Game Over for the Earth Globe, Part 2

BY: MAYESVARA DASA

Nov 28, 2020 — IRELAND (SUN) —

Part 1 of this paper can be found here.

The following is a continuation of our review of a promotional video by the Temple of Vedic Planetarium (TOVP). In Part 1, we heard the TOVP's official proclamation that the Earth (Bhu-mandala) is held by Ananta-sesha. Although this teaching immediately invalidates, nullifies, and dissolves any idea that 'the Earth' in question—the Earth which is soon to be presented at the Temple of Vedic Planetarium—is floating in space, few as yet seem to notice or care for the contradiction. Meanwhile, those members of the society who are writing on Vedic cosmology continue to merge Bhu-mandala and the Earth globe in and out of one another, as if they are somehow simultaneously one and different, when they are, in fact, just different, with no comparable attributes and features whatsoever. In today's paper we shall hear the TOVP's pronouncement that Bharata-varsha is part of Jambudvipa—a teaching which again cancels, nullifies, and terminates any idea that Bharata-varsha is an independent Earth-globe planet floating in space.

Please note carefully, the Earth in question can only refer to one of two things within the Vedic universe: either it refers to the Bhu-mandala or it refers to Bharata-varsha. We have already seen in Part 1 of this paper that the idea of an Earth globe floating in space does not correlate with the description of the Earth in Srimad Bhagavatam (Bhu-mandala) which is 500 million yojanas in diameter and is held by Ananta-sesha. In today's paper we shall likewise show why the Earth globe idea does not correspond in any way with the description of Bharata-varsha which is just one place upon the larger Earth-circle, hence not the Earth itself. Bharata-varsha cannot be presented as 'the Earth' when it is really only a small part of a larger Earth plane. In order for the Earth globe idea to be accepted as an actual part of the Vedic universe, it obviously has to correspond to the description of our location in the Vedic universe as it is presented in Srimad Bhagavatam. Unfortunately, for those arguing on behalf of the globe, this is not the case.

The whole debacle over the nature of the Earth in Vedic cosmology can be sorted in fifteen minutes by correct apprehension of what Sukadeva Goswami means by (a) Bhu-mandala, and (b) Bharata-varsha. The idea that 'the Earth' is a globe shaped planet floating in space is not supported by Srimad Bhagavatam, because Srimad Bhagavatam describes 'the Earth' (Bhu-mandala), as well as Bharata-varsha (a location upon the Earth), in an entirely different way. Indeed our purpose in reviewing the Temple of Vedic Planetarium promotional video is to show that those involved in the project are fully conscious that the Srimad Bhagavatam does not describe either Bhu-mandala or Bharata-varsha as a planet floating in space; and that they simply trip over their own words when they present it otherwise. In Part 3 of this paper, we shall show how by taking a few of Srila Prabhupada's statements about Bharata-varsha out of context of the Srimad Bhagavatam's own description of the Earth, members of ISKCON have erroneously produced a so-called 'proof' for an Earth globe which actually doesn't exist in the Vedic universe.

WHERE IS BHARATA-VARSHA ACCORDING TO THE TEMPLE OF VEDIC PLANETARIUM?

After showing us the bottom part of the Earth which is held by the thousand-headed serpent called Ananta-sesha (see Part 1 of this paper), the animation then moves upwards to show us the surface area of the Earth. The Temple Of Vedic Planetarium representative then announces that 'Jambudvipa is the central island of Bhu-mandala and Bharata-varsha is situated on the southern side of Jambudvipa'. In the animation we see the following image of Jambudvipa:

The circular shape is intended to represent a landscape measuring 100,000 yojanas (800,000 miles) in diameter (see SB 5.20.2). As mentioned in previous papers, the quality of the animation is extremely poor here, and it's very difficult to have any sense that this is an actual landscape with mountains, trees, rivers, lakes, animals and people. The great Salt-water Ocean (ksara-samudram) surrounding Jambudvipa has been misrepresented as a void in a circle of black space (although water is clear, oceans are generally represented with a blue colour, not as a black void). Likewise, the surrounding islands and oceans of Bhu-mandala have been misrepresented as voids in circles of space (islands are to be represented as a physical landmass, not as black voids).

Overall one gets the false impression that one is looking at something in space rather than looking at part of the landscape of a colossal Earth plane. The dark 'spacey' feel to the whole thing makes it easy to promote the false idea that Bhu-mandala is in 'another dimension'. And since Bhu-mandala never showed up in any of NASA's photos of the so-called Earth, members of the society can easily convince themselves that they are indeed living on a solitary Earth globe floating in dark space as NASA's images portray (we shall look at the fraudulent nature of NASA's photos and videos of the Earth in a later paper). Leaving all that aside for a moment, let us focus on the narrator's correct presentation that 'Jambudvipa is the central island of Bhu-mandala and Bharata-varsha is situated on the southern side of Jambudvipa'. Bharata-varsha's location on the southern side of Jambudvipa is indeed confirmed in SB 5.16.9 (we shall discuss this verse later).

CHECKMATE!

A chess player who fails to consider all the possible counteractive moves of their opponent may confidently move a piece into a certain position on the chessboard; moments later, however, the same person may flinch and grimace, put their head in their hands, and groan in defeat as their opponent makes a deft move that puts them into checkmate.

In a similar way, the TOVP representatives have placed Bharata-varsha in Jambudvipa, but without realizing that such a move signals the end of the game for those arguing that Bharata-varsha is a globe floating in space. Since Bharata-varsha is located in the south of a gigantic continent called Jambudvipa, it cannot ever be placed or moved into any other position—such as an Earth globe floating in space. Just as the constitutional position of London is to remain part of the land of England, so the constitutional position of Bharata-varsha is to remain part of the land of Jambudvipa. This will become clearer as we understand the details of this huge landscape upon which Bharata-varsha is located, and of course, the relative position of the Sun, Moon, and other planets in relation to Bharata-varsha.

The Srimad Bhagavatam's description of the rotation of the Sun, Moon, and other planets above the plane of Bhu-mandala, does not correspond in any way to the modern idea that the planets orbit around an Earth globe. In fact, ISKCON's present attempt to redefine Bharata-varsha as a globe floating in space, and as part of the so-called 'solar system', results in such a spectacular rearrangement of the Vedic planetary system, that it can no longer even be considered as a presentation of Vedic cosmology. We shall discuss this point further in Part 4 of this paper.

We do not present the above example of checkmate in a spirit of competition over other members of ISKCON who are arguing on behalf of the globe, but merely to present an example to help illustrate the fact that the Earth globe is in fact in checkmate—at least according to the rules of how the planets are arranged in the Vedic cosmology.The intention here is not to discredit, devalue, or triumph over others, but rather to establish the proper victory and glorification of Sri-Krishna—the creator of the Earth, the Earth herself (Bhu-devi), the holder of the Earth (Ananta-sesha), and the lifter of the Earth (Varaha). Although there is no question that Srila Prabhupada perfectly glorifies Sri-Krishna and His avatars regardless of how the Earth is presented in these pastimes, once we come to comprehend and accept the truly mind-boggling scale of the Earth as it is described in the Fifth Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, the true glory of Sri-Krishna's creation (in the form of the gigantic Earth-circle) makes Sri-Krishna's pastimes upon the Earth all the more astonishing, praiseworthy, and relishable.

WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE IF THE EARTH IS ROUND OR FLAT?

