"Does Hinduism Subscribe to the Flat-Earth Theory?"
BY: MAYESVARA DASA
Jul 23, 2020 — IRELAND (SUN) — A Reply to the Praveen Mohan Channel.
PART THREE
See Part One and Part Two of this paper.
THE BHU-GOLA
As part of his evidence for the idea that ancient Indians believed the Earth to be globe-shaped, Praveen Mohan presents a linguistic argument based on the assumption that one of the Sanskrit names for the Earth (Bhu-gola) means 'round Earth' or 'Earth-globe'. Praveen argues "This is why the Earth was commonly called Bhu-gola which means round Earth in Sanskrit".
The name Bhu-gola creates difficulties for many people because although the Sankrit name 'Bhu' certainly means Earth, and the word 'gola' can mean round like a ball, it can also mean round as in 'circular' according to the context in which it is used. As with the English word 'round', one has to understand the meaning of 'gola' according to context. For example, in the English language we can say that an orange is round, and we can also say that a coin is round; whilst both objects are indeed 'round', the spherical roundness of an orange is different from the flat circular roundness of a coin. The correct understanding of the word 'round' has to be ascertained according to the context in which it is used. Likewise, when the word gola is used as part of the name of the Vedic Earth (Bhu-gola), the obvious question we need to raise is whether 'gola' means round as in spherical like a globe, or if it means round as in circular like a coin? Indeed does the name Bhu-gola even refer to anything remotely resembling the supposed Earth globe, or is it a name for an altogether completely different conception of the Earth? The meaning of the word gola (round) in the name Bhu-gola (round Earth) can only be understood in context—that is according to the description of the Earth (Bhu-gola) as it is scientifically described in Srimad Bhagavatam and other Puranas.
The description of the Bhu-gola in Srimad Bhagavatam and other Puranas actually has no similarity at all with the modern Earth globe conception, which is why most people in the modern age fail to understand it, and ignorantly dismiss it as the primitive ramblings of imaginative and pre-scientific Hindus. The vast difference between the Vedic and modern descriptions regarding the size and shape of the Earth is not because the Vedic rishis were primitive and pre-scientific and didn't have the scientific instruments to accurately measure the Earth; the difference is due to the fact that the Vedic rishis were mapping a larger flat-Earth, not a small Earth globe. Whilst Vyasadeva's descriptions of the Bhu-gola were haughtily dismissed as fantasy by the first European Indologists, the British Imperialists cleverly maintained some consistency between old and new by reformulating the Vedic Bhu-gola (Earth-circle) to mean the Western 'Earth globe'. Despite the unequivocable description of the Vedic Earth as a circular plane, supporters of the globe continue to hijack the Sanskrit name Bhu-gola as an argument that ancient Indians believed in a globe-shaped Earth, and meanwhile simply disregard the original description of the round Earth in question.
THE SIZE OF BHU-GOLA
If we wish to settle the question of whether the name Bhu-gola refers to an Earth globe, we need only refer to the description of the size and shape of the Bhu-gola given in Srimad Bhagavatam. We have gone through this description in many previous papers, but for the benefit of followers of Praveen Mohan and his followers we will summarise the description of the size and shape of Bhu-gola by looking at a few key verses. For the regular readers of the Sampradaya Sun there is no harm in repeating these key verses as they are fundamental to the whole Vedic cosmology discussion. The specific question about the shape and size of the Earth was asked by Pariksit to Sukadeva Goswami during the recital of the Bhagavata Purana:
"King Pariksit said to Sukadeva Gosvami: O brahmana, you have already informed me that the radius of Bhu-mandala extends as far as the sun spreads its light and heat and as far as the moon and all the stars can be seen." (SB 5.16.1)
Here the name for the Earth which is used by King Pariksit is 'Bhu-mandala' (uktas tvaya bhu-mandala). King Pariksit then inquires about the size (manatah) and other characteristics (laksanatah) which implies knowledge of the shape, etc. of the Bhu-mandala:
"My dear Lord, 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. You have given a very general description of their measurement, names and characteristics. Now I wish to know of them in detail. Kindly fulfill my desire." (SB 5.16.2)
This question is a specific request about the size (manatah) and characteristic features (lakshanatah) of the Earth:
akhilam—whole subject; aham—I; manatah—from the point of view of measurement; lakshanatah—and from symptoms; ca—also; sarvam—everything; vijijnasami—wish to know.
