindavana, are forever expanding their loving affection and selfless service to Kṛṣṇa in a "two-way" exchange.

The jiva-souls have unlimited ways of expressing their unique individuality with personal offerings based as selfless service.

The jiva-souls relationship with Krsna is never a one-sided master/slave relationship with the Krsna in Goloka Vrindavana or Visnu on the Vaikuntha planets.

Real love, bhakti or service is reciprocal, as said above, it is never a one-way street or a one-sided affair of domination where "surrender" to Krsna takes away one's free will, sense of self, individuality and the ability to offer personal contributions to Krsna.

This is important to understand because each individual jiva-soul has their own autonomous personality separate from Krsna's Personality.

They have their own sense of independent self, their own unique characteristics that only they have, and no other jiva-soul has.

Each jiva-soul is a unique individual with their own personality separate from all other personalities including Krsna's Personality

This also means no two-jiva souls are the same.

All these qualities are part and parcel of each individual marginal living entities make up in the spiritual worlds as the independent unique jiva-soul ("PERSON") they are eternally.

Srila Prabhupada - "Because you are Son of God you have got independence, full independence, therefore you have acquired the quality of your father. "So God does not interfere with your independence." (Conversation Melb, Australia June 25, 1974)

Having the attributes of being an eternal PERSON also includes having free will as part and parcel of the jiva-souls constitutional make up as previously explained.

Krsna does not want to be surrounded by mindless drones who have no individual offerings to contribute, or can think and decide for themselves on on what to offer Krsna.

Each individual jiva-soul always has their free will included in their constitutional make up.

This allows all marginal living entities (jiva-souls) to make their own personal unique choices that simultaneously expands and enriches the relationship of loving exchanges with Krsna.

Real surrender is to voluntarily use your free will and choose to serve Krsna in your own unique personal way and never give up your freedom of expression that gives you the personal choices of how to provide personal contributions.

To deny free will and attempt to extinguish your individual personality and identity by entering the impersonal dormant (inactive) Brahmajyoti, is spiritual suicide to a Vaisnava devotee of the Lord.

The nonsense of attempting to give up your "free will" (spiritual suicide) to serve Krsna in the name of "surrender," is dangerous impersonalism.

Such impersonalism will only destroy who you really are as a unique individual PERSON, who can contribute as that person, and NOT as some mindless devotee drone in a collective.

Love is never a one-way or one-sided affair on the Vaikuntha planets or in Goloka-Vrindavana.

The jiva-souls always have their free will too that allows the relationship with Krsna to be expressed in a "two-way" exchange of voluntary offerings that forever expand and enrich one's relationship with Krsna.

Please read the article above with Prabhupada's quotes on free will.

Srila Prabhupada clearly says without "free will" you are no better than dead stone, and to give up your free will is impersonalism and spiritual suicide.

We must use our "free will" to think of ways to expand one's loving exchanges and devotion with Krsna, this is REAL personalism.

Sadly, in today's society exists a very subtle nasty expression of impersonalism.

The marginal living entities (jiva-souls) are PERSONALIST with their own individual character, unique identity and spiritual body (vigraha).

And to be a personalist you must have "free will", otherwise you are just a mindless programmed puppet in a collective of puppets, all manipulated and forced to dance by strings moved by the puppet master.

Such an existence imitating spiritual life in name of Krsna, is the worst kind of impersonalism.*÷*.

The jiva-soul's relationship with Krsna (God) in His Kingdom's of the Vaikuṇṭha planets and Goloka Vrindavana is NEVER a "one-sided" non-voluntary contributing forceful impersonal affair Prabhupada explains here.

The jiva-souls in Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana are forever voluntarily expanding their variety of personal expressions that come from their own individuality, personality and free will.

This is constantly achieved with increasing offerings to Krsna based on loving exchanges and reciprocation.

Srila Prabhupada – "Love is reciprocal, voluntary, good exchange of feeling. Then there is love. Not by force, no, Krsna does not want to become a lover like that, ‘You love me, otherwise I shall kill you!" (Washington DC July 8, 1976)

Real love or Bhakti is both reciprocal and voluntary, it is NEVER a "one-sided" dictatorial affair where surrender to Krsna takes away the individual jiva-soul's independent sense of self, free will and their personal unique contributions of voluntary offerings to Krsna.

Each individual jiva-soul has their own independent personality (yet dependent on Krsna) but separate from Krsna's Personality as well.

This means each individual jiva-soul has their own sense of self, personality and unique identity that THEY only uniquely have.

These attributes are part and parcel of each individual marginal living entity (jiva-soul) making each jiva-soul the unique "PERSON" they are eternally.

The jiva-souls (marginal living entities) have existed for "infinity" which means they are beginningless and endless and were NEVER created like Krsna was never created.

Bhagavad Gita As It Is, Chapter 2 text 12-

"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)

Bhagavad Gita As It Is (1983 corrected edition), Chapter 2 text 20-

"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)

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)

Only matter is temporary (like the decomposing material bodily vessel the jiva-soul is presently within), while the jiva-souls as a spiritual bodyswithin the material body, are eternal and can NEVER cease to exist or be destroyed.

This means when the material vessels the jiva-souls are in, breaks down due to disease, decay or accidents, and ceases to function.

The jiva-soul within the material body is then forced to vacate that decomposing material body and take another one in the cycle of birth and death, Liberated or conditioned.

There are two realities the jiva-souls can be in-

1 -Nitya-siddha means the eternally liberated jiva-souls but only "while" remaining on th Vaikuntha planets and Goloka-Vrindavana.

2 -Nitya-baddha means the eternally material conditioned jiva-souls but only while in the material creation or conditioned in the dormant or inactive in the impersonal Brahmajyoti or Brahman.