We sometimes hear devotees say that it is not important whether the Earth is round or flat, and that devotion to Krishna is the important thing. But how can there be proper devotion to Sri-Krishna in His form of Ananta-sesha, when Ananta-sesha is simply removed from the picture every-time the Earth is presented as a globe floating in space? And how can there be proper devotion to Bhu Devi (the consort of Vishnu), if one does not know the true glory of her physical manifestation in the form of the gigantic Bhu-mandala? The question of whether the Earth is 'round or flat' is somewhat biased from the start because when people hear the term 'flat-Earth', they automatically think of a flattened version of the globe. However, the flat-Earth in Vedic cosmology does not mean a flattened version of the so-called Earth-globe; the flat-Earth refers to the gigantic landscape that stretches horizontally across the entire center of the universe, and which is held in place by Ananta-sesha. Why is the shape and size of the Earth an issue? The shape and size of the Earth is essential to understand because the modern presentation of the Earth in the form of a globe creates the idea that the Earth is a small limited amount of land, and thereby hides or entirely removes knowledge of the much greater Earth plane as described in Vedic literature. This creates a false construct of reality in the mind that we are living on an isolated planet spinning around in dark space, when according to the Vedic scriptures we are actually situated on a gigantic Earth plane with various lands and civilizations surrounding us in all directions. By presenting the Earth as a globe, the rest of the Bhu-mandala, the seven islands and oceans, the people, the animals, etc., all become impersonalized, and one is none the wiser as to their existence. In the form of a globe, the Earth is not merely misrepresented, but rather the real Earth (Bhu-mandala) and the holder of the Earth (Ananta-sesha) are not represented at all. The Earth globe ideology is inherently impersonalistic. We shall elaborate on this point in a later paper called What Happened to Mother Earth?

If Srimad Bhagavatam's description of the Bhu-mandala is not true, then everything else in Srimad Bhagavatam is rendered meaningless; this is so because all of Lord Krishna's pastimes actually occur on the Bhu-mandala, and one cannot properly appreciate Sri-Krishna's pastimes without appreciating the nature of the Earth He sports upon. Balarama in the form of Ananta-sesha holds Bhu-mandala (SB 10.68.46), Varaha lifted the Bhu-mandala when it became submerged in the Garbhodaka ocean (SB 3.3.41), Vamana crossed the Bhu-mandala with one footstep (8.20.32-33), and great kings like Prthu (SB 4.16.20) and Dhruva (SB 4.12.16) ruled the Bhu-mandala. A careful study of the Puranas reveals that all of the Lord's avatars sport on the great Earth circle, not on an Earth globe. The Bhu-mandala demonstrates not only Krishna's awesome creation, but also His superhuman activities upon it. If the Earth we live upon is a globe then we may as well close the Srimad Bhagavatam and forget everything else about Wonderful Krishna. Otherwise, if we take Srimad Bhagavatam as it is, the transcendental teaching that we live on a gigantic Earth circle held by Ananta-sesha is a direct spiritual challenge to our collective maya that we live on an Earth globe floating in space.

The true shape and size of the Earth and its relation to the rest of the universe is thus a fundamental topic because of the radically different world-views created by faith in either a material or spiritual science. In a nutshell, faith in the cosmology of Srimad Bhagavatam and other Puranas creates devotion to Sri-Krishna, whereas faith in the modern secular cosmology (which denies the Vedic world-view) inevitably leads to atheism and impersonalism. An atheist, for example, is not able to believe that Sri-Krishna created the Earth, or that Ananta-sesha holds the Earth, or that Varaha lifted the Earth, or that Vamana crossed the Earth with one foot-step, or that Prthu milked the Earth, etc., however a devotee of Sri-Krishna will have no difficulty in accepting that all creation comes from a personal source, and that Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, likes to sport within His own creation. Thus faith in Sri-Krishna's pastimes, and faith in the nature of Sri-Krishna's creation as revealed by the Lord Himself (via the Puranas) are very much connected and dependent as we shall explain in later papers. A lack or loss of faith in Vedic cosmology has a natural consequence for one's faith in Sri-Krishna. Conversely, if one proclaims to have faith in Sri-Krishna, it follows that one will have faith in the Earth as the Lord created it, and as revealed by Sukadeva Goswami in the Srimad Bhagavatam.

The teaching that Ananta-sesha literally holds the Earth (see below) is, of course, a transcendental challenge to all those who unquestionably accept the authenticity of so-called 'photographs' that otherwise depict the Earth as a globe floating in space. The reader can perhaps now begin to appreciate why the question of whether the Earth is 'flat or round' is not one that can be lightly dismissed as unimportant. Since faith in Sri-Krishna, and faith in Sri-Krishna's creation are integrally connected, a devotee cannot simplistically state that love of Godhead is the real goal of life, and that questions about the shape of the Earth are for those hovering on the mental platform, inconsequential, irrelevant, and beneath one's particular bhava. Rather than letting one's belief in the globe become a cause of minimizing, neglecting, or even doubting the descriptions of Bhu-mandala and Ananta-sesha, one should consider that the extraordinary description of the Earth in Srimad Bhagavatam must surely be a reason to begin questioning one's hitherto faith in the globe, along with all the so-called science, and propaganda that props it up.

The Vedic and Modern conceptions of Earth create powerful and dramatic differences in our understanding of who we are, where we are, and how we relate to the rest of the universe. The Srimad Bhagavatam's description of the Earth informs us that the rest of the universe is a lot closer than we thought. In fact, our closest neighbours in the universe are only a few thousand miles away (at the edge of our known part of the Earth); these areas continue into a vast circular-shaped landscape with many other locations that are teeming with life. This is a revolutionary and life-changing concept, and thus the issue of the shape and size of the Earth is not a minor or insignificant detail.

Members of ISKCON are free to believe that the Earth is a globe floating in space if they wish to, and they may be convinced by the so-called scientific evidence that this is indeed the case; however, Srimad Bhagavatam does not describe the Earth in this manner, and thus members of the society are not at liberty to superimpose their own idea of the Earth onto Srimad Bhagavatam's original conception of the Earth and our location upon it. In the following papers it should become apparent that representatives of the Temple Of Vedic Planetarium contradict their own words by officially presenting Bharata-varsha as part of the landscape of Jambudvipa, but meanwhile preaching a contradictory message that Bharata-varsha is an Earth globe floating in space. The only reason why Bharata-varsha continues to be presented as a globe floating in space is because members of the Krishna consciousness do not stick consistently with the Srimad Bhagavatam's description of where Bharata-varsha is located in Jambudvipa, its connection to the larger Earth plane (Bhu-mandala), and its relation to the Sun, Moon, and other planets (this shall become clearer in Part four of this paper when we discuss the Vedic planetary arrangement). Like a novice chess player who thinks they can avoid checkmate by moving the king in a way that is contrary to the rules of the game, members of ISKCON continue to position Bharata-varsha as a globe in space, but in a manner that completely contradicts the original presentation that 'Jambudvipa is the central island of Bhu-mandala and Bharata-varsha is situated on the southern side of Jambudvipa'.

So what exactly does that mean, and what are the implications for the Earth globe paradigm? Why is this the end of the game for the globe in Vedic cosmology? And how can it be the end of the game for the globe when Srila Prabhupada himself spoke of the Earth as a globe floating in space? Let us begin to answer that by asking the devotee community a very simple question: Where is India on a map of the Earth? The reason why this question is important is because India's location on the Earth depends on what we mean by 'the Earth'.

WHERE IS INDIA ON THE MAP OF THE EARTH?

The image below shows the entrance to Krishna-Balarama Temple which is situated in Vrindavana (India)

Where is India located on a map of the Earth?

