From Sri Dhama Mayapur, Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu (the Golden Avatar or Avatari)
will cause the entire universe to chant and dance in ecstatic love of Godhead.

"I shall personally inaugurate the religion of the age—nama-sankirtana, the congregational chanting of the holy name. I shall make the world (bhuvana) dance in ecstasy, realizing the four mellows of loving devotional service. (Caitanya-caritamrta Adi-lila, 3.19)

THE PERSONIFIED EARTH GODDESS

In the above verse, the Lord says that he will make the world (bhuvana) dance in ecstasy. Apart from the people in the world who are obviously both personal and conscious and thus receptive to the inundation of spiritual energy that is predicted to transform the Earth, the Earth itself (Bhu-mandala) is also conscious and personal, and not an impersonal energy as the asuric ideology of atheistic scientism propagates. The Bhu-mandala (Earth circle) is a manifestation of Bhu-shakti, the eternal consort of Lord Vishnu.

In Krishna-lila, Bhu-shakti appears as Satyabhama, the wife of Lord Krishna (see purport Srimad Bhagavatam 10.42.1). In Chaitanya-lila, Bhu-shakti incarnated as Vishnu-priya, the wife of Sri Chaitanya (see Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura's commentary to Chaitanya Bhagavata, Adi Khanda 1.2). This statement is confirmed by Sri Kavi Karnapura:

"That Srimati Vishnupriya is an incarnation of Bhu-devi is described in the Sri Chaitanya Candradoya Nataka, where Kali says, "Understanding that Srimati Vishnupriya was the incarnation of bhu-devi, Lord Caitanya accepted her hand in marriage". (Sri Kavi Karnapura, Sri Gaura Ganodesa Dipika 48)

It is only natural, therefore, that Lord Gauranga (The golden Avatari) wishes Bhu-shakti to be known in her true form by the people of the world; and that Bhu-devi similarly wishes for the people of the world to know Her husband, the Lord of the universe (Sri Gaura-Hari). It is fitting, therefore, that Bhu-mandala will be exhibited at the Temple of Vedic Planetarium in the Lord's own Holy abode at Sri Dhama Mayapur, West Bengal. Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu once manifested his form of Sri-Varaha to Murari Gupta indicating that he would again raise and protect the Earth:

"I accepted the incarnation of Varaha to lift the material world out of the waters of nescience. Know Me to be the ultimate goal of the Vedas. The purpose of My present incarnation is to propagate the congregational chanting of the Holy Names of Krishna. In this incarnation, as in other incarnations, I will annihilate the miscreants for the protection and pleasure of My devotees." (Sri Chaitanya Bhagavata, Madhya-kanda, chapter 3)

The image below shows Lord Varaha lifting Bhu-devi (the personified Earth Goddess). Below the lotus foot of Lord Varaha is Lord Ananta-sesha who is seen depicted in both His serpent and personified form. As Varaha holds Bhu-devi in Her personified form, so Ananta-sesha holds Bhu-devi in Her form as the Bhu-mandala (the physical landscape upon which all the living beings reside). The Padma Purana narrates that after Lord Varaha rescued the Earth and killed the demon Hiranyaksha, He replaced Bhu-mandala on the head of Ananta-sesha:

"Seeing the Earth fallen (from the demon's head), He lifted it with his tusk, and putting it on Sesha's head as before, took up the form of a Tortoise. Seeing great Vishnu of the form of the hog, all deities and sages, with their bodies bowed with devotion, praised him." (Padma Purana, Vl.237.17-19)

Bhu-Varaha at Mamallapuram, 6th Century

The modern image (below) shows the scene more clearly with the personified Earth goddess held by Varaha-deva, and Ananta-sesha depicted both in personal and serpentine form:

We hope also that a beautiful shrine to Sri Sri Bhu-Varaha will be incorporated within the Temple of Vedic Planetarium complex, so that Bhu-devi in both Her personified form and Bhu-mandala form, will be seen and worshiped by the world-wide pilgrims. The images below show the magnificent Bhu-Varaha deity at Kallahali in Mysore:

The above Sri-Sri Bhu-Varaha deity at Kallahalli is 18 foot tall, and was originally dug out of the Earth by the Hoysala King Veera Ballala III, who established a Temple on the spot. It is not known if the deity is self-manifested, though it is believed to have been originally installed by sage Gautama. The temple has only been recently rediscovered and the worship resumed. The website for the temple states:

"The ancient Bhoo Varahaswamy Temple built by the Hoysala king Veera Ballala III was undiscovered and unprotected until a few years back. It must be either a divine intervention or that we Indians have started tracing back our rich heritage and culture that has brought this temple to its present light and glory".

The reappearance of Sri-Sri Bhu-Varaha at Kallahalli is perhaps an auspicious sign that the true form of Bhu-devi will soon manifest to the world. We hope our pujari department at Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir in Mayapur will also install a deity of Sri-Sri Bhu-Varaha at the Temple of Vedic Planetarium, along with insisting that the arca-vigraha of Bhu-mandala is also correctly depicted in the main dome exhibition. At the very least the present utsava deity of Varaha lifting an Earth globe ought to be replaced by a deity of Varaha lifting Bhu-devi in Her personified form. Unquestionably Lord Varaha has accepted all the first class worship and devotion of the devotees at Sri Chandrodaya Mandir, but the murtis and images of Varaha-deva holding a globe-shaped Earth are incorrect as we have argued here.

There is no precedence in the shilpa shastra to depict Varaha lifting the Earth in the form of a globe. Traditional murtis always show Lord Varaha lifting the personified Earth Goddess.

The depiction of Lord Varaha lifting an Earth globe is an icon of modern invention. The thousands of modern images showing Varaha lifting an Earth globe are the ultimate in 'fake news' propaganda because Varaha-deva lifted the entire Bhu-mandala, not a so-called Earth globe. In the above link one can read the transcription of a conversation wherein Srila Prabhupada personally corrected the misunderstanding that arose from his earlier instruction to depict the Earth as a globe in the paintings of Varaha.

We hope devotee artists will understand the issue and paint images that correctly depict Varaha lifting the entire Bhu-mandala. We hope also that pujaris will worship forms of Bhu-Varaha that are made according to the traditional shilpa-shastra. The proliferation of images of Varaha-deva lifting an Earth globe simply continue to hide the true form of Bhu-devi and reinforce a false Earth paradigm.

The abhisheka of Sri Sri Bhu-Varaha at Kallahalli, near Mysore in India

THE ABODE OF THE EARTH GODDESS

The Srimad Bhagavatam reveals that the Earth Goddess in Her personified form lives with Lord Vishnu (in His form as Varaha-deva) in Uttara-kuru varsha which is on the northern side of Jambudvipa:

"Sukadeva Gosvami said: Dear King, the Supreme Lord in His boar incarnation [bhagavan yajna-purushah krita-varaha-rupa], who accepts all sacrificial offerings, lives in the northern part of Jambudvipa. There, in the tract of land known as Uttara-kuru-varsha [uttareshu ca kurushu], mother Earth [devi haisha bhuh] and all the other inhabitants worship Him with unfailing devotional service by repeatedly chanting the following Upanishad mantra." (Srimad Bhagavatam 5.18.34)

The Devi Purana describes the location and situation of Bhu-Varaha in this way:

"The Bhagavan Yajna Purusa is manifest in Uttara Kuru Mandala in the form of Adi Varaha. The Earth Herself worships Him always. The Goddess Earth praises Hari, the Yajna Varaha, the Destroyer of the Daityas and worships duly that Deva, with Her heart lotus, naturally devoted, rendered more devoted by Her attachment to the Lord". (Devi Purana, Tenth Book, Chapter 10, verse 6-7)