Srila Prabhupada - "In the broader sense everyone comes from Krsnaloka. When one forgets Krsna he is conditioned (nitya-baddha), when one remembers Krsna he is liberated (nitya-siddha)." (Letter to Mukunda, June 10, 1969)

Srila Prabhupada - "There are two kinds of marginal living entities: nitya-siddha and nitya-baddha. The actual constitutional position of every marginal living entity is nitya-siddha." (CC lecture, July 13, 1976)

Srila Prabhupada - "The Krsna consciousness movement is to make the nitya-baddhas AGAIN nitya-siddha." (New York Lecture on CC, July 13, 1976)

Srila Prabhupada - "By following the rules and regulations and instructions of the spiritual master, he can also become siddha. He can become again nitya-siddha. So the Krsna consciousness movement is to make the nitya-baddhas AGAIN nitya-siddha, to bring them to their original position. It is a difficult task." (London lecture on BG, July 14, 1973)

Srila Prabhupada - "Nitya-baddhas are within this material world. Beginning from Brahma down to a small ant, insignificant ant, they are all nitya-baddha. Anyone who is in this material world they are nitya-baddha." (Lecture on BG, July 14, 1973)

In the spiritual world's of Goloka-Vrindavana and the Vaikuntha planets, loving devotional service is never a "one-way or one-sided" affair, no, real love or service is always voluntary service expressed in a reciprocal "two-way" exchange with Krsna in God's (Krsna) Kingdom.

Voluntary reciprocal association in the Kingdom of God with Krsna can only be expressed in a genuine loving way when "two"are involved in a loving exchange nurtured and encouraged by Krsna.

In Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana, personal voluntary expressions (service) involving loving exchanges, can only be expressed because the jiva-souls have free will.

Such free will is always encouraged by Krsna in His relationship with the jiva-souls, which adds flavour, variety and expanding mystery in the relationship between the individual jiva-souls and Kṛṣṇa.

This means the Kingdom of God is NOT a "one-sided," one-eyed viewed "impersonal" abode that is devoid of voluntary self expression personal contributions.

Without free will, the jiva-soul is denied the ability to provide those personal contributions that inspire and build integrity and individual character.

All unique offerings to Krsna that He always allows, are meant to expand, enrich and flavour the relationship.

As said above, love or service to Krsna is not a "one-sided" affiliate of total supremacy or pre-eminence.

The fact is genuine loving relations and service are based on voluntary reciprocal exchanges and contributions between two, not just one!!

The individual jiva-souĺs have their unique choices too, even if that choice means rejecting Krsna!

Free will only has meaning when the jiva-souls can ALWAYS express themselves in a "two-sided" affair.

In other words, loving reciprocation is only possible on a "two-way" street between two, with each contributing to the relationship's expansion of nectarine mellows.

The word "reciprocation" only has meaning when there are two involved, not one!

"Free will" in its full potential, is ONLY fully experienced in Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavan, which is the jiva-souls original perpetual home.

The mundane dead material creation is where repeated birth and death take place and is continually experienced by the trapped jiva-soul,

The material creation is NOT the jiva-soul's real home.

This is because the jiva-souls, who have chosen to enter the material creation, are then forced to possess temporary material bodily vessels that are always in a constant state of maintenance, decomposition and death, but the jiva-soul "within the material body." NEVER dies.

Therefore, such troublesome material bodily vessels are NOT who the jiva-souls are.

Even to enter many heavenly and hellish material planets, the jiva-souls must have the right type of material body (subtle or gross material body) and the accumulation of pious or impious activities in order to enter heavenly or hellish material planets.

Such heavenly and hellish realms are NOT visible or possible to visit for those in a "gross" material body, only being in a proper "subtle material body" can one enter both heaven and hell in the material creation.

Therefore, even going to those material planets in their gross material space crafts as Astronauts have achieved while confined in their gross material body, will not reveal to them the opulent heavenly or hellish atmosphere on the planet they visit.

Just like the heavenly realm on the Moon called Chandraloka that the American Astronauts visited, but could not see or detect the heavenly atmosphere there.

Srila Prabhupada - The material body is just a covering of the spiritual soul. Mind and intelligence are the undercoverings (subtle body) and the "gross body of earth, water, air, etc., is the overcoating of the soul. As such, any advanced soul who has realized himself by the yogic process, who knows the relationship between matter and spirit, can leave the gross dress of the jiva-soul in perfect order and as he desires.

By the grace of God, we have complete freedom. Because the Lord is kind to us, we can live anywhere—either in the spiritual sky or in the material sky, upon whichever planet we desire. However, misuse of this freedom causes one to fall down into the material world and suffer the threefold miseries of conditioned life.

The living of a miserable life in the material world by dint of the soul's choice is nicely illustrated by Milton in Paradise Lost. Similarly, by choice the soul can regain paradise and return home, back to Godhead. At the critical time of death, one can place the vital force between the two eyebrows and decide where he wants to go.

If he is reluctant to maintain any connection with the material world, he can, in less than a second, reach the transcendental Vaikuṇṭha and appear there completely in his spiritual body which will be suitable for him in the spiritual atmosphere. He has simply to desire to leave the material world in both finer and grosser forms and then move the vital force to the topmost part of the skull and leave the body from the hole in the skull called the brahma-randhra.

This is the highest perfection in the practice of yoga. Of course man is endowed with free will, and as such if he does not want to free himself of the material world he may enjoy the life of brahma-pāda (occupation of the post of Brahmā) and visit Siddhaloka, the planets of materially perfect beings who have full abilities to control gravity, space, time, etc.

To visit these higher planets in the material universe, one need not give up his mind and intelligence (finer matter), but need only give up grosser matter (the gross material body).

Man-made satellites and mechanical space vehicles (made out of gross matter) will NEVER be able to carry human beings (while in their "gross material body") to the higher dimentional planets of outer space. Men cannot even go on their much-advertised trips (to the heavenly subtle atmosphere) on moon, for, as we have already stated, the (subtle material) atmosphere on such higher planets is different from the (gross material) atmosphere here on earth.

Each and every planet has its particular atmosphere, and if one wants to travel to any particular planet within the material universe, one has to have a material body exactly adapted to the climatic condition of that planet. For instance, if one wants to go from India to Europe, where the climatic condition is different, one has to change his dress accordingly. Similarly, a complete change of body is necessary if one wants to go to the transcendental planets of Vaikuṇṭha." (Easy Journey to Other Planets 1)

Hayagriva - "A man may know better but still act wrongly."

