Feb 22, 2020 — IRELAND (SUN) —
Part 1, Introduction
Up to this point in 2020, various members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness such as Sadaputa dasa, Danavir Goswami, and others, have presented their research and models for the up-coming Temple of Vedic Planetarium, however, no one has thus far explained the eclipse and other cosmic phenomena such as day and night, the seasons, the phases of the Moon, etc., in a manner that is consistent with Srimad Bhagavatam's description of the Earth as a colossal circular plane (the Bhu-mandala) . Rather, those presenting an explanation for the eclipse, etc., have worked from the modern assumption that the Earth is a small globe floating in space, and that apart from the addition of Rahu, and a few tweaks here and there (regarding the relative motion of Earth and Sun), the modern explanation for the eclipse (being a particular alignment of an Earth-globe, the Sun, and the Moon as they orbit around one another) is more or less correct.
In the following series of papers we shall show that ISKCON's current explanation for the eclipse which features an alignment of Earth globe, Sun, Moon, and Rahu as they supposedly 'orbit around' each other, does not, in fact, represent the original Vedic understanding of the Earth, Sun, Moon, and Rahu as described in Srimad Bhagavatam or other Vedic Puranas (histories). We will show further that the Vedic explanation for the eclipse only makes sense when explained in a manner which is consistent with the Srimad Bhagavatam's original description of the Earth as a massive circular plane, not a small spherical globe!
The Vedic Puranas describe the eclipse of the Sun and Moon as being caused by the passing of a dark planet called Rahu which can only be visibly observed on the particular occasion of a solar and lunar eclipse:
"Krishna consciousness means constantly associating with the Supreme Personality of Godhead in such a mental state that the devotee can observe the cosmic manifestation exactly as the Supreme Personality of Godhead does. Such observation is not always possible, but it becomes manifest exactly like the dark planet known as Rahu, which is observed in the presence of the full moon" (SB 4.29.69)
The above verse in the original Sanskrit refers to Rahu as tamaha (the dark planet). The existence of Rahu is not recognized by modern astronomers who otherwise explain the eclipse as a particular alignment of an Earth-globe, Sun and Moon as they reputedly orbit around one another. Despite what other members of ISKCON have so far presented, the original Puranic explanation for the eclipse does not include any description involving an alignment of the supposed Earth globe with the Sun and Moon; indeed the size and shape of the Vedic Earth (known as bhu-mandala, literally 'Earth circle'), and its relation to the Sun and Moon are explained in a radically different way from the modern understanding. The Vedic Earth is described by Sukadeva Goswami and other Vedic rishis as a massive circular plane above which the smaller Sun and Moon rotate; it is never described as a small globe orbiting around a massive Sun as the modern astronomers teach; nor indeed is the Sun ever described to be orbiting around a small Earth globe as certain members of ISKCON teach. Either idea of the Earth revolving around the Sun, or the Sun revolving around the Earth is in complete contradiction to the Srimad Bhagavatam's teaching that the Sun 'rotates above' the Earth-circle, not that the Sun 'orbits around' an Earth globe. Members of ISKCON have attempted to merge both Vedic and modern ideas regarding the Earth and the Sun, but have unfortunately failed to see the most ridiculous contradictions in the presentation.
In parts 2 and 3 of this paper we will clearly show the differences between the Vedic and Western arrangements of the planets, and how attempts by members of the society to use both systems simultaneously, is the equivalent of trying to drive in the opposite direction on a one way traffic system—in other words, it's heading for a big disaster! In this case, a universal disaster! We certainly don't wish to sound discouraging or critical of the hundreds and thousands of devotees who are sincerely engaged in the construction of the Temple of Vedic Planetarium, however, a loud alarm call must also be sounded to alert everyone concerned, regarding a major fault in the society's current understanding of how the Vedic universe works. The fault centers on the use of the modern Earth globe idea in order to explain phenomena such as day and night, eclipses, seasons, phases of the Moon, etc. The fault lies in not explaining this phenomena with reference to the original description of the Earth as revealed in Srimad Bhagavatam and other Puranas.