Jambudvipa is the very center of Bhu-mandala, and is the first of the Earth's seven great islands. Jambudvipa has a diameter of 100,000 yojana (800,000 miles). The image below shows the circular island of Jambudvipa with Bharata-varsha in the south and Uttara-kuru-varsha on the far side of the island. The Golden Mount Meru marks the Axis Mundi or center of the universe and is situated in Ilavrita-varsha:

The Himalaya Mountain marked here is 80,000 yojana (640,000 miles) across and forms the boundary mountain between Bharata-varsha and Kimpurusha-varsha which is to the north of Bharata-varsha. South of the great Himalaya is Bharata-varsha which extends to the southern shore of Jambudvipa Jambudvipa is completely surrounded by a great ocean which is 100,000 yojana (800,000 miles across). The size of Bharata-varsha between the great Himalaya Mountain and the southern shore of Jambudvipa is 9,000 yojana (72,000 miles). Thus Bharata-varsha is 72,000 miles north to south, and 640,000 miles east to west. Our known Earth is somewhere in the vast Bharata-varsha region. Our own area of the Earth is thus south of Mount Meru, and the residence of the personified Earth Goddess is on the far side of Mount Meru, specifically in Uttara-Kuru varsha.

The image below depicts the division of Jambudvipa into nine varshas, and shows the location of various incarnations of the Supreme Lord in each varsha. Sri Sri Bhu-Varaha are in the northern part of Jambudvipa known as Uttara-kuru-varsha. The Lord in His form as Nara-Narayana is located in Bharata-varsha. Hanuman worships the form of Sita-Rama in Kimpurusha-varsha, and Prahlada Maharaja worships Nrsingha-avatar in Hari-varsha, etc:

The Puranas thus inform us not only of a greater Earth landscape, but also of the whereabouts of the personified Earth Goddess. The modern secular cosmology denies both of these aspects to the Earth, and is thus is inherently impersonalistic and asuric. We refer to globe ideology as asuric because (as we shall see in later papers) the covering of the real feature of the Earth is a deliberate policy!

When various parties present an ideology that states there is no such thing as a personified Earth goddess, such an ideology is deemed by Vaishnavas to be impersonalistic because it is a denial of the conscious and personal form of the Earth as she is revealed through the Puranas. Likewise, when various parties present a cosmology in which the material or physical form of the Earth is that of a globe floating in space, such ideologies can also be deemed impersonalistic because that conception covers or blocks out the actual rupa or form of the Earth (Bhu-mandala) as described in the Puranas. We shall explain this point in more depth in the second part of this paper.

The devotees of Sri Krishna need to become conscious of how the asuric ideology is negatively affecting our perception of the reality described in Srimad Bhagavatam. Despite producing images such as the one above showing the location of Bhu-Varaha in Jambudvipa, the purport of Srimad Bhagavatam doesn't seem to register—since we (in Bharata-varsha) are at the southern side of an 800,000 mile island, and Bhu-Varaha are at the other side, then we cannot be on an isolated globe-shaped planet floating in space. Despite Srimad Bhagavatam describing our location on a colossal flat Earth-circle, the question of flat-Earth has become taboo. Why?

WHY DOES IT MATTER IF THE EARTH IS GLOBE-SHAPED OR FLAT?

Many devotees have unquestionably lived and died in Krishna consciousness without the question of a flat or globe Earth ever being raised or even a concern; however, due to the construction of the Temple of Vedic Planetarium, the question of the Earth is being raised for this generation of devotees, and thus presents a unique test of faith for all of Krishna's devotees present at this time.