Srila Prabhupada -"Yes, but that is free will. He misuses his. Just like a thief, he knows that his stealing, it is bad, but still he does it. That is free will. He cannot check his greediness, so in spite of his knowing that he is doing wrong thing—he will be punished, he knows; he has seen another thief, he was punished, he was put into prison— everything he knows, but still he steals. Why? Misuse of free will. Unless there is misuse of free will, there is no question of free will." (Excerpt from: Philosophy Discussions Srila Prabhupada – Rene Descartes)

Vipina Purandara - "Why doesn’t Krsna protect me from thinking independently from Him?"

Srila Prabhupada - "That means you lose your independence. That is force, in Bengali it is said, ‘If you catch one girl or boy, You love me, you love me, you love me, is it love? You love me, otherwise I will kill you! Is that love? No it is force!" (July 8, 1976 in Washington, D.C.)

There is always a choice and that is why "free will" ALWAYS exists in God's Kingdom's of Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana otherwise we are no better than dead emotionless stone.

Srila Prabhupada - "The jiva-soul's position in the spiritual world is voluntary. Some devotee wants to serve Krsna as flower; they become flower there voluntarily. If I want that, to be a flower I shall lie down at the lotus feet of Krsna and become flower, voluntarily, and can change, from flower to human body if I choose. That is spiritual life. There is no restriction. If some devotee wants to serve Krsna as cow, he serves Krsna as cow, as calf, as flower, as plant, as water, as ground, field, or as father, as mother, as friend, as beloved, anything. It is inconceivable, yet a fact." (SB Canto 6 Ch 1 text 1-4 Melbourne, May 20, 1975)

Srila Prabhupada explains, the relationship between Krsna and the individual soul is never a "one-way" domineering dictatorial relationship that denies voluntary personal contributions and choices.

No, love is ALWAYS based on the reciprocation in a two-way exchange because love can only exist when there are two as Prabhupada explains-

Srila Prabhupāda – "Love means two persons, then there is exchange, then there is love. I must deal with you open-hearted, you must deal with me open-hearted, then there is love. So if you want to love Kṛṣṇa, God, then these things must be there." (Aug 9, 1976, Tehran)

Srila Prabhupada – "So, unless there is a possibility of misusing our free will, there is no question of freedom." (Dialectical Spiritualism, Critique of Descartes).***

Monday, July 19, 2021

An interpretation of the origin of Jambudweepa and Bhartavarsha as per vedic cosmology

The origin of Jambudweepa and Bhartavarsha as per vedic cosmology

Geography of the World in the Ancient times

According to our Indian geography in the ancient times, the entire landmass in the northern hemisphere was encircled by ocean in all the directions. This giant land mass on earth was called Jambudvipa. In Sanskrit language dwipa means an Island. Jambudveepa consisted of modern Asia, Europe, Africa and North America.

This Jambudvipa was divided into nine varshas (geographical regions) of which one was Bharatha Varsha. The other eight varshas were Ketumula Varsha, Hari Varsha, Ilavrita Varsha, Kuru Varsha, Hiranyaka Varsha, Ramyaka Varsha, Kimpurusha Varsha, Bhadrasva Varsha.

Of these, Ilavrita Varsha was at the present North Pole (the Arctic Region)!

Approximate Geography of the Ancient World

The above picture depicts the Geographical Map of the very ancient times mentioned in the Vedas/Scriptures. The Map elucidates in detail the image of Jambudvipa and the nava varshas here. In the exact centre of Ilavrita Varsha, the North Pole was located.

To the west of Ilavrita varsha was said to be Ketumula Varsha which is under under Atlantic Ocean today, was situated to the west of Ilavrita varsha. Bhadrasva Varsha which is today under Pacific Ocean, was supposed to be on the east of Ilavrita varsha.

On one side of the Ilavrita Varsha were Hari Varsha, Kimpurusha Varsha and Bharatha Varsha. On the other side of the Ilavrita Varsha were Ramyaka, Hiranyaka and Kuru Varsha. Kuru Varsha was hence on the opposite side of Bharatha Varsha on the globe.

It can be observed that in those times, most of South American continent, southern half of African Continent and entire Australia were submerged under water.

On the other hand most of modern day Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean, and the entire Arctic Ocean were above sea level.

Bharathavarsha- the name and glory of ancient India

In the Ancient Times India was called Bharathavarsha and it extended in the west including modern Egypt, Afghanistan, Baluchistan, Iran, Sumeria upto Caspian Sea (which was called Kashyapa Samudra in those days). Bhratahvarsha was the Greater India while Bharatha Khanda referred to the Indian Subcontinent which lies at the heart of the Vedic Civilization and extended from Himalayas in the north to KanyaKumari in the South.

Hence the aryan invasion theory of a migration of Aryans from Central Asia to modern northern India is a wrong theory,for the entire ancient aryan civilizational geography spanned across the above mentioned regions.

The very term “arya” in Sanskrit refers not to any race, but actually means a “noble person”.

According to our Puranas and Ithihasas, Bharatha Varsha are full of historical developments. During the vedic period, the vedic civilization spread across the Bharata varsha.

Saraswati River mentioned numerous times in the vedas is the cradle and heart of this vedic civilization, has dried up soon after the end of the Mahabharatha war, owing to geological events in that region. As a consequence of this, earlier lush green area of the present Rajasthan had got converted into a desert as we see it today.

The Arabian Sea did not exist during the ancient times and the land mass stretched continuously from modern India to Africa. The mighty Saraswati River born in the Himalayas flowed for over 4500 miles into Africa before entering the Oceans.

This was the largest and longest river in those days. This is the most mentioned and praised river in the Veda. Of the three Ganga Yamuna and Saraswati – the existence of the first two rivers flow even today, but Saraswati till recent times was thought to be a mythical river.

On the contrary, a recent satellite photographs and geological data revealed the existence of an ancient mighty Saraswati river and its geographical span.

The name bharathavarsha

The Sanskrit word bhārata is a derivation of bharata. The root of the term is bhr-, “to bear to carry”, with a literal meaning of “to be maintained”. The root bhr is cognate with the English verb to bear and Latin ferō.

Interestingly, the term Dharma, which is the core concept of Indian values, is derived from the root dhr, meaning – to uphold or to nourish. Both the terms Bharatha and Dharma, eventually signify that which supports universal order or the orderly existence of the individual in life.