King Pariksit also affirms here that he is inquiring specifically about the Bhu-mandala which is characterized by having seven cosmic-sized islands (sapta-dvipa) and seven oceans (sapta-sindava). This is an important specification because (as we shall see), the measurement of these seven islands and oceans runs into hundreds of millions of miles, thus informing us that the seven islands and oceans are not referring to the continents of our known Earth.
In response to King Pariksit's question about the size and characteristics of Bhu-mandala, Sukadeva Goswami replied that he will explain the names (nama), the shape (rupa) and size (mana) of the Earth (Bhu-gola).
bhu-golaka-visesham nama-rupa-mana-lakshanato vyakhyasyamah.
bhu-golaka-visesham—the particular description of Bhuloka; nama-rupa—names and forms; mana—measurements; lakshanatah—according to symptoms; vyakhyasyamah—I shall try to explain.
"O King, I shall nevertheless try to explain to you the principal regions, such as Bhu-goloka [Bhuloka], with their names, forms, measurements and various symptoms." (SB 5.16.4)
Here the name for the Earth that is invoked by Sukadeva Goswami is 'Bhu-gola', which is just another way of saying Bhu-mandala (Earth-circle). Although there is only one Earth in Vedic cosmology, through-out his discourse on Srimad Bhagavatam, Sukadeva Goswami uses many different names when describing the Earth, i.e. Dhara-mandala (SB 6.1.5), Prthivi (SB 5.24.6), Avani-tala (SB 5.1.7), Medini (SB 10.62.2) etc. Since many historical events have happened on the Earth, the Earth is named in various ways as a memorial to that particular history; for example, the name Prithvi is connected to the pastime of King Prithu, whilst the name Medini is connected to the pastime featuring the slaying of the demons Madhu and Kaitabha. The Earth is also named after Her various qualities (Vasundhara etc). Here Sukadeva Goswami uses the name Bhu-gola and he later states that learned Vedic scholars have measured the Bhu-gola at an astonishing 500 million yojanas:
vicintitah kavibhih sa tu pancasat-koti-ganitasya bhu-golasya
vicintitah—established by scientific calculations; kavibhih—by learned scholars; sah—that; tu—but; pancasat-koti—500,000,000 yojanas; ganitasya—which is measured at; bhu-golasya—of the planetary system known as Bhugolaka
This is the same calculation for the diameter of the Earth as given in the afore-mentioned Markandaya Purana (see part 2 of this paper). All of the Puranas concur on this measurement. We have compiled the various sources for the measurement of the Earth in Part 1 of a Reply to Danavir Goswami.
Many people are speculating that since the name Bhu-gola translates as 'round Earth', then it must mean that the Vedic rishis believed the Earth to be in the shape of a globe. However, the Bhu-gola is measured here at 500 million yojanas in diameter (4 billion miles), not 24,000 miles in circumference (the purported circumference of the so-called Earth globe). Thus the Bhu-gola in question is certainly not a reference to the modern Earth globe idea, and the name alone cannot be hijacked to support such an idea.
One may indeed be surprised that the Vedic rishis (seers) have calculated such a huge measurement for the Earth's diameter, but let us consider that if modern scientists are unable to find the end of even the smallest thing, can we unquestioningly agree that they have found the end of the Earth? Whilst it is true that most of our known continents have been circumnavigated and mapped, this does not imply that we are living on a globe. From the perspective of the Srimad Bhagavatam's description of Bharata-varsha's location on the larger Earth circle, it is more logical to assume that we are simply travelling around a limited area of the flat-Earth plane than it is to assume that we are travelling around a globe-shaped Earth. Indeed whilst flying from one part of the world to another it is obvious that the airplane is flying parallel to the flat-earth below for the whole duration of the journey. Airplane pilots do not factor for the supposed curve of the Earth, but simply fly with the unconscious understanding that the Earth is a continual horizontal plane.
The superior controlling power of deva keeps ships and airplanes within a certain parameter just as a bull tied to a stake walks in circles around a grinding stone. Although we may be limited to exploring a certain area of the Earth, the Puranas declare that there is more Earth, more oceans, and more civilizations; indeed, the Earth-circle is actually the largest feature in the Vedic cosmos and spans the entire center of the universe. The Vedic knowledge of various inhabited regions in the universe is essential information for people to understand the various destinations of the soul after death according to the karma performed whilst in this part of the Earth known as Bharata-varsha. We have argued in previous papers that the Earth globe ideology is simply part of the asura teaching to create atheism in the world, and thereby enslave and exploit those people who have a limited understanding of both material and spiritual reality.