Although the appearance of the Earth is temporary, it is not false. Some yogis may reject the whole question of the Earth as something belonging to the category of maya (illusion), and that the question of whether Earth is flat or globular is not worth considering since the whole material world in any case is a place of illusion. But such reasoning is a serious mistake because although the material world creates an illusion for the soul, it is nonetheless a real illusion. A magician, for example, creates different illusions using various props, but the props are real and the magicians trick is a real event—not simply a figment of the audiences imagination. Likewise, Sri Krishna (the supreme magician) creates illusion for the soul using 'props' such as the Earth, but the Earth itself has reality, it is not false. The sooner one understands the true nature of the Earth, the sooner one will get out of imprisonment in maya. Srila Prabhupada explains the difference between the Vaishnava and Mayavadi attitude in the following statement:

"So we don't say that "It is mithya, it is false." That is Mayavadi's ver... Brahma satyam jagan mithya. "This material world is false." We don't say false. We don't say false, because we have to take work from it. Why shall I say false? When I take some work from the typewriter or some other machine, why shall I say it is false? It is real. So our philosophy is, we don't neglect this material world as false. That is pseudo, pseudo renunciation. You cannot give up. Why should you call it false? Sometimes...Just like some materialists, they criticize that "You are using material things. Why do you say false?" So that criticism is applicable to the Mayavadi philosophy, who says jagan mithya, "This whole material world is false." Brahma satyam jagan mithya. We don't say false. We say, "It is temporary. It is temporary, and I have to take some benefit out of it." (Srimad Bhagavatam 2.4.2. Los Angeles, June 26, 1972)

Again:

"So we are not these so-called Mayavadi sannyasis, brahma satyam jagan mithya. Why jagan mithya? Mithya means false. They say that jagan mithya, this whole material world is false. We don't say false. We say it is temporary, and so long it is in use, you utilize it for Krishna. That even this material world will be utilized for Krishna consciousness, this is our proposal. We don't reject anything." (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.6.5. Los Angeles, January 2, 1974)

Accepting that the world is temporarily manifest, and that it has reality (and is not false), the question of the Earth's shape and size cannot be rejected by the bhakti-yogis as maya; indeed, the proper understanding of the Earth's shape and size is essential, otherwise we will certainly continue living in a completely false reality. The idea that the Earth has the form of a globe, is merely that—an idea! However, the 'idea' has taken on a reality of its own. The 'idea' has not only created a mass delusion that we live on a spinning ball floating in space, the idea is unfortunately propped up by deception via various agencies such as NASA who are engaged in propagating this false idea as a fact. The Earth-globe ideology is directly connected with impersonalism because it hides or covers the true form of Bhumi in her expansion as Bhu-mandala. If we are to accept Srimad Bhagavatam as a description of reality, then the Earth we live on is not an isolated globe floating in space, but is actually only a small part of a greater Earth plane—there is more Earth all around us. By understanding and accepting the Earth as it is described in Srimad Bhagavatam, the present generation of devotees will come a step closer to Sri Krishna. By accepting Srimad Bhagavatam's version of reality one will obviously develop faith in Sri Krishna, and subsequently lose faith in a world paradigm created by maya's agents. Contrarily if we go on placing absolute faith in NASA's version of reality, we will most certainly begin to lose faith in Srimad Bhagavatam.

By accepting that the Earth is temporarily manifest, but not false, the devotee is able to offer proper respect to Bhu-devi in the form of Bhu-mandala. The same form or design of Bhu-mandala always reappears in each creation (and according to the Devi Purana in each universe as well). The devotees of Sri Krishna, therefore, are expected to understand, appreciate, and preach the nature of the Earth as it is revealed in Srimad Bhagavatam. By connecting personally with the shakti of Sri Krishna one will experience the ultimate spiritual nature of the material energy, indeed one will perceive Sri Krishna in everything, and thus everything as spiritual. Srila Prabhupada explains the ultimate spiritual nature of the material world in many places, for example:

"Another example is the sun and the sunshine. As soon as you see the sunshine, you can immediately think of the sun. Is that not so? In the morning, as soon as you see the sunshine shining in your window, you can immediately remember the sun. You are confident the sun is there, because you know that without the sun there cannot be any sunshine. Similarly, whenever we see something, we should immediately think of Krishna with reference to that particular thing, because that thing is a manifestation of Krishna's energy. And because the energy is not different from the energetic, those who have understood Krishna along with His energies do not see anything except Krishna. Therefore for them there is no material world. To a perfect devotee, everything is spiritual (sarvam khalu idam brahma)." (Journey of Self-Discovery, 3.3, Krishna, The Enchanter of the Soul)