The first Article of the Constitution of the Republic of India states, “India, that is Bharat, shall be a union of states.” Thus, India and Bharat are equally official short names for the Republic of India. The name Hindustan was used in historical contexts, especially in British times.

Bharatha Varsha was not always called by that name. Its earlier name was Aja_nabha_Varsha. Before that, it was Himavath Pradesha. In order to know the reason behind this country’s name as Bharathvavarsha, we have to go back to Swayambhu Manu, the progenitor. His son was Priyavarta, a great monarch. His son was Agni_dhara.

His son was Ajanabha also called Nabhi. Ajanabha was a very virtuous and a noble king. During his reign, the land came to be known as Ajanabha_Varsha. Ajanabha’s son was the great Rsabhadeva.

He was a saintly king. Rsabha renounced the kingdom in favor of his son Bharata and became an ascetic. Bharatha was one of the most pious and noblest of Monarchs of his line. He nourished and nurtured his subjects righteously.

During his time, the land that was until then called Aja_nabha_Varsha came to be known, as Bharatha Varsha. It has been so since then. Ajanabha (Nabhi), Rsabha and Bharatha figure prominently in the Jain tradition.

What we call Bhatatha Varsha or Bharatha is named after a very virtuous and noble king Bharatha. The best we (who are born and who reside in his land) can do is to be worthy of his name.

Obviously, in the olden days being born in Bharath was a matter of pride. In the Gita, Krishna often refers to Arjuna as Bharatha, the noble one.

Over the centuries the name of Bharatha Varsha, its shape and its extent have changed many times. Whatever is its present name, either borrowed or assigned; whatever the extent of its boundaries is; the concept of India that is Bharath has survived as a many dimensional splendor; even amidst the encircling chaos?

It has always been a nation. India has held on to its pluralism, its democratic way of life and its basic values; despite strife, contradictions and endless diversities. This is no mean achievement. It is for these reasons we call it, the Miracle that is India.

Rig Veda mentions the tribe of Bharathas several times.

The Rig Veda has a certain geographical horizon. It projects a land of seven great rivers bounded by several oceans and many mountains. It mainly shows the geographical sphere of the Bharatas and their neighbors. Accordingly, Rig Veda mentions that Bharathas ruled the land that spread over the banks of the rivers Parushni (Ravi) and Vipasa ( Beas ).

1. The Purus and in particular the Bharatas among them, are the main Vedic Aryans of the Rig Veda.

2. Bharatha son of Dushyanta

Bharathas were a clan among the Purus. The Purus prospered in the North and strengthened the Chandra vamsha (Moon Dynasty). Many generations later into this, clan was born Bharatha son of Dushyanta. The great poet Kalidasa in his epic Abhignana Shakuntalam immortalized the love of Dushyanta and Shakuntala.

As per the chronology listed in Vishnu Purana,,Bharatha son of Dushyanta appears thousands of years after Emperor Bharatha son of Rshabha. Deva. Pandavas and Kauravas are decedents of Dushyanta/Bharatha but are several generations far away from them.

Map of Jambudwipa as per vedic cosmology

According to Vedic cosmography, the entire Cosmos is divided into seven concentric island continents (sapta-dvipa vasumati) separated by the seven encircling oceans, each double the size of the preceding one (going out from within). The seven continents of the Scriptures are stated as

Jambudvipa,

Plaksadvipa,

Salmalidvipa,

Kusadvipa,

Krouncadvipa,

Sakadvipa,

Pushkaradvipa.

Seven intermediate oceans consist of salt-water, sugarcane juice, wine, ghee, curd, milk and water respectively.

Continent Jambudvipa (Indian Blackberry Island), also known as Sudarshanadvipa, forms the innermost concentric island in the above scheme.

Its name is said to derive from a Jambu tree (another name for the Indian Blackberry).

The fruits of the Jambu tree are said, in the Viṣṇupurāṇa to be as large as elephants and when they become rotten and fall upon the crest of the mountains, a river of juice is formed from their expressed juice.

The river so formed is called Jambunadi (Jambu River) and flows through Jambudvipa, whose inhabitants drink its waters. Insular continent Jambudvipa is said to comprise nine varshas (zones) and eight significant parvatas (mountains).

"According to some erudite scholars, Jambudvipa is surrounded by eight islands that are smaller in size ... called Svarnaprastha, Chandrashukla, Avartana, Ramanaka, Mandaraharina, Panchadzhanya, and Simhala Lanka.

The seven oceans respectively contain salt water, sugarcane juice, liquor, clarified butter, milk, emulsified yogurt, and sweet drinking water. All the islands are completely surrounded by these oceans, and each ocean is equal in breadth to the island it surrounds.

Mahārāja Priyavrata, the husband of Queen Barhiṣmatī, gave sovereignty over these islands to his respective sons, namely Āgnīdhra, Idhmajihva, Yajñabāhu, Hiraṇyaretā, Ghṛtapṛṣṭha, Medhātithi and Vītihotra.

Thus they all became kings by the order of their father.

It is to be understood that all the dvīpas, or islands, are surrounded by different types of oceans, and it is said herein that the breadth of each ocean is the same as that of the island it surrounds.

The length of the oceans, however, cannot equal the length of the islands. According to Vīrarāghava Ācārya, the breadth of the first island is 100,000 yojanas.

One yojana equals eight miles, and therefore the breadth of the first island is calculated to be 800,000 miles. The water surrounding it must have the same breadth, but its length must be different.

Detailed explanation of Jambudweep

According to Puranic cosmography, the entire Cosmos is divided into 7 continents (sapta-dvipa vasumati) separated by the seven encircling oceans, each double the size of the preceding one (going out from within). The seven continents of the Puranas are stated as:

Jambudvipa,

Plaksadvipa,

Salmalidvipa,

Kushadvipa,

Krounchadvipa,

Shakdvipa,

Pushkaradvipa.

1. Right in the centre of everything – Is the Sumeru Mountain – Surrounded by the 1st continent – Jambudvipa, which then, like a moat is surrounded by Salt water – Ocean I presume. Human beings live here on the Jambydvipa. It is the only Karma Bhoommi … lives which seek the heaven and Mokhsha, take birth here on the karma bhoomi.