Gradually, as more members of the society become familiar with the details of the subject, it will become increasingly clear that the present use of the Earth globe idea in Vedic cosmology is in complete contradiction to the Srimad Bhagavatam's teaching that we live on a massive Earth circle, not a small Earth globe. Srimad Bhagavatam invites us to enter into a paradigm shift regarding the understanding of the true size, shape and nature of the Earth that we live upon—the Earth as Sri-Krishna made it. The Bhu-mandala! It is this idea of a great Earth-circle that needs to be emphasized at the Temple of Vedic Planetarium, and all explanations of cosmic phenomena must be consistent with this idea of the Earth. Presently members of the society are explaining the eclipse with reference to the Western Earth-globe concept, and not with reference to the Vedic Earth-circle. If the society continues on the present trajectory, we face the embarrassing disaster of the Temple of Vedic Planetarium presenting explanations for the eclipse and other cosmic phenomena such as day and night, the change of seasons, etc., in a manner that is in opposition to the Srimad Bhagavatam's explanation for how such phenomena occurs.
The description of Bhu-mandala should by this stage be a simple thing to understand and present, yet almost fifty years after the publication of the Srimad Bhagavatam's fifth canto, the description and presentation of the Vedic Earth remains clouded in obfuscation (the action of making something obscure, unclear, or unintelligible). And despite Srimad Bhagavatam's unambiguous revelation that our own area of the Earth (in Bharata-varsha) is surrounded by more land and ocean belonging to the larger Earth plane, there persists a taboo-like reluctance to discuss the issue.
We must bear in mind that any explicit or direct presentation of Srimad Bhagavatam's 'Earth-circle' concept at the Temple Of Vedic Planetarium will require a willingness on behalf of the society to confront, challenge, and contest all existing agencies of government, military, science, education, and media that concertedly propagate the idea that the Earth is a globe floating in space, and certainly not as described in Srimad Bhagavatam—a gigantic circular plane that is held up by a thousand headed serpent called Ananta-shesha. In a word, it is to ask for trouble! For that reason, any discussion in ISKCON regarding Bhu-mandala, is generally couched in such vague language, and presented in such an abstract and convoluted manner, that any idea of our known part of the Earth being just a small part of a much larger Earth plane remains obscured, blurry, uncontroversial, and irrelevant. The rest of the Vedic Earth has become effectively immaterialized by certain members of ISKCON, who have sent it to such nebulous regions as 'other dimensions', 'parallel universes,' and other indeterminate and remote realms of which we don't have to concern ourselves too deeply, so that life on the globe can go on as normal.
Regarding 'obfuscation', one cannot find greater befuddlement in understanding and presenting Bhu-mandala than in ISKCON's current explanation for the eclipse. The Vedic explanation for the eclipse is described simply as the passing of the dark planet Rahu across the disc of the Sun and Moon, which therefore blocks the light to the viewer who stands on the plane of the Earth below. We shall look later at the specific details of both Vedic and Western accounts of the eclipse in future parts of this paper. Accepting for the moment that the Vedic explanation for the eclipse is simple and could be finished in a few paragraphs, we would like to explain that the following paper is made difficult and lengthy because of having to disentangle the many convoluted arguments presented by members of the society in a misguided attempt to provide evidence for the idea that the Puranas describe Earth as a globe floating in space. In fact, no such entity as an Earth globe floating in space is ever mentioned or described in the cosmological or astrological sections of the Puranas, nor is the use of an Earth globe idea ever introduced by any of the acharyas such as Sridhara Swami, Jiva Goswami, and Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakura [in their commentaries to the cosmological sections of the fifth Canto] in order to explain phenomena such as day and night, seasons, eclipses, phases of the Moon, etc. The acharyas always explain such phenomena with reference to the 'Earth-circle' (Bhu-mandala), not with reference to a supposed 'Earth globe'.
