Mar 10, 2016 — INDIA (SUN) —
Shrila Prabhupada's Round Earth Globe
VERSUS
Mayesvara's Flat Earth Pancake
Exposing Mayesvara's speculation on Bhu-mandala
My presentation from the very beginning & my challenge against the TOVP cosmologists has been based solely on Shrila Prabhupada's version, that the Earth we live on is a round ball-like globe. I am once again presenting six vitally important quotes by Shrila Prabhupada listed at the end of this article that establish the fact that he personally considered the Earth to be a round globular sphere similar to a ball. In extracts from these quotes, Shrila Prabhupada has made the following observations regarding the shape of the Earth – "just like a ball". "All the planets and the universes, they are egg shaped". "In the Vedic sastra, millions of years ago it is mentioned: bhu-gola. Gola means round". "Bhü means the earth; gola means round". "How much big the Varaha animal was to show that it can pick up the whole earth, earthly planet just like a ball." "Bhü-gola, the earth is round". "Like a ball".
So here we can see clearly that Shrila Prabhupada is definitely saying that the Earth is round like a ball – but it is most unfortunate that the extremely deluded Mayesvara says -
"I would like to immediately point out that I believe the depiction of the Earth as a globe is wrong".
How wonderful! This conclusion of Mayesvara is not only offensive but totally at odds with the studied opinion of one of the greatest Acharya's of the Vedic tradition that has ever walked the Earth, the revered spiritual master who gave the world the most valuable gift in the form of the Shrimad Bhagavatam - His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, our beloved spiritual master.
Here is another excerpt from Shrila Prabhupada's quotations -
"I have heard that before the science, the people were under the impression that this world is square. Is it not?" Devotees: "Flat."Prabhupada: "Flat. Shrila Prabhupada, "Flat, yes. But in the Vedic sastra, millions of years ago it is mentioned: bhu-gola. Gola means round. Just see. And these rascals say that formerly people were not so intelligent." "Therefore their knowledge is also imperfect because they do not refer to the Vedic literatures. It is already there. Bhü-gola. Bhü means the earth; gola means round. It is already there. And the geography's called, according to Sanskrit; it is called Bhü-gola. Long, long ago, before Galileo."
In response to this quote of Shrila Prabhupada, Mayesvara has made the following observation -
"We cannot simply conclude that the earth, ie: Bharata-varsa, is a globe simply because the word bhugola is found in the texts. All of the relevant information must be properly reconciled to arrive at the final and correct conclusion."
Mayesvara is no doubt is an expert in word-jugglery, but is exposed when he tries to twist the verses of the Bhagavatam & Shrila Prabhupada's quote to suit his own agenda:
"Bhu-gola is just another name for Bhu-mandala meaning the Earth circle or Earth sphere. Bhu-mandala is the great horizontal plane that is circular in shape (like a roundabout, not a ball)"
Unfortunately, Mayesvara has not realized that Shrila Prabhupada has referenced Galileo in his quote, and Galileo is concerned only to our round Earth, and therefore, so is Shrila Prabhupada, otherwise there no need for Shrila Prabhupada to mention Galileo. It appears that Mayesvara is the perfect example of mayaya prakrta jnana and his intelligence has been taken away by Mayadevi.
I had previously accused Mayesvara of deceit because he uses the term 'As It Is; to describe his concocted version of Shrimad Bhagavatam. He wrote:
"I use the term as it is, not because I'm trying to put myself on a level with Srila Prabhupada as Rajasekara Prabhu accuses me of doing, but because Srila Prabhupada taught us to take the straightforward meaning of Srimad Bhagavatam and not to speculate or interpolate on the text."
Shrila Prabhupada taught us that the Earth is round like a ball and that Bhu-gola refers to the round ball-like globular Earth planet – but Mayesvara has rejected Shrila Prabhupada's teachings and has deliberately twisted the 'straightforward' meaning of the Bhagavatam in order to support his wild speculation that the Earth planet is flat, and he has the audacity to term his concocted version 'As It Is' - simply to delude the innocent devotees, which is without doubt a great travesty of truth and thoroughly dishonest.
Mayesvara has also made the following challenge regarding seeing the curvature of the Earth from an airplane:
Yes Mayesvara, you are right, I have not seen this with my own eyes. I have seen it through the eyes of my spiritual master, who has definitely seen it during his travels around the globe by airplane over 14 times.
Shrila Prabhupada, "Just like here, in this planet, when you go up, you see it is ball."