As a result of Srila Prabhupada's plan to construct the Temple of Vedic Planetarium, the original Vedic cosmology has been resurrected to reveal once again the true glory and extent of God's creation, as well as our purpose within it. The difficulty in propagating the Vedic worldview is that those delegated by Srila Prabhupada to present the Bhu-mandala at the Temple of Vedic Planetarium have been unable to comprehend and preach the reality of the original flat-Earth concept due to being conditioned by the limitations of the modern Earth globe ideology and so-called 'scientific' world-view.
By 'flat-Earth' we do not mean a landscape devoid of mountains, hills, crevices, etc, but rather to a landscape that continues along a horizontal plane—not a landscape that curves around the spherical surface of a globe. In Sukadeva Goswami's description of the Earth, he describes the Earth as a colossal circular plane with a diameter of 500 million yojanas (4 billion miles), not a small spherical globe, or an 'oblate spheroid' with a circumference of 24,900 miles. The name Bhu-gola must thus be understood in the context of the description of the Bhu-gola in question. When the rishis used the word Bhu-gola they did not mean round like a sphere (globe), they meant round and flat like a circle. The change in meaning of Bhu-gola from Earth-circle to Earth-globe was entirely the result of faulty translations from Sanskrit to English by British scholars who translated the word according to their Western bias.
ESTABLISHING THE CIRCULAR SHAPE OF THE BHU-GOLA
Regarding specific words for spherical or ball-shape, the Srimad Bhagavatam generally uses the Sanskrit words kanduka (SB 3.20.35) and patangam (SB 3.20.36) for a ball. Interestingly, all of the obvious words meaning spherical are never used in relation to the Earth; instead all the words used in relation to the Earth are words that easily translate as circular, i.e., Bhu-mandala (SB 4.12.16), Bhu-valaya (SB 5.21.1), Ksiti-tala (SB 2.7.1), etc. As mentioned, the description of the Earth begins with a question by King Pariksit to the great rishi Sukadeva Goswami (son and disciple of the highest Vedic authority Srila Vyasadeva) about the size and other characteristics of the Bhu-mandala (see above SB 5.16.1-2). In Sukadeva Goswami's reply to the question, he begins by saying that he will also describe the shape (rupa) of the Earth (See SB 5.16.4) and thus his description of the Earth begins with a description of the shape of Jambudvipa, (the first and central island of the Earth's seven cosmic-sized islands). From this description we can easily deduce the shape of the overall Earth plane. In SB 5.16.5 it is stated that Jambudvipa is 'round like a lotus leaf':
samavartulo yatha puskara-patram.
samavartulah—equally round, or having a length and breadth of the same measurement; yatha—like; puskara-patram—a lotus leaf.
"Jambudvipa is round like the leaf of a lotus flower." (SB 5.16.5)
Here Jambudvipa is described as being samavartulah—equally round, or having a length and breadth of the same measurement; yatha—like; puskara-patram—a lotus leaf. The word vartula means circular in this instance; and in case there is any doubt to the meaning, Sukadeva Goswami specifies that it is round 'like a lotus leaf'.
The lotus leaf mentioned here refers to the circular part of the plant that sits on the water, not to the petals of the lotus flower which have a different shape. The image below shows the circular shaped Jambudvipa surrounded by the great Salt-water Ocean:
The Salt water Ocean is said to surround Jambudvipa like a bangle which again informs us of the circular shape.
"O brahmins, this Jambudvipa which consists of nine subcontinents and which extends to a hundred thousand yojanas (800,000 miles) has been mentioned by me. O brahmins, the salt-water sea that extends to a hundred thousand yojanas (800,000 miles) and that is like a bangle in shape encircles the Jambudvipa externally". (Brahma Purana, 17.28-29)
According to the description given in the Puranas, Bharata-varsha (our known part of the Earth) is located as one of the islands at the southern side of Jambudvipa (see the area marked in red in the above image) and thus Bharata-varsha is simply a small part of a much larger landscape. Bharata-varsha should not therefore be misconstrued as a supposed Earth globe spinning on its axis and floating in dark space (as Praveen Mohan has suggested with his presentation of various forms of Varaha that purport to show Varaha lifting the supposed Earth globe).
