Thursday, December 26, 2013

KALACHAKRA

Kalchakra

As each grain of Time is destroyed,
The next comes along and brings with it either Creation or Destruction.
This is the Dance of Shiva.

The eternal cycle of Life and Death; Birth and Re-birth; Formation and Dissolution is called the Kaal-chakra or the 'Wheel of Time'.

Puraanic genealogies take us back into the mists of time when Human-beings were first trying to settle down on Earth and make it their Home. The Age of Kali (Kaliyug) is astrologically believed to have commenced on 20th February 3102 BCE and consequently, we are currently in the 5114th year of this Era.


The Kaliyuga Zodiac


How did the ancients really perceive their world? Were they also as bewildered by these mind-boggling numbers as we are today? Or did they accept it nonchalantly and went back to their daily chores with a shrug.

The Indian calendar is ingeniously based on BOTH the Sun and Moon; it uses a solar year but divides it into 12 lunar months! In this calendar, seasons follow the Sun; months follow the Moon; and days follow both. To help the lunar months coincide with the solar year, the practice of inserting an extra month, called the Adhik Maas, arose which is inserted every 30 months since 60 months = 62 months.

Lunar days in the Indian calendar are called Tithis. They are calculated using the difference of the longitudinal angle between the position of the sun and moon. Because of this, the tithi may or may not have changed by the time the day has changed and this is why sometimes a tithi is omitted, and at others, two consecutive days share the same.


Tithis or Days in a Lunar Calendar



Astrologically, one of the oldest Calendars followed in Hinduism, is the Saptarishi calendar which begins from 6676 BCE (earlier referred to as BC). This version was in use in northern India from at least the 4th century BCE, as witnessed by the statements of Greek and Roman writers.

Another Indian calendar is known as the Vikram Era, or the Vikram Samvat, which began in 57 BCE. This calendar derives its name from the original king Vikramaditya of Ujjain and the date is supposed to mark the victory of the king over the Shakas, who had invaded Ujjain. Another calenad which is the Official Indian calendar now is known as the Saka Calendar and starts in 78 CE.



Measurement of Time in Hinduism

The authenticity and veracity of these dates will be dealt with subsequently, but for now let us try to understand the basic units of measurement used in ancient India. These units are based on the method of calculation known as Kaal-ganana.

According to the principles of Indian time measurement, the smallest unit of measurement of Time is the involuntary time taken to drop one's eyelid or the Blink of an Eye. It is remarkable that the ancients chose such a mode of measurement because this time is Constant for all living individuals hence does not depend on any Variables!
  • This unit is known as a 'Nimish'
  • Three Units (03) of Nimish combine to form a 'Kshan'
  • Five Units (05) of Kshan combine to form a 'Kashtha'
  • Thirty Units (30) of Kashtha combine to form a 'Kaal'
  • Thirty Units (30) of Kaal combine to form a 'Muhurat'
  • Thirty Units (30) of Muhurat then combine to form a 24 hour period known as the 'Divas-ratri'
    This 24 hour period is also divided into an overlapping division called the 'Praher' or 'Paher'. Each 12 hour period has 4 Prahers each, thereby dividing one rotation of Earth into 8 equal parts.

    • Fifteen Units (15) of Divas-Ratri form a fortnight or a 'Paksh'. The bright waxing Moon fortnight is called the Shukla Paksh and the dark waning Moon fortnight is known as the Krishna Paksh.

    Kalchakra Mandala

    In one of the higher planets called Pitralok, one fortnight of humans corresponds to one day and a similar time period counts as their night. Therefore, the Bright fortnight forms the Day of the Pitras and the Dark one forms the Night.

    • Two Units (2) of Pakshs combine to form a month or a 'Masa'
    • Six Units (6) of Maas jointly are referred to as an 'Ayan'

    The six months when Sun is in the Northern Hemisphere are called the Uttarayan and the corresponding six in the lower hemisphere form the Dakshinayan. This bright northern jurney of Sun forms One day of the Devas and the six human month Southern journey forms their Night. Thus, for the demigods, One human year is equivalent to One Day-Night period.



    Calculation of Yugas

    Lord Brahma's day and night are each known as a Kalpa and Brahma lives for a Hundred such Years. One day in the life of Brahma thus comes to be close to4.32 Billion human years!

    • Like our 12 hour division, each day of Brahma is divided into fourteen (14) divisions known as the Manvantars. Each Manvantar is ruled over by a leader of mankind known as the Manu.
    • Each Manvantar is further divided into 71 Mahayugas just as each hour of our day is divided into 60 minutes.
    • Each Mahayuga is further sub-divided into 4 Yugas each which are - Satyuga, Tretayuga, Dvaparyuga and Kaliyuga.