The only way to understand the Shrimad Bhagavatam is to see it through the eyes of both shastra and the spiritual master – 'chakshusa unmilitam yena tasmai sri guruve namah'. What a great pity that Mayesvara has not learned this important lesson before daring to make his comments on the verses of the Shrimad Bhagavatam:
"For the vast majority of us who have not yet taken a ride on a rocket ship or a UFO to confirm by personal experience whether the Earth is round or flat, we can at least experience by direct perception that wherever we go by land, sea, or air, the horizon below us is always flat."
It is very clear that Mayesvara is depending on his direct perception, by his own admission, even though the shastras say that the senses are faulty, just like his presentation on Bhu-mandala is decidedly faulty, full of speculation & based on his own direct sense perception & completely contrary to the teachings of the Vedic Acharya.
According to Shrila Prabhupada's opinion, the descriptions found in the 5th canto of the Shrimad Bhagavatam refer to a two-dimensional universe.
Bhakti-prema: "Earth is round and flat both, together."
Prabhupada:" Yes."
This is a very clear reference that although the plane of Bhu-mandala is flat, the Earth planet Bhu-gola is a round globe.
Mayesvara's has a serious problem in that he does not believe in the words of Shrila Prabhupada and at the same time is unable to perceive the two dimensions of the Bhu-mandala planetary system, as explained by Shrila Prabhupada. Therefore, the entire presentation of Mayesvara on the Shrimad Bhagavatam is null & void and equal to milk that has been touched by the lips of a serpent. One who hears the invalid explanations on Shrimad Bhagavatam given by Mayeshvara is simply going to be bewildered and ultimately die a spiritual death due to having consumed poison along with the milk.
Therefore, whose version should you believe? The divine transcendental teachings of Shrila Prabhupada – or the devious speculations of Mayesvara?
Shrila Prabhupada's Quotes on the round globular Earth
1) "There is a control… Just like here, in this planet, when you go up, you see it is ball, but in this ball there are so many controlling deities here also. President Johnson, prime minister of India, this and that and so many things. But when you go up you see just like a ball."
(Lectures, Bhagavad-gita 2.12, Bhagavad-gita 2.12, New York, March 9, 1966)
2) "All the planets and the universes, they are egg shaped. Therefore they are called anda, jagad-aṇḍa, brahmanda."
(Lecture, Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 13.8-12, Bombay, September 30, 1973)
3) "Jagad-anda. Jagad-anda means universe. Brahmanda or jagad-anda. Anda. Anda means it is egg-shaped, round, egg-shaped. Therefore it is called anda, brahmanda. Bhu-gola. Gola means round. I have heard that before the science, the people were under the impression that this world is square. Is it not?"Devotees: "Flat."Prabhupada: "Flat. Flat, yes. But in the Vedic sastra, millions of years ago it is mentioned: bhu-gola. Gola means round. Just see. And these rascals say that formerly people were not so intelligent. They are intelligent because they are thinking that this world is flat. And those who have spoken millions of years ago, "It is round," they will have less intelligence. Just see. Bhu, gola. Gola means round. Bhu-gola. Similarly, jagad-anda. Anda means round, just like egg. Anda means egg. Jagad-anda. This universe is egg-shaped. And we can see also, the sky is round. This is the wall of this universe."
(Lecture, Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 1.43, London, July 30, 1973)
4) "In Vedic literature it is bhü-gola, jagad-andha. These words are there. We can see also it is round, jagad- andha.. The universe is round. And Goloka. Or Bhü-gola. Bhü-gola, the earth is round. So in the Vedic literatures... Therefore their knowledge is also imperfect because they do not refer to the Vedic literature's. It is already there. Bhü-gola. Bhü means the earth; gola means round. It is already there. And the geography's called, according to Sanskrit, it is called Bhü-gola. Long, long ago, before Galileo."
(Morning Walk. December 9, 1973, Los Angeles)
5) "How much big the Varāha animal was to show that it can pick up the whole earth, earthly planet just like a ball. He cannot imagine such big animals."
(Philosophy Discussions: Discussion on Charles Darwin)
6) Bhakti-prema: "Earth is round and flat both, together."
Prabhupada: "Yes."
Bhakti-prema: "First we should reply it is acintya. This should be the reply. Inconceivable,"
Yasoda-nandana: If it is inconceivable, then they will say how we can conceive it?
Prabhupada: Take the version of Bhägavatam.
(Room Conversation. July 5, 1977 in Vrndavana)