Again:

"The entire cosmic manifestation is but an expansion of the Lord's energy; everything rests in Him, yet He exists separately, beyond creation, maintenance and annihilation. The varieties of creation are performed by His external energy. Because the energy and energetic are one, everything is one (sarvam khalu idam brahma). Therefore without Krishna, the Parabrahman, nothing can exist. The difference between the material and spiritual worlds is that His external energy is manifested in the material world, whereas His spiritual energy exists in the spiritual world. Both energies, however, belong to the Supreme Lord, and therefore in a higher sense there is no exhibition of material energy because everything is spiritual energy. The energy in which the Lord's all-pervasiveness is not realized is called material. Otherwise, everything is spiritual. Therefore Prahlada prays, ekas tvam eva jagad etam: "You are everything." (Srimad Bhagavatam 7.9.30 purport)

By relating to the Earth in a personal, non-exploitative, and devotional way, Bhu-devi in in Her natural role as mother will create a heaven on Earth. Contrarily if one adopts an exploitative mentality towards the Earth, one will only suffer. The point is explained in Mahabharata:

"Earth, if its resources are properly developed according to its qualities and prowess, is like an ever-yielding cow, from which the three-fold fruits of virtue, profit, and pleasure, may be milked. Brave kings conversant with virtue and profit have become covetous of Earth. Endued with activity, they would even cast away their lives in battle, from hunger of wealth. Earth is certainly the refuge of creatures endued with celestial bodies as also of creatures endued with human bodies. Desirous of enjoying Earth, the kings, O chief of the Bharatas, have become like dogs that snatch meat from one another. Their ambition is unbounded, knowing no gratification. It is for this that the Kurus and the Pandavas are striving for possession of Earth, by negotiation, disunion, gift, and battle, O Bharata. If Earth be well looked after, it becometh the father, mother, children, firmament and heaven, of all creatures, O bull among men." (Mahabharata, Jambu-khanda, Nirmana Parva, Section IX)

The Earth-circle is immense beyond our conception, and there is enough space and resources for everyone. The conception of Earth as a small isolated planet floating in space creates a fearful struggle for existence as the asuras mislead everyone into fighting over seemingly limited space and resources. An impersonal cosmology leads to impersonal dealings both with mother Bhumi, and also with one's brothers and sisters who share the Earth plane. The Vedic cosmology restores personalism, respect, and love for all souls regardless of their placement in various species of life. Srila Prabhupada expresses the Krishna conscious vision of universal harmony in the following verse:

"One should treat animals such as deer, camels, asses, monkeys, mice, snakes, birds and flies exactly like one's own son. How little difference there actually is between children and these innocent animals. (SB 7.14.9)

PURPORT

One who is in Krishna consciousness understands that there is no difference between the animals and the innocent children in one's home. Even in ordinary life, it is our practical experience that a household dog or cat is regarded on the same level as one's children, without any envy. Like children, the unintelligent animals are also sons of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore a Krishna conscious person, even though a householder, should not discriminate between children and poor animals. Unfortunately, modern society has devised many means for killing animals in different forms of life. For example, in the agricultural fields there may be many mice, flies and other creatures that disturb production, and sometimes they are killed by pesticides. In this verse, however, such killing is forbidden. Every living entity should be nourished by the food given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Human society should not consider itself the only enjoyer of all the properties of God; rather, men should understand that all the other animals also have a claim to God's property. In this verse even the snake is mentioned, indicating that a householder should not be envious even of a snake. If everyone is fully satisfied by eating food that is a gift from the Lord, why should there be envy between one living being and another? In modern days people are very much inclined toward communistic ideas of society, but we do not think that there can be any better communistic idea than that which is explained in this verse of Srimad Bhagavatam. Even in the communistic countries the poor animals are killed without consideration, although they also should have the right to take their allotted food with which to live."