2. Then the salt water is surrounded with the 2nd dvipa – The Plaksadviipa. The inhabitants of Plaksadvipa apparently live for one thousand years. They are beautiful like the demigods, and they also beget children like the demigods. They pray to the Sun. This island is surrounded by an ocean of sugarcane juice.

3. Then Salmalidvipa — surrounded by an equally broad body of water called Surasagara, the ocean that tastes like liquor. The inhabitants of this island worship Soma, the

4. The moon-god. This island also has a gigantic tree which is the residence of Garuda, the king of all birds and carrier of Lord Vishnu.

5. Kusadvipa is surrounded by an ocean of liquid ghee as broad as the island itself. The inhabitants worship Fire.

6. Outside the ocean of clarified butter / liquid ghee, is another island, known as Krauncadvipa. Krauncadvipa is then further surrounded by an ocean of milk as broad as the island itself. Inhabitants worshiped Varuna - the demigod who has a form of water.

7. Beyond the ocean of milk, is the island, Śākadvīpa, surrounded by an ocean churned yogurt. And its inhabitants worship the Supreme Lord in the form of Vayu - the demi god Wind / Air

8. Pushkaradvipa, surrounded by an ocean of very tasteful water. On Pushkaradvipa there is a great lotus flower with 100,000,000 pure golden petals, as effulgent as the flames of fire. That lotus flower is considered the sitting place of Lord Brahma, who is the most powerful living being and who is therefore sometimes called Bhagvan.

In the middle of this island is a great mountain named Manasottara, which is supposedly the residence of the demigods such as Indra.

In the chariot of the sun-god, the sun travels on the top of the mountain in an orbit called the Samvatsara, encircling Mount Meru. The sun’s path on the northern side is called Uttarāyana, and its path on the southern side is called Dakshināyana.

One side represents a day for the demigods, and the other represents their night. The inhabitants of this tract of land worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead as represented by Lord Brahmā.

AND … beyond the ocean of sweet water and fully surrounding it, is a mountain named Lokāloka, which divides the countries that are full of sunlight from those not lit by the sun.

All living entities, including demigods, human beings, animals, birds, insects, reptiles, creepers and trees, depend upon the heat and light given by the sun-god from the sun planet.

By the supreme will of Krishna, the mountain known as Lokaloka has been installed as the outer border of the three worlds — Bhurloka, Bhuvarloka and Svarloka.

Seven Dvipas. Each dvipa then has 7 islands, 7 rulers, seven boundary mountains and seven rivers. The inhabitants of every islands are also divided into four castes.

Every dvipa had a very pious tree which is worthy of worship. Each dvipa worshipped either of these:

1. The Sun

2. The Moon

3. Fire

4. Water

5. Air

Markandeya Purana portrays Jambudvipa as being depressed on its south and north and elevated and broad in the middle. The elevated region forms the varsha named Ila-vrta or Meruvarsha.

At the center of Ila-vrta lies the golden Mount Meru, the king of mountains. On the summit of Mount Meru, is the vast city of Lord Brahma, known as Brahmapuri. Surrounding Brahmapuri are 8 cities - the one of Lord Indra and of seven other Devatas.

Markandeya Purana and Brahmanda Purana divide Jambudvipa into four vast regions shaped like four petals of a lotus with Mount Meru being located at the center like a pericarp.

The city of Brahmapuri is said to be enclosed by a river, known as Akash Ganga. Akash Ganga is said to issue forth from the foot of Lord Vishnu and after washing the lunar region falls "through the skies" and after encircling the Brahmapuri "splits up into four mighty streams", which are said to flow in four opposite directions from the landscape of Mount Meru and irrigate the vast lands of Jambudvipa.

Jambudwipa is surrounded by Puîkara Island of 16 lac Yojan diameter. Following this, there is a series of oceans and islands surrounding each other having double the diameter from the preceeding ones. The name of the last island and ocean is Svyambörmaàa DvÍpa and Svayambhöramana Ocean.

If it was an example of the pre-historic era, the advancement of civilization has also made this country greatest among the greats. Sanskrit, the mother of every language, was originated from the ancient

Bharat. Bharatvarsha is the land of four Vedas. Veda means knowledge. So, it will be no exaggeration if we consider our country as the pioneer of knowledge. The original sound of Vedic hymns is Om which transformed and became the language of every clans of the world.

The mysterious stories of Puranas also have a scientific base. Darwin was not the first person concerned with the theory of evolution.

It is our Bharat that has this theory hidden with mythical stories. Everyone knows about the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu (Dashavtara). The Matsya (animal of water), the Kurma .

The above drawing illustrates a Hindu vedic depiction that elucidates the cosmic tutrtle supporting the elephants that hold up the world, and everything is encircled by the world serpent.

In this verse it is stated that the planetary system known as Bhu-mandala extends to the limits of the sunshine. According to modern science, the sunshine reaches earth from a distance of 93,000,000 miles. If we calculate according to this modern information, 93,000,000 miles can be considered the radius of Bhu-mandala. In the Gayatri mantra, we chant om bhur bhuvah svah.

The word bhur refers to Bhu-mandala. Tat savitur varenyam: the sunshine spreads throughout Bhu-mandala. Therefore the sun is worshipable. The stars, which are known as naksatra, are not different suns, as modern astronomers suppose.

From Bhagavad-gita (10.21) we understand that the stars are similar to the moon (naksatranam aham sasi). Like the moon, the stars reflect the sunshine.

Apart from our modern distinguished estimations of where the planetary systems are located, we can understand that the sky and its various planets were studied long, long before Srimad-Bhagavatam was compiled.

It is said that the rolling wheels of Maharaja Priyavrata's chariot created seven ditches, in which the seven oceans came into existence. Because of these seven oceans, Bhu-mandala is divided into seven islands.

The planetary system known as Bhu-mandala resembles a lotus flower, and its seven islands resemble the whorl of that flower.

The length and breadth of the island known as Jambudvipa, which is situated in the middle of the whorl, are one million yojanas [eight million miles]. Jambudvipa is round like the leaf of a lotus flower.

The limits of the expansions of Govinda, the Supreme personality of Godhead, cannot be estimated by anyone, even a person as perfect as Brahma, not to speak of tiny scientists whose senses and instruments are all imperfect and who cannot give us information of even this one universe.