Is India on the surface of a globe as depicted in the above map of 'the Earth', or is India on the surface of a larger flat-Earth plane as it is described in Srimad Bhagavatam and the other Puranas? If Vaishnavas in the 21st century think that the Earth (Prthivi) is a globe and that India is on the surface of an Earth-globe, then it has to be pointed out that such Vaishnavas are working with a different definition of the Earth from the one created by Sri-Krishna Himself. In the Sanat-Kumara Samhita it is said:

trailokye prthivi dhanya jambudvipo yatah param
tatrapi bharatam varsham tatrapi mathura puri

"In the three worlds the most fortunate place is the Earth (Prthivi). The best place on the Earth is Jambudvipa. In Jambudvipa the best place is Bharata-varsha. In Bharata-varsha the best place is Mathura-puri." (Sanat-kumara Samhita, verse 78)

Likewise, in the Padma Purana it is said:

"In the three worlds the Earth is venerable; Jambudvipa is better than it. In it the Bharata country (is excellent); in it the city Mathura (is the best). In it the (grove) named Vrindavana (is excellent); in it the group of Radha's friends is excellent. In it Radhika is the best." (Padma Purana, V, 81.52-56)

In order to grasp the full transcendental import of the above statements from Sanat-kumara Samhita and Padma Purana, a devotee of Sri-Krishna has to first know (1) the shape and size of Prthivi (the Earth in question); (2) Jambudvipa (the central island of the Earth); and (3) Bharata-varsha (a location in Jambudvipa). Srimad Bhagavatam describes Bharata-varsha as part of Jambudvipa; but since Jambudvipa is measured at 100,000 yojanas (800,000 miles) in diameter (see SB 5.20.2), and moreover, since Jambudvipa is only one of the seven gigantic circular islands that make up the Earth (Prthivi) which is an astonishing 500 million yojanas (4 billion miles) in diameter (see below), we are obviously talking about a very different conception of the Earth from the one that we have been presented by secular agencies such as NASA.

Although we have just heard from the TOVP that 'Jambudvipa is the central island of Bhu-mandala, and Bharata-varsha is situated on the southern side of Jambudvipa', the difficulty for members of ISKCON to comprehend or accept that India (and the rest of our known world) is part of a larger Earth plane, arises mainly on account of three reasons: (1) Srila Prabhupada mostly referred to the Earth as a globe; for example in a purport to Srimad Bhagavatam Srila Prabhupada wrote, "All the planets are here described as gola, round. Every planet is round, and each planet is a different shelter, just like islands in the great ocean. Planets are sometimes called dvipa or varsha. This Earth planet is called Bharata-varsha because it was ruled by King Bharata. (SB 3.23.43 purport). We shall discuss Srila Prabhupada's presentation of Bharata-varsha as 'this Earth planet' in Part 3 of this paper. (2) Many members of the society still have insufficient knowledge or understanding of the place names Bharata-varsha, Jambudvipa, and Bhu-mandala (as they are described in Srimad Bhagavatam) which invariably leads to a lack of faith in the Puranic world-view. (3) Members of the society remain attached to the world-view of secular science that presents the Earth as a globe-shaped planet. The limited surface area of the so-called Earth as it is portrayed on a globe creates the impression that the entire world has already been fully explored and mapped, and that there is no more Earth to be considered. According to Srimad Bhagavatam, however, there is a lot more Earth to be taken into account, and thus our understanding of what is meant by 'Earth', as well as our physical depiction and map of the Earth, has to adjust accordingly. .

INDIA'S LOCATION ON A MAP OF THE EARTH DEPENDS ON WHAT WE MEAN BY 'THE EARTH' (PRTHIVI)

When we read a statement in the Puranas such as "In the three worlds the most fortunate place is the Earth", we naturally assume Earth means a globe floating in space, but that is not how the Vedic sages describe the Earth. The Vedic Earth (Bhu-gola) is consistently measured in the Srimad Bhagavatam and other Puranas as 500 million yojanas or 4 billion miles in diameter—pancasat-koti-ganitasya bhu-golasya (SB 5.20.38). The Puranas also declare that Ananta-sesha holds the Earth in a stationary position, not that it is floating in space—murdhany arpitam anuvat sahasra-murdhno bhu-golam sagiri-sarit-samudra-sattvam (SB 5.25.2). The names Bhu and Prthivi are just some of the many ways of addressing Mother Earth who has numerous other names such as Vasundhara, Dharani, Mahi, Gam, Avani, etc. The Puranic conception of the Earth as a gigantic circular landscape held by Ananta-sesha is also the one taught by the principal biographers of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, namely Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami in his book Caitanya-caritamrta, and Srila Vrindavana dasa Thakura in his book Chaitanya Bhagavata. In the following verses from the Caitanya-caritamrta, Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami on behalf of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and his followers confirms the Gaudiya-Vaishnava understanding regarding the huge size and situation of the Earth (Prthivi) as it is revealed in the Puranas. First of all Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami states that the Earth (Prthivi) is fortunate because of Vrindavana:

trai-lokye prthivi dhanya
yatra vrndavanaa puri
tatrapi gopikah partha
yatra radhabhidha mama

"O Partha, in all the three planetary systems, this Earth (Prthivi) is especially fortunate, for on Earth is the town of Vrndavana. And there the gopis are especially glorious because among them is My Srimate Radharani." (Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila, 4.216)

Later, in the Caitanya-caritamrta, Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami informs us of the size of the Earth (Prthivi):

pancasat-koti-yojana prthivi-vistara
yanra eka-phane rahe sarshapa-akara

"The universe, which measures five hundred million yojanas in diameter, rests on one of His hoods like a mustard seed." (Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila, 5.119)

Although in Srila Prabhupada's translation to this verse the name Prthivi has been translated as 'universe', the name Prthivi is a common name that refers specifically to the Earth. In the Vishnudharmottara several of the many names of the Earth are mentioned:

"This Earth is called Bhumi, Vasundhara, Prthivi, Ksama, Ksoni, Dhara, and Mahi." (Vishnudharmottara, Khanda 3, abhidhana Kosha, chapter 8, verse 8)

The Vishnu Purana explains why the Earth is called Prthivi:

"By granting life to the Earth, Prithu was as her father, and she thence derived the patronymic appellation Prthivi". (the daughter of Prithu)." (Vishnu Purana, Book, 1 chapter 13)

Through-out his teachings Srila Prabhupada usually translates Prthivi as the Earth:

"Therefore this Prthivi, or the Earth, is our mother. Everything is coming from the Earth". (Lecture, Bhuvanesvara, January 29, 1977)

Srila Prabhupada was fond of quoting Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's declaration, prithivite ache yata nagaradi grama/ sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama, "In every town and village on the Earth (Prthivi), the chanting of My name will be heard." [Incidentally, this declaration means that the sankirtan movement will spread over the entire Bhu-mandala, not that it is restricted to the limited confines of a so-called Earth globe]. In any case, the above verse (Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 5.119) confirms that the Earth (Prthivi) is 500 million yojanas in diameter, and rests (rahe) like a mustard seed on one of the hoods of Ananta-sesha. Let us further note that the word rahe means to stay or remain, thus the Earth does not move.

Since Ananta-sesha holds the Earth (Prthivi) which is 500 millions yojanas in diameter, members of the International Society for Krishna consciousness may be justifiably confused because Srila Prabhupada himself equated Prthivi with the modern Earth globe:

"Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu recommended this process not only for India but for all the people of the world. He said that prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama. Prthivi means "on the face of the world"; ache, "when there is." Nagar means "towns," and grama means "village" or "county." So He said, "As many villages, towns, or counties, the human society, there are on the surface of the globe," sarvatra pracara haibe more nama, "My name"—means Lord Caitanya's name, because He introduced the simple method of chanting Hare Krishna—"will be celebrated." That is His prediction." (SB 7.6.6-9, Montreal, June 23, 1968)

Although Srila Prabhupada has equated Prthivi here with the modern Earth globe, the context of the lecture informs us that Srila Prabhupada was not giving a formal presentation on Vedic cosmology, and was simply speaking of the Earth in the conventional usage, not as Srimad Bhagavatam or Caitanya-caritamrta describes it. The theme of the lecture was not—as we are all doing now—to determine the exact nature of the Earth according to Vedic cosmology; rather the theme of the lecture was to explain the appearance of the Holy Name upon the Earth. The exact nature of the Earth is another question. Thus there is no justification by members of ISKCON to use this and similar statements as 'a proof' that Srila Prabhupada believed the Vedic Earth to be a globe. How can members of ISKCON continue to argue that Prthivi means the Earth-globe when we have just heard from Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami that Prthivi is 500 million yojanas in diameter and is held aloft by Ananta-sesha? In many places Srila Krishnadas Kaviraja Goswami confirms the same point that Ananta-Sesha holds the Earth:

prthivi dharena yei sesa-sankarsana—Sesa Sankarsana, who holds all the planets on His heads, (Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila, 6.95)