    In the continuum called Mahayuga, each successive Yuga is lesser in duration than its predecessor by 25%. Also, at the beginning and end of each Yuga, there exists a Sandhya which forms 10% of the duration of that Yuga. These are the durations of the respective Yugas:

    Kritayug Yuga
    4000


    Sandhya
    400


    Sandhyansh
    400



    4800


    Tretayug Yuga
    3000


    Sandhya
    300


    Sandhyansh
    300



    3600


    Dwaparyug Yuga
    2000


    Sandhya
    200


    Sandhyansh
    200



    2400


    Kaliyug Yuga
    1000


    Sandhya
    100


    Sandhyansh
    100



    1200



    Total

    12000

    In Deva Years, they correspond to the durations of 4800, 3600, 2400 and 1200 respectively and since One Deva Year is equal to 360 human years, these figures become 1728000, 1296000, 864000 and 432000 respectively.



    Once a Chaturyuga cycle gets over, there is a deluge which drowns the entire Earth after which life begins anew with the next Chaturyuga/Mahayuga cycle.

    When these cycles of time have repeated themselves for a 100 years of Brahma, it is time for the creator-god to leave his mortal body as well. At the end of this Time, there is dissolution of the entire Creation and all living as well as non-living matter is absorbed unto itself to once again Begin at the Beginning.
    .
    Aum Shanti: Shanti: Shanti:

    AUM.




    AUM - In the beginning was the Word.


    In Hindu belief, creation started with the Divine Syllable - Om. Knowledge was one of the first creations to take place. It is supposed to have radiated from the Mind of Lord Vishnu to that of Lord Brahma and ultimately emanate from his mouth in the form of Vedas.

    The tree of knowledge that we call Hinduism is so dense that an uninitiated reader may get lost in its complexities and detail. Hindu texts abound with highly intellectual philosophies with conceptions of impressive range and depth. In one of the most beautiful examples of Vedic thought process, I'm presenting a verse from the Mandukya Upanishad:

    Om
    The Supreme Brahman is Infinite,
    Infinite is the Brahman of a Soul,
    The Infinite comes from Infinite,
    And on reducing Infinite from the Infinite,
    The Infinite still stands Alone!
    How beautiful the imagery and how profund is the purport of this simple verse! Yet, the Path of Wisdom is a narrow one and the Rishis of yore sought to simplify the language as well as the essence of the ancient words to make it palatable for the common man. Let us try and understand the basic classification of the ancient Hindu Texts and examine them one by one:


    Hinduism has never been based on just one set of principles, rather it has thrived and survived the millenia because of its acceptance of varying and sometimes even contradictory schools of thought! The most intellectual of these, the Vedanta emphasizes the Supreme Brahman as a non-personal metaphysical concept free from any mythological moorings.

    Another school of thought is the Yoga which seeks the union of God (Parmatma) and Soul (Atma) by means of meditation and various physical as well as mental disciplines. In the following passages, I would try to give the gist of what each of these religious texts convey.


    The Vedas (root Vid meaning Knowledge) are called Amnaya or Apaurushya implying that they are non-human in origin and have been recieved through revelation from God. They are the foundation stones of Hinduism and were revealed to the Mantra-Drashtas or Rishis through Divine sources as they progressed on the path of Spirituality.


    Vedas, the oldest texts in the World



    Unlike other world religions, Vedas do not owe authority to ONE single messenger of God. Rather, they are the authority themselves for they are the knowledge of the Lord. For ages, the Vedas were passed on from one generation to another by word of mouth.

    They were never written down as the ancient Indians relied more on their intellect and memory than the written word. Hence, the Vedas are also known as Shruti - 'That which is Heard' while everything else is Smriti. Shruti is considered to be of divine origin, and hence, is preserved as a whole instead of some verses.

    In the beginning, the four Vedas were one and consisted of a Hundred thousand verses. But to cope with man's diminishing abilities of comprehension as time progressed, Rishi Ved-Vyas divided them into four parts and entrusted four of his brightest disciples with the task of attaining mastery over the four Vedas.

    Thus, Rishi Pail mastered the Rigveda, Vaishampayan mastered Yajurveda, Jaimini took charge of Samaveda and Sumantu perfected himself in the Atharvaveda. Each of these learned seers divided their text further as time progressed so that more and more people could attain benefit from their teachings. Accordingly, today we have a total of 1180 divisions comprising of 21 sections of Rigveda, 109 of Yajurveda, 1000 of Samveda and 50 of the Atharva-veda.

    Each different section in the Vedas has a concluding portion somewhat like the Summary which are collectively known as the Upanishads. These texts are widely considered the zenith of Indian thought process and belong to the highest class of philosophical entreaties in the world.

    Besides, there are Aranyaks that connect Vedas to the Upanishads and the commentaries on Vedas are known as Brahmanas. Further, to simplify the study of Vedas, ancient rishis developed Vedangs which are in the form of Shiksha, Kalpa, Vyakran, Nirukta, Chhanda, and Jyotish.

    Rest of the texts fall in the category of Smriti and include all the knowledge that has been derived and inculcated 'after' Shruti had already been received by the great Rishis. If ever there is a conflict between the two, it is advised that Shruti will always overrule Smriti.


    ~*~*~ Upavedas ~*~*~

    The Upavedas are considered ancilliary texts that talk about the application of knowledge derived from the Vedas. Thus, they cover subjects ranging from music to medicine and consist of:

    Ayurveda - The Knowledge of Medicine and Healthy Life
    Dhanurveda - The Knowledge of Archery and Warfare
    Gandharveda - The Knowledge of all Arts,
    Sthapatyaveda - The Knowledge of Engineering and Architecture,
    Arthashastra - The Knowledge of Governance, Economics and Polity.