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

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

Just north of Ilavrta-varsa--and going further northward, one after another--are three mountains named Nila, Sveta and Srngavan.

These mark the borders of the three varsas named Ramyaka, Hiranmaya and Kuru and separate them from one another. The width of these mountains is 2,000 yojanas [16,000 miles].

Lengthwise, they extend east and west to the beaches of the ocean of salt water. Going from south to north, the length of each mountain is one tenth that of the previous mountain, but the height of them all is the same.

Amidst these divisions, or varsas, is the varsa named Ilavrta, which is situated in the middle of the whorl of the lotus. Within Ilavrta-varsa is Sumeru Mountain, which is made of gold.

Sumeru Mountain is like the pericarp of the lotuslike Bhu-mandala planetary system. The mountain's height is the same as the width of Jambudvipa--or, in other words, 100,000 yojanas [800,000 miles].

Of that, 16,000 yojanas [128,000 miles] are within the earth, and therefore the mountain's height above the earth is 84,000 yojanas [672,000 miles]. The mountain's width is 32,000 yojanas [256,000 miles] at its summit and 16,000 yojanas at its base.

Similarly, south of Ilavrta-varsa and extending from east to west are three great mountains named (from north to south) Nisadha, Hemakuta and Himalaya?

Each of them is 10,000 yojanas [80,000 miles] high. They mark the boundaries of the three varsas named Hari-varsa, Kimpurusa-varsa and Bharata-varsa [India].

In the same way, west and east of Ilavrta-varsa are two great mountains named Malyavan and Gandhamadana respectively.

These two mountains, which are 2,000 yojanas [16,000 miles] high, extend as far as Nila Mountain in the north and Nisadha in the south. They indicate the borders of Ilavrta-varsa and also the varsas known as Ketumala and Bhadrasva.

On the four sides of the great mountain known as Sumeru are four mountains--Mandara, Merumandara, Suparsva and Kumuda--which are like its belts. The length and height of these mountains are calculated to be 10,000 yojanas [80,000 miles].

Standing like flagstaffs on the summits of these four mountains are a mango tree, a rose apple tree, a kadamba tree and a banyan tree.

Those trees are calculated to have a width of 100 yojanas [800 miles] and a height of 1,100 yojanas [8,800 miles]. Their branches also spread to a radius of 1,100 yojanas.

Between these four mountains are four huge lakes. The water of the first tastes just like milk; the water of the second, like honey; and that of the third, like sugarcane juice.

The fourth lake is filled with pure water. The celestial beings such as the Siddhas, Caranas and Gandharvas, who are also known as demigods, enjoy the facilities of those four lakes.

Consequently they have the natural perfections of mystic yoga, such as the power to become smaller than the smallest or greater than the greatest. There are also four celestial gardens named Nandana, Caitraratha, Vaibhrajaka and Sarvatobhadra.

On the lower slopes of Mandara Mountain is a mango tree named Devacuta. It is 1,100 yojanas high. Mangoes as big as mountain peaks and as sweet as nectar fall from the top of this tree for the enjoyment of the denizens of heaven.

When all those solid fruits fall from such a height, they break, and the sweet, fragrant juice within them flows out and becomes increasingly more fragrant as it mixes with other scents.

That juice cascades from the mountain in waterfalls and becomes a river called Arunoda, which flows pleasantly through the eastern side of Ilavrta.

The pious wives of the Yaksas act as personal maidservants to assist Bhavani, the wife of Lord Siva. Because they drink the water of the River Arunoda, their bodies become fragrant, and as the air carries away that fragrance, it perfumes the entire atmosphere for eighty miles around.

Similarly, the fruits of the jambu tree, which are full of pulp and have very small seeds, fall from a great height and break to pieces.

Those fruits are the size of elephants, and the juice gliding from them becomes a river named Jambu-nadi. This river falls a distance of 10,000 yojanas, from the summit of Merumandara to the southern side of Ilavrta, and floods the entire land of Ilavrta with juice.

We can only imagine how much juice there might be in a fruit that is the size of an elephant but has a very tiny seed. Naturally the juice from the broken jambu fruits forms waterfalls and floods the entire land of Ilavrta.

That juice produces an immense quantity of gold, as will be explained in the next verses.

The mud on both banks of the River Jambu-nadi, being moistened by the flowing juice and then dried by the air and the sunshine, produces huge quantities of gold called Jambu-nada.

The denizens of heaven use this gold for various kinds of ornaments. Therefore all the inhabitants of the heavenly planets and their youthful wives are fully decorated with golden helmets, bangles and belts, and thus they enjoy life.

On the side of Suparsva Mountain stands a big tree called Mahakadamba, which is very celebrated. From the hollows of this tree flow five rivers of honey, each about five vyamas wide.

This flowing honey falls incessantly from the top of Suparsva Mountain and flows all around Ilavrta-varsa, beginning from the western side. Thus the whole land is saturated with the pleasing fragrance.

The distance between one hand and another when one spreads both his arms is called a vyama. This comes to about eight feet.

Thus each of the rivers was about forty feet wide, making a total of about two hundred feet. The air carrying the scent from the mouths of those who drink that honey perfumes the land for a hundred yojanas around.

Similarly, on Kumuda Mountain there is a great banyan tree, which is called Satavalsa because it has a hundred main branches. From those branches come many roots, from which many rivers are flowing.

These rivers flow down from the top of the mountain to the northern side of Ilavrta-varsa for the benefit of those who live there. Because of these flowing rivers, all the people have ample supplies of milk, yogurt, honey, clarified butter [ghee], molasses, food grains, clothes, bedding, sitting places and ornaments.

All the objects they desire are sufficiently supplied for their prosperity, and therefore they are very happy.

The residents of the material world who enjoy the products of these flowing rivers have no wrinkles on their bodies and no grey hair.

They never feel fatigue, and perspiration does not give their bodies a bad odor. They are not afflicted by old age, disease or untimely death, they do not suffer from chilly cold or scorching heat, nor do their bodies lose their luster.

They all live very happily, without anxieties, until death.

On the eastern side of Sumeru Mountain are two mountains named Jathara and Devakuta, which extend to the north and south for 18,000 yojanas [144,000 miles].

Similarly, on the western side of Sumeru are two mountains named Pavana and Pariyatra, which also extend north and south for the same distance.