The Earth is called Bhu-mandala (literally Earth-circle) because starting from Jambudvipa the seven cosmic-sized islands and oceans expand in concentric circles (like ripples on a pond) from the central circular-shaped island (dvipa) called Jambudvipa (which is round like a lotus leaf). The image below shows the seven islands and oceans in the form of contiguous concentric circles:
We have presented all the linguistic evidence for the circular shape of the Earth in this paper.
Other Sanskrit names for the Earth similarly relate to its circular shape. The word valaya in the name Bhu-valaya refers to a bangle or bracelet which is certainly circular in shape.
AVANI-TALA/AVANI-MANDALA
The name Avani-tala is also suggestive of a circular shape. The word tala means not only the surface of the Earth, but can also mean the entire Earth. The word tala is used frequently in Srimad Bhagavatam simply as a way of naming the complete Earth:
"Lord Brahma said: 'When the unlimitedly powerful Lord assumed the form of a boar as a pastime, just to lift the planet earth (Ksiti-tala), which was drowned in the great ocean of the universe called the Garbhodaka, the first demon [Hiranysksha] appeared, and the Lord pierced him with His tusk'". (SB 2.7.1)
Again it is said:
"Due to this, the citizens, learned brahmanas, demigods and ministers wanted Rsabhadeva to be appointed ruler of the Earth (Avani-tala)". (SB 5.4.1)
That the name Avani-tala should be understood as a name for a circular Earth can be understood from the following verse which invokes the name of the Earth (Avani) along with the word for circle (mandala):
"King Prthu was greater than the greatest soul and was therefore worshipable by everyone. He performed many glorious activities in ruling over the surface of the world (Avani-mandalam) and was always magnanimous". (SB 4.21.7)
mahan mahattamah kurvan sasasavani-mandalam
sasasa—ruled; avani-mandalam—the surface of the earth
The Sanskrit dictionary also states that the word tala can mean 'surface', 'level', and 'the flat roof of a house', again suggesting a horizontal layout. Perhaps some of our Sanskrit experts can confirm or deny if the word tala is related to karatalas which are hand cymbals used in worship and that have an obvious circular shape.
Again, perhaps our Sanskrit experts can confirm or deny if the Hindi word for a round steel plate (thala or thali) is somehow related to or derived from the Sanskrit word tala.
In any case, our argument here is not dependent on whether Avani-tala specifically means 'Earth-circle'; the name Avani-tala is just another way of naming the Earth which has already been established as circular. As we have seen, Sukadeva Goswami establishes the circular shape of the Earth by beginning with the description of Jambudvipa which is 'round like a lotus leaf' (samavartulah—equally round, or having a length and breadth of the same measurement; yatha—like; puskara-patram—a lotus leaf; SB 5.16.5). A lotus leaf is unquestionably circular, not globular. The other islands and oceans of Bhu-mandala are described as surrounding the circular shaped Jambudvipa in the form of concentric circles. Thus the name Avani-tala is just another way of saying Avani-mandala (the Earth circle). When the word tala is used in association with the Earth (Avani-tala) it must surely convey the sense of a flat and circular Earth rather than a globe-shaped Earth, otherwise why would Sukadeva Goswami call the Earth by the name Avani-mandalam? The multiple occasions in which Sukadeva Goswami uses the word mandala in relation to the Earth should require no further argument that—at least from the linguistic point of view—the Vedic Earth is circular, not spherical. For example, Sukadeva Goswami calls the Earth Dhara-mandala (SB 6.1.5), Avani-mandalam (SB 4.21.7), Ksiti-mandala (SB 1.3.9), and Bhu-mandalam (SB 4.12.16).
There is no question that the word mandala means circular as opposed to globular. The images below show some examples of mandalas created by devotees of Sri Sri Radha-Madhava at Mayapur, India.