    All these are discussed not just in a technical fashion but as a means to attain salvation through the rigorous following of each individual form. This is in sync with the Hindu belief that you need not only pray (Bhakti yoga) or do good deeds (Karma yoga) to attain Moksha, but you can also attain Salvation through the attainment of Knowledge (Gyaan yoga).




    Dharmashastras are the ancient law-codes dealing with the Varnashram Dharma. These law books lay down the foundations of Hindu Sanskar which are the guiding principles for the behavior of individuals as well as communities within themselves as well as while interacting with each other.


    Dharma-shastras lay down the Samskar


    There are 18 main Dharma Shastras, most important ones belongin to Manu, Yajnavalkya, Sankha and Parashar Munis. The laws of Manu are intended for the Satyuga, those of Yajnavalkya for Tretayuga, Sankha and Likhit for Dvapar and those of Parashar for Kaliyuga.

    Each law book is based on the particular time and clime hence understandably differs in its approach. It is expressly stated that the Laws should change with the evolution of Society in order to ensure the continued progress of the human race.



    These are the different Schools of Philosophy based on the Vedas. While the Itihasa, Puraans and Agams are meant for the masses, these texts are more preferred by the Intellectuals in the Society. The six different schools of thought are:

    Yoga,
    Nyaya,
    Samkhya,
    Vaisheshika,
    Purv Mimamsa, and
    Vedanta or Uttar Mimamsa

    Some of these philosophies like the Vaisheshika are extremely scientific with the entire creation being considered to be built up of atoms (!!) while others like Vedanta are more focused on Mysticism.



    Itihaas means History (Iti-This; Has-Happened) and this category includes four religious texts: Ramayan, Mahabharat, Yogavashishtha and the Harivansh with the former two being the most commonly referred ones.

    It is difficult for the common man to understand the complex philosophies of the Upanishads and Brahma Sutras, hence the rishis have explained the Universal truths by means of historical examples, so that the common man can get inspiration to follow their path and strive to attain liberation.

    Manuscipt of the Adi Kavya, Ramayan


    These epics are immensely human stories that acknowledge the weaknesses and failures of its heroes as often as it promotes their strengths and victories. The ‘good guys’ are sometimes even forced to cheat and break rules to win turning these histories into very modern stories of realpolitik and the clash of ideals with the harsh realities of Life.

    For example, in the Mahabharat, even Duryodhana is a complex, ultimately sympathetic figure, while a character like Karna is quite simply heart-breaking in his inability to achieve the greatness of which he knows he’s capable.

    A manuscript rendition of the Mahabharat


    The most revered book of Hinduism, the Bhagvad Geeta is an accompaniment to the Mahabharat epic and is considerd the Refined summary of Entire Hindu thought. In a simile, it is compared to the milk obtained from the Upanishadic cows and hence a complete reference guide for Hindu thought and beliefs.

    Bhagvad Geeta is an accompaniment of the Mahabharat



    The Puraans were composed by sages to popularize the religion of the Vedas by generating devotion in the minds of all and one by means of examples from the lives of different Emperors, Kings, Sages and Saints from the millenia long Hindu history.

    There are 18 main Puraans, six each devoted to Lords Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, and an equal number of subsidiary or Upa-Puraans. These are:

    Shiva Puraan, Vishnu Puraan, Brahma Puraan, Bhagvat Puraan, Naradeya Puraan, Matsya Puraan, Kurma Puraan, Varah Puraan, Vaman Puraan, Kalki Puraan, Garud Puraan, Padma Puraan, Brahmand Puraan, Brahma Vaivarta Puraan, Markandeya Puraan, Agni Puraan, Vayu Puraan, Skand Puraan, Ling Puraan and finally the Bhavishya Puraan.

    The most popular of these is the Shrimad Bhagavat Puraan that teaches devotion towards Shri Krishna and Shri Hari Vishnu.


    The Agams are practical manuals of divine worship comprised of :

    Mantras or the group of words capable of creating Spiritual transformation;
    Yantras or the Geometrical representations of God's various forms; and
    Tantras or the religious practices centered on harnessing Shakti or the Divine Energy

    These are again divided into three sections viz. Vaishnav, Shaiva and Shakta Agams each centered on the worship of God as Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva and Goddess Shakti respectively.

    All the above mentioned scriptures constitute the major body of Sacred Sanskrit literature. While Shruti is considered the root; Smriti, Itihasas and Puraans form the trunk; Agams and Darshans are the branches and the secular literature of Subhashitas, Kavyas, Nataks and Alankars form the fragrant flowers of Indian literature.

    The ultimate purpose of each and everyone of these is to remind man of the necessity to follow Dharma, help the fellow-being, live a moral life and ultimately attain salvation and reach the Supreme abode of Almighty God. If we fail to utilize this human form to achieve Nirvana, we have to again Begin at the Beginning.