On the southern side of Sumeru are two mountains named Kailasa and Karavira, which extend east and west for 18,000 yojanas, and on the northern side of Sumeru, extending for the same distance east and west, are two mountains named Trisrnga and Makara.

The width and height of all these mountains is 2,000 yojanas [16,000 miles]. Sumeru, a mountain of solid gold shining as brilliantly as fire, is surrounded by these eight mountains.

In the middle of the summit of Meru is the township of Lord Brahma. Each of its four sides is calculated to extend for ten million yojanas [eighty million miles]. It is made entirely of gold, and therefore learned scholars and sages call it Satakaumbhi.

Surrounding Brahmapuri in all directions are the residences of the eight principal governors of the planetary systems, beginning with King Indra. These abodes are similar to Brahmapuri but are one fourth the size.

Brahma's township is known as Manovati, and those of his assistants such as Indra and Agni are known as

Amaravati,

Tejovati,

Samyamani,

Krsnangana,

Sraddhavati,

Gandhavati,

Mahodaya,

Yasovati.

Brahmapuri is situated in the middle, and the other eight puris surround it in all directions.

This is a detailed description of Jambudweepa as in Srimad Bhagwatam.

The Universe as described in the Vedas

The Srimad-Bhagavatam presents an earth-centered conception of the cosmos. At first glance the cosmology seems foreign, but a closer look reveals that not only does the cosmology of the Bhagavatam describe the world of our experience, but it also presents a much larger and more complete cosmological picture. I’ll explain.

The Srimad-Bhagavatam’s mode of presentation is very different from the familiar modern approach. Although the Bhagavatam’s “Earth” (disk- shaped Bhu-mandala) may look unrealistic, careful study shows that the Bhagavatam uses Bhu-mandala to represent at least four reasonable and consistent models:

(1) a polar- projection map of the Earth globe,

(2) a map of the solar system,

(3) a topographical map of south-central Asia,

(4) a map of the celestial realm of the demigods.

A similar painting from India below shows three parts of a story about Krishna. Such paintings contain apparent contradictions, such as images of one character in different places, but a person who understands the story line will not be disturbed by this.

The same is true of the Bhagavatam, which uses one model to represent different features of the cosmos.

The Bhagavatam Picture at First Glance

The Fifth Canto of the Srimad-Bhagavatam tells of innumerable universes. Each one is contained in a spherical shell surrounded by layers of elemental matter that mark the boundary between mundane space and the unlimited spiritual world.

The region within the shell (Figure 3) is called the Brahmanda, or “Brahma egg.” It contains an earth disk or plane—called Bhu-mandala—that divides it into an upper, heavenly half and a subterranean half, filled with water.

Bhu-mandala is divided into a series of geographic features, traditionally called dvipas, or “islands,” varshas, or “regions,” and oceans.

In the center of Bhu-mandala (Figure 4) is the circular “island” of Jambudvipa, with nine varsha subdivisions. These include Bharata-varsha, which can be understood in one sense as India and in another as the total area inhabited by human beings.

In the center of Jambudvipa stands the cone-shaped Sumeru Mountain, which represents the world axis and is surmounted by the city of Brahma, the universal creator.

To any modern, educated person, this sounds like science fiction. But is it? Let’s consider the four ways of seeing the Bhagavatam’s descriptions of the Bhu- mandala.

Bhu-mandala as a Polar Projection of the Earth Globe

We begin by discussing the interpretation of Bhu-mandala as a planisphere, or a polar-projection map of the Earth globe.

This is the first model given by the Bhagavatam. A stereographic projection is an ancient method of mapping points on the surface of a sphere to points on a plane. We can use this method to map a modern Earth globe onto a plane, and the resulting flat projection is called a planisphere (Figure 5).

We can likewise view Bhu-mandala as a stereographic projection of a globe (Figure 6). In India such globes exist.

In the example shown here (Figure 7, next page), the land area between the equator and the mountain arc is Bharata-varsha, corresponding to greater India. India is well represented, but apart from a few references to neighboring places, this globe does not give a realistic map of the Earth.

Its purpose was astronomical, rather than geographical.

Although the Bhagavatam doesn’t explicitly describe the Earth as a globe, it does so indirectly. For example, it points out that night prevails diametrically opposite to a point where it is day.

Likewise, the sun sets at a point opposite where it rises. Therefore, the Bhagavatam does not present the naive view that the Earth is flat.

We can compare Bhu-mandala with an astronomical instrument called an astrolabe, popular in the middle Ages.

On the astrolabe, an off-centered circle represents the orbit of the sun—the ecliptic. The Earth is represented in stereographic projection on a flat plate, called the mater.

The ecliptic circle and important stars are represented on another plate, called the rete. Different planetary orbits could likewise be represented by different plates, and these would be seen projected onto the Earth plate when one looks down on the instrument.

The Bhagavatam similarly presents the orbits of the sun, the moon, planets, and important stars on a series of planes parallel to Bhu-mandala.

Seeing Bhu-mandala as a polar projection is one example of how it doesn’t represent a flat Earth.

Bhu-mandala as a Map of the Solar System

Here’s another way to look at Bhu-mandala that also shows that it’s not a flat-Earth model.

Descriptions of Bhu-mandala have features that identify it as a model of the solar system. and Bhu-mandala as a planisphere map.. When we do this, it looks at first like we’re back to the naive flat Earth, with the bowl of the sky above and the underworld below.

In India, the earth of the Puranas has often been taken as literally flat. But the details given in the Bhagavatam show that its cosmology is much more sophisticated.

Not only does the Bhagavatam use the ecliptic model, but it turns out that the disk of Bhu-mandala corresponds in some detail to the solar system (Figure 8).

The solar system is nearly flat. The sun, the moon, and the five traditionally known planets—Mercury through Saturn—all orbit nearly in the ecliptic plane. Thus Bhu- mandala does refer to something flat, but it’s not the Earth.

One striking feature of the Bhagavatam’s descriptions has to do with size. If we compare Bhu-mandala with the Earth, the solar system out to Saturn, and the Milky Way galaxy, Bhu-mandala matches the solar system closely, while radically differing in size from Earth and the galaxy.