Whilst the most recent acharyas such as Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and Srila Prabhupada do speak of the Earth using the modern terminology and understanding, they never presented any formal treatise that expounds on the differences between the Modern and Vedic conceptions of the Earth. The difference between Vedic and Modern cosmology was not an issue or topic of discussion at the time. It was only after Srila Prabhupada's publication of the fifth canto in 1975, and the subsequent announcement to build a Temple of Vedic Planetarium that the differences between the two systems became apparent and a source of controversy. Srila Prabhupada delegated the research for the TOVP to his disciples with the explicit instruction that the thing be presented 'exactly according to Bhagavatam'. Thus whilst Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura in a brief purport to the Chaitanya Bhagavata (Adi-khanda 2.209), does refer to the modern explanation for the eclipse, the statement is not made in the context of an elaborate treatise on Vedic cosmology, nor does Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura attempt to reconcile or explain the concept with reference to the Srimad Bhagavatam's description of the Bhu-mandala. As we shall see in parts 2 and 3 of this paper, Srila Prabhupada himself did not accept the idea that the eclipse involves an alignment of Earth, Sun, and Moon orbiting around each other; indeed, the idea that the Earth, Sun, and Moon orbit 'around' each other is impossible according to the Vedic understanding of how the Earth, Sun, and Moon are arranged one 'above' the other.
It is really only a small number of 21st century members of ISKCON who have attempted to present detailed arguments that explain the eclipse with reference to an Earth globe. However, as well shall see, the presentation is full of contradictions, and does not follow the original description of Earth, Sun and Moon in Srimad Bhagavatam, nor the commentaries by Vaishnava acharyas to the fifth canto who always explain the workings of the universe with reference to Bhu-mandala (not an Earth globe). Despite researchers for the TOVP reading the description of the size, shape, and situation of the Earth-circle, Sun, and Moon as they are presented in Srimad Bhagavatam, when it comes to explaining the eclipse and other phenomena, they simply throw out the original description, and work instead from the modern Western conception of Earth-globe, Sun, and Moon. Although the Puranas only ever describe one conception of the Earth, namely the Bhu-mandala, ISKCON is currently using two ideas of the Earth (the supposed Earth globe and the Vedic Earth circle) as if they are both part of the original description, when in fact, an Earth globe is never mentioned by Sri-Krishna, nor by any of the great rishis such as Vyasa, Narada and Sukadeva.
It would not be a problem for members of ISKCON to explain the eclipse with reference to an Earth globe if indeed such a concept of the Earth could be found in the Puranas; but as we have previously pointed out, and will continue to point out, the arguments presented on behalf of the idea that the Puranas describe the Earth as a globe floating in space are contrived, fallacious, and quite frankly, a complete sham. See, for example, our response to Danavir Goswami in an article called: A Reply to Danavir Goswami on the Shape and Size of the Vedic Earth, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.
The above articles were the first part of our response to an article written by Danavir Goswami for the Sampradaya Sun called "Flat Earth or Spherical Earth?" (May 11, 2019). In the above paper Danavir Goswami presented several pieces of 'evidence' for the idea that the Vedic Puranas describe the Earth as a globe. The 'evidence' presented by Danavir Goswami turned out to be not only groundless, but completely inconsistent with the Srimad Bhagavatam's description of the Earth in question. As yet, there has been no attempt by Danavir Goswami or his assistants at vediccosmology.com to make any counter-argument to our reply. Though we don't wish to single out a respectable devotee like Danavir Goswami as an objection of criticism, it must also be appreciated that since most of the second generation of ISKCON members are repeating the initial mistakes made by Danvir Goswami (and Sadaputa dasa) in their presentation of Vedic cosmology, it is necessary to explain where and how the initial mistakes have been made, as well as hope for their correction in due course of time. The following series of papers on the eclipse can be considered a fourth part to our initial three part reply to Danavir Goswami.
In the above mentioned paper Danavir Goswami made the following argument in support of the idea that the Puranas describe the Earth as a globe:
"There are also references to the planet Rahu as being the spherical shape made of the earth's shadow."
"Rahu controls the shadow of the earth which is circular in shape". (Sridhara Swami on Canto 5, Chapter 57, texts 10-13)
"Rahu has been created after taking out the shadow of the earth and has a spherical shape". (Brahmanda Purana, Kurma Purana)
In Parts 2 and 3 of this paper we shall begin to discuss in detail the above verses presented by Danavir Goswami; by reviewing the verses in context of the Srimad Bhagavatam's original description of Bhu-mandala (and its relation to the Sun and Moon), we shall clearly see that the particular interpretation, and indeed 'spin' on the above verse, bears no relation whatsoever to the description of either Rahu, or the circular Earth, or the Sun and Moon as revealed by the Vedic rishis, (and as historically explained by great acharyas such as the one above cited namely, Sridhara Swami). Taking the above presentation at face-value, it would be easy for an uninformed reader to fall for the idea that the Puranas indeed describe the Earth as having a spherical shape, and as being the cause for the creation of a shadow on the Moon during the lunar eclipse. However, it requires a little more effort to first check if the verse has actually been properly translated; and secondly, whether the manner and motive in which the verse is interpreted and presented, is actually consistent with what the Vedic rishis understood as 'the Earth.'