    .
    Aum Shanti: Shanti: Shanti:

    DEVAS

    33 Devas

    May Varuna with guidance straight,
    And Mitra the One-who-knows,
    And Aryaman in accord with Aditya,
    Guide us forth, like the wind that blows,

    As with their Might Evermore
    They guard the Sacred Laws,
    Shelter may they vouchsafe to us,

    Immortal Gods to mortal men..

    Hindu mystics knew from their experience, that verbal descriptions of the Supreme Reality can be Incomplete and hence resorted to Mythology to convey the feeling of their communion with God. Vedic Seers composed hymns eulogizing the sentient beings guarding all Natural and Supernatural phenomena and called them Devas that stems from the Sanskrit root 'Div' meaning the 'Shining One'.


    The effulgent Devas



    The derived term 'Deus' or 'Dios' from the same root, is still used to refer to God in modern European languages and even in the translations of the New Testament of Bible. The oldest texts detail 33 principle Devas who were the guardians of Nature and Cosmic Creation. They are:

    • 12 Adityas or Solar gods including Indra, Surya, Mitra and Varun
    • 11 Rudras, the Manifestations of Lord Shiva
    • 8 Vasus or Elemental gods such as Vayu, Agni, Antariksh and Dyaus, the Sky God
    • Prajapati Brahma
    • Shri Hari Vishnu

    The ancients especially venerated the Adityas and Vedas are full of hymns dedicated to Indra, Agni, Surya, Varun and the like. The 12 Adityas correspond to the 12 Solar months and represent different attributes of social life. These are:

    Ansh (due share),
    Aryaman (nobility),
    Bhaag (due inheritance),
    Dhatri (ritual skill),
    Tvashtar (skill in crafting),
    Mitra (friendship),
    Pushan/Ravi (prosperity),
    Savitra/Parjanya (power of word),
    Surya/Vivasvan (social law),
    Varun (fate),
    Vaman (cosmic law).

    Indra/Shakra, of course is the eldest and the undoubted leader of other Adityas and has proved his worth on numerous occasions, most famous of his exploits being the slaying of the dragon Vritra.


    Indra leads the Adityas


    Interestingly, these 12 Adityas were adopted into Chinese and Japanese Buddhism as guardians of the monasteries covering the four main directions, four semi-directions, above, below and the Sun and Moon. They are known as Devas or Ten 天 in Japan (which literally means Heaven or Celestial).


    The 12 Japanese Devas


    A similar depiction is found on a rock-cut cave far away in Yazili Kaya in Turkey! This rock-cave has multiple depictions of Gods and Goddesses that resemble Hindu gods. The lower chamber in this cave shows a frieze with 12 gods carved onto it who were worshiped by the people known as Hittites.


    The 12 Adityas from Turkey

    Moving on, the 8 Vasus are attendant deities of Indra and comprise of eight elemental gods that represent the different aspects of Nature. They include:

    Anal (Fire),
    Anil (Wind),
    Apas (Water),
    Antariksh/Dyaus (Space),
    Dhara (Earth),
    Dhruv (Pole Star),
    Prabhas (Dawn),
    Soma (Moon).


    The 11 Rudras are three-eyed manifestations of the Original Rudra and include Lord Shiva, who, along with Prajapati Brahma and Shri Hari Vishnu forms a part of the highest echelons of the hierarchy amongst Gods known as the Trimurti . The respective roles of the Holy Hindu Trinity are:

    • Brahma, the First in this Trinity and is the Creator and Master of all Divine Ceremonies.
    • Shiva, the Cosmic Dancer, Nataraj who through his celestial dance, sustains the endless rhythm of the Universe.
    • Vishnu, the Preserver god who incarnates to help mankind face the challenges posed whenever Evil forces become too dominant in the Universe.





    With time, other manifestations of the Supreme Lord appeared and were also incorporated in the group of Devas. Principal amongst these are Ganesh, the elephant-headed son of Lord Shiv and Shakti; and Hanuman, the monkey-god who is the 12th manifestation of Lord Shiva. Others include the twin sons of Surya - Ashwini Kumars and the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu known as the Dashavatar.

    Buddhist Cosmology expands the concept of the 33 Devas further and describes a separate Heaven for them called the Tavatimsa, on top of Mount Meru, similar to Mount Olympus of the Greeks in purpose as well as function).


    Devas in the Heaven



    The father of Indra is Dyaus who is worshiped as Zeus in Greek Mythology, Deus-Pater or Ju-piter in Roman Mythology, and as Ju-daea in Hebrew traditions. In Slavic Mythology, the same name appears as Div and in Norse Mythology as Ziu or Tyr.


    Dyaus Pita/Zeus Pater/Jupiter


    In fact, a number of gods in Indo-European civilizations have similar names as well as functions. In Norse mythology, Odin is the All-father resembling Dyaus/Zeus. The Greek god Ouranos & Vedic Varun are very similar in nomenclature as well as attributes. Likewise, the Hindu Storm-gods known as Maruts are quite similar to Mars, the Roman God of War.

    The Mittanis of middle-east (2000 BCE) worshiped Mitra, Varun, Indra, Tvaṣṭṛ and Nasatya (One of the two Ashvini brothers)! Greeks also worshiped one of the Adityas, Mithras while the Egyptians and Romans were big devotees of another Aditya Surya/Apollo/Re. The rivalry between Devas and their elder brothers Asuras also finds echo in the legends of Titans and their younger brothers Olympians.