Although Srila Prabhupada's translation reads that Sesha-sankarsana holds all the planets on His heads, a literal translation says that Ananta-sesha is holding (dharena) the Earth alone (prthivi). The Vedic Earth is a singular entity (see below). According to Srimad Bhagavatam, the other planets such as the Sun and Moon are in a very different category from the Earth, and are described as floating and moving in space by the power of Vayu (SB 5.23.3). The Earth alone is stationary as it is held by Ananta-sesha, thus not floating and moving in space like the others. The reason why a literal translation of these verses is essential for fulfilling Srila Prabhupada's desire to make a 'working model of the universe' is because the specific detail that Ananta-sesha is holding the Earth gives us a very different idea of the Earth from our modern assumption that the Earth is floating in space. Secondly, in order to refute the argument that Bharata-varsha itself can be identified as the modern Earth globe, we have to first understand what the foundation of Bharata-varsha actually is. Does the Srimad Bhagavatam's description of Bharata-varsha fit with the idea that the Earth is a globe-shaped planet floating in space with the air (Vayu) as its support, or is Bharata-varsha simply part of the larger landscape of Bhu-mandala which is supported/held by Ananta-sesha? As we continue in this review of the TOVP's presentation of Vedic cosmology, we shall see that Bharata-varsha is indeed situated on the landscape of the circular Earth which is held by Ananta-sesha; and thus its immediate support or foundation is Ananta-sesha, not Vayu, which would be the case if Bharata-varsha was an independent planet floating in space along with the other planets.

Srila Prabhupada's translation that Ananta-Sesha supports all the planets can be taken in the sense that by supporting the gigantic Earth on His Hoods, the Earth in turn supports life throughout the universe:

"The Earth, sustained upon the head of this sovereign serpent, supports in its turn, the garland of the spheres, along with (their inhabitants,) men, demons, and gods". (Vishnu Purana, Book 2, chapter 5)

"O Most excellent of all kings, but for me the subjects will be ruined. O king, all the worlds rest in me. The whole universe is sustained by Me". (Vayu Purana, Part 2, chapter 1, verse 154)

How the cosmic-sized Earth-circle sustains the rest of the universe is a subject for another day. Suffice to say that although it can be said that Sesha-Sankarshan supports the entire universe, for the purposes of creating a working model of the Vedic cosmos, we must know that Ananta-sesha is specifically holding the Earth in a stationary position, whilst the planets and stars float and move above the Earth by the power of Vayu. If Ananta-sesha was holding all of the other planets on His hoods, they would not be able to move in a circular rotation around Dhruvaloka. Srila Prabhupada's purpose in stating that Sesha-Sankarsha 'holds all the planets on His heads', or holds the entire 'universe' on His head is to help us understand that the entire universe with all its planets and luminaries is sustained and controlled by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and is not operating by impersonal material forces as the atheists otherwise present in their propaganda. Having grasped this fact, we can look more closely at the particular detail that Ananta-sesha is specifically holding the Earth. The above understanding of these verses is not coming from a spirit of being 'over-intelligent', or 'jumping over the spiritual master', but simply to ensure an accurate presentation of Vedic cosmology at the Temple of Vedic Planetarium which is in pursuance of Srila Prabhupada's own directive to:

"Carefully study the details of the 5th Canto and make a working model of the universe." (Letter to Svarupa Damodara, Auckland, 27 April, 1976)

In this endeavour we are following Srila Prabhupada's instruction to always base one's arguments on shastra:

"Therefore, according to Vedic civilization, if you want to establish something you have to quote the section or the injunction from the Vedas, Then it is perfect. In learned circle you cannot say anything hodge-podge. That will not be accepted. If you support your statement from the evidence of the Vedas, then you are accepted as authority." (Bg 16.9, Hawaii, February 5, 1975)

"If you read hodge-podge, then you will not be able to understand. Therefore sadhu. And sadhu means he gives quotation from sastras, authorized sastra He's sadhu. Sadhu will not give anything manufactured by him. No. He's not sadhu. Sadhu means whatever he'll speak, immediately he'll give evidence from the sastra. Sadhu-sastra-guru. And guru means who is following sadhu and sastra." (SB 1.2.7, Vrindavana, October 18, 1972)

With reference to shastra, members of the society are free to dispute our presentation that Ananta-sesha is specifically holding the Earth, not the universe; but one will invariably find that all of the names used in connection with Ananta-sesha are names for the Earth alone. The description of Ananta-sesha holding the Earth is found in Chapter Twenty-five of the Fifth Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam. The names for the Earth are Ksiti-mandalam (SB 5.25.2), Bhu-golam (SB 5.25.12) and Ksmam (SB 5.25.13). These are all specific names for the Earth, and Srila Prabhupada has translated them as such through-out the rest of Srimad Bhagavatam. Lord Shiva also confirms that Ananta-sesha holds the Bhu-mandala (SB 5,17.21). The same fact is confirmed by King Citraketu who had darshan of Ananta-sesha (SB 6.16.29-30), and praised the Lord as the holder of Bhu-mandala (SB 6.16.48). The Kauravas, likewise, praised Lord Balarama as the incarnation of Ananta-sesha who holds the Bhu-mandala (SB 10.68.46). As already mentioned above, in the Chaitanya literature, Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami confirms that Ananta-sesha holds the Earth—prthivi dharena yei sesa-sankarshana (CC Adi-lila, 6,95). Here the name for the Earth is Prthivi. Again the name Prthivi is invoked to declare that the Earth is 500 million yojanas and held by Ananta-sesha—pancasat-koti-yojana prithivi-vistara/yanra eka-phane rahe sarshapa-akara (CC, Adi-lila 5.119). If one wishes to contend that all the names for the Earth must be assumed to mean the universe, then we will have no names left by which to indicate the Earth when the occasion specifically requires us to do so. The reason why the Earth is called by one set of names (Bhu, Prthivi, Mahi, etc.,) and the universe is called by another set of names (Brahmanda, Vishva, etc.), is so that we can distinguish one thing from another. This enables us to build an accurate model of the universe according to the description of each specific place name.

The same understanding that Ananta-sesha holds the Earth is presented by Srila Vrindavana dasa Thakura in the Chaitanya Bhagavata:

ananta prthivi giri-samudra-sahite ye-prabhu dharena sire palana karite

"On His head, Anantadeva sustains the entire universe, with its millions of planets containing enormous oceans and mountains." (Chaitanya Bhagavata, Adi-khanda, 1.65)

Although Srila Prabhupada did not translate Chaitanya Bhagavata, the above translation follows the same manner of translating Earth (Prthivi) as the 'universe'. However, Prthivi means the singular Earth, not 'the entire universe' which goes by different Sanskrit names such as brahmanda, vishva, jagat, etc. In the Chaitanya Bhagavata, Vrindavana dasa Thakura confirms this understanding of the Earth by stating:

sri-varaha-rupe kara prthivi uddhara/narasimha-rupe kara hiranya-vidara

"In the form of Varaha, You delivered the Earth, and in the form of Nrsimha, You tore apart the demon Hiranyakasipu." (Chaitanya Bhagavata, Adi-khanda, 2.171)

Here it says that the Earth lifted by Varaha is called Prthivi. There is no arguing that Varaha lifted the Earth, not the entire universe. Thus Prthivi unquestionably means the Earth, and according to Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami, the Earth in question is held by Ananta-sesha, and has a diameter of 500 million yojanas.

