By Visakha Dasi
In each of its twelve cantos, Srimad-Bhagavatam, the “flawless ripened fruit of all Vedic scriptures,” tells of miracles and mysticism, of the esoteric and extraterrestrial. We hear a cow, bull, elephant, monkey, and bird speaking deep philosophy. We learn of the four-headed creator who sits atop a lotus flower, of a magnificent aerial mansion, and of a five-year-old who pushes down half the earth with his toe and makes demigods suffocate. We learn of people giving birth to tens of thousands of children, of people with a thousand heads or arms, of an ocean of milk that is churned by demigods and demons using a snake for a rope. We are also given detailed information about this extraordinary universe we live in. For example, from the Fifth Canto (16.16–17):
“On the lower slopes of Mandara Mountain is a mango tree named Devacuta. It is 1,100 yojanas [8,800 feet] high. Mangoes as big as mountain peaks and as sweet as nectar fall from the top of this tree for the enjoyment of the denizens of heaven. When all those solid fruits fall from such a height, they break, and the sweet, fragrant juice within them flows out and becomes increasingly more fragrant as it mixes with other scents. That juice cascades from the mountain in waterfalls and becomes a river called Arunoda, which flows pleasantly through the eastern side of Ilavrta.”
What is a pragmatic, logical, scientific mind to do with such information? Shall we see the whole body of work as mythology? Or glean its essential spiritual truths and leave aside the fantastic aspects as entertainment used to convey those truths? Or shall we suspend our disbelief and accept all the texts of Bhagavatam as they are?
None of these options are in the spirit of the Srimad-Bhagavatam itself—that is, the spirit of unalloyed submission and devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna. This spirit is not the suspension of disbelief but the suspension of pride, for without pridelessness the Srimad-Bhagavatam, as well as all the Vedas, will remain a great mystery. In other words, readers who enter the spirit of the Srimad-Bhagavatam do not suspect any aspect of its message; rather, they question their own qualification and ability to receive that message purely.
Besides being genuinely humble, mature students of the Srimad-Bhagavatam are detached from this alluring material world and know their spiritual identity, their purpose in life, and the limitations the material body and mind may impose on spirit. Rather than “naive,” these saints are highly evolved human beings with unrivaled critical and analytical insights. Srila Prabhupada writes, “The bestial civilization of eating, sleeping, fearing, and sense-gratifying has misled modern man into forgetting how powerful a soul he has. As we have already described, the soul is a spiritual spark many, many times more illuminating, dazzling, and powerful than the sun, moon, or electricity. Human life is spoiled when man does not realize his real identity with his soul.” (Cc., Adi 1.5.22, purport)
But what of the Bhagavatam’s amazing descriptions and pastimes? Continuing the above purport Srila Prabhupada explains: “…Each and every planet has its particular atmosphere, and if one wants to travel to any particular planet within the material universe, one has to adapt his material body to the climatic condition of that planet. For instance, if one wants to go from India to Europe, where the climatic condition is different, one has to change his dress accordingly. Similarly, a complete change of body is necessary if one wants to go to the transcendental planets of Vaikuntha. However, if one wants to go to the higher material planets, he can keep his finer dress of mind, intelligence, and ego, but has to leave his gross dress (body) made of earth, water, fire, etc.”
Devoted readers of the Srimad-Bhagavatam are not literalists in the sense that they expect to taste the mango juice waters of the Arunoda River, at least not in their present state. They take it that this place exists as it is described, but it is on a platform that they cannot directly experience; the text is explicit—not figurative—but it describes a dimension unknown to us.
What we can presently perceive is limited by the nature of our body. Since our body is made of gross material elements (earth, water, air, and so on) we directly perceive only gross material sense objects. However, in other parts of the material creation only subtle energies (mind, intelligence, etc.), which are imperceptible to us, exist. On that plane one could uproot trees and use them to bridge a river or one could leap across an ocean just for fun.
If we allow it, Srimad-Bhagavatam will transport us beyond the limits of the tiny part of the creation we inhabit. It will revive our sense of wonder, of mystery and of discovery because the Supreme Person revealed in its texts is a sportive, imaginative youth who can pulverize preconceptions. Krishna is adhoksaja, beyond the measurement of our senses. He is atarka, beyond the reach of logic and argument. He is avan manasa gocara, beyond the range of the mundane mind, words and imagination. He is acintya, beyond our estimation. In a word, He is inconceivable. And He is inconceivably attractive and funny and adventurous (He says vyavasayo ’smi—“I am adventure,” Bhagavad-gita 10.36). He can do anything—and what He does is described in Srimad-Bhagavatam. For example, “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.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.25.19)
Krishna’s miracles are also all around us, from the precise workings of living cells to the movements of the galaxies. But because in this dark age of quarrel and hypocrisy our strength, duration of life, memory, intelligence, and imagination are as depleted as the earth we inhabit and the food that it produces, we view the descriptions of Srimad-Bhagavatam as “mythology” and those who are devoted to and enlivened by them as “naive literalists.” As a result this unparalleled scripture remains inaccessible.