    Indo-Greek gods



    Hindu mythology gives an insight about the principles and thoughts valued by our ancients from the time when they had a COMMON Belief-system. However, a Hindu, with sufficient insight into his religion, will not get swayed by these different manifestations and knows that all these gods are images representing the many facets of One Reality, the Supreme Brahman.

    At its core, Hinduism has always believed in One Supreme God Who manifests Himself as many in order to Create, Preserve and ultimately Annihilate the Creation. This Supreme Brahman is beyond concepts and images and this attitude of Inclusiveness provides the characteristic of tolerance to Hinduism.


    Devas in the Universal Form of Lord Vishnu



    I will share more insights on similar topics in the posts that you can access from the right hand panel. For now, let us grab the magic carpet called Mythology and once again, Begin at the Beginning.

    .
    Aum Shanti: Shanti: Shanti:

    INDIAN ASTRONOMY

    ASTRONOMY OF ANCIENT INDIA/BHARAT

    The Spiritual Realm of Bhagvat Puraan
    There is a wealth of Astronomical data available in ancient Hindu scriptures. I’ll first share our current knowledge about Astronomy and then we can compare it with the details provided in our ancient texts to get a clear picture about where we stand.
    Modern Astronomy talks about a Single Universe comprising of Dark Matter and brighter Heavenly bodies like the Galaxies, Stars, Planets, Asteroids, Satellites etc. This entire matter (and anti-matter) is believed to have emerged about 14 Billion Years ago in time, from a momentous explosion called the Big Bang.  
    Turning to the scriptural descriptions, my personal favorite is Shrimad-Bhagavat Puraan because of its extremely scientific approach and I'm gonna use excerpts from this magnificent book to present data that I am sure will blow your mind if you have any interest in astronomy!
    Inside this literary Masterpiece, one can find descriptions of the different planets from our Solar System and beyond; our Galaxy; different Planetary systems; as well as our ENTIRE Universe! Let's see what it has to offer to an interested reader in terms of Astronomy.

    Universe according to Srimad Bhagvatam

    The Spiritual Realm of Bhagvat Puraan
    Hindu Mythology talks about TWO separate Realms in this Creation - the SPIRITUAL and the MATERIAL.
    The Spiritual Realm is full of the Effulgence of Supreme Lord that spreads throughout and banishes darkness from each and every corner of this Realm. Religions that envision God as a Being of Bright Light worship the same Brahmajyoti.
    The Spiritual Realm
    This Supreme Heaven is believed to be the abode of Supreme Brahman in Vedas, Allah in Koran, Jehovah in Jewish texts, Param Purakh in Sikhism and the King-of-Kings in Bible. This is the Supreme Abode that all souls in the material realm strive for, and reach after attaining Nirvana. Srimad Bhagvatam, calls this the dwelling place of Lord Krishna who resides in His Spiritual abode of Golok Vrindavan.
    Around this central world, there exist other Spiritual planets that revolve around it like the planets in Solar System revolve around the Sun. These are collectively known as the Vaikunth planets and each of these is the Divine residence of a Vishnu form.

    On these planets reside Lord Vishnu's different incarnations alongwith Goddess Lakshmi and the Pure souls who have been able to transcend the bonds of Material Nature.

    In one corner of this huge bright realm, like a ‘Dark cloud in a clear bright sky’, lies the Material Creation, where Individual Souls like YOU and ME take birth, evolve, exist, eat, earn, reproduce and ultimately die. This realm takes up about 1/4th of the entire space of the Spiritual Realm and is depicted beneath the lotus on the lower right corner of the image below.
    Material Realm in a corner of the Spiritual Realm

    Even though Material Realm is created for souls who want to live independent lives, the Lord, by means of His infinite expansions, still ensures they can have a smooth sailing. He takes the form of Shri Maha Vishnu for the Creation of this Material Realm and it is from Him that everything in this world emanates.
    Now there is ONE MAJOR difference in the Hindu notion of the Material world and the current scientific understanding about it - Hindu scriptures state that the Material Realm is composed of Billions and Trillions of Universes (!!) and NOT just a single one!!
    Billions and Billions of Universes

    Scientifically, it is still undetermined whether the universe exists by itself or is just one of the countless trillions within a larger Multiverse, itself contained within the Omniverse that is the Material World.
    But, according to scriptures, the Universe that we live in, is just a TINY infinitesimal part of the entire Material Creation and all these zillions of Universes are born at the Same Time from the Same Primeval Source - Shri Maha Vishnu.
    EVERYTIME the Lord exhales, a Universe emerges from EACH of his body pores and with EACH of His inhalations, ALL these Universes merge BACK into His body! The multiple universes generated are floating, and they are scattered all over the Causal Ocean.
    Universes emerging from Sri Maha Vishnu



    I was rendered speechless by the larger-than-life imagery inherent in this concept. The mere thought of so many Universes taking Birth, Expanding and Dissolving again in Maha Vishnu’s SINGLE breath is fantastic and indeed (to use the pun) breath-taking!!
    Madam Blavatsky, the founder of the Theosophical Society describes this phenomenon thus-

    The Great Breath goes forth and returns again.
    As it proceeds outwards, objects, worlds, and men appear.
    As it recedes all things disappear into the original source.
    The Great Breath is, so to speak, the universal and eternal Perpetuum Mobile.

