Apr 01, 2016 — INDIA (SUN) —
'FOOLS RUSH IN WHERE WISE MEN FEAR TO TREAD'
This presentation entitled "Bhu Mandala Versus the Bhu Gola" by Achintya Govinda das, attempts to disprove everything Shrila Prabhupada has ever said regarding the round ball-shaped globular Earth referred to as Bhu-gola - and then the author foolishly claims that his video is dedicated to His Divine Grace. What a most deplorable & ill-concieved kind of joke is that? Rather than depending on one's imperfect sense perception and gross speculation, a sincere follower of the Vedic tradition known as param-para depends completely on the words of the Acharya to gain realization of the truth.
This presentation "Bhu Mandala Versus the Bhu Gola" is based on such bad science that even a child from the kindergarten can see right through it. The great anomaly in this video is that the camera is positioned many meters above actual sea level, which means that the distance one can see is far greater than at mean sea level. The height of the camera above sea level is vitally important in this equation. In the video one can see the tops of trees that are located below the camera level and obviously well below the trees is the actual mean sea level. Another point is that the distance to the feature being viewed is only an estimate. By measuring the true distance to the feature one can also discern the true height that the camera is standing above mean sea level. This is very simple mathematics. And finally, the curvature of the Earth cannot be clearly discerned from the from the height where the camera is standing, however at 40,000 feet it is possible. The following chart which is used by all marine navigators worldwide proves the complete fallacy of this foolish presentation.
Height = Distance in Nautical Miles
5ft = 2.555 miles
10ft = 3.614 miles
15ft = 4.426 miles
20ft = 5.111 miles
25ft = 5.714 miles
50ft = 8.081 miles
100ft = 11.428 miles
250ft = 18.070 miles
500ft = 25.555 miles
1,000ft = 36.140 miles
WHAT! NO BHU-GOLA MENTIONED IN BHAGAVATAM?
The author of this video has boldly declared that the term 'Bhu-gola' does not even appear in the Shrimad Bhagavatam at all. How utterly misinformed and totally wrong can anyone be. To make such a foolish statement reveals the author to be a completely ignorant and not at all well versed in the Shrimad Bhagavatam.
Shrimad Bhagavatam 5.16.4:
"The great rsi Sukadeva Gosvämi said: My dear King, there is no limit to the expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead's material energy. This material world is a transformation of the material qualities [sattva-guna, rajo-guna and tamo-guna], yet no one could possibly explain it perfectly, even in a lifetime as long as that of Brahma. No one in the material world is perfect, and an imperfect person could not describe this material universe accurately, even after continued speculation. O King, I shall nevertheless try to explain to you the principal regions, such as (bhü-golaka-viçeñam—the particular description of Bhüloka), Bhü-goloka [Bhüloka], with their names, forms, measurements and various symptoms."
Shrimad Bhagavatam 10.8. 37-39:
"When Krishna opened His mouth wide by the order of mother Yashodä, she saw within His mouth all moving and non-moving entities, outer space, and all directions, along with mountains, islands, oceans, (bhu-golam), the surface of the Earth, the blowing wind, fire, the moon and the stars. She saw the planetary systems, water, light, air, sky, and creation by transformation of ahankara. She also saw the senses, the mind, sense perception, and the three qualities goodness, passion and ignorance. She saw the time allotted for the living entities, she saw natural instinct and the reactions of karma, and she saw desires and different varieties of bodies, moving and non-moving. Seeing all these aspects of the cosmic manifestation, along with herself and Vrndavana-dhama, she became doubtful and fearful of her son's nature."
Shrimad Bhagavatam 3.21.2 - In his purport to verse, Shrila Prabhupada has mentioned that it was definitely the Earth planet (Bhu-gola) that was gouged by the wheels of Priyavrata's chariot. Shrila Prabhupada says:
"Srimad-Bhagavatam is also a history of the great rulers of different parts of the universe. In this verse, the names of Priyavrata and Uttanapada, the sons of Svayambhuva Manu are mentioned. They ruled this Earth, which is divided into seven islands. These seven islands are still current, as Asia, Europe, Africa, America, Australia and the North and South Poles."
So we can understand that the term Bhu-gola (Bhu-goloka/Bhuloka) is without any doubt whatsoever, definitely mentioned in the Shrimad Bhagavatam. Shame on you, Achintya Govinda das, for twisting the truth of the Vedic scripture to suit your own concocted agenda simply to gain some cheap name and fame.