The very name Bhu-mandala conclusively informs us of the Earth's circular shape because a mandala is specifically circular, not globular. Whenever the word mandala is used in Srimad Bhagavatam it is always used in situations in which a circular formation is indicated. For example SB 1.15.15 talks about the chariots arranged in a circle (ratha-mandala). SB 3.2.24 states that Sri-Krishna was the central beauty in the circle of women that surrounded Him (strinam mandala-mandanah). In the many instances in which the word mandala is used, there is no possibility to misconstrue that a mandala refers to a globe-shape. The Sun is also referred to as Arka-mandala in Srimad Bhagavatam (SB 4.11.5), and although one may think of the Sun as globe-shaped, we must bear in mind that the Sun is described in Srimad Bhagavatam as a one wheel chariot (SB 5.21.13), which again indicates that the Sun has a circular, not a globular shape. The radiance of the Sun certainly creates a globe-like effect, but the Sun itself is described as having a wheel-shape, not a globe-shape. The Moon is likewise named as Chandra-mandala (SB 6.7.5). Though the planets have been depicted in NASA's CGI presentations as globes, the Vedic Puranas describe them as mandalas (circular). The images below show Venus on two different occasions using a Nikon p900 camera. Though others have argued that the mandala-like effect is a result of an out of focus camera on a small point of light, the result is nonetheless intriguing. Since the Puranas describe the stars and planets as the abodes of devas and other exalted persons, it makes sense to understand them as circular planes upon which the inhabitants stand upright. If that is true then we may be looking at the bottom of the mandala, not looking onto the face of a globe-shaped planet.
SRILA PRABHUPADA AND THE BHU-GOLA
The identification of the name Bhu-gola or Bhu-mandala with the supposed Earth globe is primarily a result of faulty translations from Sanskrit into English by the British Indologists who interpreted such words in the light of their own preconceived idea of the Earth. The Vedic rishis understood the word Bhu-gola to mean 'Earth-circle' and indeed described it as such. But if it is true that rishis meant 'Earth-circle', not 'Earth-globe' when they used the name Bhu-gola, why did Srila Prabhupada also invoke the name Bhu-gola as an argument for the idea that the Earth is globe shaped; indeed why did Srila Prabhupada consistently speak of the Earth as a globe, and not as the circular flat-Earth described in Srimad Bhagavatam?
There are many statements from Srila Prabhupada that are unjustly cited as evidence from a great acharya that the Earth is globe-shaped. These statements were never intended as part of a systematic delivery of Vedic cosmology, and as can be seen from the context, Srila Prabhupada is speaking of the Earth merely in the conventional Western sense, not as it is described in chapters 16-26 of the Srimad Bhagavatam. The Earth globe actually has no reference in Srimad Bhagavatam which is why Srila Prabhupada never cited any verse which would account for its presence in the Vedic universe. Our own area of the Earth is in Bharata-varsha, and is otherwise described as a tiny area of a much larger Earth plane. For an explanation of specific statements from Srila Prabhupada regarding the shape of the Earth—such as those comparing the Earth to the shape of a ball, or to the few occasions when Srila Prabhupada argued that Bhu-gola means 'round Earth'—see our paper Spiritual Science Applied to the Question of the Earth's Shape and Location, Part 3 (see section 1.2: 'Why Did Srila Prabhupada Refer to the Earth as a Globe?')
One can also refer to our paper, The Earth Is Not a Globe, Part Three, (see section 1.2 — 'Defining Our Terms: Definition and Description of Bhu-gola)'.
Whilst it is true that Srila Prabhupada on certain occasions presented the idea that Bhu-gola means 'round Earth' (implying that the Vedic Earth is globe-shaped), we have previously discussed the historical circumstances which help explain why Srila Prabhupada referred to the Earth in this way, here and here.
For an explanation of why Srila Prabhupada spoke negatively of the term 'flat-Earth', see here.
VEDIC COSMOLOGY REVISITED
The so-called 'evidence' presented for the idea that the ancient Indians believed the Earth is globe-shaped can be easily disproved with reference to the descriptions of the Bhu-gola as it is originally and consistently presented in the various Puranas. Some people arguing on behalf of the globe idea have presented several verses from an astrological text called the Surya Siddhanta that supposedly describes the Bhu-gola as an Earth globe. However the English translations of this text along with the interpretations of the verses have been clearly rendered in a way that makes them appear to be describing an Earth globe, whilst the text itself is apparently describing the same Bhu-gola as that found in the Puranas. The text mentions, for example, gigantic regions on the Bhu-gola such as Mount Meru, Bila-svarga, etc, which are clearly too large to fit on a small Earth-globe. Thus any interpretation of the Bhu-gola as it is described in the Surya-siddhanta cannot be made independently of the complete description of Bhu-gola found in Srimad Bhagavatam and other Puranas. If there is any discrepancy between the two texts, the description of Bhu-gola in Srimad Bhagavatam must be taken as the standard and authorized version. We do not have the space here to disentangle the various mistranslations and interpolations of the Surya-siddhanta, but the process of misinterpreting and misrepresenting Sanskrit texts to suit the secular 'scientific' world-view is really no different from the process of misunderstanding and misrepresenting various artefacts from the ancient Vedic culture. We have already looked, for example, at several sculptures of Varaha that are purported to show Varaha lifting an Earth globe when—as we have seen—the artefacts are actually depicting a very different scenario.