DHARANIDHARA

In yet another verse, Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami confirms the same point that Ananta-sesha holds the Earth:

sei vishnu 'sesha'-rupe dharena dharani
kanha ache mahi, sire, hena nahi jani

"That same Lord Vishnu, in the form of Lord Sesa, holds the planets upon His heads, although He does not know where they are, for He cannot feel their existence upon His heads." (Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila, 5.17)

Here it says that Ananta-sesha holds (dharena) the Earth (dharani). Although Srila Prabhupada has translated dharani as 'the planets', dharani refers to the singular Earth. Srila Prabhupada has translated Dharani as the singular Earth in other places, e.g:

dharani uvaca—mother earth replied (SB 1.16.25)

dhanyeyam adya dharani—this Earth has now become fortunate (SB 10.15.8)

Srila Prabhupada quotes Sri Jayadeva Gosvami, the great Vaishnava poet who sang as follows:

vasati dasana-sikhare dharani tava lagna
sasini kalanka-kaleva nimagna
kesava dhrita-sukara-rupa
jaya jagadisa hare

"O Kesava! O Supreme Lord who have assumed the form of a boar! O Lord! The planet Earth rested on Your tusks, and it appeared like the moon engraved with spots."

Here it says that Varaha lifted the singular Earth (Dharani). It does not say that Varaha lifted 'Earth planets'. The great Earth-circle has certainly many regions over its vast surface, but it is a singular landscape composed of seven concentric shaped islands and oceans, not a collection of separate Earth globes as one may infer from Srila Prabhupada's terminology such as the 'Earthly planets' (see Bg 14.8; SB 2.6.43-45; SB 3.6.29) or the 'Earthly planetary system' (SB 2.5.42, etc.). Srila Prabhupada's use of the term 'Earthly planets' is meant to awaken us all to the awesome revelation contained in Vedic teachings, that there are many other Earth-like civilizations. However, we can ascertain from a careful study of Srimad Bhagavatam, that the other Earthly locations and civilizations are all part of the one gigantic Earth landscape divided into many different regions, and not a collection of individual globe-like 'planets'. Srila Prabhupada's use of the English word 'planets' was a default term for basically any region in the universe; however, the reader of Srimad Bhagavatam should be aware that the modern conception of 'planet' does not correlate with how the Srimad Bhagavatam itself describes the various places upon the surface of the Earth (sapta-dvipa) as well as those places within its vast depths of the Earth such as the subterranean heavens (bila-svarga) and hells (naraka). In any case, Lord Varaha raised the one gigantic Earth, not many 'Earthly planets'. As mentioned, the other planets (Sun, Moon, etc.,) as well as the stars, are in a different category from the Earth in that they are not described as being held on the hoods of Ananta-sesha, but rather as floating and moving in space by the power of Vayu (SB 5.23.3). In the Chaitanya Bhagavata, Vrindavana dasa Thakura has also used the name Mahi to confirm that Ananta-sesha is holding the Earth:

sahasra-vadane krishna-yasa nirantara/gaite achena adi-deva mahi-dhara

"While bearing the universe on one of His hoods, Anantadeva chants the glories of Krishna with each of His thousands of mouths." (Chaitanya Bhagavata, Adi-khanda, 1.67)

Here the word for Earth is Mahi. Thus, Mahi-dhara means holding the Earth, not holding the universe.

"This Earth is called Bhumi, Vasundhara, Prthvi, Ksama, Ksoni, Dhara, and Mahi". (Vishnudharmottara, Khanda 3, abhidhana Kosha, chapter 8, verse 8)

"O King! The name of this Earth is Medini, since it was made out of the marrow of the two Asuras Madhu and Kaitabha. This Earth is termed Dhara because it supports all; is termed Prithvi because it is very capacious; and it is called Mahi because it is great, since it supports so many beings. O King! the Ananta serpent is holding her on his thousand-hoods." (Devi Purana, 3rd Adyaya, Chapter 13, verses 8-10)

Srila Prabhupada translates Mahi as 'the Earth' in many places (Bg1.32-35; SB 1.12.5; SB 3.12.11; SB 4.17.28; etc.). As well as stating that the Earth's name is Prthivi and Mahi, the Vishnudharmottara also calls Her by the name Dhara. The Brahma-vivarta Purana confirms the names Dhara and Dharani are both names of the Earth:

"Since she bears the load of everyone she is known as Dhara and Dharani". (Brahma-vivarta Purana, prakriti-khanda, chapter 9)

Vishnu in the form of Ananta-sesha is called Dharanidhara (the holder of the Earth). The Narasingha Purana states:

"Salute to the master of the three-worlds, Vishnu, and Dharanidhara Ananta. Frequent salute to the God of gods". (Narasingha Purana, chapter 11)

Here it glorifies Ananta-sesha as the holder of the Earth (dharanidhara). Through-out Srimad Bhagavatam, Srila Prabhupada translates Dhara as 'the Earth' (e.g. SB 2.4.20; SB 3.18.2; SB 4.7.29). In SB 5.1.22 and SB 6.1.4-5 the Earth is called dhara-mandala, meaning the circular Earth. A mandala is circular, not spherical. Thus the Earth is called Dhara-mandala, Bhu-mandala (SB 4.12.16); Ksiti-mandala (SB 5.25.2); Avani-mandalam (SB 4.21.7); etc.

IS THE DESCRIPTION OF ANANTA-SESHA HOLDING THE EARTH TO BE TAKEN LITERALLY OR METAPHORICALLY?

In Part 1 we discussed the TOVP's official statement that Ananta-sesha holds the Earth. All of the above verses confirm that this teaching is to be taken literally, not metaphorically: sei vishnu 'sesha'-rupe dharena dharani (Vishnu in the form of Ananta-sesha holds the Earth). The word dhara means to literally hold something. Indra, for example, is called Vraja-dhara, the carrier of the thunderbolt (SB 8.11.27), whilst Sri-Krishna is known as Gada-dhara, the holder of the club (SB 1.8.39). Krishna is also called Giri-dhara (the lifter of Govardhana). In the pastime of Lord Krishna holding Govardhan Hill, it is said:

ity uktvaikena hastena kritva govardhanacalam dadhara lilaya vishnus chatrakam iva balakah

"Having said this, Lord Krishna, who is Vishnu Himself, picked up Govardhana Hill with one hand and held it aloft just as easily as a child holds up a mushroom." (SB 10.25.19)

The word 'to hold' used here is dadhara.

govardhana-acalam—Govardhana Hill; dadhara—He held it; lilaya—very easily

Thus just as Sri-Krishna in the form of a cowherd boy holds the Govardhan Hill, so Sri-Krishna in the form of Ananta-sesha holds the Earth. The image below from Danavir Goswami's Vedic Cosmos documentary shows Ananta-sesha on top of Kurma, and holding the Earth-circle from below.

The same gigantic Earth-circle that is held by Ananta-sesha, is also held by Varaha when he raises the Earth from the Garbhodaka Ocean. In the following verse Varaha is called bhu-dhara—O lifter of the Earth

"O lifter of the Earth (Bhu-dhara), the Earth with its mountains, which You have lifted with Your tusks, is situated as beautifully as a lotus flower with leaves sustained by an infuriated elephant just coming out of the water." (SB 3.13.40)

Any name for the Earth that is used in the Srimad Bhagavatam such as Bhumi, Prithivi, Dhara, Dharani, Mahi, Ksiti, Avani, Gam, etc, is a name for the one Earth which is measured at pancasat-koti-yojana (500 million yojanas or 4 billion miles). Thus when Srila Prabhupada translates Prthivi as 'surface of the Earth globe' (see SB 4.18.29), or Bhu-mandala as 'the globe of the Earth' (SB 3.21.52-54) or Avani-tala as 'the entire globe' (SB 5.7.1) or Mahi as 'the globe' (SB 3.21.36), or any of the hundreds of other occasions when Srila Prabhupada translates various names of the Earth as 'globe' or 'planet', the reader should know that the Earth in question is the one described in chapters 16-26 of the Fifth Canto, and measured at 500 million yojanas in diameter. It is not the so-called Earth-globe. Srila Prabhupada's employment of Western terms such as 'Earth globe' and 'Earth planet' was just a conventional usage that doesn't actually correlate with the Srimad Bhagavatam's description of the Earth as a massive circular landscape held by Ananta-sesha, nor to Bharata-varsha's location upon it.