You have attempted to contradict Shrila Prabhupada's teachings in a futile attempt to prove that the Earth is flat. All those who promote the 'Flat Earth' doctrine are diametrically opposed to the teachings of Shrila Prabhupada and are thus committing the most serious offense, for which there is no redemption in this lifetime. To contradict the Acharya, simply based on one's own pea-sized brain and completely limited sense perception is suicidal.
Because the Shrimad Bhagavatam is extremely difficult to comprehend, even for the most experienced Vedic scholars and transcendentalists, especially the 5th canto cosmology, one must take shelter at the lotus feet of the bone fide spiritual master, the Acharya, to hear his opinion on the subject. Only then can one realize the truth by his mercy. One must strictly avoid speculation and voicing opinions that are contrary to those of the Acharya, otherwise contradicting the Acharya will result in one falling from his spiritual position due to guru-aparadha - the most diabolical of all Vaishnava offences.
As we have repeatedly stated, the description of Bhu-mandala found in the 5th canto of Shrimad Bhagavatam is multi-dimensional. This has been confirmed by Shrila Prabhupada:
Bhakti-prema: "Earth is round and flat both, together."
Prabhupäda: "Yes."
(Room Conversation, July 5, 1977, Vrindavana)
An excerpt from Sadaputa's book, Vedic Cosmology & Astronomy, where he quotes the Bhagavatam commentator Shrila Vamsidhara, helps to clarify the mystery of 5th canto cosmology. "Vamsidhara then argues that Sukadeva Gosvami followed Puranic tradition by describing the big earth and giving only brief hints of the small earth of 5,000 yojanas". In accordance with the Puranas, Sukadeva Gosvami has spoken of the big measure of the earth, and only suggested the small measure; thus is the contradiction avoided by some. In the same way, although there is a contradiction involving the sphere of the sky, it is removed.
Only those who are actually advanced in spiritual realization by the mercy of the Acharya, can determine the difference between the round and the flat Earth, that is simultaneously described in the 5th canto. The Bhagavatam is a synopsis of all the other 18 puranas and also includes details from the Vedic siddhantas, also referred to as the Jyotir-shastra. It is very clear from reading the 5th canto that not all the information spoken by Sukadeva Goswamis came from his father Veda Vyasadeva, simply because Sukadeva says in a number of places in the 5th canto text: "According to the estimations of learned scholars." (5.21.1) (5.22.12). The term 'learned scholars' is plural, meaning more than one learned scholar and thus Sukadeva is referring to those scholars who were expert in astronomy found in both the Puranas & Siddhantas (Jyotish-shastras)
The Jyotish-shastras are also referred to as being the Ved-angas, or the arms of Vedic knowledge (corollaries of Vedic wisdom). Both Vyasadeva and his illustrious father, Parasara Muni, wrote important siddhanta-shastras. Therefore, in order to understand the subject of the 5th canto more clearly, one must be conversant with the siddhanta literateurs on which the 5th canto draws some degree of its information. The most famous Siddhanta literature is the Surya-siddhanta, which was translated from Sanskrit into Bengali by Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami. In fact, he was awarded the title 'Siddhanta-Saraswati' based on his expertise in the particular Jyotish-shasta. The Surya-siddhanta clearly states that the Earth is a globe and has a circumference (4,967 yojanas) and diameter (1,581 yojanas), thus proving that according to Surya-siddhanta, the Earth is a round globe and completely different from the 500,000,000 yojana diameter horizontal plane of Bhumandala. Although the figures found in Surya-siddhanta are not exactly the same as that of modern science, the concept that the Earth is a round globe is irrefutable and accepted by Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami as factual. The Surya-siddhanta's conclusion that the Earth is a globe is supported by both the Aryabhatiya of Aryabatta and the Siddhanta-siromani of Varahamira, two of the most famous Siddhanta literatures on Vedic astronomy.
Quotes by Shrila Prabhupada's 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. " (Lecture on 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) Prabhupāda: "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 on Bhagavad-gita As It Is 1.43, London, July 30, 1973)
4) "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 Discussion on Charles Darwin)
5) Shrila Prabhupada: "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 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." (Morning Walk, December 9, 1973, Los Angeles)