Throughout Srimad Bhagavatam, Srila Prabhupada advocates simple living/ high-thinking, and condemns the ugra-karma (terrible activities) involved in exploiting Earth, people, animals, trees, rivers, and oceans. If we treat the Earth and the other living beings as spirit souls, not exploitable matter, then by the grace of Sri Krishna, everything will be provided for, and the whole material world will become Vaikuntha:

"This is the only solution: to push on Krishna consciousness movement, love of Godhead. Everyone will be happy, the human society. Vishvam purnam sukhayate. Whole universe will be just like Vaikuntha. Vaikuntha means without anxieties." (Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam 2.2.5, Los Angeles, December 2, 1975)

Srila Prabhupada mentions in the same lecture that even if the rest of the world remains in illusion, on an individual level one can live in Vaikutha consciousness: "Here is reality, love of God. You take it. Don't expect that it will be taken by all the nations, all the people. You take it individually and see how much you are happy. Individual. That is our request". Srila Prabhupada makes a similar point in the following purport:

"When such acknowledgement is given, either by a family, nation or society, their abode becomes almost like Vaikuntha, and it becomes free from the operation of the threefold miseries of this material world". (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.22.31 purport)

The Narada Purana states that though living in Kali-yuga, the devotees of Hari will not be oppressed:

"Kali does not oppress those persons who perform the worship of Hari or who repeat his names and glorify Hari day and night. Kali does not affect those men who with or without desire for the fruits there-of glorify the deity saying "Obeisance to Narayana." 0 Brahmana, in the terrible Kali yuga, only those are contented and blessed, those who are absorbed in the names of Hari. Kali does not harass them." (Narada Purana: 1.41.93-95)

The beginning of treating the Earth personally is obviously to know both the personality of the Earth (Bhu-shakti), as well as the true form of Bhu-mandala. Bhu-mandala is not in some subtle dimension of existence, but is the real, physical, and tangible surface upon which all living beings reside.

IMPERSONALISM AND DUALITY

Hearing the description of the Vedic Earth (Bhu-mandala) and its relation to the rest of the universe is necessary so that we can overcome the separatist mentality of seeing a duality between Sri Krishna and His creation:

"My dear Lord, You alone manifest Yourself as the entire cosmic manifestation, for You existed before the creation, You exist after the annihilation, and You are the maintainer between the beginning and the end. All this is done by Your external energy through actions and reactions of the three modes of material nature. Therefore whatever exists—externally and internally—is You alone." (Srimad Bhagavatam 7.9.30)

"The true variegatedness which exists in the Absolute Truth is a product of His inconceivable energy. Indeed, it can be safely concluded that this cosmic manifestation is but a by-product of His inconceivable energies. Once we accept the inconceivable energies of the Supreme Lord, we will find that there is no duality at all. The expansion of the energy of the Supreme Lord is as true as the Supreme Lord." (Teachings Of Lord Chaitanya, TLC 20, The Goal of Vedanta Study)

"Nirdvandvo hi maha-baho sukham bandhat pramucyate [Such a person, free from all dualities, easily overcomes material bondage and is completely liberated, O mighty-armed Arjuna]. One who has attained such consciousness, Krishna consciousness, he becomes nirdvandva. Nirdvandva means he has no duality because he sees everything in Krishna relationship. He sees everything. Actually, everything is the manifestation of Krishna's energy. So highest stage, in the highest stage of Krishna consciousness, the person sees everything in relationship with Krishna. Nirdvandvo hi maha-baho sukham bandhat pramucyate. And if we are fortunate enough to come to that stage of Krishna consciousness then very easily and very happily we'll become liberated from this entanglement of material life." (Lecture on Bhagavad-gita 5.3-7, New York, August 26, 1966)