THE EARTH IN CAITANYA-LILA

We have already cited many verses from Srimad Bhagavatam and Caitanya-caritamrta which describe the size and situation of the Earth. If devotees do not learn to work with these basic and constitutional definitions of the Earth, they will be forever bewildered by the following statements such from Chaitanya Bhagavata and Caitanya-caritamrta which have been presented to us in the form of a meme:

The obvious inference, of course, is that the Earth must be globe-shaped. However, the fact that Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the mood of Varaha lifted a pot to represent the Earth, is not proof that the Earth is a globe; whether the pot was round or not is another question. Neither of the texts specifically mention the shape of the pot, though it is peculiar that the creator of the above meme has chosen a big round water pot to represent the Earth rather than a small pot (gadu) with a nozzle (as Srila Prabhupada mentions in his purport). We may assume the pot was part of the deity paraphernalia as the narration from Chaitanaya Bhagavata informs us that Lord Chaitanya had entered Murari Gupta's temple room at this point. Since Murari Gupta was the fortunate devotee to have witnessed the pastime, we can look to his book, Shri Krishna Chaitanya-carita Mahakavya wherein the pastime is recorded as follows:

vartulambuja-netrena / hunkarenanunadayan
dadhara dashanagrena / paittala jala-patrakam

"His lotus eyes became big and round, and His roaring reverberated loudly as He held aloft a brass water-pot with the tips of His teeth." (Shri Krishna Chaitanya-carita Mahakavya, second sarga, verse 16)

Here it mentions that the Lord's eyes became big and round (vartula) not that the waterpot was big and round. The text states that the Lord lifted a brass water-pot (paittalam jala patrakam). Brass water pots come in all shapes and sizes, not all perfectly round. Murari Gupta also uses the word gadu (varaha-akara prabhu haila sei-ksane svanubhave gadu prabhu tulila dasane—the Lord immediately assumed the form of Varaha and by His own sweet will He picked up the waterpot with His teeth). Perhaps some of our Bengali devotees can enlighten us as to the exact form of a gadu. The Chaitanya Bhagavata says, visnu-grhe pravista haila visvambhara sammukhe dekhenajala-bhajana sundara—Visvambhara entered the Visnu temple, wherein He saw a beautiful water-pot with a spout. (Chaitanya Bhagavata, Madhya-lila, Verses 21-24) . Did the brass water-pot with a spout look like this:

Or this...

Is this the shape of the Earth? This is the kind of senseless and inane argument that occurs when devotees are either unaware of, or simply choose to ignore the original description of the Earth as it is found in Srimad Bhagavatam. For one who has understood and accepted the description of the Earth in Srimad Bhagavatam, the shape of the pot lifted by Mahaprabhu is irrelevant because the pot was only ever meant as a token indication of the Earth, and not intended as a literal representation of the Earth's form. The blessed devotee artist who painted the wonderful pastime of Lord Chaitanya in the mood of Varaha lifting the Earth (see below), has innocently depicted the pot to look like the shape of the Earth as all may assume it to be; however, the actual shape of the pot, and the actual shape of the Earth lifted by Varaha is another question since neither Bhu-mandala or Bharata-varsha (a location upon Bhu-mandala) are in the shape of a round pot.

Although Srila Prabhupada had at one point instructed one of his disciples to paint the Earth in the form of a globe, he later acknowledged during a discussion on the Bhu-mandala in 1977, that Varaha had lifted the entire Bhu-mandala, not an Earth-globe. We have discussed the issue in a paper called "Did Varaha Lift an Earth Globe?"

If on the basis of this one incident in which Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the mood of Varaha carries a water pot (to act as the Earth), one then decides (without determining the shape of the pot) to believe that the Earth must be globe-shaped???, then it comes at the cost of throwing away chapters 16-26 of the Fifth Canto which otherwise describes the Earth as a gigantic circular landscape with a diameter of 500 million yojanas. We may as well just end the discussion here, because if we cannot establish the nature of the Earth with reference to the authorized description of the Earth as it is revealed in Srimad Bhagavatam, then there is no hope of ever getting out of this Earth illusion. For those who think the Earth is pot-shaped because of the above incident from Chaitanya-lila, let us by way of reply imagine that we had the opportunity to ask Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Himself this very important question about the shape and size of the Earth that was lifted by Varaha. How would the Lord answer? The great teacher (Mahaprabhu) may begin by citing from the Srimad Bhagavatam in which Sukadeva Goswami establishes that Varaha lifted the entire Bhu-mandala: rupam idam ca saukaram bhu-mandalenatha data dhritena te—in the form of the boar you lifted the Earth (Bhu-mandala) on your tusk (SB 3.3.41).

Next, in order to ascertain the shape and size of Bhu-mandala, Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would obviously refer us to the occasion when the very same question was asked by King Pariksit to Sukadeva Goswami: "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". (see SB 5.16.1-2). At the beginning of his reply to King Pariksit's question, Sukadeva Goswami categorically states that he will tell us about the shape (rupa) size (mana) and characteristics (lakshanatah) of the Earth in question—bhu-golaka-visesham nama-rupa-mana-lakshanato vyakhyasyamah (SB 5.16.4). I defy anyone to establish that the Bhu-gola therein described is a globe-shaped planet floating in space with a circumference of 24,900 miles. We have already stated that according to Sukadeva Goswami the Bhu-gola is 500 million yojanas or 4 billion miles in diameter—pancasat-koti-ganitasya bhu-golasya (SB 5.20.30). Moreover the Bhu-gola is held by Ananta-sesha, not that it is floating in space—murdhany arpitam anuvat sahasra-murdhno bhu-golam (SB 5.25.12). The above two statements from Srimad Bhagavatam do not support the idea that the Bhu-gola is a 24,900 mile globe-shaped (or water pot-shaped) planet floating in space. Bhu-gola is certainly round, but it is round as in circular, not round as in spherical. We have presented the evidence for the circular nature of the Bhu-gola in the following paper, "Does Hinduism Subscribe to the Flat-Earth?, Part 3".

In the course of his narration about the Bhu-gola, Sukadeva Goswami specifically addresses the original question by King Parikist about the size and characteristic features (manato lakshanatas ca sarvam) of the Earth's seven islands and oceans saptabhih sapta sindhava upaklpta (SB 5.16.2). The seven islands (sapta-dvipa) and oceans (sapta sindhavah) are described in Chapter Twenty of the Fifth Canto, and measure an astonishing 202,800,000 miles. This figure is confirmed in Skanda Purana:

"Thus the seven islands and the oceans together extend to twenty-five million three hundred and fifty thousand yojanas (202,800,000 miles) O son of Pritha." (Skanda Purana, 1.ii.37.22b)

Let us carefully note then that Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu whilst instructing Sanatana Goswami, referred to the Earth as consisting of these seven islands and oceans:

"The sun moves across the zodiac day and night and crosses the oceans between the seven islands one after the other". (Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya-lila, 20.387)

Here the Lord refers to sapta-dvipa-ambudhi—the seven islands and oceans. If the pot was meant to lift a globe-shaped Earth, where are these seven islands and oceans—measuring twenty-five million three hundred and fifty thousand yojanas—to be found on the Earth globe? Although Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (in the mood of Varaha) lifted a pot to represent the Earth, this should not be taken as the literal shape of the Earth. The shape of the pot is besides the point as Srimad Bhagavatam establishes a completely different conclusion regarding the shape of the Earth—the Earth in Srimad Bhagavatam is circular, not pot-shaped. Moreover, the statements from Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami and Srila Vrindvana dasa Thakura (the chief biographers of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu) regarding the dimensions and situation of Prthivi (the Earth) are of essential importance as they inform us that only 500 years ago, the immediate followers of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had a very different understanding of the Earth (Prthivi) than the present Gaudiya Vaishnavas. The difference in understanding is not due to the fact that Vaishnavas in the 20 and 21st century have access to 'science and technology' which their predecessors did not, but rather because Vaishnavas in the modern era have lost the understanding of what is meant by the Earth, and have consequently fallen for an idea of the Earth presented by non-Vedic sources who are themselves subject to imperfect sense perception, illusion, mistakes, and above all the cheating propensity.