“Srimad-Bhagavatam is the spotless Purana. It is most dear to the Vaishnavas because it describes the pure and supreme knowledge of the paramahamsas. This Bhagavatam reveals the means for becoming free from all material work, together with the processes of transcendental knowledge, renunciation, and devotion. Anyone who seriously tries to understand Srimad-Bhagavatam, who properly hears and chants it with devotion, becomes completely liberated.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.13.18)
FYI the article states that the mango tree Devacuta is 1,100 yojanas [8,800 feet] high. However this is a mistake because in the Bhagavatam summary states that a yojana is about 8 miles not 8 feet. Big difference. So the mango tree is not 8,800 feet high but 8,800 miles high.
Visakha devi’s discussion is very excellent. I have mentioned this before, but on one occasion Srila Prabhupad and I were walking on the roof of the original Mayapur building. He said that the great philosopher Vyasa is not writing children’s books to amuse us. We must accept the lila of Krishna as it is stated. That Bakasura with great beaks is as described. He concluded: “If one link is weak, then the whole thing falls apart.” This acceptance of the Srimad Bhagavatam as it is remains a vital piece of faith for the bhakta. Similarly, the Battle of Kuruksetra is taken by some to be an allegory. But, this is not approved by the Parampara.
Consider this not as blind faith, but rather faith in the source from which the information comes. It way fly in the face of mundane logic of empirical knowledge gained through the mundane senses. But, it is a necessary precondition to entering into the world of Krishna consciousness. The mayavadis cannot accept that a person exists who is unlimited as is Krishna. And, the material scientists cannot accept anything that is not proven by empirical experimentation.
Therefore, Krishna says: bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan has casmi tattvatah. Only through loving service can one understand Krishna as He is. There is no other way, for the knowledge is revealed by Him by revelation from within. Pusta Krishna das
Vishaka Dasi,
Please accept my humble obiesances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
You make a very interesting point. Accepting the truth of the scripture is not a matter of suspending disbelief, but of giving up pride. That seems to be the thesis statement of your article. But much more could be said. Please continue to elaborate on this point.
I sometimes see devotees naively accept the term " origin". The literal definition is very different from the meaning it denotes in the Vedic texts. Literally it means something that causes something else, but time is always involved. The origin/cause comes first, then the effect comes after.
Sometimes devotees read " the One became many" and think the jivas began at a certain time. Or Krishna was originally alone and He split into Radha and Himself. Or that, at one time, Krishna desired to understand Radha' s love for Him, and He expanded into Lord Caitanya. Sometimes this conventional language is even used in the scripture itself.
But we know from the BG, there was no time the jiva's did not exist. It follows, Radha, Lord Caitanya, and all of Krishna unlimited expansions have always existed.
The existence of everything depends on the existence of Krishna, Therefore He is the causal Origin, but not He is not a temporal Origin. As the sunshine exists automatically with the sun. The sunshine is dependent on the existence of the sun, and not vice versus. But there no temporal sequence. As soon as there is sum there is sunshine. Our existence depends on Krishna's existence, but we are as eternal as Krishna is.
Ys,
Paramadayala Nityananda Dasa
Good points. Bhu Mandala is higher dimensional (to use math terms) because we would see mount Meru in outer space, being 80,000 miles high. Clearly the advanced ‘inventors’ of mathematics and astronomy knew better. One must have spiritual qualification to see. Just like it is said in the vedas one can see Krishna in Vrindavana India so why don’t people see? Some do who are qualified since God is not cheap or cheated.
It is interesting to note that the idea of higher-dimensional access between locations is a key feature of quantum mechanics. The quantum mechanical atom cannot be represented in three-dimensional space. In fact, to represent something as commonplace as an atom of carbon, quantum mechanics makes use of a kind of infinite-dimensional space called Hilbert space. The three-dimensional bonding of carbon and other atoms is made possible by the higher-dimensional interactions within the atoms. Thus, although the idea of higher-dimensional realms may seem to be an extreme departure from accepted scientific thinking, it is possible to interpret modern physics as laying the groundwork for such an idea.
Richard L Thompson
Vedic Cosmography and Astronomy
Subjects such as eclipses and the movements of the nakshatras (zodiac) are treated in texts such as Surya-Siddhanta (spoken by Suryadeva) and Siddhanta-Siromani (from
Just as there are two Vrindavanas (the spiritual and material), there are different dimensions of the universe. Bhu-mandala cannot be seen by ordinary vision, otherwise you'd see mount Meru in outer space (Meru is 80,000 miles high while the earth's circumference is only 25,000 miles. Lord Shiva also mediates under an 800 million-mile high banyan tree. Why don't we see that? Because it's on another plane-another dimension of existence (mathematical models by prominent physicists give evidence of how such dimensions can exist).
Curious to know where does Bhagavatam or a qualified commentator say that it's descriptions are of an unknown dimension and not that of the world/universe as experienced 'normally' by the material senses of humans/devas?
Like when Krishna shows Virat rupa to Arjuna He clearly gives the disclaimer that this vision is not possible by normal material senses.
Also, if those descriptions are of an unknown dimension why are they being foretold to beings of this (our) dimension?
Thank you Viśākhā Prabhu for this excellent article.