    If ever there is a Grand description of God in World literature, it has to be this one! How infinitesimal and tiny our entire existence appears to be if we humbly give thought to this notion. Our entire lifetimes are nothing, not even a fraction of a second for Lord Maha Vishnu!

    Indeed our entire Universe (which by current estimates is about 13.7 Billion years old), was born with a SINGLE exhalation of the Lord and will merge back into Him with His NEXT intake of Breath!! The concept also fits the Big Bang Theory, as the moment it emerges from Lord Vishnu's body pores is THE moment of Big Bang for each Universe!

    Big Bang - The Birth of a Universe

    After exploding out of the body of Sri Maha Vishnu, each Universe continues to expand, and after reaching a critical threshold, again begins to contract until it is assimilated back in the body of Lord Maha Vishnu!
    I thought this was probably one isolated example of the mention of a Multi-verse and maybe was not intended in the way I was interpreting it. But to my surprise, the concept of Multiple Universes is widely accepted and acknowledged in Hindu Cosmology!

    Multiple Universes in Scriptures

    Shri Hari Vishnu, the Cause of all Creation
    Puranic literature is full of descriptions of multiple as well as parallel Universes. Hindu scriptures also declare there's Intelligent life out there in the Universe and this is gotta be the absolutely FIRST mention of ALIENS in World Literature ever!!
    I will share with you a few examples from different texts to illustrate the point.Srimad Bhagavatam [6.16.37] eulogizes the Supreme Lord Vishnu in following words:

    There are Innumerable Universes besides this one, and although they are unlimitedly large, they move about like atoms in You. Therefore You are called 'Without-limits'.
    In verse 10.14.11, it again states:
    Unlimited universes pass through the pores of Your body just as particles of dust pass through the openings of a screened window.
    Lord Shiva in verse 9.4.56 again mentions thus:
    My dear son, I, Lord Brahmā and the other devas, who move within this universe, cannot exhibit any power to compete with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for Innumerable Universes and their inhabitants come into existence and are annihilated by the simple direction of the Lord Hari.

    Similar views are shared by Lord Brahma in the Brahma Vaivarta Puraan where a mention of Multiple, Parallel Universes is made-

    And who will search through the wide infinities of space to count the universes Side by Side, EACH containing its Brahma, its Vishnu, its Shiva? Who can count the Indras in them, ALL those Indras Side by Side, who reign at once in all the innumerable worlds; those others who passed away before them; or even the Indras who succeed each other in any given line, ascending to godly kingship, one by one, and, one by one, passing away?

    Hindu scriptures declare there's Intelligent life out there, and this is gotta be absolutely the FIRST mention of ALIENS in World Literature ever!!

    The obvious take-away from this concept is that according to the scriptures, there exist MORE than One Universes in our Creation and this topic has long been debated by modern Scientists. Let us see what our current notions of scientific theory have to say about it.

    Multiple Universes in Science

    A large body of Scientific intelligentsia believes in multiple Universes existing perhaps in parallel dimensions. Here, I would like to introduce you to perhaps the most brilliant mind of our times - Stephen Hawking, whose phenomenal work - A Brief History of Time, is by far the most important book on Space Science ever. 
    
    Stephen Hawking's Masterpiece

    In this monumental work, Mr. Hawking talks about something known as Chaotic Boundary Conditions and the Anthropic Theory. He states and I quote-

    ‘According to the Strong Anthropic Principle, there are either MANY different Universes or MANY different regions of a single universe, each with its own initial configuration and, perhaps, with its own set of laws of science.’

    Simply put, it states that, the likelihood of development of our Single Universe from the big-bang is much less than the likelihood of Multiple Universes being born out of it!!

     
    
    Multiple Universes emerging from the Big Bang



    The notion of Parallel/Alternate Universes has been widely used in many Hollywood movies such as the recent Star-Trek film (2009), FAQ (2004), and Jet-Li movie The One (2001).

    What is interesting for me is that the mention of Multiple Universes comes from the scriptures much BEFORE modern Science came to terms with accepting their existence. Short of Time-Travel, the ancient Yogis could only have grasped the basic nature of our Universe through their rigorous meditation and penance!

    Till now, Science has been unable to tell us, what existed BEFORE the Big Bang. WHERE did the explosion take place if there was nothing before it happened?? WHAT caused the explosion in the first place??

    But if we grasp the concepts from Srimad Bhagvatam we can understand the Science as well as Faith behind this. The Scientific Spirit of ancient Rishis makes me bow down in reverence and if you read the texts with an open mind, will amaze you with their profound philosophical insight as well.

    Ancient Yogis deciphering the Universe through meditation

    Our ancient beliefs are not just Myths, but Parables for explaining profound Scientific principles to the common man.