Srila Prabhupada's intention was to reverse this situation by reviving a true understanding of the original Vedic cosmological ideas. Members of ISKCON may take it for granted that 'the Earth of our experience' is a globe floating in space, but they rarely question the reality of that 'experience' based on the Srimad Bhagavatam's own description of where we are located on the Bhu-mandala. Who indeed has 'experienced' the globe-shaped Earth with their own eyes? We have only ever seen an image of the so-called Earth presented by secondary sources such as NASA; but why trust those sources over Srimad Bhagavatam itself?

INDIA IS ON THE EARTH CIRCLE, NOT AN EARTH GLOBE

Where then does shastra locate Vrindavana on a map of the Earth? Let us now recap on all that has been said so far: the above verses describe that Vrindavana is part of Mathura (India), which is part of Bharata-varsha, which is part of Jambudvipa, which is part of Prthivi (the Earth), and as we have just heard, Prthivi is 500 million yojanas in diameter, and is held by Ananta-sesha: prthivi dharena yei sesa-sankarsana. Thus working from the description of Bharata-varsha, Jambudvipa, and Bhu-mandala, the Krishna-Balarama Temple in Vrindavana is located on a massive Earth plane that is held by Ananta-sesha, it is not situated on the northern hemisphere of an Earth globe that floats in space.

"At whose command the water carries the tortoise, the tortoise carries the serpent Sesa and the serpent Ananta carries the Earth while the Earth carries all the oceans, seven islands, the seven mountains, and all the people in all the forms". (Brahma-vivarta Purana, Prakriti khanda, chapter 34)

It behooves members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness to overcome their conditioning that India is part of a globe when Srimad Bhagavatam clearly describes it as part of a gigantic flat-Earth that is held by Ananta-sesha. According to Srimad Bhagavatam, we are not on a spherical landscape with a limited circumference; we are on a horizontal landscape that continues into other areas of a larger Earth plane.

Although the Temple of Vedic Planetarium and other members of ISKCON have clearly comprehended the Srimad Bhagavatam's description that Bharata-varsha is in the southern part of Jambudvipa, its as if that teaching counts for nothing since the same individuals continue to mislead others by presenting Bharata-varsha as a globe floating in space.

THE CONSTITUTIONAL POSITION OF BHARATA-VARSHA

In order to illustrate the mistake in presenting Vrindavana in India as part of a planet floating in space, let us consider the location of Big Ben—one of the world's most famous landmarks.

Big Ben is in Westminster which is a district of London; London is the capital city of England; England is part of the United Kingdom (UK); the UK is off the western coast of Europe; and Europe is one of the continents of our known Earth.

Based on the above description, there would be no grounds to assume that London is anything other than a part of a larger landscape. Most people in the world would thus understand the following statement: Within this world there is a continent called Europe; off the western coast of Europe is the UK; within the UK is a country called England; within England is a city called London; within London is a district called Westminster; within Westminster are the the main government buildings called the Houses of Parliament; the Houses of Parliament have a famous landmark in the form of a huge clock tower known as Big Ben. Although the average 21st century inhabitant of the Earth would easily understand the names 'Europe', 'England', 'London', etc., what if 5,000 years passed and the whole situation was different, and no one referred to Europe as Europe anymore? What if these places were called by a different name? What if no one ever heard of England, or London? What if Westminster was covered over and forgotten about?

Let us imagine a scenario 5,000 years in the future wherein someone finds the above map and description of London's location on the Earth. Let us also imagine that instead of our man in the future understanding that London is part of a country called England, which is just a small part of the larger Earth, he instead speculates that England is actually a planet in space.

What would be the logic or rationale behind such an understanding of England? A person in the future could only present such an idea of England by completely ignoring the obvious fact that the description of Big Ben's location in London involves a description of London's location in England, which is part of an island surrounded by sea, and having a relative position to a larger landmass called Europe. Though the names may change in the future, a researcher could not ignore the fact that the place named 'England' is described as part of a larger landscape called 'Europe', which is also part of an even larger landscape called 'the Earth'. To divorce England from the context of its larger surrounding, and present it as an independent Earth planet would be nonsensical.

Unfortunately, in a very similar way, members of ISKCON have divorced Bharata-varsha from the context of its location on the larger Earth plane, and erroneously presented Bharata-varsha as the Earth itself—now metamorphosed into the form of an Earth globe. But Bharata-varsha is not 'the Earth', nor is it a globe; Bharata-varsha is just one small part of a much larger Earth-circle. The rest of the Earth-circle remains where it has always been, and surrounds us in all directions; however, the society as a whole has yet to acknowledge this fact as the reality of our situation. Although those arguing in favour of the globe have correctly taken one part of the Puranic description, namely that Vrindavana is part of Mathura, which is part of Bharata-varsha, they have unfortunately ignored the larger context that Bharata-varsha itself is part of Jambudvipa, which is one of several cosmic-sized islands on the Bhu-mandala (the Earth), which is held up by Ananta-sesha. Due to being conditioned by the Earth globe ideology, and due to having little understanding or realization of, or faith in the Vedic Earth (Bhu-mandala), members of ISKCON who are writing on Vedic cosmology have presented Bharata-varsha as the modern Earth globe, and thereby completely ignored and disregarded the understanding that Bharata-varsha is constitutionally positioned on the flat-Earth plane—not that it is, was, or ever will be a planet floating in space.

As we have seen with the TOVP's official video, whilst the Srimad Bhagavatam's description of Bharata-varsha's location in Jambudvipa is still formally presented in ISKCON as part of Vedic cosmology, in reality the description counts for nothing since any faith in this concept literally disappears every time Bharata-varsha is presented as a globe floating in space. Since Bharata-varsha is described as part of the larger flat-Earth, it requires to be mapped, depicted, and explained in a manner which is consistent with the description. Just as Westminster is described as part of London, which is part of England, which is part of Europe, etc., so the Puranas describe Vrindavana as part of Mathura, which is part of Bharata-varsha, which is part of Jambudvipa, which is part of Bhu-mandala, which is held up by Ananta-sesha. Bharata-varsha is thus a small part of a larger Earth plane, not 'the Earth' itself.

And just as London's constitutional position is to always remain a location in England (and not suddenly morph into a planet that floats around in space), so Bharata-varsha's constitutional position will always remain a part of the greater landscape of Jambudvipa, and will likewise never morph into an independent planet such as the Earth-globe that is supposedly floating around in space. The above idea of England becoming a separate planet from the Earth has no more possibility than the idea currently in ISKCON that Bharata-varsha is the so-called Earth globe floating in space. This idea can only arise because the devotees involved in perpetrating this idea either do not understand or do not adhere consistently to the descriptions of Bharata-varsha, Jambudvipa and Prthivi. Instead of Bharata-varsha being understood as part of the Earth (Prthivi), members of ISKCON have presented Bharata-varsha as the Earth itself, and meanwhile disappeared the actual Earth into another dimension. This is a complete confusion of Sukadeva Goswami's description of the names (nama), forms (rupa) and measurements (manah) of places within the Vedic cosmos. Once this redefinition of Bharata-varsha takes place, one is no longer 're-presenting' Vedic cosmology as it is originally taught by Sukadeva Goswami in Srimad Bhagavatam. The only way to disentangle from this mishmash is by correct apprehension of three key names in Vedic cosmology—Bharata-varsha, Jambudvipa, Prthivi, etc., and to map these areas as they are described.