If one is to remain un-bewildered by the array of Sanskrit verses and artefacts that may be presented to an uninformed audience as proof that ancient Indians believed in the Earth globe, one need only resort to the description of the Bhu-gola given by Srila Vysasdeva, the Supreme instructor of Vedic knowledge. One is not, of course, required to accept this knowledge in a dogmatic manner, but those who do claim to be followers of Vedanta must certainly settle the argument with reference to the conclusions established by Srila Vyasadeva. The following verses state that the Srimad Bhagavatam is the highest truth that was first revealed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead to Lord Brahma. Lord Brahma then established a disciplic succession in order to pass the knowledge from master to disciple—a chain that continues to the present day. The following verses also state that Srila Vyasadeva—who appeared in the disciplic succession 5,000 years ago—is Himself an incarnation of the Godhead. The Lord in His mercy appeared to propagate Srimad Bhagavatam for the spiritual benefit of the people in the present age of Kali (Kali-yuga).
"This Bhagavata Purana is as brilliant as the sun, and it has arisen just after the departure of Lord Krishna to His own abode, accompanied by religion, knowledge, etc. Persons who have lost their vision due to the dense darkness of ignorance in the age of Kali shall get light from this Purana." (SB 1.3.43)
"Completely rejecting all religious activities which are materially motivated, this Bhagavata Purana propounds the highest truth, which is understandable by those devotees who are fully pure in heart. The highest truth is reality distinguished from illusion for the welfare of all. Such truth uproots the threefold miseries. This beautiful Bhagavatam, compiled by the great sage Vyasadeva [in his maturity], is sufficient in itself for God realization. What is the need of any other scripture? As soon as one attentively and submissively hears the message of Bhagavatam, by this culture of knowledge the Supreme Lord is established within his heart." (SB 1.1.2)
"This Srimad-Bhagavatam is the literary incarnation of God, and it is compiled by Srila Vyasadeva, the incarnation of God. It is meant for the ultimate good of all people, and it is all-successful, all-blissful and all-perfect." (SB 1.3.40)
"I meditate upon that pure and spotless Supreme Absolute Truth, who is free from suffering and death, and who in the beginning personally revealed this incomparable torchlight of knowledge to Brahma. Brahma then spoke it to the sage Narada, who narrated it to Krishna-dvaipayana Vyasa. Srila Vyasa revealed this Bhagavatam to the greatest of sages, Sukadeva Gosvami, and Sukadeva mercifully spoke it to Maharaja Pariksit." (SB 12.13.19)
Here it says that the knowledge contained in Srimad Bhagavatam was originally spoken by Sri-Krishna to Brahma. Brahma spoke Srimad Bhagavatam to Narada Muni, who then presented it to his disciple Vyasadeva. Vyasadeva taught Srimad Bhagavatam to his son Sukadeva Goswami, who in turn relayed the message to King Pariksit. The transcendental knowledge contained in Srimad Bhagavatam has thus been passed down from Sri Krishna Himself through a disciplic succession that continues to the present day. By the wonderful endeavor of His Divine Grace Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, knowledge of Srimad Bhagavatam has become widespread in the modern world.
Rather than attempting to wangle half-baked, uninformed, and convoluted arguments on behalf of the idea that the Vedas describe the Bhu-gola as a globe floating in space, we encourage Hindus such as Praveen Mohan to revisit the original description of the Earth-circle as it is found in the Srimad Bhagavatam and other Puranas. The original description of the Earth by the great rishis and devas will enable one to comprehend that the modern idea of the Earth as a globe floating in space is not only non-Vedic in origin, but more importantly that it is nothing more than a product of our own spiritual ignorance/darkness (tamas). This state of ignorance is currently being exploited by those whose intelligence has been stolen by illusion, on behalf of those who are demoniac in nature (mayayapahrita-jnana asuram bhavam asritah).
(To be continued...)
