Presentation on The Solar System and the Vedic Scriptures (17 min video)
Radha Mohan Das: This presentation shows fascinating similarities between ancient Indian scriptures and modern dimensions of our solar system. It also shows some of the differences, such as the descriptions contained in the Bhagavat Purana. That scripture offers a view of our solar system from the point of view of celestial beings.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/4fVk8j
While there's advantage in presenting Vedic cosmology in terms and numbers ordinary people can feel safe with there are downsides to this approach as well – it makes us think of it through the lens of old Newtonian physics (not even relativity or quantum theories) and not through the eyes of shastra.
What does "distance to the Sun" mean, for example? In science it's light traveling in vacuum of space for 8 minutes but Vedic universe has no vacuum, no space, and no speed of light. Why should we assume that Vedic scriptures describe universal distances in these non-existing terms? There's "ether" as primary element but it's nothing like curved spacetime of modern physics or even our ordinary concept of space, which is visual and nor aural.
On Google maps one can find directions from one place to another and distances would be different depending on a chosen route, and yet different from distance measured using their ruler tool, and airmail would travel along a different route, and shipping containers would follow a different route again, and all these routes would be different from the shortest line cutting through the Earth sphere instead of following the curvature of the globe. If space is distorted by gravity there's yet another way to talk about distance between the same two points. Which of these ideas of distance is meant in Srimad Bhagavatam? It might be something else entirely and Surya Siddhanta might mean something different as well.
Can we find out what it is from shoehorning Vedic cosmology into modern model of the solar system?
Very nice presentation Radha Mohan prabhu in the sober mood of the late Sadaputa prabhu who presented Vedic Cosmology as it is with the help of the Surya Siddhanta. This is the understanding of the ''Vedic Universe'' where intelligent human beings have clearly proved space IS a vacuum at least from our material bodily point of view.
In other words the air that our material bodies breath does not exist in outer space.
Just on this planet in our realm of existence we know that air becomes thinner and thinner the higher you go, we have all experienced that in a 747 at 45,000 feet and those who climb Mount Everest know this, in fact recently 12 climbers died due to lack of oxygen at 29,000 feet.
We also know from the International Space Station there is no atmosphere in space, at least from our dimensional view in these gross material bodies, this is no theory or hoax or some silly ''bluff'' it is a fact and intelligent devotees and people in general understand this.
However, Prabhupada says in Bhagavatam – ''The planets and stars are enabled to float by manipulations of the air''.
How do we understand the following comments by Prabhupada?
Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 5.Chapter 23 Text 3 purport
"The question of how the planets and stars are floating is also answered in this verse. It is not because of the laws of gravity. Rather, the planets and stars are enabled to float by manipulations of the air.
It is due to such manipulations that big, heavy clouds float and big eagles fly in the sky. Modern airplanes like the 747 jet aircraft work in a similar way: by controlling the air, they float high in the sky, resisting the tendency to fall to earth."
We can understand here modern science do not yet have a field of science to study air in full potential known as prana.
Continued next post
While waiting for Gauragopala Prabhu to continue with his posts two things immediately came to my mind that I think need to be addressed before proceeding further in this line of thought.
First is that HG Sadaputa Prabhu presented Vedic cosmology "as it is". Even with all his remarkable and irreplaceable achievements in this field he was only trying to understand it himself, not pass his findings as Absolute Truth the way Srila Prabhupada presented Bhagavad Gita as it was passed down the parampara.
Secondly, "air" in Vedic science is the element related to perception of touch. Air in modern science is a gas of a certain chemical composition. These two concepts are worlds apart and if we want to understand Vedic science "as it is" we shouldn't mix them together, like when claiming that Vedic sages understood that there was no air in outer space. They didn't use words like "air" and "space" in the sense we are using them now.
Prana is produced from the combination of sky, water, and air – prāṇo vyomāmbu-vāyubhiḥ (SB 2.10.31), and these, again, are very different from sky, air, and water as conceived by modern science. It exists all throughout the universe.
part 2
Prāna means "breathing air", the word for air (vāyu) or wind (pavana) are elements in Vedic teachings. Vedic science says there are five different types of airs that circulate in the material body, meeting in the heart where the soul is situated. We utilized that air to breathe, to evacuate, to open and close our eyes. Some claim the force of air is resistant so you cannot jump up very high because the air is pushing you down, but is it the air or is it so called gravity?
Srila Prabhupada explains in Srimad Bhagavatam it is the force of the air that keeps things floating above the earth and all the Planets in their orbits and not the modern theory of Gravity. The scientists however would say that force Prabhupada is talking about is also gravity, just a word describing a ''force of nature'' but Prabhupada tells us that force comes from the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
When many read this they sincerely ask, "Does the the ''air'' we breath on Earth exist in outer space? Modern scientist certainly do not believe it does based on their space travel. They tell us that the air we breath in these gross material bodies certainly does not exist in outer space. Astronauts tell us that outer space has no air or water molecules and therefore sound also cannot be heard in the vacuum of outer space.
Therefore could Srimad Bhagavatam be referring to another type of ''air'' that keeps the planets afloat in the ocean of outer space? Possibly the "flow of the solar winds" (pravaha) or a type of prana not detected by modern day scientist's mundane instruments due to being on a higher plane of existence not yet discovered by modern science due to denying the existence of God?
Continued next post
part 3
Prabhupada – ''The planets and stars are enabled to float by manipulations of the air''(which he DOES also mean ''gases'' of a certain chemical composition). Canto 5.Chapter 23 Text 3 purport.
We think we know all about air because we breathe it and see how the wings of a 747 use it to fly. We now break it down into different elements like nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide however that is just one form of air combinations seen on the gross mundane platform.
The fact is there are also subtle energies of air (vāyu) or wind (pavana) the flow of the solar winds (pravaha) involved here controlled by higher beings known as demigods who govern all material affairs on behalf of Krishna the Supreme Personality of Godhead presently unknown to modern atheistic science in Kali-yuga because of their denial of God's laws.
Even though there is no air to breath outside Earth's atmosphere by present day space explorers with their limited Knowledge, there are many unseen and unknown ingredients to them within outer space that permeates throughout this Universe and does keep all planets afloat as Prabhupada tells us. This knowledge is known by the pious sages, yogis and devotees like Narada Muni who travel throughout all the Universe.
In the Puranas it is said that pravaha or the flow of universal wind is the prana of the Universal Form. As the body has nerve currents (pranic routes) so the universe also also has. As the material body has nerve currents (pranic routes) so the universe in outer space also has a different type of ''air'' than the air we breath
Continued next post
Prāṇa is the Sanskrit word for "life air" ŚB 11.2.49 and not understood by modern materialistic mundane Godless science. Prana is also referred to as the subtle and gross energy needed to keep the Planets in the material Universe a float.
Prana therefore is a subtle material energy from rajo guna and works by interacting between ''gross'' and ''subtle'' material body. Prana is a created element in the material universe and a special kind of air SB 2.10.15-17. The fact is in the West we are only in the very early pioneering stages of understanding the Universe of Srimad Bhagavatam given to us by Srila Prabhupada just a short 50 years ago.
Even Dvipas (islands) are planets in outer space (CC Madhya 20.218), they are ''Planetary balls'' in the ''ocean of outer space'' where all the different oceans of Milk, Yogurt, Liquor, Sugar Cane, etc are on those Planets in the almost 4 billion mile diameter (greater Earth) Bhu-Mandala Universe made up of 14 different Planetary Systems.