Instead of Danavir Goswami proceeding with the understanding that 'the Earth' is a circular landscape with a diameter of pancasat-koti-yojana (500,000,000 yojanas or 4 billion miles, see SB 5.20.38), Danavir Goswami begins with the presumption that 'the Earth' in question is the supposed globe-shaped planet floating in space; based on that initial assumption, Danavir Goswami then falsely reasons that the shadow on the Moon is caused by a spherical-shaped Earth. However, 'the Earth' in question (Bhu-mandala), is not even spherical, but as the name indicates, it is 'circular' in nature. The Sanskrit word mandala specifically refers to a circular shape not a spherical one. A square, for example, is not necessarily a cube, though a cube has square sides. A square can be marked out on the ground, but if it lacks any sides it remains simply a square shape, and not a cube. Likewise a circle is not necessarily a sphere. A circle can be marked on the ground, but lacking uniform roundness, it remains a circle and not a sphere. A wheel, a plate, a frisbee, a pizza, and a roundabout are circular without being spherical like a ball. To say that a mandala is a sphere is like saying that a bicycle wheel is a globe. In Part 2 of the links provided above, we have presented and discussed the scriptural texts describing the circular shape of the Vedic Earth, thus refuting the erroneous idea that the Vedic Earth (Bhu-mandala) is spherical in shape.
It would seem a simple thing for members of ISKCON to understand and repeat the teachings of Vedic rishis who describe the eclipse as simply the passing of a dark planet before the Sun and Moon. However, such a presentation requires working consistently with the original Vedic teaching that 'the Earth'—for there is only one Earth in Vedic cosmology—is a gigantic circular plane, and not as modern astronomy teaches, a small globe floating in space. Due to either a simple lack of information and understanding about Bhu-mandala on the part of most members of the Hare Krishna society, or to a more calculated disregard of Srimad Bhagavatam's description of the Earth-circle on the part of others, in either case, most members of the Hare Krishna society remain certain in the belief that they live on a spinning globe floating in space—and not on the surface of a vast circular Earth plane as Srimad Bhagavatam describes it. The fact that Srila Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness spoke of the Earth in the conventional manner as globe floating in space, is enough to convince most of his followers that it must be so; however, this rather one-sided understanding generally does not take into account the fact that the Srimad Bhagavatam itself does not describe the Earth as such, or that Srila Prabhupada's explicit instruction was to present Vedic cosmology 'exactly' to the description of the cosmos as it found in Srimad Bhagavatam:
Prabhupada: We are intending to make a huge planetarium... Exactly to the description of Fifth Canto, we want." (Room Conversation, May 8 1977, Hrishikesh)
In the letter below, Srila Prabhupada specifies that the model of the universe at the TOVP will depict Bhu-mandala:
"Now, here in India, we are planning construction of a very large "Vedic Planetarium" or "Temple of Understanding". Within the planetarium we will construct a huge, detailed model of the universe as described in the text of the fifth canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam… The model will depict… The earthly system (bhu-mandala with Sumeru in center, seven islands (saptadvipa), seven oceans (sapta-samudra), Manosattara Parvata, Lokaloka Parvata, Alokavarsa." (Letter to S.L. Dhani, 14 November 1976)
Srila Prabhupada's desire to depict the Vedic Earth (Bhu-mandala) and other features of the Vedic cosmos 'exactly to the description of fifth canto', creates a conundrum for the Hare Krishna society. A quandary arises because although Srila Prabhupada referred to the Earth as a globe in space, the Srimad Bhagavatam itself does not describe the Earth as such—indeed our own area of the Earth called Bharata-varsha is described as just a small part of a larger Earth landscape [specifically Bharata-varsha is one of the nine varsas (areas of land) that comprise the massive central area of the Earth-circle called Jambudvipa]. All attempts by members of the Hare Krishna society to argue that Bharata-varsha is a globe floating in space, do so at the expense of contradicting Srimad Bhagavatam's teachings that Bharata-varsha is a small part of a larger Earth plane. As we shall later see, ISKCON's use of the Earth globe to explain cosmic phenomena such as eclipses remains nether logically consistent or compatible with either Vedic or Western understanding of the Earth. Working from the idea that 'the Earth' is an Earth globe, the shape, size, and characteristics of the Earth globe, along with its relation and distance to other planets such as the Sun and the Moon are all presented in a way that is inconsistent and contradictory to the original Vedic understanding of the size and shape of the Earth, as well as its relative position to the Sun and Moon.