    We will cover more such interesting topics in the Posts to follow and I will try to touch upon as many diverse scientific disciplines as I can use to understand and decode the myths and legends from ancient Hindu tradition.

    For now, I conclude this post with the amazingly inquisitive Nasadiya Sukta from the most ancient text of Humanity -the Rigveda [10.129] which highlights the quest of ancient Rishis to find Origins of not only this Creation but that of GOD Himself-







    At first was no Being neither Non-being,
    There was yet no Air nor Sky spread.

    So what was covering? Where was it present?
    Was Water there, in the unfathomable depth?

    There was no Death, nor Immortality;
    Of Night or Day there was yet no sign.
    The One breathed windless, self-sustaining,
    Other than HIM was nothing divine.

    Darkness was there, wrapping more Darkness,
    And All was Water indistinguishable, Dark.
    The Cosmic seed was wrapped in the Void,
    Rising at last, by the power of Thought.

    In this beginning, Desire took form,
    The primal seed, born of the Mind.
    Wisely sifting, Existence from Non-existence,
    Sages have found all this in their Heart.

    A Ray was stretched across the Void,
    Know what was below, and what above.
    Bearers of seed were there and Mighty forces,
    Below was Strength, and Creative-will above.


    Who really knows? Who can declare?
    When did it happen? How Creation came on?
    Even the Devas came after its emergence.
    So who truly knows, Whence it was born?

    He, from Whom this Creation Arose,
    Did He fashion it or did He not,
    He, who surveys it from the Highest Heaven,
    He surely knows or maybe even He does not!

    BLACK HOLES AND BHAGVATAM

    BLACK HOLES AND BHAGVATAM


     
    As you can see from the video above, ours is a Spiral Galaxy containing a Galactic Center, and various arms radiating outwards from it, in a spiral fashion.
    Our Spiral Galaxy



    As mentioned earlier, Puranic literature is full of Astronomical details and our Galaxy is quite vividly detailed in {Chapter 23, Canto 5 of the Bhagvat Puraan}.

    When I went through the descriptions, I was pleasantly surprised to know that the Rishis of yore have described our galaxy EXACTLY the way it is described now by modern Astronomers!! Bhagavatam compares it with the Kundalini Chakra, the energy source seated at the base of Human Spine like a coiled serpent. As a person's Yogic Powers advance, the Kundalini Energy moves upwards from one Chakra to another ultimately leading the Yogi to complete Enlightenment just as was achieved by Gautam Buddha.


    Kundalini rising through the Chakras

    This celestial creature forming our Galaxy, is called Shishumar and is supposed to rest with its body wound around itself in a right-handed coil with the center formed by its tail end.

    To the students of Science, this shape may be familiar as that of the Benzene Ring, which resembles a Snake biting its own tail!! Incidentally the symbol is also known by the Greeks as Ouroboros and by Chinese as the Dragon representing the never-ending cycle of Life and Death, the different Seasons, Time etc.

    Shishumar/Ouroboros/Dragon



    Scriptural description of the Galaxy

    The Bhagvatam gives complete details of the various Lokas of the galaxy giving precise LOCATIONS of the various divine and semi-divine denizens of our Galaxy! Let us see what these locations are and try to find out a useful address or two from the descriptions ;o)

    The Galactic Center, is the tail-end of the coiled serpent and is supposed to be a seat of Immense Power and Energy. According to the Bhagavatam, this Galactic Center is formed by the Dhruva Loka.

    It is important to note that according to modern Astronomy, Galactic Center is made up of very large mass and density which scientists believe to be a Supermassive Black Hole. Black Holes are the evolutionary end-point of MASSIVE stars and pack within themselves the power of thousands of Nuclear bombs combined!

    Supermassive Black Hole at the Galactic Center



    Now, Dhruva as we know is the Pole Star and according to Bhagavatam, it is supposed to be situated right at the CENTER of our Galaxy. At present, the Northern pole star is Polaris, which lies close to the Celestial North Pole, and is visible at the end of the constellation Ursa Minor (Little Dipper). However, after researching its location, I found that this particular Star does not lie as far as the Center of the Galaxy and it dampened my excitement a bit :o(


    Present Pole Star Polaris


    But, as I kept trying to find out more, I came across a phenomenon known as the Precession of Equinoxes. Simply put, it states that the role of the North Star PASSES from one star to another. This means that Other stars have occupied the position of the Pole Star before now!

    Precession of the Equinoxes is slow, taking about 25,770 years to complete a cycle, hence a single star typically holds that title for many CENTURIES, and since Hindu history measures time in billions of years, One of these stars could have been located in the vicinity of the Galactic Center at some point in our Ancient History!!

    Pole Stars of Past and Future


    Identifying that Star is beyond my current research capacity, but I believe if we can find it, it would help us date our Scriptures in a more authentic fashion as well as give us a proof that our civilization is INDEED very ancient.

    The scripture further states that Dhruv-loka is supposed to be the Supreme Seat of Lord Vishnu in the Mortal Realm where He reclines on the Divine Serpent Sheshnaag accompanied by Goddess Lakshmi in the Ocean-of-Milk called Ksheer-Sagar.