Indian man: But why there is so..., there is duality in this world?
Prabhupada: There is no duality. There is one, Krishna. But you have created duality. That is maya. When you forget Krishna, that is duality. When you think that there is something else other than Krishna, that is duality. (Bhagavad-gita lecture 7.1-3, London August 4, 1973)

"There is no duality. Anything you perceive, that is Krishna." (Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam, 6.2.13, Vrindavana, September 15, 1975)

Fear arises due to seeing the material world as separate from Krishna (SB 11.2.37-38). Krishna is not only the gardener (creator), He is also the garden (creation). The creation is simultaneously one, but different from the creator. The pure devotees of the Lord thus give respect to all things, perceiving them as not separate from Sri Krishna:

"A devotee should not see anything as being separate from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna. Ether, fire, air, water, earth, the sun and other luminaries, all living beings, the directions, trees and other plants, the rivers and oceans—whatever a devotee experiences he should consider to be an expansion of Krishna. Thus seeing everything that exists within creation as the body of the Supreme Lord, Hari, the devotee should offer his sincere respects to the entire expansion of the Lord's body." (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.2.41)

Although the Earth itself is not separate from Sri Krishna, it simultaneously serves as the ground for His own various lilas (pastimes). As a gardener enjoys their own garden, so Sri Krishna enjoys pastimes on the Earth. How then can one hope to have faith in the descriptions of Sri Krishna's lila upon the Earth, whilst simultaneously doubting or denying the description of the Earth as revealed by Sri Krishna Himself? As we mentioned earlier, many devotees have undoubtedly lived and died in Krishna consciousness without the question of the Earth's shape, size, and location ever being raised, or even a concern; however, due to the construction of the Temple of Vedic Planetarium, the question of the Earth is being raised for this generation of devotees, and thus presents a unique test of faith for all of Krishna's devotees present at this time. Sukadeva Goswami explained to King Parikist that the Srimad Bhagavatam (which contains the description of the Earth) was directly spoken by Sri Krishna Himself:

"Your Majesty Maharaja Pariksit, know that all that I have described in reply to your proper inquiry is just according to the version of the Vedas, and it is eternal truth. This was described personally by Lord Krishna unto Brahma, with whom the Lord was satisfied upon being properly worshiped." (Srimad Bhagavatam 2.2.32)

Since Sri Krishna's representatives describe Bharata-varsha as part of a greater Earth (and not as an isolated Earth globe floating in space), why do devotees of Sri Krishna think the Earth can be anything different than as described in Srimad Bhagavatam?

THE BHU-MANDALA AND THE FUTURE SPIRITUAL DIRECTION OF ISKCON

The topic of the Earth is not a mundane question and is directly related to bhakti-yoga. Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said to Devananda pandit:

"The Lord began to explain the essence of the Srimad Bhagavatam, "Listen, O learned brahmama, interpret the Bhagavatam only in the light of bhakti, devotion. Do not enter into any other process. The beginning, middle, and end of the Bhagavatam establish that devotional service to the Supreme Lord is eternal, absolute, and infallible... The Bhagavatam is saturated with divine krisha-prema. It is in fact the body of Sri Krishna, for it contains the confidential pastimes of Sri Krishna." (Caitanya Bhagavata, Antya-lila, chapter 3)

As with every other verse in the Srimad Bhagavatam, the description of the virat-rupa (universal form) covering ten chapters of the fifth canto is saturated with love for Krishna, and also establishes devotional service to Krishna as the ultimate goal in life. The description of the virat-rupa counters all impersonalism because it reveals the entire universe including the Earth itself to be nothing other than an expansion of Sri Krishna. Prahlada Maharaja says:

"This cosmic manifestation, the material world, is also Your body"

(tasya—of that Supreme Personality of Godhead; eva—certainly; te—of You; vapuh—the cosmic body; idam—this universe) (Srimad Bhagavatam 7.9.33)