THE MAP ON THE MAGIC BALL

The map of the Earth as it features on a globe acts almost like a prop in a magician's magic show since its spherical shape can easily convince one that the entire world has already been fully explored and mapped. When one's eyes go 'around' the so-called globe, it appears that there is no more land to behold.

In her book, Terrestrial Lessons, which discusses the history of the use of the globe by the British Imperialists in India, Sumathi Ramaswamy cites the following extract from the Board of Education Report of 1850:

"In this branch of study (geography) it affords me some degree of gratification to state that the ignorance which has long been prevalent in this country with regard to this subject is now fast giving way, and the Puranic and romantic description of the non-existing oceans and countries and the hyperbolic heights and lengths of mountains and rivers, are now fast making room for a correct knowledge of the earth and what diversifies its surface...It is a lamentable fact that a considerable number may still be found among them who cannot yet bring their consciences to believe that the Earth is not placed on one of the heads of the great serpent, and that there might not yet be discovered, in some parts of it which have not been explored by European navigators oceans of milk and curd. But in spite of all these drawbacks, I have strong reason to believe that true knowledge is surely making its way, though slowly, but steadily." (Cited p 173, Sumathi Ramaswami, "Terrestrial Lessons, The Conquest of the World as Globe")

The British strategically by-passed the traditional guru-kulas, and opened their own schools all over India. In less than a century they had managed to completely over-turn the Vedic conception of the universe, and effectively replaced it with the modern Western idea.

The globe in the above picture is not Bhumi; it is a maya bhumi. The globe represents neither Bhu-mandala (aka Prthivi) which is 500 million yojanas in diameter and is held by Ananta-sesha, nor does it represent Bharata-varsha which is just a small part of the much larger flat-Earth plane. As Sumathi Ramaswamy skilfully documents, the Earth globe was introduced into schools all over India as part of a systematic indoctrination and propaganda campaign to overturn faith in the Vedic geographical and cosmological teachings, and thereby undermine faith in the entire Vedic belief system.

Indeed the brahmanas in India had little or no argument when confronted with the Christian missionaries and their magical globe device. By presenting the globe and pointing out all the locations on its spherical surface, the missionaries simply mocked the idea that there is more Earth, and that the Earth is held from below by Ananta-sesha. When confronted with a physical globe in which all the places on 'the Earth' appear to be mapped and measured, it was difficult for the brahmanas to argue with those who had supposedly sailed 'around the entire Earth', that there is indeed more Earth as declared in the Puranas. The confusion caused by the globe illusion, however, only works when one falls for the initial idea that the Earth is indeed spherical. One can also sail around a flat-Earth.

Indeed, since water always finds its level, we can understand that all the oceans on Earth are on the same level surface. The experience of watching ships disappear in the distance is not because the ships go below the so-called curve of the Earth, but rather because of a phenomena called the vanishing point on the horizon, which along with other phenomena such as atmospheric conditions, prevents us from seeing for unlimited distances. However, modern cameras with zoom lenses do allow us to continue to see ships long after one may have assumed them to have disappeared 'over the horizon' with the aid of the naked eye alone. Cameras also allow us to see prominent landmarks from hundreds of miles away when theoretically they should be hidden below the curve of the Earth.

From a flat Earth perspective, it is not difficult to conceive that devas employ certain forces both physical and mental to keep us contained within a limited area of the Earth plane. Our own part of the Earth (shown above) is tiny in comparison to the surrounding areas (as they are described in Srimad Bhagavatam). In a discussion on the Bhu-mandala in 1977, Srila Prabhupada said that we can travel further than we think, but karma keeps us within a certain parameter like a bull tied to a grinding mill and forced to move in circles around a central point. The blinkers on the bull prevents him from seeing further (see Discussion about Bhu-mandala, July 3, 1977, Vrndavana). The globe is just a magic trick, a device of maya to contain conditioned souls of Kali-yuga within a limited understanding of physical and spiritual reality.

The map below is an azimuthal equidistant projection map used during World War 2 to show flight routes, distances, and directions upon a flat plane; it clearly shows that one can navigate the Earth using a flat-Earth map.

1943 Flat Earth World Map | Polar Azimuthal Equidistant Projection Map

Even to the present day government documents related to airplanes and other military equipment presume a stationary, non-rotating flat-Earth (see Flatearthdoctrine.com).

The idea that the Earth we walk upon, sail upon, and fly over is spherical in shape and rotating at 1,000 miles per hour can be easily disproved using many empirical observations. For example the deployment of a long range missile works on the assumption that the Earth is a flat stationary plane, otherwise when firing a missile at a specific target over a long distance, the military would have to factor for the rotation and curvature of the Earth, but this is not the case. At this point, however, we do not wish to get deflected from our main purpose of explaining Bhu-mandala by engaging in debates over the supposed science supporting the globe model and whether it spins at a thousand miles per hour or not. Since the majority of the devotee community have yet to either understand or accept the Srimad Bhagavatam's own description of the Earth, it is necessary at this point to stay focused on what Srimad Bhagavatam is actually describing regarding our location and situation in the universe. Once the followers of Srila Prabhupada develop understanding and faith in the Srimad Bhagavatam's description of the Earth, they will naturally be more inclined to question and challenge the science and propaganda supporting the Earth globe ideology.

As to the question, "Where is India on the map of the Earth?" , it depends on what we mean by 'the Earth'. Though ISKCON has made some attempt to present Bharata-varsha's location in Jambudvipa, the reality of our connection to Jambudvipa is not taken seriously as we can clearly see every-time Bharata-varsha is otherwise presented as an independent globe floating in space.

HOW ISKCON CREATED AN EARTH PLANET WHICH DOESN'T EXIST IN THE VEDIC UNIVERSE

If the Earth-globe idea does not correlate with either Bhu-mandala or Bharata-varsha, why then did Srila Prabhupada use the terms 'Earth globe' and 'Earth planet'? The simple answer is that Srila Prabhupada was using the conventional language of the day to help the Western reader understand that Bhu, Prthivi, etc. means Earth, and refers to our place in the universe. The precise description of the Earth was a question that only arose after the publication of the Fifth Canto in 1975, and the subsequent announcement to build a Temple of Vedic Planetarium. The discussions on the Bhu-mandala in the summer of 1977 reveal that Srila Prabhupada was not attached to either globe or flat conceptions of the Earth, but only to what Srimad Bhagavatam itself describes. The presentation of Bhu-mandala at the Temple of Vedic Planetarium was one that Srila Prabhupada left to his disciples with the stipulation that everything had to be according to Srimad Bhagavatam's description:

Prabhupada: Take the version of Bhagavatam...we have to accept shastra. (Discussions about Bhu-mandala, July 5, 1977, Vrindavana)

In Part 3 and Part 4 of this paper we shall show continue to show how ISKCON's presentation of the Earth as a globe actually has no correlation whatsoever with the Srimad Bhagavatam's description of Bhu-mandala, and our location upon it (Bharata-varsha). We shall specifically show how members of ISKCON have falsely produced a proof for the globe by (1) misrepresenting Srila Prabhupada's statements about the Earth; (2) misrepresenting verses from a text called the Surya-siddhanta. By taking Srila Prabhupada's statements about the Earth out of context of the Srimad Bhagavatam's own description of the Earth, and by misinterpreting verses from the Surya-siddhanta, members of ISKCON have erroneously produced a so-called 'proof' for an Earth globe which actually doesn't exist in the Vedic universe.

| The Sun | News | Editorials | Features | Sun Blogs | Classifieds | Events | Recipes | PodCasts |

| About | Submit an Article | Contact Us | Advertise | HareKrsna.com |

Copyright 2005, 2020, HareKrsna.com. All rights reserved.