The stupefaction caused by trying to reconcile Vedic and Western ideas about the Earth can be easily resolved by simply following Srila Prabhupada's instruction to present the Vedic cosmology 'exactly to the description of fifth canto'. Some may call such a strict application of scripture to be fundamentalist and fanatical since it does not attempt to incorporate or reconcile the Vedic and Western understanding of the Earth, but in actual fact, a literal depiction and presentation of Bhu-mandala, allows the teachings of the Vedic rishis to be heard as they originally spoke it, and thus without the superimposition of modern cosmological ideas which present an entirely different understanding of the Earth from that taught originally by Srila Vyasa, and other great Vedic rishis. Whatever idea or belief an individual member of ISKCON may entertain about the nature of Earth, Sun and Moon, may I emphasize that we are discussing the Vedic cosmological system, and whether one agrees with it or not, the task at hand for ISKCON is to present Vedic cosmology in the Temple of Vedic Planetarium 'exactly' as it is described in Srimad Bhagavatam, and certainly not to adulterate the whole thing by adding one's own modern understanding or spin to it.
We shall present a thorough discussion of the issue in a forthcoming series of papers called Following Srila Prabhupada in Presenting the Earth-Circle at the Temple of Vedic Planetarium.
AVOIDING A UNIVERSAL DISASTER AT THE TEMPLE OF VEDIC PLANETARIUM
As the construction of the Temple of Vedic Planetarium nears completion, the correct understanding (comprehension/realization), acceptance (faith in), and presentation (preaching) of the actual shape, size, and nature of the gigantic Earth circle (bhu-mandala) as it is described in Srimad Bhagavatam, plus an explanation for the eclipse and other phenomena such as day and night, seasons, phases of the Moon, etc., which is consistent with the Srimad Bhagavatam's original description of Earth, is a particular area of the spiritual science that needs to be urgently addressed by responsible leaders of the society. If truth is to be valued in ISKCON, it behooves all concerned to understand the truth of the matter according to Srimad Bhagavatam, not according to Copernicus, Galileo, or NASA.
Srila Prabhupada would often point out that if a person makes one mistake in the beginning of a calculation it doesn't matter how well they calculate afterwards (since the whole thing is a mistake from the beginning).
"If your basic principle is calculated wrong, then whatever you construct on that wrong background, everything is wrong. One mistake done in the beginning, then plus minus, plus minus, ultimately it is wrong". (Interview with Mr Koshi, April 5th 1977, Bombay)
The underlying mistake in ISKCON's presentation of Vedic cosmology is this: though ISKCON's current presentation of 'Vedic cosmology' appears bonafide in that it seemingly informs people about the Vedic Earth-circle (Bhu-mandala), and other features of the Vedic cosmos, the society consistently uses the modern Western understanding of the 'Earth-globe' for all explanatory purposes in regards to how the universe actually works. This manner of explaining things with reference to an 'Earth-globe', effectively displaces the original understanding of how the rest of the universe looks and functions in relation to a massive 'Earth-circle' as it is originally described in Srimad Bhagavatam. Thus, a devotees understanding, appreciation, and faith in the original Vedic teachings of an Earth-circle, invariably gets lost in the transition from one idea of the Earth to the other; and the modern Earth globe conception becomes extolled as the true, factual, and indeed, 'scientific' understanding of our Earth. We compare this approach to a modern property 'developer' who gets around planning restrictions on listed buildings by leaving the façade of the building standing, whilst destroying all of the inner structure, and replacing it with something entirely new.