Again in SB 2.1.24, the universe is described as the cosmic body of Sri Krishna:

"This gigantic manifestation of the phenomenal material world as a whole is the personal body of the Absolute Truth. (Srimad Bhagavatam 2.1.24)

visheshah—personal; tasya—His; dehah—body; ayam—this; sthavisthah—grossly material; ca—and; sthaviyasam—of all matter"

For those devotees who think the topic of the Earth is mundane and inessential to bhakti-yoga, may we remind the reader that the subject of the Earth was raised by King Pariksit when he had only a few days to live. Since the mind is to be concentrated on the Personality of Godhead at the time of death, one may wonder why King Pariksit raised the question of a seemingly mundane topic like the size, shape, and characteristics of the Earth. We have addressed the question in this paper.

At the end of his narration on the Bhu-mandala (fifth canto chapter 26), Sukadeva Goswami says that those who listen to, and faithfully accept the description of virat-rupa (Sri Krishna's expansion as the rupa (form) of the virat (material universe), are blessed to eventually understand the transcendental form and personality of the Supreme Personality of Godhead (5.16.38-40; see also Srila Prabhupada's purport to SB 5.16.3). We can infer from these statements that the converse is true: that (once the actual truth of Bhu-mandala has been explained), those who continue to reject or speculate on the rupa (form) of Bhu-mandala or other features of Virat-rupa as it is described in the Puranas, will become victims of impersonalism; and as a consequence of such impersonalism (denial of the true form of Bhumi) they will remain bewildered by false forms, or illusory forms, or deceptive forms of the Earth that emerge courtesy of maya-devi to keep people trapped in a world of illusion.

Srimad Bhagavatam's revelation of the Vedic flat-Earth (Bhu-mandala) is a direct personal challenge to everything that each individual in the modern world holds as true and real about the world we live in. What to speak of one's faith in Krishna, since one's very sense of reality is at stake, the question of whether the Earth is an isolated globe floating in space or whether it is a colossal circular landscape with more countries, oceans, and people as described by the Vedic Puranas is a question that is likely to agitate and polarize people like no other. And since the issue of the shape, size, and nature of the Earth has major implications in terms of who to trust and what to believe, the presentation of the Earth at the Mayapur Temple of Vedic Planetarium will be a decisive factor in establishing the future spiritual direction of ISKCON.

The question of the Earth's presentation in the Temple of Vedic Planetarium is a matter of spiritual concern both for the members of ISKCON and for the rest of the world because the shape and size of the Earth is a definitive point on which the Vedic world-views clashes with the modern secular world-view in a spectacular manner. The two world-views are radically and fundamentally opposed in terms of what is to be considered real and true about the nature of the world and the universe that we live in. If one is real, the other is most certainly false. Thus, whatever presentation of the Earth is established at the Temple of Vedic Planetarium will create a paradigm or 'perception of reality' regarding what is true or false about the world we live in. The issue is whether members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness will remain within and continue to support the present world-view that Earth is an isolated globe floating in space, or whether they will follow the world-view of Vedic teachings which state that our own Earth area in Bharata-varsha is surrounded by other parts of a greater Earth plane. The question is whether the final presentation of the Earth will be aligned to the reality described by great rishis and spiritual authorities such as Narada, Vyasa, and Sukadeva, or whether it will be dictated by what is essentially an anti-Vedic cosmology began by Copernicus, developed by Kepler, Newton, etc., and solidified by so-called space agencies like NASA.

The answer to this question will have powerful implications in regards to the spiritual direction of the Krishna consciousness movement. Since we are not hopeful that the present leadership of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness will challenge the prevailing Earth globe ideology, we write for the benefit of individual members of the society who at least on a personal level can enter into a new era of the Bhu-mandala paradigm.

In Part Two of this paper we shall present some specific examples of how the globe ideology covers the real form of Bhu-mandala, and creates an impersonal, center-less universe.

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