Furthermore, the structures of Bhu-mandala correspond with the planetary orbits of the solar system (Figure 9). If we compare the rings of Bhu-mandala with the orbits of Mercury, Venus (Figure 10), Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, we find several close alignments that give weight to the hypothesis that Bhu-mandala was deliberately designed as a map of the solar system.

Until recent times, astronomers generally underestimated the distance from the earth to the sun. In particular, Claudius Ptolemy, the greatest astronomer of classical antiquity, seriously underestimated the Earth-sun distance and the size of the solar system.

It is remarkable, therefore, that the dimensions of Bhu-mandala in the Bhagavatam are consistent with modern data on the size of the sun’s orbit and the solar system as a whole.

Jambudvipa as a Topographical Map of South-Central Asia

Jambudvipa, the central hub of Bhumandala, can be understood as a local topographical map of part of south- central Asia.

This is the third of the four interpretations of Bhu-mandala. In the planisphere interpretation, Jambudvipa represents the northern hemisphere of the Earth globe.

But the detailed geographic features of Jambudvipa do not match the geography of the northern hemisphere. They do, however, match part of the Earth.

Six horizontal and two vertical mountain chains divide Jambudvipa into nine regions, or varshas (Figure 11,top left).

The southernmost region is called Bharata-varsha. Careful study shows that this map corresponds to India plus adjoining areas of south-central Asia. The first step in making this identification is to observe that the Bhagavatam assigns many rivers in India to Bharata- varsha.

Thus Bharata-varsha represents India. The same can be said of many mountains in Bharata-varsha.

In particular, the Bhagavatam places the Himalayas to the north of Bharata-varsha in Jambudvipa.

A detailed study of Puranic accounts allows the other mountain ranges of Jambudvipa to be identified with mountain ranges in the region north of India.

Although this region includes some of the most desolate and mountainous country in the world, it was nonetheless important in ancient times. For example, the famous Silk Road passes through this region.

The Pamir Mountains can be identified with Mount Meru and Ilavrita-varsha, the square region in the center of Jambudvipa. (Note that Mount Meru does not represent the polar axis in this interpretation.)

Other Puranas give more geographical details that support this interpretation.

Bhu-mandala as a Map of the Celestial Realm of the Devas

We can also understand Bhu-mandala as a map of the celestial realm of the demigods, or devas. One curious feature of Jambudvipa is that the Bhagavatam describes all of the varshas other than Bharata-varsha as heavenly realms, where the inhabitants live for ten thousand years without suffering.

This has led some scholars to suppose that Indians used to imagine foreign lands as celestial paradises. But the Bhagavatam does refer to barbaric peoples outside India, such as Huns, Greeks, Turks, and Mongolians, who were hardly thought to live in paradise.

One way around this is to suppose that Bharata-varsha includes the entire Earth globe, while the other eight varshas refer to celestial realms outside the Earth.

This is a common understanding in India.

But the simplest explanation for the heavenly features of Jambudvipa is that Bhu-mandala was also intended to represent the realm of the devas. Like the other interpretations we have considered, this one is based on a group of mutually consistent points in the cosmology of the Bhagavatam.

First of all, consider the very large sizes of mountains and land areas in Jambudvipa. For example, India is said to be 72,000 miles (9,000 yojanas) from north to south, or nearly three times the circumference of the Earth.

Likewise, the Himalayas are said to be 80,000 miles high.

People in India in ancient times used to go in pilgrimage on foot from one end of India to the other, so they knew how large India is. Why does the Bhagavatam give such unrealistic distances?

The answer is that Jambudvipa doubles as a model of the heavenly realm, in which everything is on a superhuman scale.

The Bhagavatam portrays the demigods and other divine beings that inhabit this realm to be correspondingly large. Lord Siva in comparison with Europe, according to one text of the Bhagavatam.

Why would the Bhagavatam describe Jambudvipa as both part of the earth and part of the celestial realm?

Because there’s a connection between the two. To understand, let’s consider the idea of parallel worlds.

By siddhis, or mystic perfections, one can take shortcuts across space. This is illustrated by a story from the Bhagavatam in which the mystic yogini Citralekha abducts Aniruddha from his bed in Dvaraka and transports him mystically to a distant city.

Besides moving from one place to another in ordinary space, the mystic siddhis enable one to travel in the all- pervading ether or to enter another continuum.

The classical example of a parallel continuum is Krishna’s transcendental realm of Vrindavan, said to be unlimitedly expansive and to exist in parallel to the finite, earthly Vrindavan in India.

The Sanskrit literature abounds with stories of parallel worlds. For example, the Mahabharata tells the story of how the Naga princess Ulupi abducted Arjuna while he was bathing in the Ganges River . Ulupi pulled Arjuna down not to the riverbed, as we would expect, but into the kingdom of the Nagas (celestial snakelike beings), which exists in another dimension.

Mystical travel explains how the worlds of the devas are connected with our world. In particular, it explains how Jambudvipa, as a celestial realm of devas, is connected with Jambudvipa as the Earth or part of the Earth.

Thus the double model of Jambudvipa makes sense in terms of the Puranic understanding of the siddhis.

Concluding Observations:
The Vertical Dimension in Bhagavata Cosmology

For centuries the cosmology of the Bhagavatam has seemed incomprehensible to most observers, encouraging many people either to summarily reject it or to accept it literally with unquestioning faith.

If we take it literally, the cosmology of the Bhagavatam not only differs from modern astronomy, but, more important, it also suffers from internal contradictions and violations of common sense.

These very contradictions, however, point the way to a different understanding of Bhagavata cosmology in which it emerges as a deep and scientifically sophisticated system of thought.

The contradictions show that they are caused by overlapping self-consistent interpretations that use the same textual elements to expound different ideas.

In the Bhagavatam, the context-sensitive approach was rendered particularly appropriate by the conviction that reality, in the ultimate issue, is avak-manasam, or beyond the reach of the mundane mind or words.

This implies that a literal, one-to-one model of reality is unattainable, and so one may as well pack as much meaning as possible into a necessarily incomplete description of the universe.

The cosmology of the Bhagavata Purana is a sophisticated system of thought, with multiple layers of meaning, both physical and metaphysical.

It combines practical understanding of astronomy with spiritual conceptions to produce a meaningful picture of the universe and reality.