    Demigods praying to Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi seated on Sheshnaag


    Now, Black Holes have always been conjectured to be portals between different Universes, sort of like Gateways to different dimensions. This makes me believe that our Supermassive-Galactic-Center-Black-Hole can fit the precondition of being the Abode of Lord Vishnu amazingly well, as it would connect Him with the Spiritual Realm outside as well as the Material realm contained within this Universe!



    Moving on from the Galactic Center

    Near the central abode of Dhruva resides Prajâpati, worshiped by the demigods Agni, Indra and Dharma near the tail and the Holy Saptarishi Mandal at its waist.

    On the right side of the Celestial Wheel are stationed the fourteen Uttarayan Nakshatras (Northern Zodiacs) from Abhijit to Punarvasu, and on its left side are found fourteen Dakshinayan Nakshatras (Southern Zodiacs) starting from Pushya and ending with Uttar-Aashadh.

    The back of Shishumar is formed by stars collectively called Ajavithi and its belly is formed by the Sacred Ganges reverently known as the Akash Ganga.

    If you look at the clear night sky, you'll observe a faint band of light stretching across the darkness, either through the middle or near the horizon which is considered it the symbolic representation of the Descent of Heavenly Ganges to the Mortal Realm of Earth.


    Akash Ganga, the Milky Way



    The stars called Punarvasu and Pushya form the right and left loins of the Shishumar; Ardra and Ashlesha form the right and left feet while Abhijit and Uttar-Aashadh form the right and left nostrils.

    Shravana and Purv-Aashadh form the right and left eyes respectively; while Mula and Dhanishtha form the two ears; Magha, the group of Eight Stars form its ribs on the left side while the Eight stars of Mrigashirsha, form the ribs on its right. The stars Shatabhish and Jyeshtha form the right and left shoulders, Agasti forms the upper jaw and Yama, the lower one.

    The planet Mars forms its face; Saturn forms its organ of generation; Brihaspati forms the hump on the shoulders while Surya - The Lord of the planets, (which I have taken as the reference point for the Labelled image of Shishumar below) forms its breast.

    The Supreme Lord Narayan remains seated in its heart and the Moon is situated in its mind. The two Ashvins form either sides of its chest; Ushana or Venus forms its navel; Mercury is its Prana; Rahu is the neck and Ketu is all over its body in the form of different Comets.

    The innumerable other stars we see are the numerous pores of its body. I have tried to label the image of our Galaxy according to the descriptions I have shared in this post. Please find below the Image that has resulted from this exercise.


    Our Galaxy Shishumar


    What is astonishing for me is that without access to any form of modern technology like the Hubble Space Telescope and its like, the Rishis of Yore could still fathom the extent and shape of our Galaxy in such a detailed fashion!

    It was only in 1610, that Galileo used the first telescope and determined that Milky Way is formed of billions of dim stars that surround us. Before that, for centuries the astronomers had struggled with the basic questions about this band of light in the sky which were difficult to answer because of several reasons.
    • One, as we live within the Milky Way, trying to fathom its dimensions is like living in one tiny corner of a gigantic box and analyzing its composition and shape!
    • Second, the early telescopes weren't large enough and hence did not have sufficient range to clearly view the galaxy around us.
    • Finally, the Milky Way contains large amounts of cosmic dust that obscures distant stars when we're using regular telescopes.

    However, the 20th century brought great advancement in telescope technology and large Optical, Radio, Infrared, and X-ray telescopes allowed Astronomers to peer through the cosmic dust and look further into space. With these tools, they could piece together the puzzle of our Galaxy's shape but the point to be emphasized here is that all this became apparent only after the 20th Century!


    Eye-of-God Nebula caught by Hubble Space Telescope


    Yet, surprisingly, ancient Vedic rishis had not only described the shape of the Galaxy, they had also identified a huge POWER SOURCE at its Center; given descriptions of most of its major STAR SYSTEMS; as well as defined the relative positions of different Lokas in our ever-expanding Universe!!

    Whether it was due to their Superhuman Yogic Powers, or a result of direct observation (Space Travel?!?), I do not know. But, I hope this post opens the eyes of my readers to a brand new perception of these religious texts and would encourage them to analyze our traditional culture and beliefs with a more open and scientific approach.

    I will describe the various Lokas mentioned above in more detail in subsequent postsand will try to guide you through the structure of the Universe as per ancient Hindu Science. May Lord Vishnu guide me through this journey that I have embarked upon and help me bring hidden truths from our ancient scriptures to fore.


    Shri Hari Vishnu, help me cross this Cosmic Ocean


    It is only fitting that I end the post with the traditional prayer to Supreme Lord Vishnu residing in this Coiled Galaxy Shishumar and also pay my obeisance to the Ancients who were able to decipher its structure on the basis of their Yogic powers..

    Thou art the Substratum of all Luminaries,
    Thou Createst and Destroyest all,
    The Lord of all Celestials,
    We meditate fully on Thee,

    Planets, Galaxies and Stars are Thy body,
    Divinity is established in Thee alone,
    Thou art Âdipurush, the Foremost of all Beings,
    All sins are destroyed by remembering Thee.

    .
    Aum Shanti: Shanti: Shanti: