Cosmology Lessons

from Chapter 8 of the Bhagavad Gita

An artist’s depiction of the Hindu view of cosmology

There are literally billions upon billions of “universes” where “universe” means
what modern physics teaches us. If the “universe” is finite and has an “edge” what
is beyond that edge? This question is difficult to answer today but our scriptures
shed some light on this matter. Each bubble above represents an “universe”.

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 Table of Contents
Topic Title Page No.

1 Cosmology lessons from chapter 8 of Gita 4

2 Sinking of the Titanic – history lesson 17

3 Bheeshma’s introduction to Vishnu Sahasranamam 20

4 The years in Kaliyuga: Divine days and years 23

5 Srila Prabhupada’s translation of relevant verses: 27

Canto 3 of Srimad Bhagavatam about yugas

6 How should one leave the body? Chapter 8 of Gita 32

7 Bheeshma awaiting his PrayaaNa kaalam 48

8 Bheeshma’s Hymn to Krishna before departing his body 56

9 Srila Prabhupada’s translation of Canto 1, chapter 9 59

Passing away of Bheeshma in the presence of Krishna

10 Lalita Sahasranaamam and seven chakras in human body 64

11 Parikshit prepares for his moment of death 72

12 Brahma fears his own limited lifetime 78

13 Yugasandhyaa: Transitions between the yugas 84

14 The Irony of the Big Questions 90

15 From Non-Science to Real Space Science 95

16 Mathematical criterion for Habitability of Exoplanets: 101

Light, Maxwell’s Electromagnetic theory and Relativity

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 We will discuss here, briefly, the cosmological
implications of Krishna's teachings in chapter 8 of
the Bhagavad Gita. Here Krishna teaches us how
to prepare for our death and how the lifebreath
should leave the body. This is the beyond the
scope and comprehension of science, as we know
it, and so it is defined here as being non-science.

http://media.photobucket.com/image/cosmic%20krishna/Karnamrita/C
OSMICKRISHNA.jpg?o=1

A simple mathematical criterion for Habitability of

Exoplanets is also proposed here, based on the synthesis
of several ideas: Universality of Brahma's lifetime
regardless of our place in the Universe, an interesting
property of light near the vicinity of the earth,
Maxwell’s theory of electromagnetism and
Einstein’s theory of relativity.

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Arjuna uvaca
Kim tad Brahma kim Adhyaatmam
kim karma Purushottama l
Adhibhootam ca kim proktam
Adhidaivam kim ucyate ll 8.1 ll
Adhiyajnam katham kOtra dehEsmin Madhusoodhana l
PrayaaNa kaale ca katham jnyeyOsi niyataamabhihi ll 8.2 ll
****************************************************
Dear All:

Glad to see that our Gita study group is growing.

This is a brief follow-up about the cosmology lesson given by Krishna in

chapter 8. This is also the place where Srila Prabhupada discusses the
details about the duration of the four yugas and Brahma's lifetime, in terms
of human years (see http://www.asitis.com , purport of verse 17, chapter 8).

The question that was asked about how all this relates to the current
calendar that we use is a very good one. The current calendar is called the
Gregorian calendar, after Pope Gregory XIII (who reigned as the Pope from
1572 to 1585), who ordered the Catholic church to study reforms to the
calendar since the date of Easter seemed to be increasingly out of touch
with the seasons. The previous calendar, used in the Western world, was
put into effect by the Romans under Julius Caesar, in 45 BC. In both
England and USA, the old calendar continued to be used even after the
Pope's new calendar came into force. Hence, historians of science note
that Sir Isaac Newton was born on Christmas day while the rest of Europe
was already into the New Year. In the USA too, the old calendar was used
even during the times of George Washington, see links given below.

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(Pope Gregory, used the papal bull, on Feb 24, 1582, to enforce the new
calendar http://www.naturcalendar.com/Tutorial/GregorianCalendar.htm
Ten days were dropped from the calendar and the New Year would be
celebrated on January 1, instead of first day of spring. But many countries
like England refused to accept the new calendar. Almost two centuries
later, twelve days were dropped from the “old” calendar by the British
Calendar act -- the day after Wednesday September 2, 1752 became
September 14, 1752, see http://www.infoplease.com/spot/gregorian1.html.
This is also the origin of April Fool’s day in France --- The French decided
to poke some fun at those who did not accept the new calendar and
continued to celebrate the new year at the start of spring. So only fools
continued to celebrate new year on April 1, instead of January 1, as
ordered by the Pope http://www.infoplease.com/spot/aprilfools1.html )

The relationship between the ideas we find in the “Hindu” scriptures (there
is really nothing “Hindu” about these ideas, these are “universal” ideas, only
happen to be spoken in Sanskrit, and belong to all humans) like the Gita
and Srimad Bhagavatam, can only be resolved by referring to what is
known as Sheshakali (the number of years of Kaliyuga still remaning,
shesham) in the Hindu Panchangam. Some panchangams convert shesha
kali to actual years elapsed since Kaliyuga started. So, let us start there.

http://www.mypanchang.com/panchangam2012.php
http://www.scribd.com/doc/33619799/Panchangam-Vikruthi-Eng-2010-11
http://www.eng.auburn.edu/~prasaps/panchanga.pdf (2005 was Kaliyear
5106 and so 2012 is Kaliyear 5113).

Timescales, both big and small, are described in Canto 3, chapter 11 of the
Srimad Bhagavatam, including how to construct a clock. One method was
to drain coconut water out by inserting a "tantu" (a small narrow tube made
of natural materials, like thin bamboo stalk) into the coconut, or by draining
a pot of water of a specified size. This is the same as what is known as a
"water clock" built by Europeans and also used by Galileo when he did his
famous experiments on balls rolling down an inclined plane.

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The timescales, big and small, are discussed in the conversation between
Vidura and the sage Maithreya. Vidura did not want to take sides during the
Mahabharata war (indeed, he was insulted by Duryodhana) and left on a
pilgrimage. During that time, he met Uddhava, who was on his way to
Bhadarikaashrama, as ordered by Krishna. Uddhava informed Vidura about
Krishna's return to His Own Abode and also that he had received
instructions from Krishna. Vidura wanted Uddhava to share them with him.
Uddhava, however, said that he should seek out the sage Maithreya who
had been ordered by Krishna Himself to impart the knowledge to Vidura.
(Maithreya also heard what Uddava had heard.)

With this background, let’s start with the actual cosmology lesson.

Sahasra yuga paryantam

ahar yat BrahmaNO vidhuh l
Raatrim yuga sahasraantam
te aho raatra vido jaanaahaa ll 8.17 ll BG

I have reproduced verse 17 of chapter 8 above. What is sahasra yuga?

The duration of Kaliyuga, the name of the age or the yuga in which we live,
is 432,000 years (see page 23 for more details). From the sheshakali
information, this means that Kaliyuga started 5113 years ago. (Some
sources say that the first day coincides with Mahashiva rathri, which was
celebrated recently in 2012.) This means Kaliyuga started in 3101 BC.
There is general agreement on this point, based on many sources that I
have read. Some give it as 3102 BC, see http://www.bhagavad-
gita.org/Gita/intro.html (Remember, there is no year zero AD!)

The duration of Dwapara yuga (when Krishna was born)

is 2 times Kaliyuga, or 864,000 years.
The duration of Tretaa yuga (when Rama was born)
is 3 times Kaliyuga, or 1296,000 years.
The duration of Satya yuga (also called Kruta yuga)
is 4 times Kaliyuga, or 1728,000 years.

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This cycle of four yugas then repeats (like the repetition of the days in a
week, the easiest example that we can understand, or the numbering of
the years in a decade). The total duration for the group of four yugas
here, taken together, is 10 times Kaliyuga. (1+2+3+4 = 10). This is also
called Chaturyuga or Mahayuga. Krishna simply uses the word "yuga" in
verse 17 of chapter 8 instead of Chaturyuga or Mahayuga (which is
indeed used in Bhagavatam). Hence, for this Chaturyuga duration we
get 10 times 432,000 = 4,320,000 years or 4.32 million years.

Now multiply this by 1000 (sahasra yuga paryantam, verse 17) to get
the duration of BrahmaNo ahar - or the day time for Brahma - like our
day time when the sun is up. We get 4.32 billion years for the duration of
Brahma's day time. (The rationale for 432,000 years of Kaliyuga can be
found in Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 3, chapter 11.)

Krishna then says that Brahma also experiences night time of the same
duration (raathrim yuga sahasraanantam, second line of verse 17).

As I had mentioned, here on earth, we experience equal duration of 12

hours of day and night times on the day of the equinox, which typically
falls on March 21 each year (this is the general date, but it can be off by
a day either way). There is one more equinox on September 21 (give
and take a day). During Pope Gregory’s time the accepted date of the
equinox did not coincide with the date on the Julius Caesar calendar.
(Hence, ten days were dropped in 1582 when the Gregorian calendar
took effect.) The day of equinox is special because on that day
EXACTLY the same 12 hours of day and night are experienced ALL
OVER THE WORLD. The variation in hours of day light, as we move
away from the equator, is related to tilt of the earth's axis. Hence, in the
Northern hemisphere the duration of day time is more than 12 hours, as
we are now going to experience during the summer here in the USA.
This is not so much noticeable in places like India, Malaysia, Singapore,
since they are closer to the equator.

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In the Brahma's count, therefore, each day is like an equinox day on
earth. This is the "scientific" explanation for the equal duration of day
and night mentioned by Krishna. Such a rationalization is possible if one
approaches the topic being discussed by Krishna with a reverential
attitude and a willingness to learn.

Why should all this be so surprising, or ridiculous, as some misguided

Westerners who read this think? (They really think the whole of Hindu
cosmology is nonsense. The truth is that it is so mindboggling, or cannot
be "proved", according to their biases. Yes, over the years, I have read
such statements, made by leading Western astronomers, that have
always pained me. Really sorry to even bring this up here! See
http://hinduwisdom.info/Hindu_Cosmology2.htm )

So, having settled this point now, we go to the next step.

One day of Brahma - both night and day taken together - equals 8.64
billion years. This day is called one kalpa. (Some think of kalpa as just
the day time part. I am kind of "defining" kalpa here as the total during
both one single day and night of Brahma.)

Think of "kalpa" as simply a new measure of time, like we use weeks,

instead of days, months instead of weeks, years instead of months, or
decades instead of years, or centuries instead of decades, or
milleniums, instead of centuries. What next? The next level is yugas and
kalpas. Only our scriptures comprehend such vast timescales. There is
no comparable concept in anything created by the so-called science
from the Western world. (They are still stuck on the point of what is
known as the "precession of the equinoxes", which is the main reason
for the difference between Western astrology and Hindu or Vedic
astrology. Western astrologers still pretend that what they are doing is
correct, although Western astronomers laugh at them. The planets are
NOT in the same constellations, or the houses of the zodiac, as claimed
by the Western astrologers, due to the precession of the equinoxes.
That is a different topic altogether.)

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What next? One kalpa, or a day or Brahma equals 8.64 billion years -
with equal day time and night times. Krishna tells us that everything
becomes "avyaktam" during Brahma's night time (in verse 18) and
continues the description in subsequent verses. He mentions that this
process is "avasha", i.e., not in anyone's control, nobody can change it
or control it. Both the "avyaktam" part and the "vyaktam" part is
uncontrollable. The whole aggregate of bhutaas (bhuta graama)
appears at the start of the day (like leaves and flowers appear on trees
at the start of spring, this too is "uncontrollable" unless some scientist
thinks they can make a tree bloom in winter....) and everything
disappears at the start of the night (verse 19).

Avyaktaat vyaktayah sarvaahaa

prabhavanti aharaagame l
Raatryaagame praleeyante
tatraiva-avyakta-samjnyake ll 8.18 ll BG

Bhoota-gramahaa sa evaayam
bhootvaa bhootvaa praleeyate l
Raatryaagame avashah Paartha
prabhavati-ahar-aagame ll 8.19 ll BG

I have reproduced the relevant verses above, without sandhis, so that

each word can be understood. Even as I read them again, I am struck
by these powerful words, yet they are all so simple and can be readily
understood by anyone who has studied Sanskrit (with some dedication).
This is the literary beauty of all of Vyasa’s compositions. There is no
jugglery of words, or what appears to be an attempt to bewilder the
reader (unfortunately found in some writings) with a scholarly exposition.
Or, may be, it is merely a reflection of the clarity of thought (and gunas)
possessed by the author.

What exactly is the state of "avyaktam" and what does this mean?

Does it mean that everything is as it was and just concealed, like all

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humans getting into a dark room, with darkness so dense that we cannot
see each other, or even our own selves? But, this concept means we
are all still intact, only invisible - or avyakta. But, Krishna states clearly in
the next sloka that something else is going on which can be understood
from the word "vinashyati" used in verse 20.

Paras tasmaat tu bhaavOnyahaa

avyaktah avyaktaat sanaatanahaa l
Yah sa sarveshu bhooteshu
nashyatsu na nashyati ll 8.20 ll BG

Vinashyati means complete destruction, nothing is the way it was

before. Sort of like slicing tomatoes and putting all the slices into a
blender and really turning into a real "puree". Or doing the same with
any other fruit or vegetable. But, tomato puree is still tomato. So, the
tomato is not really destroyed. It has only taken a different form. Is that
the same as destruction, or vinashyati? We have to think about that as
well. Krishna also adds nashyatsu? Nashyatsu means while undergoing
“naasha” or destruction. Even as something is experiencing naasha it
not suffering naasha (na nashyati).

By adding nashyatsu (even as destruction is being observed) before “na

nashyati” Krishna is suggesting (by the negation, na nashyati) that the
so-called destruction is only an apparent one. There is something more
which is eternal (sanaatanahaa) which has to be understood. This is
very similar to Krishna’s teachings in chapter 2, where Krishna tells
Arjuna that he (Arjuna) has to learn to look beyond the body. The
destruction of the body is only an apparent destruction. So, is the
destruction of all of creation. There is still something else more eternal.

Anyway, at the end of Brahma’s day, and the start of Brahma's night,
everything becomes "avyaktam" and disappears (praleeyate) and
everything reappers (prabhavati) at the dawn of Brahma's day.

What is the duration Brahma's lifetime? Krishna does NOT get into this
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discussion. His main objective here is to tell Arjuna (and us) that there is
still something that is NOT destroyed (verse 20, paras tasmaat tu
bhavOnyO avvyaktO avyaktaat sanaatanah). This is what we have to
marvel about, relish, comprehend, to understand the meaning of Tad
dhaama paramam ma-ma, in verse 21. It is this "His Own Abode" that
Krishna wants us to return to. But until such time that we really want to
return --- we will all be here -- and have no choice other than to accept
these “rules” of how the Universe operates and has been created by
Krishna (this is stated clearly in chapter 9, verse 10, mayaadhyaksheNa
prakritih sooyate sa caraacaram, also chapter 7, verse 7, Matah para
taram naasti).

When we are ready to return to His Abode, He will take us gladly back.

Then, why are we here? The simple answer is that we are deluded by
His Maa-yaa (a power possessed by Bhagavan alone) and want to enjoy
the pleasures of our bodily existence without realizing that this world is a
dhukkalayam (a house of sorrow) and ashaasvatam (impermanent),
verse 15, chapter 8. To satisfy those desires, we often to turn to
different dieties and worship them (based on advice given to us by
friends, family and elders to do such and such for such and such) and
remain forever deluded. Then, one day, death comes and we are no
more and we don't even realize that we are coming back and the same
cycle will repeat and we will return to the same sorrow. Any sense of
detachment we develop is fleeting and transitory - the most common
examples given are samashaana vairagyam and prasava vairagyam.

We attend a funeral and shed tears and realize that one day it will be our
turn, and then after we leave the funeral home we start planning the next
big party event, vacation plans, and so on, like there is no end. It is said
that women (cannot speak on this point from experience) are supposed
to develop the same type of detachment after suffering the pains of child
labor and child brith. If it were a lasting one, none of us would have a
sibling! A temporary detachment gives way to more attachment.
But, even Brahma has a finite lifetime. In the Bhagavatam it is stated
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(cannot find exact reference now, will report later) that even Brahma is
afraid of his death and wants a lifetime of more than 2 paraardhaas that
has been granted. One year of Brahma equals 360 Brahma days (not
365.25 days as some pseduo-scientific-types believe, one must consult
texts like Bhagavatam) or 360 kalpas, see page 23. One paraardha
equals 50 Brahma years as just noted. And so, Brahma's lifetime is 100
years, or 360 times 100 equals 36,000 kalpas.

Just, remember, Brahma's kalpa = 8.64 billion years and Brahma's

lifetime = 36,000 kalpas.

Now, please do the math (it will give you a lot of pleasure, believe me)
and find the confirmation for the trillions of years quoted for Brahma's life
time. Beware of the pseudo-scientific use of 365.25 Brahma days for
one Brahma year instead of 360 Brahma days for one Brahma year, as
stated clearly in the scriptures.

The Bhagavad Gita was therefore preached by Krishna (or Bhagavan)

over and over many times (as mentioned in chapter 4, starting with
verse 1), and is trillions of years old; see also interesting discussion at
http://www.bhagavad-gita.org/ and Vedic chronology given at
http://www.bhagavad-gita.org/Articles/vyasa.html .

In chapter 4, verse 1, Krishna states that he had spoken the same Gita
earlier to Vivaswan (the name of the Sun god) and that Vivaswan
instructed the same to Manu (the first Manu), who preached it to
Ikshvaaku (ancestor of Lord Rama) and then was handed down through
the generations.

Finally, we must discuss the point of manvantaras (based on Canto 3,

chapter 11 of Srimad Bhagavatam). In one kalpa, or more correctly one
day time of Brahma, there are 14 Manus. Our Manu, called Vaivaswata
Manu (son of Vivaswan, the Sun God) is the seventh Manu. Since each
kalpa has 1000 chaturyugas, each manu rules for 1000/14 = 71
Chaturyuga and a bit more (6/14), which is roughly 71.5 chaturyugas.
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This is like the term of office for a President or a Prime Minister.
Everything continues, as before, and Manus simply change during the
day time of Brahma. The duration of a single manu's reign is called a
Manvantara (topic of Canto 3, chapter 11 of Srimad Bhagavatam).
Hence, during the sankalpam, done during prayers, we say Vaivaswata
manvantare. The names of the earlier and future Manus are also found
in Bhagavatam (Canto 8, chapter 1). In verse 4 of chapter 1, Canto 8,
Shukacarya tells Parikshit that in the kalpa that we live in, we have
already experienced the reign of six manus (starting with Swayambhu
manu, at that time, people said Swaayambhuve manvantare).

We also say ashtavimshati tame followed by Kaliyuge. What does this

mean?

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 Now, ashta = 8 and vimshati = 20 and so we are talking about 28
something. Since our Manu will be around for 71 Kaliyugas, this tells us
that we are living in the 28th Kaliyuga of our Manu.

Like the days of the week, the days of Brahma also have a name. This is
what shewta varaha kalpe means - we are telling the name of the kalpa
as well.

So, what does the sankalpam do for us? Why do recite all this? It is a
reminder about our place in the cosmic order - a bigger order than we
can comprehend using the Gregorian calendar years. It tells us that we
are living in

 the second half of Brahma's lifetime - dwitiya paraardhe

 the kalpa named shewate varaha - in that year of Brahma.
 the reign of the manu named Vaivaswata (son of Vivaswaan, the Sun
God)
 the 28th Kaliyuga of the reign of said manu.
 the years of Kaliyuga remaining (are implied by the Panchangam,
which is cited in what follows, via, tithi, varam, nakshatram, etc.)

When these details change, great rishis will appear and will rewrite the
sankalpam for us. In the 29th Kaliyuga, if we return, we will be saying the
correct Kaliyuga. If we return during the time of the next Manu (given in
12th Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam), we will be reciting the name of that
Manu. It will no longer be Vaivaswata manvantare.

For example, the first sloka of the Prathama caritam of Devi Mahatmyam
mentions SaavaraNi manu. He is the eighth manu and the son of Surya
Bhagavan (by his wife named SavarNi). So, are the battles described in
Devi Mahatmyam future events or are they actually past events? Why
would I even say past events?

Well, readers should be able to answer this question now for themselves.

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Rituals such as sankalpams (and “abhivaadaye” chanted during Sandhya
vandanam) remind us about who we are and where we belong in the
cosmic order.

Very sincerely

V. Laxmanan
April 9, 2012

P. S. Please do not hesitate to point out any mathematical errors in my

"calculation" here. I may have mistyped millions and billions. I do not claim
any authoritative mantle to express these ideas here. This is simply a
humble sharing of views, as I understand them, thanks to the gift of many
years of Sanskrit study that I received as a teenager. I have tried very hard
to keep "interpretations" out of the "translations" although, I have to admit,
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that I have made a few strong statements here - mainly to caution against
the annoying attempt to incorporate so-called western science into such
calculations. Sincere apologies and no offense was intended to non-Hindu
readers. I do hope this will indeed find to be a topic of interest to all.

There is a place for science and there is a place for everything else which
is non-science (not nonsense). This is a case of applying math principles
to what is non-science, or metascience, or learning from the authoritative
words of Krishna Himself in the Gita. (Is Gita authoritative scripture? Are
these authoritative words of Krishna? I refer you to verses 15 and 16 of
chapter 7 for further clarification - na Maam dushkrutinO moodhaah and
Chaturvidhaah bhajante Maam....).

Science, as correctly understood, limits itself mainly to the study of the five
gross elements in form of the other (physics, chemistry, and related
science, including the engineering sciences and technology, etc.). Some
attempts are made to understand manas, buddhi, and ahankaram (mind,
intelligence, intellect, ego, for want of a better translation for these two
words, via biological sciences, psychology and psychiatry, and
pharmaceutical drugs and testing prescribed for maladies related to the
mind, or brain processes). However, these eight constitute what Krishna
defines as Prakriti (chapter 7, verse 4, see below). The study of Gita has
opens us to what is beyond science, or what I have called non-science.
This is what Krishna has been preaching Arjuna – who was deluded and
suffered a classical mental breakdown – the expression of Adhyaatma in a
rudimentary way. To overcome this type of a breakdown, especially by an
extraordinary person like Arjuna, one has to go beyond all of this and attain
a higher understanding. This is non-science and cannot be fathomed even
by the “sciences” such as psychology since they do not yet understand
what goes on in Yogic practices described in chapters 6 and 8.

Everyone dies. But most people just die. Krishna teaches us how we
must die and control our life-breath at that moment when it arrives.
This is the realm of non-science. We will discuss this in more detail in
later postings.
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Dear All:

Here's an interesting follow-up on why we recall our place in the cosmic

order (during recitation of sankalpam, or abhivaadaye during Sandhya
vandanam). Our memory of events is so limited that now we have people
Tweeting about the Titanic. Some do not seem to know the sinking of the
luxury vessel Titanic was an actual historical event.

The Titanic hit the iceberg just before midnight on April 14, 1912 (at 11:50
PM, if I remember correctly) and sank by 2:20 am on April 15, 1912. I
remember this because April 15 is traditionally tax day in the USA and April
14 also has a personal significance for me (remembering by association, a
common memory aid).

If we do not recall events that happened in our own lifetimes, or a 100

years ago (the 100th anniversary of the actual sinking is approaching
hence all the hype), how are we to recall things that occurred billions or
even trillions of years ago?

That is the record that is available to us through the scriptures such as the
Gita and the Srimad Bhagavatam, and also preserved, unknown to us in
the ritualistic chantings/recitations just mentioned. Preserving the Vedas,
emphasized by acaryas like Kanchi Paramacarya, by supporting young
students who are willing to take their study seriously, serves the same
purpose. Now, enjoy the Titanic Tweets and the slide show.

Very sincerely

V. Laxmanan
April 10, 2012

P. S. I found an important typo in the Cosmology write up yesterday, which

you can find below. Both the "avyaktam" part and the "vyaktam" part is
uncontrollable. It is uncontrollable, not controllable. I also edited some

Page 17 of 122
other minor typos to that write up and made a couple of additions. This will
be uploaded later as a public document, available on the Internet.

******************************************************************

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2012/04/06/stupid_people_on_twitter
_why_buzzfeed_the_huffington_post_and_other_media_shouldn_t_mock_t
hem.html

Stop Cherry-Picking Stupid People’s Tweets

By L.V. Anderson

| Posted Friday, April 6, 2012, at 5:54 PM ET

The Huffington Post recently published a slide show of tweets ostensibly

revealing people's ignorance of the historical existence of the Titanic.

First we heard about the musical philistines who were unfamiliar with
Arcade Fire and Bon Iver. Then came the people who had never heard of
former Beatle Paul McCartney when he performed at the Grammys (“WHO
IS THIS WHITE MAN”), followed shortly by those who were ignorant of
Oscar host Billy Crystal’s claim to fame (“Who is this Billy Crystal guy and
why does his face look like a sponge?”). Now, upon the 3D rerelease of
Titanic, the Huffington Post has catalogued a list of tweets from people who

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ostensibly aren’t aware that the Titanic’s sinking was a real historical event
(“Wait, so titanic was a real ship?”).

Images of Titanic sinking and New York Times front page on April 16, 1912
http://www.boweryboogie.com/2012/04/100-years-of-titanic-tragedy-not-even-
god-himself-could-sink-this-ship/

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 Bheesha’s introductory remarks
leading to Vishnu Sahasranaamam
Dear All:

Within the context of our discussion of cosmology lessons from chapter 8 of the
Bhagavad Gita, it is also worth recalling the introductory slokas of the VishNu
Sahasranaamam, under Bheeshma uvaca, which then lead up to the recitation of
the 1000 names of Mahavishnu. Bheeshma is responding to the questions posed by
Yuddhishttira, given below. (The earlier, and future, write-ups on this topic are
available as a public document at the link given below. This will be updated as we
continue with the chapter 8 discussion.)

http://www.scribd.com/doc/88741084/Cosmology-Lessons-from-the-Gita

Yuddhishttira uvaca

Kim ekam daivatam loke kim vaapyekam parayaNam l

Stuvantah kam kam archantah praapnuyuh manavaah shubham ll

Ko dharmah sarva dharmaaNaam bhavatah paramO matahaa l

Kim japan mucyate jantuhu janma samsara bandhanaat ll

Bheeshma uvaca

Jagat prabhum deva devam anantam purushottamam l

Stuvan naama sahasreNa purushah satatOtthitahaa ll

Yuddhishttira’s questions appear in the two slokas quoted above. The questions
posed by him are: (see also Anantarama Deekshitar’s Jaya Mangala stotram, vol 1
and also the link given below.

http://www.ibiblio.org/sadagopan/ahobilavalli/vishnu_sahasra_namam_vol1.pdf )

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1. Who is the One (Supreme) Deity? Kim ekam daivatam loke
2. What is the highest goal of life? Kim vaapyekam parayaNam
3. By praising which Deity's auspicious qualities will human beings attain
prosperity in this world as well as bliss in the next? Stuvantah kam….
4. By meditating on which Deity will human beings attain prosperity in this
world as well as bliss in the next? Kam arcantah….
5. By reciting which mantra will man be released from the bondage of the
cycle of birth and death? Kim japan mucyate ….
6. Of the three means referred to above (i.e., recitation, praise or
archana, and meditation), which is the best means for attaining the
grace of the Supreme Deity based on your vast experience and
knowledge? Ko dharmah sarva dharmaaNaam….

Bheeshma's response, of which only the first verse is reproduced above, follow in
the next thirteen (13) verses. The three statements made in these verses

a) satata utthitah (satatOtthitah) – always rising, never falling

b) sarva dhukkatigObhavet – getting over all sorrows
c) papa bhayaapaham – all sins, all fears are overcome

are indicative of the answer to the final question posed – how does one get
liberated (mucyate) and overcome the bondage (bandhanam) of this birth (janma)
and this life (samsara).

In his (Bheeshma’s) considered opinion, a person tides over all the sorrows in this
world by reciting with undiluted devotion the Thousand Names of the Eternal
Person, worshiping Him always with devotion, meditating upon Him, glorifying
Him, saluting Him by prostrating before Him, and adoring Him (dhyaayan,
stuvan, namasyamsca, yajamanas tameva ca). This is the gist of the answer.
However, there are many slokas that mirror some of the very same ideas about
creation and dissolution as explained by Krishna in chapter 8.

In the first verse under Bheeshma uvaca, given above, Bheeshma says that the
person who (purushah) sings (stuvan) the glories of Purushottama (the Supreme
Being), the Eternal Being (Anantam), the God of all the gods (deva devam), the
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Master of the Universe (Jagat prabhum), with His 1000 names (naama sahasreNa),
is always (satata) elevated (utthitahaa), i.e. such a person rises to the higher lokas
and will attain moksha.

In the next three verses, which must be read together to complete the thought in the
first sloka. The pronoun “tam”, which leads the second verse, refers to the
Supreme Being described in the first of the verses. Verses 3 and 4 provide
additional descriptions of glorifications of this Supreme Being (Jagatprabhu,
Devadeva, Purushottama). Bheeshma says that such a person will overcome all the
sorrows of existence (sarva dhukkaatigo bhavet). Recall Krishna talking about
dhukkalayam, in chapter 8, verse 15. Here Bheeshma provides the recipe for
overcoming our sorrowful existence. The person is always performing arcanas
(arcayan nityam), i.e., worshipping with namas, not just doing the chanting the
names), to Him and Him alone (tam eva), with a great deal of devotion (bhaktyaa).
He is always meditating on Him (dhyaayan), always sings the glories (stuvan), and
always bowing down (namasyan ca), and consider only Him to be the Master of all
(yajamaanas tameva ca). This Supreme Being, named Vishnu, is without any
beginning (anaadi) or end (nidhanam), He is the great Lord (Maheswara) of all the
worlds (lokaas) and He is the Lord of all the worlds (lokaadhyaksham). To Him he
directs his praises and attains full liberation from all of his sorrows.

Bheeshma continues his description of this Lord, with a great deal of devotion, in
subsequent verses and finally he names this Supreme Being as Vishnu. He states
that he would like Yuddhishttira (Bhupate, since he is also the king) to hear from
him the 1000 names of VishNu, the Jagannaatha, the Supremo of all the worlds
(loka pradhaana). He will destroy (apahaa) all our paapaas (sins) and bhayams
(fears). Then he adds, in the next verse, “It is from Him (yatah) that all the bhootas
or beings (sarvaNi bhootani) emanate at the beginning of the yuga (yugaagamay)
and it is into Him that they dissolve at the end of the yuga (yugakshaye).”

In chapter 8, Krishna does NOT specifically identify VishNu as the source of

creation, or the sink, when dissolution sets in. He merely states that beyond this
process of innumerous and repeated creations and dissolution lies something
eternal, which is never destroyed, even as it appears that all of creation is being
destroyed (verse 19, chapter 8, bhoota graamah sa evavaayam…). Krishna also
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mentions, in verse 22, that one can, however, attain (labhyas tu) with unalloyed
devotion (bhaktyaa ananyayaa) that Supreme Being (Purushah sa Parah) within
Whom (yasya antasthaani) are present all of the beings (bhootaani) and from
Whom springs all of this (yena sarvam idam tatam).

Krishna does not name the Supreme as Vishnu but Bheeshma does. There is,
however, an amazing similarity in the description of creation and dissolution. In
the next email we will how Krishna wants us to leave the body at the time of our
final journey (PrayaaNa kaale).

As we study this, we must also keep in mind Bheeshma’s standing. We can accept
Bheeshma’s statements as authoritative; see later how Bheeshma breathed his last.
We will return to this point after we discuss Krishna teachings about how to leave
the body and breathe our last.

Very sincerely
V. Laxmanan
April 10, 2012

******************************************************************

The years of Kaliyuga

Earlier it was noted, without further proof or elaboration, that the duration of
Kaliyuga, the name of the age or yuga that we live in, is 432,000 years. Here we
will discuss how this figure is arrived at. The rationale is found in Canto 3, chapter
11 of the Srimad Bhagavatam; see also Srila Prabhupada’s translations.
http://srimadbhagavatam.com/3/11/en

In verses 18 and 19 of chapter 11, Canto 13, we find the following very concise
statement about the yugas. Notice that the duration of the various yugas is given
in terms of divine years, NOT human years. The sage Maithreya said (in
conversation with Vidura): It has been ascertained that the four yugas – Kruta,
Treta, Dwaapara, and Kali, taken together last for 12,000 divine years i.e., the year
according to the reckoning of the gods (3.11.18).
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The duration of the four yugas are measured using the following unit: 1000 divine
years plus 2 times 100 years to account for the transitions from one yuga to the
other. In other words, the unit is 1200 divine years. The four yugas are, in order, 4
times, 3 times, 2 times, and 1 time, this basic unit. Hence, Kruta yuga, also known
as Satya yuga, has 1200 times 4 = 4800 divine years, Treta yuga has 3600 divine
years, Dwaapara yuga has 2400 divine years and Kaliyuga has 1200 divine years.

What is a divine year? One divine year is composed of 360 divine days, i.e., a
day according to the celestials (or the gods).

What is one divine day? A year for humans equals a day for the gods. Hence,
one divine day, by definition, equals one human year. If we are clear about this
definition of a divine year and a divine day, it is obvious that the EXACT duration
of a human year is of NO CONSEQUENCE.

Hence, one divine year = 360 divine days = 360 human years, ALWAYS,
regardless of the exact duration of one human year. This then leads to the
following counts for the duration of each of the four yugas.

Kaliyuga = 1200 divine years = 1200 times 360 = 432,000 human years
Dwaapara = 2400 divine years = 2400 times 360 = 864,000 human years
Treta = 3600 divine years = 3600 times 360 = 1296,000 human years
Kruta (Satya) yuga = 4800 divine years = 4800 times 360 = 1728,000 human years.

The total duration of the four yugas taken together is (1+2+3+4 = 10) times
Kaliyuga duration = 12,000 divine years, or equivalently, 432,000 times 10 =
4.32 million divine days = 4.32 million human years.

One daytime for Brahma equals 1000 such cycles of the four yugas = 4.32 billion
years. An equal duration of Brahma’s night time follows, similar to the situation
here on earth on the day of the equinox.

Finally, it is of interest to note that in ancient times, Babylonian astronomers had

reported that one year was equal to 360 days. This is recorded history and the
Babylonians were skilled astronomers. Hence, the error of 5.25 days (one year is
now accepted as slightly less than 365.25 days) must make us pause and wonder.
How could such a huge error be made by astronomers who were quite skilled in

Page 24 of 122

Brahma’s lifetime = 100 years
Each Brahma year (BY) has 360
Brahms days (BD) called kalpas. One
kalpa includes daytime (ahah अहः)
and nighttime (raatri रात्रि) of equal
duration, see Ramanuja’s commentary
http://www.bhagavad-
gita.org/Gita/verse-08-17.html
So, Brahma’s lifetime = 36,000 kalpas
Daytime has 1000 Chaturyugas(Cy)
with equal time for night.
So, one kalpa = 2,000 Chaturyugas.
So, Brahma’s lifetime equals 36,000
times 2000 Chaturyugas = 72 million
Chaturyugas (Cy).
One Chaturyuga has 12,000 divine
years (DY).
So, Brahma’s lifetime equals 72 million
times 12,000 divine years = 864 billion
divine years (DY)
The above calculations have nothing to
do with any human days, years, or time
durations. Multiply DY by 360 to get
Brahma’s lifetime in human years. The
number is 311,040 billion (human)
years or 311.04 trillion years.
other observations? Also, one must
remember that the number of days
in a month was fixed based on lunar
observations – a month being the
duration between one new moon to
another, which was typically 29 or
30 days.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylo
nian_astronomy
http://www.webexhibits.org/calenda
rs/calendar-ancient.html
Nonetheless, a careful study
of Bhagavatam shows that
the duration of the various
yugas, in human years, has
nothing to do with the
number of days in a human
year. This important point is
often overlooked and appears
to be poorly understood.
Lastly, let us consider the rationale
for 360 divine days in one divine
year. This arises quite simply from
30 days in a month and 12 months
in a year, which gives 360 days in a
year. All divine months have equal
number of divine days. How is this
possible?

Well, we do experience equinox

here on earth – when the hours of
daytime and night-time are exactly
equal ALL OVER THE WORLD. This happens on two days in our earth-year.

Page 25 of 122
There is no reason to believe that such a perfect equality of days in a month is
impossible; see also how Srila Prabhupada breaks down the lifetime of Brahma in
the following sloka from The Srimad Bhagavatam.

http://srimadbhagavatam.com/3/9/18/en (Canto 3, chapter 9, verse 18, which we

will discuss more completely later, see page 78.)

Canto 3: The Status Quo Chapter 9: Brahmā's Prayers for Creative Energy

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 3.9.18

Yasmād bibhemy aham api dviparārdha-dhi yam

adhyāsita sakala-loka-namask ta yat
tepe tapo bahu-savo 'varurutsamānas
tasmai namo bhagavate 'dhimakhāya tubhyam

SYNONYMS

yasmāt — from whom; bibhemi — fear; aham — I; api — also; dvi-para-ardha —

up to the limit of 4,300,000,000 x 2 x 30 x 12 x 100 solar years; dhi yam —
place; adhyāsita — situated in; sakala-loka — all other planets; namask tam —
honored by; yat — that; tepe — underwent; tapa — penances; bahu-sava —
many, many years; avarurutsamāna — desiring to obtain You; tasmai — unto
Him; nama — I do offer my obeisances; bhagavate — unto the Supreme
Personality of Godhead; adhimakhāya — unto Him who is the enjoyer of all
sacrifices; tubhyam — unto Your Lordship.

*********************************
It was noted earlier that the EXACT duration of a human year is of NO
CONSEQUENCE since the duration of the yugas is related to the number of
divine years and divine days. What is the duration of the human year
changes? The duration of the yugas still remains the same.

What if humans were to move to Mars or Venus, or one of the habitable

moons of Saturn, or to one of the other exo-planets - the inhabitable planets
found in recent years by astronomers in distant galaxies orbiting around very
distant stars?

Page 26 of 122
Since all these planets still become to the same material universe, the duration
of the divine day is not changed – only the duration of the year for humans
living on these exotic distant planets changes. This is the deeper significance of
the definition of the duration of the yugas in terms of divine years and days.

******************************************************************

Srila Prabhupada’s translation

of the relevant verses from Canto 3
SB 3.11.18: Maitreya said: O Vidura, the four millenniums are called the Satya,
Tretā, Dvāpara and Kali yugas. The aggregate number of years of all of these
combined is equal to twelve thousand years of the demigods.

SB 3.11.19: The duration of the Satya millennium equals 4,800 years of the years
of the demigods; the duration of the Dvāpara millennium equals 2,400 years; and
that of the Kali millennium is 1,200 years of the demigods.

SB 3.11.20: The transitional periods before and after every millennium, which are
a few hundred years as aforementioned, are known as yuga-sandhyās, or the
conjunctions of two millenniums, according to the expert astronomers. In those
periods all kinds of religious activities are performed.

SB 3.11.21: O Vidura, in the Satya millennium mankind properly and completely

maintained the principles of religion, but in other millenniums religion gradually
decreased by one part as irreligion was proportionately admitted.

SB 3.11.22: Outside of the three planetary systems [Svarga, Martya and Pātāla],
the four yugas multiplied by one thousand comprise one day on the planet of
Brahmā. A similar period comprises a night of Brahmā, in which the creator of the
universe goes to sleep.

SB 3.11.23: After the end of Brahmā's night, the creation of the three worlds
begins again in the daytime of Brahmā, and they continue to exist through the life
durations of fourteen consecutive Manus, or fathers of mankind.

Page 27 of 122
 Artists’ depiction of Kalki Avataram (at the end of Kaliyuga)
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=kalki+avatar+pictures&view=detail&id=B
4BB29550DBDA5DB2D67AF00F3C33A2A30429550&first=0&qpvt=kalki+avat
ar+pictures&FORM=IDFRIR

Canto 12: (12-16) When the bodies of all living entities by the contamination of
Kaliyuga are in decay and the dutifulness of the members of all status-orientations
is lost, when the vedic path fit for all men has changed into an atheistic conception
of duty, when the kings predominantly act as thieves and men in their various
occupations in truth are all lying bandits of meaningless slaughter, when the
classes are predominantly [profit-]labor-minded, the cows are not better than goats,
the hermitages are just like materialistic homes, family ties do not reach further
than the bonds of marriage, when the plants and herbs have reduced in size and all
trees are like s'amî trees, when there is always lightning in the clouds and the
homes are ruled by loneliness [voidism, impersonalism, see Pranâti], when Kali-
yuga is running at its end and the people have become like asses, the Supreme
Lord will descend in the mode of pure goodness to defend the dharma.
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 The incarnation of Kalki will
take place, as foretold in the
Srimad-Bhagavatam.
Shambhala-grama-mukhyasya
brahmanasya mahatmanah
bhavane vishnuyashasah
Kalkih pradur bhavishyati

“Lord Kalki will appear in the home of the most eminent brahmana
of Shambhala village, the great soul Vishnuyasha.” Srimad
Bhagavatam, Canto 12, chapter 2, verses 18 to 20.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalki

Krishna Abducts Rukmini

http://cvrajan.hubpages.com/hub/The-story-of-Krishna-The-enchanting-avatar-of-
Vishnu

Page 29 of 122
 Happy (Tamil) New Year
Dear All:

Happy Tamil New Year to all, or as the Tamils say, Puththandu vazhththukkal.
Should have also said Happy Ugadi and Happy Vishu. The Bengali new year also
falls this week.

So, what is one year? As we understand it, it is the time taken for the earth to
complete one orbit (or revolution) around the sun. One year has 365 days, or 366 if
it is a leap year, hence we use 365.25 days, on average, if we want to be more
“scientifically rigorous”.

What is a day? It is the time taken for the earth to complete one rotation, about its
own axis, and face the sun again. How long does this take? How do we know that?

Ah, now we come to the interesting part --- BY DEFINITION, the earth takes 24
hours to complete one rotation and so one day is DEFINED as being equal to 24
hours. This is a definition, folks. Somebody thought of the number 24 and said the
time duration is 24 hours and each hour is DEFINED to have 60 minutes. Hence,
the total minutes in a day equals 24 times 60 = 1440 minutes.

But, mathematics says that 24 times 60 is the same as 60 times 24. What is wrong
with 60 times 24? NOTHING AT ALL, for all those who want to be “scientifically
rigorous”. In fact, this is exactly what we used in ancient times in India. The day
was DEFINED as 60 units of 24 minutes with one muhoortam being DEFINED as
2 units of 24 minutes, so one muhurtam equals 48 minutes and so one day has 30
muhurtams http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_units_of_measurement. SMILE!

How did this change from 60 times 24 to 24 times 60 happen?

Somewhere, for reasons unknown, in parts of the world not called India,
somebody, for reasons unknown, WILLFULLY reversed 60 times 24 to 24 times
60 - just like it happened when America was populated by Europeans. They started

Page 30 of 122
driving on the wrong side of the road, they changed the spelling and dropped "u" in
colour and made it color and mould into mold. The doors open inward instead of
outward and so on. This is history and someone deliberately made, for reasons we
do not know now, deliberately made the change from 60 times 24 to 24 times 60.

Now, with this background, consider this cosmology lesson again about the
meaning one (human) year. One year for the humans (here on earth) equals one
day for the gods. Or, it is actually the other way around. One DIVINE day
equals one HUMAN year. We got it backwards. 360 such DIVINE days equal
one DIVINE year. The Srimad Bhagavatam defines cosmological timescales in
terms of DIVINE YEARS. We try to convert this into human years.

What if humans moved to Mars, like we moved from India to USA and many other
countries? Now what is a day or a year? What is the relation to a divine day and
the divine year and Brahma's day and Brahma's lifetime? Does everything change
since the “HUMAN” year time duration has changed since we moved to a different
planet? Or, what if we moved to a new planet orbiting some new sun in some new
galaxy? Many such new planets and suns have now been discovered.

Brahma’s lifetime is ALWAYS 864 billion Divine years, or 36,000 kalpas

where a kalpa includes the nighttime of Brahma (see table on page 94).

Do read about this in the public document I have uploaded on cosmology lessons
from chapter 8 of the Gita. I have pasted some relevant sections below the
signature line. Happy New Year to ALL - yes, ALL and you know why. Each
day is a new year since it all depends which point on the earth's orbit we choose to
count the start of a new year --- like our individual birthdays. Cheers!

Very sincerely
V. Laxmanan
April 13, 2012

Taken from Cosmology Lessons from Chapter 8 of Gita document, see

http://www.scribd.com/doc/88741084/Cosmology-Lessons-from-the-Gita
pages 23 to 26 - section called The Years of Kaliyuga

Page 31 of 122
 How should one leave the body?

Representation Shree Cakram

PrayaaNa kaale manasaa-acalena

Bhaktyaa yuktO yoga-balena caiva l
BhruvOr madhye praaNam aaveshya samyak
Sa Tam Param Purusham upaiti Divyam ll 8.10 ll BG

The key words of interest here are bhruvor (eyebrows) madhye

(middle of), which mean in the middle of the two eyebrows.

Page 32 of 122
In verses 10 and 12 of chapter 8, Krishna spells out for Arjuna, very clearly,
how one should leave the body. These two verses are reproduced here.

Representation of the seven chakras in the human body

according to Vedic scriptures

Sarva dwaaraaNi saiyamya

manO hrudi nirudhya ca l
moordhani-aadhaaya atmanah praaNam
aastithO yoga dhaaraNam ll 8.12 ll BG

The key word of interest here is moordhani (which means the

crown of the head).
Page 33 of 122
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=seven+chakras+in+human+body&vie
w=detail&id=F18F78D850B918602759BA0E4D986E3887CEE81E&first=0

Krishna uses the words “bhruvOr madhye” in verse 10 and “moordhani

aadhaaya” in verse 12 to clearly describe how one should control the
lifebreath at the time (kaale) of the journey (prayaaNa). Bhruva means the
eyebrow, and bhrvOh means of the two eyebrows. Maadhye means center
of. Thus, bhruvOr madhye means in the center of, or middle of, the two
eyebrows. What about it?

Krishna says, PrayaaNa kaale, at the time of the journey (when the atma or
soul must depart from the body), bhruvOr madhye praaNam aaveshya
samyak. At the time of this journey, i.e., when the moment of death, dying,
approaches, one must fully and in its entirety (samyak) literally force

Page 34 of 122
(aavashya) the life breath (praaNam) and place it in the middle of, center
of, the two eyebrows.

In various yogic practices, such as PraNaayaamam, the most commonly

known yogic practice, one learns to control the breathing process. At first
we carefully inhale air through our nostrils, actually only one nostril. Then it
is completely held within the body for a brief moment before it is expelled
through the other nostril.

http://www.chakrahub.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/7chakras.jpg

Somewhere along the way this breathing process started in our body. It is
an involuntary process. We cannot help it. Everyone knows how to breathe.

Page 35 of 122
It need not be taught. What we need to learn, or be taught, is how to
regulate this breathing process. It is quite possible to hold the entire breath
within the body for a short time, such as those who perform
praaNaayamam know. Where does the breath reside within the body when
one does the praaNaayamam, or regulated process of inhale-hold-exhale?

It is definitely NOT residing in the middle of the two eyebrows. One can
probably feel it in the lungs, or within the heart, or in some “diffused” form
within the whole body. Just having the breathe held within the body has a
great deal of health benefits (such as how oxygen is absorbed by the blood
and then distributed throughout the body, likewise for things that must be
expelled from the body). But, usually, we do not control the breathe in this
fashion and keep breathing in the so-called “normal” fashion. When we are
“out of breath” or “panting” things change and we are trying desperately to
inhale and bring more oxygen into the body via the enhancement of the
normal breathing process.

Now, Krishna is telling Arjuna (and us) that we have to do something

different. The entire lifebreath, at the moment of the final journey, or death,
must be concentrated so that it is actually residing (or literally pushed into,
forced into) the space between the two eyebrows.

But, Krishna says some more in this verse. Besides holding, or forcing, the
breathe in this fashion – holding is a better word than forcing as we will see
shortly and why so – we must do several other things.

Manaasaa acalena – this must be done with a very steady and calm mind,
one that is not wavering with thoughts like we experience in our day to day
living. We are filled with millions and millions of thoughts and the mind can
take us to places unknown in a matter of seconds.

Bhaktyaa yuktO – one must be filled with devotion. This has to be learned
while we are alive through prayer.

Page 36 of 122
Yoga balena – with the power or strength of yoga. This means we must
also learn some yogic practices. We must learn how to control the breathe
and hold it as described between the eyebrows. This requires practice or
training, like training to play a sport, run a marathon, or many other things
we do in life.

Acalena (steady, not wavering, not wandering) manaasaa (with a mind),

and bhaktyaa yuktO (filled with bhakti or devotion) means that we must be
ready for the moment of death and face it in an absolutely calm manner.
There is no need to fear this moment. Bhakti, devotion, is developed with
regular prayer rituals, such as reciting of the Vishnu Sahasranaamam,
Lalita Sahasranaamam, study of scriptures like Gita and Srimad
Bhagavatam (and other devotional works in many other languages, Indian
and otherwise). Then there will be no fear when the moment of death, or
the final journey (the exact meaning of the words used, mrutyu is NOT
used here).

What happens when one can do this? Krishna tells us in the final part of
verse 10. Sa Tam Param Purusham upaiti Divyam.

Sa, or sahaa, is the pronoun which means “he”. He who does what has
been described. (One could also include here, by implication, saa, the
female pronoun meaning the same. May be ladies should chant saa
instead of sa, when they recite this verse!)

Sa upaiti means, he comes. Actually “eti” means to comes. The addition of

“upa” reinforces the message of coming, as in the words like Upanayanam,
Upanishad, and so on.

Where does he come to, or go to, or arrive at (this is real meaning of upaiti
and the addition of “upa”), if one is thinking of leaving the body and starting
a journey? The answer is Tam Purusham – he arrives at, or goes to, or
comes to, That Purusha, who is qualified by the adjective Param, hence he
comes to that Supreme Being. Krishna also adds Divyam, Divine. He
comes to that Divine Supreme Being.
Page 37 of 122
Imagine how a multitrack situation with a train ready to take off? What will
happen in this situation. The train can only head down one single tracks,
although many are present. It depends on the direction in which the front
end of the train (the engine) is facing. Likewise, a modern airplane can take
off and head in any direction in the vast sky. Yet, the direction that is must
choose to arrive at its desired destination depends on the runway on to
which it is directed. Only then is the plane pointing in a direction that is
conducive to its quickest arrival at its chosen destination. If it takes a wrong
turn, it can always turn around and come back, but this will take a finite
time, and depending on the circumstances, also possibly involving one
more landing and take off, may be even at a different airport. The same
with the train, if it heads down the wrong track.

Now, apply this same analogy to how the lifebreath must leave the body,
based on what Krishna has just described. The directionality, the place
where the lifebreath must be held, before explusion from the body, is just
as important to reach the desired destination – that Divine Supreme Being.

This should convince all of us to do the needful and learning how to hold
the entire lifebreath as described here. If we cannot, they we will be like a
train going down the wrong track, or the airplane taking off from the wrong
runway.

Verse 11, which we will skip for the moment, is a further introduction to the
description of the destination that Krishna to take Arjuna (and us). We will
return to this later. Now, let us consider verse 12, which has been cited
above and which describes what else we must do.

Sarva dwaaraaNi saiyamya

manO hrudi nirudhya ca l
moordhani-aadhaaya atmanah praaNam
aastithO yoga dhaaraNam ll 8.12 ll BG

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Sarva dwaaraaNi saiyamya – The word dwaaram means a door, or a
gate, or the entrance. DwaaraaNi is the plural form. This body is compared
to city with nine gates, or entrances in chapter 5, verse 13. Nava-dwaara
puray dehee… Dhee means one who is holding the body. These nine
entrances are what is being alluded to here. These nine entrances are the
places where external inputs are received by our senses – the two eyes,
the two ears, the two nostrils, the one mouth (never mind, some have more
than one, figuratively speaking) and the two excretory passages which
include the genitals. Females must wonder why only nine are mentioned,
not ten. (That can be a topic for lively debate but outside the scope of the
present!)

ManO hrudi nirudhya ca – The word “ca” is the conjunction “and”. We

must also do something more. The five indriyas (or sensory organs) were
just mentioned and now Krishna manas to these five. The manas is often
translated, for want of a better word, as the mind in English. We have often
discussed the chariot analogy in Gita study. The body is like a chariot
(ratha). The indriyas are like the horses. The manas is like the reins held by
the one driving the chariot. The buddhi, or intelligence or intellect, is like the
charioteer who actually holds the reins that control the horses or indriyas.
Who is within chariot (or the rathin)? That is the dehi, the atma, the resident
of the body and it is this rathin, or dehi, who is using the body (chariot),
using the manas and buddhi to enjoy different pleasures (which is
compared to the road on which the chariot travels). So, now Krishna is
telling us what to do with the manas, or the controlling agency for the
indiryas.

It should be completely restrained (nirudhya), or entrapped, cannot let go.

In psychiatric hospitals, patients who suffer from serious psychological
problems are physically restrained. In extreme cases they put a strait jacket
around them. The process called “nirudhya” here is something similar.

Krishna tells us where the manas should go, or be restrained, or

constrained to be. He says hrudi – in the heart. This is commonly described
as the place within the body where the Supreme Being resides – an
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amsha, or a very small divine fragment. The Goddess Mahalakshmi, or
Sridevi, resides in this place within Paramaatma’s body – hence we say,
Shreevatsaankita vakshasam to describe Him, in the last dhyaanam
sloka (Chaayaayaam paarijaatasya…) of the Vishnu Sahasranaamam.
Also, in the Shantaakaram bhujaga shayanam slokam, we find the
description Yogihrud dhyaana gamyam. Yogi hurd means within the
hearts of yogis. By the process of dhyanam, the yogis try to visualize Him
as being situated within their heart, or hrud.

He is actually situated within everyone’s heart. It is only a matter of learning

(through dhyaanam process) how to visualize Him. Krishna is telling us that
we must do the same, and visualize Him within our heart at the time of our
last journey.

We also learn from this that dhyaanam is a process that is under the
control of the mind, or manas. Only when the manas is brought under
control (by the charioteer who is holding the reins to control the horses) by
the process of completely constraining the manas to hrud, will we succeed
in visualizing Him at the last moment. In other words, when the manas is
NOT constrained into the confines of the hrud area (heart area), it becomes
like the reins let loose by the charioteer and the horses (indriyas) run wild
seeking pleasures (vishayaas, which are the like the road traveled).

AastithO yoga dhaaraNam – situated (aastitha) in the yogic posture and

holding it (dhaaraNam). What yogic posture?

Moordhani aadhaaya atmanah praaNam – the yogic posture has to do

with holding something on the top of head, or the crown, i.e., moordhani.
Aaadhaaya literally means to carry to or take something to. We encounter
the same idea in the beautiful verse 10, chapter 5 (BrahmaNyaadhaaya
karmaNi…). What is to be carried to the crown? Atamanah – of the atma –
praaNam – the life breath. Through the power of the yogic process, Krishna
says that the life breath should be literally carried to, or lifted to, the top of
the head or the crown area and held there. One should actually get
comfortable in this posture – aastitho. One should actually not even be
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lying down, but sitting straight up in order to do this successfully, see also
http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/bgita/bgita_24.html for commentaries
by Swami Krishnananda on chapter 8 (discourses 23 to 26 here).

Finally, we encounter one more sloka before Krishna concludes this section
with sa yaati paramam gatim.

Om ityekaaksharam Brahma vyaaharan maam anusmaran l

Yah prayaati tyajan deham sa yaati paramaamm gatim ll 8.13 ll BG

Vyaharan literally means saying aloud, or enunciating. We encounter this

statement also in chapter 17, verse 24 – tasmaat om ityudaahrutya and
also in the famous NarayanOpanishad mantram – Om ityagre vyaaharet.
But, all the dwaaras are closed – all the entrances are closed and nine-
door city has been clamped down. So, now only the manas and buddhi can
be engaged in this chanting or recital. What it means is that everything will
heard aloud by the yogi, without any external disturbs like a loud echo
within the closed city – or body. What is this sound?

This sound is “Om”. Krishna says that one should utter “Om”. It is counted
as just one (eka) letter (aksharam), as also mentioned in the
NarayanOpanishad mantram cited above. This Om, or ekaaksharam, is
Brahma – the embodiment of the Absolute Supreme.

Krishna says Maam (Me) anusmaran, which means engaged in the

process of thinking about Me. How is the person thinking? By chanting the
one letter “Om”. Why is this so significant. Why is merely saying “Om”
equal to remembering Him. Or, should one say Om and also remember
Him.

Try saying Om and pay attention to the movement of the lips. As we say
the “O” the two lips open wide and as we say the “m” the two lips close. In
other words, everything that can ever be uttered, which happens by the
process of opening and closing of the lips, is included by merely saying
“Om”. How are we to remember Him? We can chant the Vishnu
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Sahasranamam. But, at the time of death, there is no time to chant all the
1000 names. Ok, we can simply chant “Rama” which is stated to be
equivalent to chanting all the 1000 names. But “Ra” and “ma” are two
letters. Krishna makes easier and gives us the choice of just uttering one
single letter, by just saying “Om”.

This was discussed this recently in our study of Ahalya’s hymn in praise of
Rama, after she was liberated from her stone-form: the Ahalya kruta Shree
Rama Stotram (see http://www.scribd.com/doc/87281848/Ahalyakruta-
Shree-Rama-Stotram ) Ahalya says, Omkaara vaacyas tvam Raama, you
bring glory to Omkara, i.e., the sound vibration Om. But at the moment of
death even those two letters can just be turned into a single “Om”.

The second line simply says, Yah prayaati tyajan deham, one who goes
while leaving the body, as just described here, sa yaati paramaam gatim,
that person will arrive at, or reach (yaati), or go to, the Supreme
(paramaam), beyond which there is nothing superior, state, or existence
(gatim). The word gati also describes motion and the process of traveling
initiated by the indweller of the body takes this person to Paramaam gatim.

Why should one do all this? This too is answered succinctly in verse 15.
There is no rebirth for those who reach Him – Maam upetya punar-janma
na aapnuvanti. The verb aapnuvanti means to attain. The addition of na
means negation. So, literally this means do not attain rebirth, or will not be
reborn. Why is this such a good thing?

Krishna says the place where they would return is dhukkalayam (a house
of sorrow). It is also impermanent (ashaasvatam). Krishna is referring to life
on this earth. What is the point of coming back again, attaining a body (next
time it might not even be a human body) and suffering here and going
through the cycle of birth (janma), death (mrutyu), old age (jaraa) and
diseases (vyaadhi). Better to go the place from which there is no coming
back. This is stated more clearly in verse 16. One can reach higher lokas,
all the way up to the loka where Brahma resides (aa-Brahma-bhuvanaa)

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but one will return. It is only a matter of time. But if one comes to Him
(Maam upetya tu), there is no rebirth (punar janma na vidyate).
Following this, Krishna enters into the discussion of some cosmological
ideas and what happens even with Brahma – to kind of gives an idea of
what will happen if we actually get to Brahmaloka, i.e., actually become
Brahma. Even Brahma, it is said, fears death, since the lifetimes granted is
only two paraardhaas, as already described. It is a mindbogglingly large
duration by human reckoning but it is still finite. It is by no means infinite or
eternity. Hence, we encounter the description in verses 17 to 21, before
proceeding to the description of how to embark on the final journey.

Finally, let us reconsider the significance of Om ityekaaksharam Brahma

vyaaharam Maam anusmaran. There are seven chakras with the human
body, as seen in the diagrams reproduced earlier. These seven chakras
are named as follows and are associated with the following sound
vibrations, or bheejaaksharams.

Moolaadhaara – Lam (pronounced as in Lambodhara)

Swaadhishthana – Vam (pronounced as in Vamsha)
Manipoora – Ram (pronounced as in English word rum)
Anaahata – Yam (as in verse 6, chapter 8)
Vishuddha – Ham (as in Hamsa, the bird)
Aagnya (Aajnaa) – Om as in the primordial sound discussed
Sahasraara – Also, Om (or the bindhu, the central dot, of Shree cakram)

The sound vibration “Om” mentioned in verse 13 is the primordial sound

vibration that is linked with the two cakras indicated here and directs the
praaNa to the cakras situated between the two eyebrows (Aajnaa cakram)
or the top of the crown of the head (sahasraara). Releasing the lifebreath
from these two cakras, takes the dehi (the indweller in the body, i.e., atma,
or soul) straight to paraam gati, tad dhaama paramam ma-ma, from which
there is no returning back. The cakras are like launching pads for a rocket.
The launching pad must point in the right direction for a rocket, or
spaceship to reach the correct interplanetary destination. Hence, in space
science or technology, we have what is known as “launch windows” when
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the earth is in the appropriate spot to launch the rocket in the direction
desired.

Can a novice without any yogic abilities reach the param dhaaama? On
first reading of this description of the verses from chapter 8, it would appear
that a novice is destined to return back and get entangled once again in
this ashaasvatam dhukkalayam. But there is hope, still.

Srila Prabhupada offers the following in his purport for verse 19, chapter 2,
Canto 2 where Shukaacarya describes yogic processes to Parikshit in
order to both leave the body permanently, or temporarily to visit various
lokas. http://vedabase.net/sb/2/2/19/en

The expert yogī who has thoroughly practiced the control of the life air by the
prescribed method of the yoga system is advised to quit the body as follows. He
should plug up the evacuating hole with the heel of his foot and then progressively
move the life air on and on to six places: the navel, abdomen, heart, chest, palate,
eyebrows and cerebral pit. Controlling the life air by the prescribed yogic process is
mechanical, and the practice is more or less a physical endeavor for spiritual
perfection. In olden days such practice was very common for transcendentalists,
for the mode of life and character in those days were favorable. But in modern
days, when the influence of Kali Age is so disturbing, practically everyone is
untrained in this art of bodily exercise. Concentration of the mind is more easily
attained in these days by the chanting of the holy name of the Lord. The results
are more effective than those derived from the inner exercise of the life air.

Shukaacaryas more detailed instructions to Parikshit regarding yogic

processe, from the same chapter, are reprocuded below the signature line.

Hari naama sankeetranam, as recommended by Srila Prabhupada, the

regular chanting of Vishnu Sahasranamam, or Lalitha Sahasranamam, and
the disciplined and concentrated study of scriptures like the Bhagavad Gita
and the Srimad Bhagavatam, are additional means of attaining the same
objective of being able to concentrate the mind. Indeed, the Lalitha

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Sahasranamam clearly describes Lalitha devi (in the form of different
presiding deities who are Her manifestations) as controlling and residing in
the seven chakras (see discussion starting with page 64). Devout chanting
of the namaas will, no doubt, enable us to direct the lifebreath, as
described by Krishna when the final PrayaaNa kaalam arrives.

Very sincerely

V. Laxmanan
April 12, 2012

******************************************************************

SB Verse 2.2.20 Purport: There are six circles (chakras, see page …) of the
movement of the life air, and the intelligent bhakti-yogī should search out these
places with intelligence and in a meditative mood. Among these, mentioned in this
verse are the svādhi hāna-cakra, or the powerhouse of the life air, and above this,
just below the abdomen and navel, is the ma i-pūraka-cakra. When upper space is
further searched out in the heart, one reaches the anāhata-cakra, and further up,
when the life air is placed at the root of the palate, one reaches the viśuddhi-cakra.

SB Verse 2.2.21 Purport: Thereafter the bhakti-yogī should push the life air up
between the eyebrows, and then, blocking the seven outlets of the life air, he
should maintain his aim for going back home, back to Godhead. If he is completely
free from all desires for material enjoyment, he should then reach the cerebral hole
and give up his material connections, having gone to the Supreme.

The life air passes through seven openings, namely two eyes, two nostrils, two ears
and one mouth. Generally it passes through the mouth at the time of an ordinary
man's death. But the yogī, as above mentioned, who controls the life air in his own
way, generally releases the life air by puncturing the cerebral hole in the head. The
yogī therefore blocks up all the above-mentioned seven openings, so that the life
air will naturally burst forth through the cerebral hole. This is the sure sign of a
great devotee's leaving the material connection.

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SB Verse 2.2.23 Purport: The materialistic scientist's endeavor to reach other
planets by mechanical vehicles is only a futile attempt. One can, however, reach
heavenly planets by virtuous activities, but one can never expect to go beyond
Svarga or Janaloka by such mechanical or materialistic activities, either gross or
subtle. The transcendentalists who have nothing to do with the gross material body
can move anywhere within or beyond the material worlds. Within the material
worlds they move in the planetary systems of the Mahar-, Janas-, Tapas- and
Satya-loka, and beyond the material worlds they can move in the aiku has as
unrestricted spacemen. Nārada Muni is one of the examples of such spacemen, and
Durvāsā Muni is one of such mystics. By the strength of devotional service,
austerities, mystic powers and transcendental knowledge, everyone can move like
Nārada Muni or Durvāsā Muni. It is said that Durvāsā Muni traveled throughout
the entirety of material space and part of spiritual space within one year only. The
speed of the transcendentalists can never be attained by the gross or subtle
materialists.

SB Verse 2.2.26 Translation and Purport

atho anantasya mukhānalena dandahyamāna sa nirīk ya viśvam

niryāti siddheśvara-yu a-dhi ya yad dvai-parārdhya tad u pārame hyam

SYNONYMS: atho — thereupon; anantasya — of Ananta, the resting incarnation

of Godhead; mukha-analena — by the fire emanating from His mouth;
dandahyamānam — burning to ashes; sa — he; nirīk ya — by seeing this; viśvam
— the universe; niryāti — goes out; siddheśvara-yu a-dhi yam — airplanes used
by the great purified souls; yat — the place; dvai-parārdhyam —
15,480,000,000,000 solar years; tat — that; u — the exalted; pārame hyam —
Satyaloka, where Brahmā resides.

TRANSLATION: At the time of the final devastation of the complete universe [the
end of the duration of Brahmā's life], a flame of fire emanates from the mouth of
Ananta [from the bottom of the universe]. The yogī sees all the planets of the
universe burning to ashes, and thus he leaves for Satyaloka by airplanes used by
the great purified souls. The duration of life in Satyaloka is calculated to be
15,480,000,000,000 years.

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PURPORT: It is indicated herein that the residents of Maharloka, where the
purified living entities or demigods possess a duration of life calculated to be
4,300,000,000 solar years, have airships by which they reach Satyaloka, the
topmost planet of the universe. In other words, the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam gives us
many clues about other planets far, far away from us which modern planes and
spacecraft cannot reach, even by imaginary speeds. The statements of Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam are accepted by great ācāryas like Śrīdhara Svāmī, Rāmānujācārya
and allabhācārya. Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu specifically accepts Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam as the spotless Vedic authority, and as such no sane man can ignore
the statements of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam when it is spoken by the self-realized soul
Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, who follows in the footsteps of his great father, Śrīla
yāsadeva, the compiler of all edic literatures. In the creation of the Lord there
are many wonderful things we can see with our own eyes every day and night, but
we are unable to reach them equipped by modern materialistic science.

We should not, therefore, depend on the fragmentary authority of materialistic

science for knowing things beyond the range of scientific purview.

For a common man, both modern science and Vedic wisdom are simply to be
accepted because none of the statements either of modern science or of Vedic
literature can be verified by him. The alternative for a common man is to believe
either of them or both of them. The Vedic way of understanding, however, is more
authentic because it has been accepted by the ācāryas, who are not only faithful
and learned men, but are also liberated souls without any of the flaws of
conditioned souls. The modern scientists, however, are conditioned souls liable to
so many errors and mistakes; therefore the safe side is to accept the authentic
version of Vedic literatures, like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which is accepted
unanimously by the great ācāryas.

******************************************************************

Please note the remarks here by Srila

Prabhupada about matters that are beyond
the purview of science, or what it is proposed
here, at the outset, that we call non-science.

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 Bheeshma Awaiting his PrayaaNa Kaalam

Dear All:

As noted in the earlier email, in the introductory verses of the Mahavishnu

Sahasranaamam, Bheesham clearly states that VishNu is the Jagannaatha, the
Supreme Master of all the worlds (loka pradhaana).

Bheeshma continues his description of this Lord, with a great deal of devotion, in
subsequent verses and finally he names this Supreme Being as Vishnu. He states
that he would like Yuddhishttira (Bhupate, since he is also the king) to hear from
him the 1000 names of VishNu, the Jagannaatha, the Supremo of all the worlds
(loka pradhaana). He will destroy (apahaa) all our paapaas (sins) and bhayams
(fears). Then he adds, in the next verse, “It is from Him (yatah) that all the bhootas
or beings(sarvaNi bhootani) emanate at the beginning of the yuga (yugaagamay)
and it is into Him that they dissolve at the end of the yuga (yugakshaye).”

In chapter 8, Krishna does NOT specifically identify VishNu as the source of

creation, or the sink, when dissolution sets in. He merely states that beyond this
process of innumerous and repeated creations and dissolution lies something
eternal, which is never destroyed, even as it appears that all of creation is being
destroyed (verse 19, chapter 8, bhoota graamah sa evavaayam…). Krishna also
mentions, in verse 22, that one can, however, attain (labhyas tu) with unalloyed
devotion (bhaktyaa ananyayaa) that Supreme Being (Purushah sa Parah) within
Whom (yasya antasthaani) are present all of the beings (bhootaani) and from
Whom springs all of this (yena sarvam idam tatam).

Krishna does not name the Supreme as Vishnu, but Bheeshma does. There is,
however, an amazing similarity in the description of creation and dissolution. In
the next email we will how Krishna wants us to leave the body at the time of our
final journey (PrayaaNa kaale).

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As we study this, we must also keep in mind Bheeshma’s standing. We can accept
Bheeshma’s statements as authoritative. What is the authority of Bheeshma? Let
see how he breathed his last. This is the topic of chapter 9, Canto 1 of the Srimad
Bhagavatam.

Krishna rushes to Bheeshma, with Arjuna’s chariot wheel, to protect Arjuna.

http://www.bhagavad-gita.us/articles/687/1/The-Bhagavad-Gita-in-
Pictures/Page1.html

Bheeshma was an extremely elevated soul and a mighty warrior with no equal who
could have easily defeated and slayed Arjuna, if not for Krishna’s intervention. In
spite of the promise not to bear arms in the war, Krishna lifted the wheel of
Arjuna’s chariot that had been smashed up by Bheeshma, and rushed towards
Bheeshma (to protect Arjuna), at which point Bheeshma chided Krishna for
breaking His promise and dropped his arms, see illustration.

Only after this was Bheeshma mortally wounded by Arjuna, who did not stop
fighting. Then, at Bheeshma’s request, Arjuna reverentially prepared a bed of
arrows to allow Bheeshma to lie down comfortably. It is also stated that, when
Bheeshma felt thirsty (while awaiting the auspicious time of death), Arjuna pierced

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the ground with a single arrow, to produce a stream of water from the holy Ganga
(Bheeshma was the son of Ganga devi, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devavrata
and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satyavati ) that poured like a fountain straight into
Bheeshma’s mouth. Such was the level of skill in archery possessed by Arjuna.

http://www.bhagavad-gita.us/articles/687/1/The-Bhagavad-Gita-in-
Pictures/Page1.html

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Bheeshma was also the only human blessed with the gift of being able to pick his
last moment and allow the lifebreath out of his body at a moment of his choosing.
The very wise and knowledgable Bheeshma, therefore, waited for the auspicious
time of UttaraayaNam as described in chapter 8 of the Gita (verse 24). During this
period, the sun is seen to move progressively to the north of the celestial equator,
starting 23-24 days after the winter solstice, which falls around Dec 21-22 each
year. Hence, Uttarayanam typically begins around Jan 14 (this is related to the 23.5
degrees of tilt of the earth’s axis). Those who leave their body during this six
month span (with other qualifications as well) do not return, says Krishna.

When Bheeshma was lying on the bed of arrows, awaiting UttaraayaNam, all the
great sages – the celestial rishis (deva rishis, like Narada), Brahma rishis (like
Vashishta, Bharadwaja, etc.) the raja rishis (royal sages), accompanied by their
disciples came to see Bheeshma and receive instructions from him. This is
described in cahpters 8 and 9 of Canto 1 of the Srimad Bhagavatam.

Yuddhishttira, who was greatly pained and tormented by the death and destruction
caused by the war, in particular, by the fact that thousands upon thousands of
chaste women had been turned into widows, feared the consequences in spite of
assurances that the war was a just one and sanctioned by scriptures (dharma
yuddham). To assuage himself and find relief from this pain and sorrow,
Yuddhisttira decides to pay a visit to Bheeshma, accompanied by Krishna and
Arjuna (Canto 1, chapter 8, verses 48 to 52 and chapter 9, verses 1 to 8).

Bheeshma received them all and worshipped all the great sages with reverence and
started speaking to the sons of Pandu. He concludes with the following.

Esha vai Bhagavaan saakshaat Aadhyo NaaraayaNah Pumaan l

Mohayan maayayaa lokam goodhah carati VrushNishu ll 1.9.18 ll SB

“Esha” mentioned in this verse means “This person” and the thought is actually
completed, with further descriptions of Esha, this person, only in verse 22 where
Bheeshma uses the word Krishna. In the above verse, Bheeshma says, “This person
here is verily (vai) none other than Bhagavaan Himself, who has made Himself
visible to our mortal eyes (saakshaat). He is the beginning of all (aadhyO), He is
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NaaraayaNa. He is the Supreme Being (Pumaan). He is moving around as a
member of the dynasty of VrishNi, hiding His true divinity (goodhah carati) and is
enchanting and deluding all of the worlds.

This is the authority of Bheeshma that we must accept from the scriptures like
Srimad Bhagavatam. He was fully aware that Krishna is the Supreme Being, that
He is none other than Narayana, while other contemporaries remained deluded.
Even Rama did not know that He was Narayana (Aatmaanam manusham manye,
he says in almiki Ramayanam, at the time of Sita’s fire test, when all the
celestials, headed by Brahma and Shiva, scold Him for initiating it and remind Him
about who Sita is). So, when Bheeshma names Vishnu as the Supreme Being in the
introductory verses of the Vishnu Sahasranamam, we have to accept it.

Let us see what else Bheeshma says about Krishna, or “Esha vai Bhagavaan
saakshaat”.

Asyaanubhaavam Bhagavaan veda guhyatamam Shivahaa l

Devarshir Naradah saakshaat Bhagavaan Kapilo Nrupa ll 1.9.19 ll SB

Bhagavaan in the first line here is tied to Shivahaa. Bheeshma says, “The Lord
Shiva knows who He is and the truth of His self and His deepest secret. The
celestial sage (rishi) Narada knows Him and so does Bhagavaan Kapila (who was
an incarnation of the Supreme Being and appeared as the son of the sage Kardama
and his wife Devahuti, who was the daughter of Swayambhu manu, the first manu,
on the first day of Brahma’s lifetime). There are two alternative version of this
verse, with last being Nrupa, which means it is an address to Yuddhishttira, or
muni, which then qualifies Bhagavan Kapila, who was a great ascetic and blessed
with divine knowledge and instructed his own mother on how to attain moksha
(subject of Canto 3, chapters 21 to 33 of Srimad Bhagavatam).

Yam manyase maatuleyam priyam mitram suhruttamam l

AkarOh sacivam dhootam sauhrudaatha saarathim ll 1.9.20 ll SB

Sarvaatmanah samadrushO hyadvayasya-anahamkruteh l

Tat krutam mati vaishamyam niravadyasya na kvacit ll 1.9.21 ll SB
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Tatthaapi-ekaanta bhakteshu pashya Bhoopa-anukampitam l
Yan-may asoon tyajatahaa saakshaat KrishNo darshanam aagatah ll 1.9.22 ll

Verse 20: The One whom you think of as your maternal cousin, a dear One, a
friend, the One who closest to your heart, the One who used as a messenger, the
One who was used as a charioteer, being a close friend and dear to you………
continues in next verse. (Kunti, the wife of Pandu and the mother of the Pandavas,
was born in the Vrishni dynasty and was the sister of Krishna’s father asudeva.
She was given away to the childless King Kuntibhoja, who was adopted her and
raised her. So Kunti is Krishna’s aunt and hence Krishna is a cousin to the
Pandavas, on their mother’s side.)

Verse 21: The One who is present in all, The One who sees all as equal, indeed, the
One who has no second, One who is completely free of ego, all of His actions (tat
krutam), executed as He best sees fit (mati vaishamyam), are never tainted in any
way ever (na kvacit) since He never accumulates any sins.

erse 22: “Notwithstanding all of all this, O King, look at the immense
compassion for His devotees that He possess. The devotee who is lying here all
alone, ready to cast off (tyajatahaa) the lifebreaths (asoon) out of his body, He has
come now (aagatahaa) and appears before that devotee and is standing right in
front of him, visible to his eyes (saakshaat).

Bheeshma then states exactly what Krishna describes in chapter 8 about how one
should leave the body. The yogis who are completely liberated from all their
karmas (consequences of all past actions) and kaamas (desires), or liberated from
all actions performed due to desires, as they leave their body, they fix their manas
(mind), with great devotion, into Him. Their manas is entirely entered into Him
and He is situated fully within them. They sing His praises with His many names
using their gift of speech (verse 23).

That God of all gods, that Bhagavaan, He is looking at me and is present here. May
He look at me and wait (prateekshataam) until I am ready to cast off (hinomi
aham). He is looking at Me with a lovely smile, His reddish eyes, radiating like the
cool morning sun as it rises, seem like a lotus in full bloom. His lovely face is like
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a lotus that fill the heart with joy (mukhaambhuja). He is right here visible along
the path where I can direct my thoughts (dhyaana pathah). He appears with before
me with His four hands (chaturbhujah).

Of all the statements made here by Bheeshma, the last is the more important.
Krishna appeared with His four-armed form in front of His mother Devaki and
father Vasudeva. Devaki then asked Him to conceal this four-armed divine form
and become an ordinary baby so that He would not have to fear Kamsa, who had
sworn to kill every baby born to Devaki and Vasudeva. Then, on the battle field,
Krishna appeared with His four-armed form in front of Arjuna (at the latter’s
reqeuest, since he feared the sight of the thousand-armed form). Now, He appeared
again in His four-armed form for Bheeshma.

Of course, these were divine forms, not seen, by anyone else physically present
even in close proximity at the same time. The slokas are given below.

Bhaktyaaveshya manO yasmin vaacaa yannama keertayan l

Tyajan kalevaram yogi mucyate kaama-karmabhih ll 1.9.23 ll

Sa DevadevO Bhagavaan prateekshataam

Kalevaram yaavat idam hinomyaham l
Prasanna-haasaruNa-locananol-lasan
MukhaambujO dhyaana-patha Chaturbhujah ll 1.9.24 ll

The most touching aspect of Bheeshma’s passing away is what he does next. He
prayed that Krishna wait for him – since UttarayaNam had not yet commenced.
Then Bheeshma did everything that is described by Krishna in chapter 8, verses 11
to 14. He completely restrained (upa-samhrutya) his speech (vaaNee). He cast off
his glance (eyes) and all senses from any attachment to anything in his surrounding
(vimukta sanga) and fixed in manas (mind) on the Aadhipurusha (the First Being),
on Krishna, with His four-arms, with His beautiful glistening yellow silky dress
(lasat peeta pathe, or peethaambaram), Who was standing right in front of him
(purah stithe). And, he (Bheeshmaa), continued to look at Krishna, as described,
and held Him within his self with his eyes opened fully wide.
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Tadopa-samhrutya girah sahasraNeer-
Vimuktasangam mana Aadhipoorushe l
Krishne lasat-peeta-pathe Chaturbhuje
Purah-stithe-ameelita-druk-vyadhaarayat ll 1.9.30 ll

Meelanam means closing, meelita means closed. Un-meelanam means opening,

like the blooming of a flower. A-meelanam also means the same. It is the opposite
of meelanam, or closing. Here it is stated that Bheeshma kept his eyes wide open.
He did not close his eyes.

When I first read this sloka, many years ago, I still remember being awestruck at
this description of Bheeshma’s passing away. It is so profound. No one can be so
blessed as to have the Supreme Being, Krishna, right in front of them. But, also
pay attention to what Bheeshma does. He keeps his eyes wide open in front of
Krishna. What do we do when we go to the temple?

We go to the temple to see the Lord and enjoy His glory. And, once we get there,
we close our eyes. We do not continue to gaze at the beauty of the Lord and the
lovely dress and alankaram and enjoy it and let it fill our hearts content and fill the
mind as well and hold that beautiful form within us. This is what vyadhaarayan
means. DhaaraNam means holding. Adding the prefix means holding tightly, so as
not to let go. He held Krishna with his eyes wide open and let that lovely sight fill
his mind and enter into his whole self. This is how Bheeshma left his body.

May be, some day, we can also be so fortunate!

If we are at the temple, may we learn to do what Bheeshma did and relish the sight
of the Lord (in vigraha or arca form) in front of us and remember not to close our
eyes should we breathe our last in such divine surroundings. Or, if we are
elsewhere, may we be blessed, at the least, to see an image of the Lord and do
exactly what Bheeshma did.

V. Laxmanan
April 11, 2012

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 Bheeshma’s Hymn to Krishna
before departing his body
Following the sloka cited above (Canto 1, chapter 9, verse 30), there is a hymn
recited by Bheeshma in praise of Krishna, the Supreme Being, at whom he was
gazing with his wide open. He prays that he should always feel unalloyed and
unmitigated love for Krishna (1.9.33). He wishes that his atma be surrendered to
Krishna (1.9.34). He wishes that he always find great love for Krishna, who was
Arjuna’s friend and promptly obeyed the latter’s command on the battlefield and
placed the chariot between the armies assembled for war (1.9.35). He wishes that
he was be devoted to the lotus feet of Krishna, who instructed the Gita to Arjuna,
when the latter saw all the assembled elders, family, and friends and became
disenchanted by the thought of war and refused to fight. (1.9.36).

He wishes that the Bhagavan Mukunda (which means the One who grants moksha)
become his refuge. Bheeshma says here that he had made a vow to force Krishna
to bear arms. The compassionate Krishna wanted to fulfill Bheeshma’s vow and
was willing to break His own vow (of not bearing any weapons in the war) and
rushed towards him (Bheeshma) with Arjuna’s chariot wheel in hand to protect
Arjuna who was being completely smashed (by Bheeshma). The top portion of His
dress (uttareeyam) fell off and He was whole body turned red with the pounding of
the arrows that broke the chest armor (Krishna was wearing). Even as He rushed to
me, in that fashion, He was filled with love for me. May I always seek His refuge
(1.9.37 and 38).

He wishes that at the moment of his death, he should forever remember the Lord as
Parthasarathi (charioteer of Arjuna, i.e., Partha), with one hand holding the reins of
the horses and the other a whip. This beautiful form of the Lord could not be seen
even by Arjuna (since the latter was behind the Lord) but Bheeshma could, since
Bheeshma was in front. All the warriors who died in the battlefield saw this divine
form of the Lord as well and so were granted moksha and assumed the form of the
Lord after death. Now, Bheeshma wishes the same for himself (1.9.39).

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He wishes that develop the same love for Krishna that was felt by all the gopis as
they performed the rasa-lila and indeed merged into Him at that time and
experienced unparalleled bliss (1.9.40).

Bheeshma marvels at his great fortune to have the Lord right in his sight at the
moment of his death, the same Lord who was worshipped, first and foremost,
during Yuddhishttira’s Rajasooya yajnya, by all the celestials and the great sages.
He prays that this Lord, who is right in front of his eyes, penetrate his soul (1.9.41).

Just as the sun appears in different forms to the eyes of those who behold, so too
does the Lord appear differently in each and every heart, all of His making.
Although He appears differently, He is but One, just like the sun is one. Now, here
I am, situated right in front of Him, having shed and purified all of my delusions
about all these differences – samaadhigatOsmi vidhoota bheda mohahaa (1.9.42)

The chapter about Bheeshma’s shedding of his body concludes with following
verse, narrated by Soota Maharshi (when he instructed the sages of
NaimishaaraNya about Bhagavatam, Sootha had heard it from Shukaacarya, when
the latter instructed Parikshit, grandson of Arjuna).

KrishN(e) evam Bhagavti mano-vaag-drushti-vruttibhihee l

Aatmani aatmaanam aaveshya sOntah shwaas upaaramat ll 1.9.43 ll

Sa+antah = sOntah = He + last, shwaas = breath, upaaramat = rested, or ceased.

In this way, Bheeshma breathed his last (attained his final resting, or ceased to
breathe) after fully merging into Krishna, the Supreme Being, with his manas
(mind), vaag (speech, through the hymn) and drushti (sight), since his eyes were
left wide open and gazing at Krishna.

All those assembled around Bheeshma momentarily held their peace and became
very quiet, just like the birds who stop chirping when day ends and night falls.
And, then, there fell a shower of flowers from the heavens and trumpets and the
drums were sounded by both the celestials and humans and all the good souls
started extolling Bheeshma. Yuddhishttira then performed the final rites for

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Bheeshma, with great reverence and mourned his own loss for a period of one
muhurta (the time duration of about 48 minutes).

And then everyone who had assembled returned to their respective abodes with
Krishna held in their hearts. Yuddhishttira, along with Krishna, returned to
Hastinapura and consoled both his uncle Dhrutarashtra and the pious Gandhari
(both of whom had now lost Bheeshma, their elder). And, then, with the blessings
of Dhrutarashtra, and with a hearty seconding of the same by Krishna,
Yuddhishttira become the ruler of the kingdom, handed down to him by his
ancestors, and ruled it following the principles of dharma.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_units_of_measurement
See here discussion of the timescales big and small

Very sincerely

V. Laxmanan
April 11, 2012

Sarva bhootaani Kaunteya Prakrutim yaanti maamikaam l

Kalpakshaye punas-taani kalpaadau visrujaamyaham ll 9.7 ll BG

l
ll ९.७ ll

Prakrutim swam avashthabhya visrujaami punah punah l

Bhoota-graamam imam krutsnam avasham prakruter vashaat ll 9.8 ll BG

l
ll ९.८ ll

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 Srila Prabhupada’s translation of Chapter 9, Canto 1
The Passing Away of Bheeshma in the Presence of Krishna

Canto 1: Creation

http://vedabase.net/sb/1/9/en

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam

SB 1.9.1: Sūta Gosvāmī said: Being afraid for having killed so many subjects on the Battlefield
of Kuruk etra, Mahārāja Yudhi hira went to the scene of the massacre. There, Bhī madeva was
lying on a bed of arrows, about to pass away.

SB 1.9.2: At that time all his brothers followed him on beautiful chariots drawn by first-class
horses decorated with gold ornaments. With them were yāsa and is like Dhaumya the
learned priest of the Pā avas and others.

SB 1.9.3: O sage amongst the brāhma as, Lord Śrī K a, the Personality of Godhead, also
followed, seated on a chariot with Arjuna. Thus King Yudhi hira appeared very aristocratic, like
Kuvera surrounded by his companions [the Guhyakas].

SB 1.9.4: Seeing him [Bhī ma] lying on the ground, like a demigod fallen from the sky, the
Pā ava King Yudhi hira, along with his younger brothers and Lord K a, bowed down before
him.

SB 1.9.5: Just to see the chief of the descendants of King Bharata [Bhī ma , all the great souls in
the universe, namely the is amongst the demigods, brāhma as and kings, all situated in the
quality of goodness, were assembled there.

SB 1.9.6-7: All the sages like Parvata Muni, Nārada, Dhaumya, yāsa the incarnation of God,
B hadaśva, Bharadvāja and Paraśurāma and disciples, asi ha, Indrapramada, Trita, G tsamada,
Asita, Kak īvān, Gautama, Atri, Kauśika and Sudarśana were present.

SB 1.9.8: And many others like Śukadeva Gosvāmī and other purified souls, Kaśyapa and
Āńgirasa and others, all accompanied by their respective disciples, arrived there.

SB 1.9.9: Bhī madeva, who was the best amongst the eight asus, received and welcomed all
the great and powerful is who were assembled there, for he knew perfectly all the religious
principles according to time and place.

SB 1.9.10: Lord Śrī K a is situated in everyone s heart, yet e manifests is transcendental

form by is internal potency. This very Lord was sitting before Bhī madeva, and since
Bhī madeva knew of is glories, he worshiped im duly.

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SB 1.9.11: The sons of Mahārāja Pā u were sitting silently nearby, overtaken with affection for
their dying grandfather. Seeing this, Bhī madeva congratulated them with feeling. There were
tears of ecstasy in his eyes, for he was overwhelmed by love and affection.

SB 1.9.12: Bhī madeva said: Oh, what terrible sufferings and what terrible injustices you good
souls suffer for being the sons of religion personified. You did not deserve to remain alive under
those tribulations, yet you were protected by the brāhma as, God and religion.

SB 1.9.13: As far as my daughter-in-law Kuntī is concerned, upon the great General Pā u's
death, she became a widow with many children, and therefore she suffered greatly. And when
you were grown up she suffered a great deal also because of your actions.

SB 1.9.14: In my opinion, this is all due to inevitable time, under whose control everyone in
every planet is carried, just as the clouds are carried by the wind.

SB 1.9.15: O how wonderful is the influence of inevitable time. It is irreversible — otherwise,

how can there be reverses in the presence of King Yudhi hira, the son of the demigod
controlling religion; Bhīma, the great fighter with a club; the great bowman Arjuna with his
mighty weapon Gā īva and above all, the Lord, the direct well-wisher of the Pā avas

SB 1.9.16: O King, no one can know the plan of the Lord [Śrī K a]. Even though great
philosophers inquire exhaustively, they are bewildered.

SB 1.9.17: O best among the descendants of Bharata [Yudhi hira], I maintain, therefore, that all
this is within the plan of the Lord. Accepting the inconceivable plan of the Lord, you must
follow it. You are now the appointed administrative head, and, my lord, you should now take
care of those subjects who are now rendered helpless.

SB 1.9.18: This Śrī K a is no other than the inconceivable, original Personality of Godhead.
He is the first Nārāya a, the supreme enjoyer. But He is moving amongst the descendants of
King i just like one of us and He is bewildering us with His self-created energy.

SB 1.9.19: O King, Lord Śiva, Nārada the sage amongst the demigods, and Kapila, the
incarnation of Godhead, all know very confidentially about His glories through direct contact.

SB 1.9.20: O King, that personality whom, out of ignorance only, you thought to be your
maternal cousin, your very dear friend, well-wisher, counselor, messenger, benefactor, etc., is
that very Personality of Godhead, Śrī K a.

SB 1.9.21: Being the Absolute Personality of Godhead, He is present in everyone's heart. He is

equally kind to everyone, and He is free from the false ego of differentiation. Therefore whatever
He does is free from material inebriety. He is equibalanced.

SB 1.9.22: Yet, despite His being equally kind to everyone, He has graciously come before me
while I am ending my life, for I am His unflinching servitor.

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SB 1.9.23: The Personality of Godhead, who appears in the mind of the devotee by attentive
devotion and meditation and by chanting of the holy name, releases the devotee from the
bondage of fruitive activities at the time of his quitting the material body.

SB 1.9.24: May my Lord, who is four-handed and whose beautifully decorated lotus face, with
eyes as red as the rising sun, is smiling, kindly await me at that moment when I quit this material
body.

SB 1.9.25: Sūta Gosvāmī said: Mahārāja Yudhi hira, after hearing Bhī madeva speak in that
appealing tone, asked him, in the presence of all the great is, about the essential principles of
various religious duties.

SB 1.9.26: At Mahārāja Yudhi hira s inquiry, Bhī madeva first defined all the classifications of
castes and orders of life in terms of the individual's qualifications. Then he systematically, in
twofold divisions, described counteraction by detachment and interaction by attachment.

SB 1.9.27: He then explained, by divisions, acts of charity, the pragmatic activities of a king and
activities for salvation. Then he described the duties of women and devotees, both briefly and
extensively.

SB 1.9.28: Then he described the occupational duties of different orders and statuses of life,
citing instances from history, for he was himself well acquainted with the truth.

SB 1.9.29: While Bhī madeva was describing occupational duties, the sun's course ran into the
northern hemisphere. This period is desired by mystics who die at their will.

SB 1.9.30: Thereupon that man who spoke on different subjects with thousands of meanings and
who fought on thousands of battlefields and protected thousands of men, stopped speaking and,
being completely freed from all bondage, withdrew his mind from everything else and fixed his
wide-open eyes upon the original Personality of Godhead, Śrī K a, who stood before him,
four-handed, dressed in yellow garments that glittered and shined.

SB 1.9.31: By pure meditation, looking at Lord Śrī K a, he at once was freed from all material
inauspiciousness and was relieved of all bodily pains caused by the arrow wounds. Thus all the
external activities of his senses at once stopped, and he prayed transcendentally to the controller
of all living beings while quitting his material body.

SB 1.9.32: Bhī madeva said: Let me now invest my thinking, feeling and willing, which were so
long engaged in different subjects and occupational duties, in the all-powerful Lord Śrī K a.
He is always self-satisfied, but sometimes, being the leader of the devotees, He enjoys
transcendental pleasure by descending on the material world, although from Him only the
material world is created.

SB 1.9.33: Śrī K a is the intimate friend of Arjuna. He has appeared on this earth in His
transcendental body, which resembles the bluish color of the tamāla tree. His body attracts
everyone in the three planetary systems [upper, middle and lower]. May His glittering yellow

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dress and His lotus face, covered with paintings of sandalwood pulp, be the object of my
attraction, and may I not desire fruitive results.

SB 1.9.34: On the battlefield [where Śrī K a attended Arjuna out of friendship], the flowing
hair of Lord K a turned ashen due to the dust raised by the hoofs of the horses. And because of
His labor, beads of sweat wetted His face. All these decorations, intensified by the wounds dealt
by my sharp arrows, were enjoyed by Him. Let my mind thus go unto Śrī K a.

SB 1.9.35: In obedience to the command of His friend, Lord Śrī K a entered the arena of the
Battlefield of Kuruk etra between the soldiers of Arjuna and Duryodhana, and while there He
shortened the life spans of the opposite party by His merciful glance. This was done simply by
His looking at the enemy. Let my mind be fixed upon that K a.

SB 1.9.36: When Arjuna was seemingly polluted by ignorance upon observing the soldiers and
commanders before him on the battlefield, the Lord eradicated his ignorance by delivering
transcendental knowledge. May His lotus feet always remain the object of my attraction.

SB 1.9.37: Fulfilling my desire and sacrificing His own promise, He got down from the chariot,
took up its wheel, and ran towards me hurriedly, just as a lion goes to kill an elephant. He even
dropped His outer garment on the way.

SB 1.9.38: May He, Lord Śrī K a, the Personality of Godhead, who awards salvation, be my
ultimate destination. On the battlefield He charged me, as if angry because of the wounds dealt
by my sharp arrows. His shield was scattered, and His body was smeared with blood due to the
wounds.

SB 1.9.39: At the moment of death, let my ultimate attraction be to Śrī K a, the Personality of
Godhead. I concentrate my mind upon the chariot driver of Arjuna who stood with a whip in His
right hand and a bridle rope in His left, who was very careful to give protection to Arjuna's
chariot by all means. Those who saw Him on the Battlefield of Kuruk etra attained their original
forms after death.

SB 1.9.40: Let my mind be fixed upon Lord Śrī K a, whose motions and smiles of love
attracted the damsels of rajadhāma the gopīs . The damsels imitated the characteristic
movements of the Lord [after His disappearance from the rāsa dance].

SB 1.9.41: At the Rājasūya-yajña [sacrifice] performed by Mahārāja Yudhi hira, there was the
greatest assembly of all the elite men of the world, the royal and learned orders, and in that great
assembly Lord Śrī K a was worshiped by one and all as the most exalted Personality of
Godhead. This happened during my presence, and I remembered the incident in order to keep my
mind upon the Lord.

SB 1.9.42: Now I can meditate with full concentration upon that one Lord, Śrī K a, now
present before me because now I have transcended the misconceptions of duality in regard to His
presence in everyone's heart, even in the hearts of the mental speculators. He is in everyone's
heart. The sun may be perceived differently, but the sun is one.

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SB 1.9.43: Sūta Gosvāmī said: Thus Bhī madeva merged himself in the Supersoul, Lord Śrī
K a, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, with his mind, speech, sight and actions, and thus
he became silent, and his breathing stopped.

SB 1.9.44: Knowing that Bhī madeva had merged into the unlimited eternity of the Supreme
Absolute, all present there became silent like birds at the end of the day.

SB 1.9.45: Thereafter, both men and demigods sounded drums in honor, and the honest royal
order commenced demonstrations of honor and respect. And from the sky fell showers of
flowers.

SB 1.9.46: O descendant of Bh gu [Śaunaka , after performing funeral rituals for the dead body
of Bhī madeva, Mahārāja Yudhi hira was momentarily overtaken with grief.

SB 1.9.47: All the great sages then glorified Lord Śrī K a, who was present there, by
confidential Vedic hymns. Then all of them returned to their respective hermitages, bearing
always Lord K a within their hearts.

SB 1.9.48: Thereafter, Mahārāja Yudhi hira at once went to his capital, astināpura,
accompanied by Lord Śrī K a, and there he consoled his uncle and aunt Gāndhārī, who was an
ascetic.

SB 1.9.49: After this, the great religious King, Mahārāja Yudhi hira, executed the royal power
in the kingdom strictly according to the codes and royal principles approved by his uncle and
confirmed by Lord Śrī K a.

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 Lalita Sahasranamam
Seven Chakras in the Human Body
According to yogic processes described by Krishna in chapter 8 (verses 10
and 12) and also in chapter 6 (verses 11 to 14), and also Shukaacarya in
Srimad Bhagavatam (Canto 3, chapter 11), the lifebreath within the body
can controlled at will. Shukaacarya says that a yogi can travel to the
higher lokas (like mahar, jana, tapa, satya) beyond the three lower
lokas (bhu, bhuva, suva) by controlling the lifebreath and leaving the body
(not necessarily at the moment of death). The higher lokas are accessible.
We call this Tantric practices, or yogic practices. (“Tantric” is often
misunderstood as being directed towards transitory sexual pleasures, as
we see below.)

There are seven chakras (energy centers) within the human body, each
with its own mantra and presiding deity. They are described below and
were indicated diagrammatically earlier in: How to leave the body?

It is also of interest to note that the extremely holy sound

vibration OM (), mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita by Krishna
in verse 13 chapter 8, is associated with both the Aajna
(आज्ञा) chakra, located between the two eybrows, mentioned

in verse 10 of chapter 8, and the Sahasraara (सहस्रार) chakra,

located at the top of the crown, mentioned in verse 12 of
chapter 8.

http://www.chakrahub.com/7-chakras

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chakra

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The following seven primary chakras are commonly described:

1. Muladhara (Sanskrit: मूलाधार, Mūlādhāra) Base or Root Chakra (last bone

in spinal cord, the coccyx)
2. Swadhisthana (Sanskrit: , Svādhi hāna) Sacral Chakra
(ovaries/prostate)
3. Manipura (Sanskrit: , Ma ipūra) Solar Plexus Chakra (navel area)
4. Anahata (Sanskrit: अनाहत, Anāhata) Heart Chakra (heart area)
5. Vishuddha (Sanskrit: त्रिशुद्ध, iśuddha) Throat Chakra (throat and neck
area)
6. Ajna (Sanskrit: आज्ञा, Ājñā) Brow or Third Eye Chakra (pineal gland or
third eye)
7. Sahasrara (Sanskrit: सहस्रार, Sahasrāra) Crown Chakra (top of the head;
‘soft spot’ of a newborn)

Muladhara Swadhisthana Manipura Anahata

Base spine Lower abdomen Navel Heart

Vishuddha Ajna Sahasrara

Throat Third eye Crown

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http://healing.about.com/od/chakraimages/ig/Chakra-Symbols/

Wheel of Life

Root Chakra Sacral Chakra Solar Plexus Chakra

Heart Chakra Throat Chakra Third Eye Chakra

Crown Chakra

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 The Order of Chakras in Lalitha Sahasranama
http://www.indiadivine.org/audarya/shakti-sadhana/101838-order-chakras-
lalitha-sahasranama.html

Following interesting question, and an answer, is taken from India Divine,

link given above.

I was wondering if there was any special significance to the order in which the
chakras are mentioned in the Lalitha Shasranama - Vishudhdhi, Anahata,
Manipura, Swadhistana, Mooladhara, Ajna and Sahasrara. It just seemed odd that
they were not listed in the ascending or descending order.

Anyone with more insight?

Here is an interesting answer given to the above.

Well, it is not so complex, if you look at the description of devathas assigned to the
chakras.

Vishudhdhi = Vadhanaika samanvitaa = 1 face

Anahatha = Vadhanadvayaa = 2 faces
Manipura = Vadhanatraya samyuktaa = 3 faces
swadhishtana = chaturvaktra-manoharaa = 4 beautiful faces
Mooladhaara = panchavaktraa = 5 faces
Ajna = shadaananaa = 6 faces
Sahasrara = sarva-varNopa-shobitaa = glows with all colors (no facial count)

But sarvavarNopa shobitha = sarva + varNa + upa + shobitha. Counting the

aksharas in sanskrit ‘a to ksha’ 50 up and 50 down (- may be Kochu can give us a
crash course in Sanskrit and this interpretation) - upa = 10. So 10 X 100 = 1000,
the highest number in the above series and also the hardest to attain state of
Kundalini.

A nice combination of numbers and description of HER aspects. Just another

interpretation. :-)

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 Slokas from Lalita Sahasranaamam
discussing the chakras; see link below
http://ashavinkurukalhal-part2.blogspot.com/2009/11/lalitha-sahasranamam-
99.html

Lalitha sahasranamam - 99 (Sloka 38)

99. MOLADHARAIKA NILAYA

She who exists in Mooladhara. In Mooladhara which is in the form of four petaled
lotus the kundalini sleeps.

Lalitha sahasranamam - 101 (Sloka 38)

101. MANI POORANTHARUDHITHA

She who exists in Mani pooraka chakra full dressed in her fineries. This chakra is
very important and finds mention in Soundarya Lahari as well.

Lalitha Sahasranamam - 103 (Sloka 39)

103 AGNA CHAKARANTHARALASTHA –

She who lives in between two eye lids in the form of she who orders.

The term, ‘in the form of she who orders’, is referred to the vision, or the wisdom
and the consciousness, related to it.

Lalitha Sahasranamam -105 (Sloka 39)

105 SAHARARA-AMBHUJA-AROODA

She who has climbed sahasrara the thousand petalled lotus which is the point of
ultimate awakening

This part of journey is something each and everyone should experience but I have
tried to detail out the different ways that awakening is brought about.After the
upward journey of Kundalini, coursing through the Sushumna channel and the
chakras along the way, it is finally brought to the crown chakra, Sahasrara. This
union is the Realization of the Absolute, and is the meaning of Yoga.

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Why in Lalitha 1000 naamam the chakras are not said in sequence?

Shoum

It starts at 98th sloka from "Vishuddhi/throat chakra and goes down and end with
"Saharara". Why it is not from "Mulaadhara/ root chakra or from "Sahasra/crown.
Will any reason be ?

http://in.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110308235456AAUSp8b

Lalitha Sahasranamam: Verses 98 to 110

(Namas from 475 to 541)

VISHUDDHI chakra nilaya raktavarna trilochana

Khatvangadi praharana vadanaika samanvita - 98

Payasanna priya tvaksdha pashuloka bhayankari

Amrutadi mahashakti sanvruta DAKINISHVARI - 99

ANAHATABJA nilaya shyamabha vadanadvaya

Danshtrojvalakshama ladi dhara rudhira sansdhita - 100

Kalaratryadishaktya o-ghavruta snigdhao-dana priya

Mahavirendra varada RAKINYAMBA svarupini - 101

MANIPURAbja nilaya vadanatraya sanyuta

Vajradikayudhopeta dayaryadibhiravruta - 102

Rakta-varna mansanishta gudanna pritamanasa

Samsta bhakta sukhada LAKINIYAMBA svarupini - 103

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SVADHISHTANANBUJAGATA chaturvaktra manohara
Shuladyayudha sanpanna pitavarna tigarvita - 104

Medhonishta maduprita bandinyadi samanvita

Dadyannasakta hrudaya KAKINI rupadharini - 105

MULADHARAMBUJARUDA panchavaktrasdhi sanpdhita

Ankushadi praharana varadadi nishevita - 106

Mudgau-danaasaktachit ta SAKINYAMBA svarupini

AGNYA chakrabja nilaya shuklavarna shadanana - 107

Majjasamsthaa hansavati mukhyashakti samanvita

Haridranai karasika HAKINIRUPA dharini - 108

SAHASRADALA padmasthaa sarva-varnopashobhita

Sarvayudhadharashuk la sansdhita sarvatomukhi - 109

Sarvaudhana preetachitta YAKINYAMBAsvarupini

Svahasvadha mati rmedha shrutih smrutiranuttama – 110

More Notes on Chakras and Tantric Yogic practice

The following is extracted from the article by Timothy Conway on Hinduism, see
link given below. It is of interest to note that some spiritual masters say that after
raising the kunalini Shakti (energy) to the sahasraara (crown), it should be dropped
back to the heart (hrud). Krishna says that the yogi must constrain his manas
(mind) to the heart (hrudi) in order to visualize the Supreme at the moment of
death (chapter 8, verse 12, as discussed earlier).

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Hinduism

http://www.enlightened-spirituality.org/Hinduism.html

The seven (7) cakras are (from lowest to highest):

1) mûlâdhâra cakra, oriented to survival issues, located at the base of the

sushumnâ, roughly corresponding to the area between anus & genitals;
2) svâdhisthâna cakra, oriented to sensuality, located at an area of the sushumnâ
corresponding to the abdomen below the navel;
3) manipûra cakra, oriented to power/control issues, located at an area
corresponding to the solar plexus;
4) anâhata cakra, oriented to love, compassion, sympathy, and higher emotions,
located at an area corresponding to the heart;
5) visuddhi cakra, oriented to creativity and expression, located at an area
corresponding to the throat;
6) âjña cakra, oriented to psychic sensitivity, this is the “third eye” located at an
area corresponding with that found between/above the eyes;
7) sahasrâra cakra, oriented to the formless, transcendental Reality, located at the
crown area at the top of the head.

(Note: each cakra is associated with a deity [deities], a bîja-mantra [seed syllable],
a sound-pitch [vibration], a color, an element, a lotus of a certain number of petals,
a number of qualities, etc.)

When the kundalinî-shakti can flow freely up the sushumnâ through all the cakras
and release at the sahasrâra (also known as the brahmarandhra), the aspirant
becomes a siddha, accomplished one, attaining the highest state, asamprajñâta
samâdhi, wherein all sense of separation has vanished and one awakens to
complete identity with the Absolute, Divine Reality.

[Note: a number of Advaita spiritual masters have affirmed that, after having
experienced the kundalinî-shakti energy release at the sahasrâra-crown, which
brings with it a state of formless consciousness (nirvikalpa samâdhi), one must
allow the energy to “drop” to the Spiritual eart, Hrdâya, corresponding to an area
at the center or right-center of the chest, which allows one to abide in sahaja
samâdhi, the “eyes open,” “natural oneness” of God-realization, wherein the
experience of formless and formful Reality is balanced, one is perfectly free to
experience either the formless or the play of forms.]

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 Parikshit Prepares for his Moment of
Death: Srimad Bhagavatam
Dear All:

As you all know, the Srimad Bhagavatam was composed by Veda Vyasa,
following the advise of the celestial sage Narada (described in Canto 1,
chapters 4 and 5). He then taught it to his son Shuka, who was a self-
realized soul. It was Shuka, often referred to as Shukaacarya or Shukdev
Muni, who instructed Parikshit, the grandson of Arjuna, about Srimad
Bhagavatam. As we are discussing Krishna's teachings from chapter 8,
about how to leave the body, it also worth recalling what Bheeshma did
when he left his body and how Parikshit prepared to leave his body. Both
these topics are described very eloquently in the Srimad Bhagavatam.

Parikshit was cursed by a young Brahmin boy for an innocent offense he

had committed against the boy's father. The young boy cursed that
Parikshit will be bitten by a snake and die in just seven days. The boy's
father, the sage named Shameeka, a descendant in the lineage of
Angirasa, was horrified when he found out about the curse uttered by his
son and rebuked him since Parikshit was a Rajarshi and a just king.
Anyway, Parikshit, felt remorse for his own actions (in a moment of anger
Parikshit had put a dead snake around the neck of the sage, when the
latter was in deep meditation and so did not acknowledge the entry of
Parikshit into his ashram) and decided to go to the banks of the holy Ganga
and fast for the remaining seven days and await his death. The sage
Shukaacarya then magically appeared and started instructing the
Bhagavatam to Parikshit. The entire narration was completed in seven
days - the duration of life left for Parikshit. This is also the reason why we
still practice Saptaaha shravanam (hearing in a week) of the Srimad
Bhagavatam.

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Parikshit welcomes Shukaacarya reverentially and wants to know from
Shukaacarya everything about the cause of this universe, how it was
created, how it will end, why we are here and how we should conduct
ourselves during our lifetimes, and how we should prepare for death, how
we can be liberated from this endless cycle, and so on.

The questions are similar to those we find in Vishnu Sahasranama, posed

by Yuddhishttira to Bheeshma. Several questions and answers are
exchanged, as we see in the Gita, between Arjuna and Krishna. Parikshit
also tells the sage not to worry about him and that he was willing to hear
from the sage, day and night, without food or sleep (Canto 2, chapter 8,
verse 26). He wants to make the utmost use of the time remaining and
Shukaacarya's blessed presence.

The following remarks by Shukaacarya, when he begins his discourse

(taken from Canto 2, chapter 1) are of interest. Shukaacarya says, "O king,
all the questions that you have asked are indeed excellent. One should
always remember the Lord Shri Hari, hear His glories, and sing His glories
if one wishes to be freed from all distress."

Tasmaat Bhaarata Sarvaatmaa

Bhagavaan EeshwarO Harih l
Shrotavyah keertitavyash ca
smartavyash cechata-abhyam ll 2.1.5 ll SB

It is interesting to note that here Shukaacarya refers to Bhagavaan also as

Sarvaatma, One who is present as the atma in all, not the usual
Paramaatma. Here Bhaarata means Parikshit; this is also used by Krishna
in the Gita to refer to Arjuna. (cechata = ca + icchata = and + desired)

Then the sage says, "It is indeed so sad that humans, who are filled with
pride and arrogance (pramatta), have been granted a lifetime of about 100
years. It is really too long and a total waste to spend it following the usual
and futile human pursuits. Actually, just one muhurtam is sufficient time, if
properly engaged, to achieve Shreyas. For that matter, the Rajarshi named

Page 73 of 122
Katvanga, when he realized that his life is nearing its end, gave up
everything and in the duration of just one muhurta, concentrated his mind
upon the Lord Hari and reached His Divine abode." The verses are given
below.

Kim pramattasya bhubhihee parokshaih haayanair-iha l

Varam muhoortam viditam ghatheta shreyase yatah ll 2.1.12 ll SB

KatvaangO naama rajarshir jnaatveyat-tam-ihaa-yushahaa l

Muhoortaat sarvam utsrujya gatavaan abhayam Harim ll 2.1.13 ll SB

The time duration called the muhuratam here is equal to 48 minutes. One
muhurtam is made up of two gadis and so one gadi equals 24 minutes.

We take a day (which includes the night time as well) to be equal to 24

hours, each having 60 minutes, based on Western scientific principles. In
the Bhagavtam, this is reversed. (Or was it reversed intentionally by
someone in the west for some reasons unknown today?) One day is made
up of 60 units of 24 minutes each, with each 24 minute unit being called a
"gadi". Alternatively, one 24 hour day can be thought of as being made up
of 30 muhoortas (see http://www.hindupedia.com/en/Yuga ).

The time duration called the muhurtam is still popular in India and used to
fix the exact time for various auspicious events like a wedding and the
performance of important tasks, like opening a new business and so on.

There is also an interesting sloka from Valmiki Ramayanam which

describes how Rama appears in Bharata’s view, when the latter went to
Chitrakoota and was trying to get Rama to abandon His exile and return to
Ayodhya. This sloka is also a part of what is known as the Gayatri
Ramayanam and is given below.

Nireekshya sa muhoortam tu dadarsha BharatO gurum l

Uthaje Raamam aaseenam jataa-valkala-dhaariNam ll AY.99.25 ll

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 Bharata finds Rama and Lakshmana at the forest dwelling
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=rama+bharata+pictures&view=detail
&id=E0C936232680390EC4C76C539CF7009DC2CACC07&first=0

This is found in Ayodhyaa kandam, sarga 99, sloka 25. The first letter of
this sloka is a bheejaaskshram of the Gayatri mantra (Tat savitur vareNyam
bhargO devasya dheemahi ….). There are 24 letters in this Gayatri mantra
and 24,000 slokas in Valmiki Ramayanam. The first sloka of Valmiki
Ramayanam (Tapas-swadhyaaya niratam tapasvee vaagvidaam varam…)
starts with the first letter “Ta” of the Gayatri mantra. Every 1000th sloka
thereafter has the subsequent letters of Gayatri mantra. All these 24 slokas

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taken together is known as the Gayatri Ramayanam (see link given below
and click on appropriate language to find this important Stotram). The
above sloka is the 7th sloka of Gayatri Ramayanam.

http://www.prapatti.com/slokas/sanskrit/gaayatriiraamaayanam.pdf

It is interesting here, especially in the context of our discussion of Katvanga

being able to reach the abode of Lord Sri Hari, that the same time duration
of one muhurtam also appears here. Bharata came in search of Rama.
Actually, Bharata was away when Rama was to be coronated and Kaikeyi
asked for the boon to exile Rama and coronate Bharata instead. So, when
Bharata found out what had transpired, he was furious at Kaikeyi and came
in search of Rama and wanted Rama to give up His exile and return to
Ayodhya. The above sloka is found when Bharata reaches the forest
dwelling where Rama, Sita and Lakshmana were residing in Chitrakoota.

It was a beautiful holy hut dwelling, devoid of all royal trappings – the hut of
an ascetic. Bharata was filled with tears as he saw the hut from afar. Rama
was seated in the hut and dressed in the attire of an ascetic – with a jata
(matted hair locks) and valkala (humble dress made of tree barks). Gone
was all the trappings of a royal personage. Bharata could not withstand the
sight. He gazed at Rama for awhile as some translators say, but the exact
time duration of one muhuratam is stated here.

Let us remember that Bharata was overcome with grief and shedding tears.
May be he was unable to see the Lord Rama. May be it took him some
time to compose himself to be able to see Rama clearly. May be that time
was EXACTLY one muhurtam, the same time taken by Katvaanga to reach
the abode of Lord Sri Hari, as mentioned by Shukaacarya !

Also, it should be noted that the word Shreyas is used here (the SB sloka
being discussed). Preyas, or priyam, is what we like. Shreyas, on the other
hand, is what is good for us. We like many things but not necessarily those
that are good for us. Arjuna also uses the word Shreyas repeatedly in the
Gita (for example, chapter 2, verse 7, when he surrenders, and chapter 3,
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verse 2). Krishna also uses the same in slokas like Shreyaan swadharmO
vigunah..., chapter 3 verse 35 and chapter 18, verse 47. The deeper
implications of Shreyas should be more obvious. The real Shreyas is total
liberation, or moksha.

The main point, however, here is that Shukaacarya tells us here that it is
enough to spend just one muhoortam, in a focused and concentrated
manner, to reach the abode of the Lord Sri Hari.

Of course, one should not forget that the example given is that of
Katvaanga, a Rajarshi, which means he was already a great royal sage
and so had mastered all the shastras and yogas. He was, however,
entangled in worldly affairs. Once he realized that his end was nearing, it
was very easy for him to spend just one muhoortam and reach the abode
of the Lord Sri Hari. What Shukaacaryaa is referring to is the preparation
time that is being wasted by people who do not realize the purpose of their
bodily existence.

Imagine having to go somewhere in a hurry and arrive there within the

hour. One cannot go car shopping at the time, or even wait for a bus, or a
train. It is good to have a car on hand, parked in the garage. That too is not
really enough. The car must also be reliable and in top working condition to
be able to meet the time constraints. The same applies to that trip to the
abode of Lord Sri Hari in one just one muhoortam, following King
Katvaanga's example! Let's go car shopping today itself.

In short, there is still hope for all of us! Om Namo Narayanaaya.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Raama Hare Raama Raama Raama Hare Hare

Very sincerely

V. Laxmanan
April 12, 2012
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 Brahma Fears His Limited Lifetime
Dear All:

In the earlier email, where we discussed the Cosmology Lessons from

Krishna's teachings in chapter 8 of the Bhagavad Gita, I had alluded to
reading in the Srimad Bhagavatam about Brahma's fear of his own death
and limited lifetime. This is mentioned by Brahma himself, in his
conversation with Bhagavan. The specific sloka of interest appears in
Canto 3, chapter 9, verse 18 (all multiples of 3!) The sloka is reproduced
below (see also the translation by Srila Prabhupada and the purport
http://srimadbhagavatam.com/3/9/18/en ).

Yasmaat bibhemyahamapi dwiparaardha dhishNyam

Adhyaasitah sakala loka namaskrutam yat l
Tepe tapO bahusavO-varurut samaanas-
Tasmai namo Bhagavate-adhimakhaaya Tubhyam ll 3.9.18 ll

When Bhagavan wished to create, a lotus emerged from His navel. And, on
that lotus there appeared Brahma, embodied with all the knowledge of the
Vedas (3.8.15, SB). Thus, Brahma found himself seated on a lotus. The
waters of pralaya were all around, as far as he could see. He starts
wondering, "Who am I?" or in Sanskrit "KOham or Kahaa aham" Here
kahaa = ka:, the first constant in Sanskrit, ka, with the colon (:) added to
indicate the nominative singular of the pronoun meaning who (3.8.18, SB).
or S . Thus, one of the names of Brahma is "ka". Since we
all get our body from "ka", this body we have is referred to as "Kaayaa"
which literally means that (yaa) which was obtained from "ka", or Brahma.
We find this word used in the well-known sloka, Kaayena vaacaa
manasendriyaih vaa.... Here kaayena means with the instrument or agency
of the kaayaa, i.e., whatever we do using our body. (Similarly maayaa
means maa yaa where "maa" means nonexistent. So maayaa is often
taken as that which does not exist.)

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******************************************************************

Kasya roopam aboot dwedhaa

yat kaayam abhicakshate l
Taabhyaam roopa-vibhaagaabhyaam
mithunam sampadyata ll 3.12.52 ll SB

The relevant sloka appears in Canto 3, chapter 12 and is

reproduced above. Kasya here means “of ka”, i.e., of Brahma.
As Brahma was contemplating (after repeated failure in his
efforts) about to fulfill Bhagavan’s command to populat the
universe, he suddenly found his body split into two parts (a
male and a female) and sexual reproduction as the means to
populate the universe was thus conceived, verse 54. The above
sloka also states clearly that all bodies, of all beings, are
referred to as Kaayaa for this reason, since they came from
Ka, Brahma.

******************************************************************

Brahma starts surveying his surroundings. As he looks around, in all the

directions, magically four heads appear, as if to facilitate his looking in all
the four directions (3.8.16, SB). After failing to discover anything external,
Brahma decides to enter into the stalk of the lotus upon which he is seated
(3.8.19, SB). He reaches the point where the stalk was attached to the
navel of Bhagavan but could not penetrate it (3.8.19, SB). Dejected, he
comes back out and sits atop the lotus (more comfortable there, obviously!)
and starts meditating for many many years (according to Brahma's
reckoning). In one version of this same, Brahma hears the two consonant
sounds "ta" and "pa" which together mean "tapa", i.e., a command to

Page 79 of 122
meditate (2.9.6, SB). Although, he did not know the source of this sound
and the command, Brahma follows the order dutifully and starts meditating.
Pleased with Brahma's devotion and austerity, Bhagavan finally appears
before him and takes him to Vaikunta (2.9.9, SB). In the words of
Shukaacarya, the verse which describes this is given below (see also the
translation by Srila Prabhupada and the purport
http://srimadbhagavatam.com/2/9/9/en)

Tasmai swalokam Bhagavaan Sabhaajitah

Sandarshayaam-aasa param na yat param l
Vyapeta samklesha vimoha saadhvasam
swadrushtha-vadbhir vibudhair abhishthutam ll 2.9.9 ll SB

Shukaacaryaa uses the same description here that Krishna uses in chapter
8 to describe His abode - param na yat param - that Supreme Abode with
nothing superior to it. This is what Bhagavaan showed (sandarshayaam
aasa) Brahma. We can call this abode, Vaikunta (also used in SB, Canto 3,
chapters 15 and 16) Shreekrishna dhaama, Goloka dhaama, Param
dhaama, Parama padam, or any name we choose. All these are only
names. There is only one Supreme Abode. And, there is only one
Bhagavan, whatever name we choose to call Him by (even Buddha,
Tirtankara, Jesus, Jehovah, or Allah!).

A short description of this Supreme Abode is given in the last two lines
here. In that Supreme Abode, there is nothing to be distressed about
(kelsha), nothing to be deluded by (moha), nothing to fear (saadhvasam,
fear of material existence). It is free (vyapeta) all such afflictions. All the
celestials who have received but one glance of this place are constantly
singing its glories.

Anyway, to keep the long story short, after his Bhagavan-led personal tour
of Vaikunta, and after receiving complete instructions (the entire Srimad
Bhagavatam was narrated in essence, the so-called Chatush sloki
Bhagavatam, 2.9.30 to 2.9.36, Brahma did not need much more and could
infer all the remaining slokas), Brahma is completely overwhelmed with
Page 80 of 122
devotion and starts singing the glories of the Lord. This is the topic of Canto
3, chapter 9. The sloka of interest to us now is the 18th sloka of the hymn
recited by Brahma to praise the Lord and was quoted above at the start of
the discussion.

Let us see what this sloka means. DhishNaa means abode or place.
Dwiparaardha means two paraardhaas which was discussed earlier under
the cosmology discussion. Brahma has a lifetime of just two (2)
paraardhaas. He has been placed (by Bhagavan) in the loka where such is
the duration of life for ALL of its residents. (This is just like the maximum
lifespan here on earth, which is about 100 years. Life-expectancy changes
depending on country we live in, but on average the maximum lifespan is
about 100 years, as also noted by Shukaacaraya, yesterday's email in the
conversation with Parikshit. The duration of life in ALL lokas outside the
three lokas - bhu, bhuva, suwa is same as Brahma's lifespan, see verse
3.11.22 of Srimad Bhagavatam where timescales are discussed. The other
four lokas above us are maha, jana, tapa, and satya. These are mentioned
in the FULL VERSION of the Gayatri mantram.)

In the previous sloka, Brahma mentions that although one is born to

worship Bhagavan and sing His glories (THIS IS THE SWADHARMA FOR
ALL, AS STATED BY BRAHMA HERE), generally people forget this and
get entangled in various prohibited activities (nishiddha karmas, or
vikarmas) and the pleasures of their own bodily existence and their self-
imagined goals and interests (kushale pramattah). And, then the ravages of
time take over and death arrives. That all-powerful Time is also the
manifestation of Bhagavan's power (Kaalaatmaka Parameshwara Raam,
One with time under His control, or One who has conquered time).

And so, says Brahma, in the above sloka, although I am placed in the loka
where the lifespan is two paraardhaas, I too live in fear of death, although I
am worshipped by all. And so, I perform austerities (tapas tepe) for many
many years. Bhagavan Himself, as the Adhimakha, is the witness to this
tapas. I bow to Thee - tasmai namo Bhagavate adhimakhaaya tubhyam.

Page 81 of 122
The word "makha" is a synonym for "yajna". Hence, Adhimakha is the
same as Adhiyajna, mentioned in chapter 8 of the Gita (verses 2 and 4).
Arjuna asks, "Who is the Adhiyajna in this body, O Madhusoodhana?" for
which Krishna replies, "It is Me alone who is the Adhiyajna." Yajna is not
just sitting around a fire and making offerings while chanting mantras.
Everything we do with our body can be turned into a yajna, if it is offered to
the Lord. Even ordinary bodily process such as breathing and eating
become yajnas.

Let them all be offered to Bhagavan. Thus, it becomes a "yajna". This is

what Brahma did with his own body.

Without Bhagavan's power, even the food we eat cannot be digested or the
waste expelled from the body (Aham VaishwaanarO bhootvaa praaNinaam
deham aashritahaa.. chapter 15, verse 14). He is present in the lifebreaths
- the breathe we inhale and the breathe we exhale - just become conscious
of it (praaNaapaana samaayuktah, second of that same verse of chapter
15). The fire needs air for it to blaze. The bodily process of digestion is like
burning or combustion - the fire is called Vaishwaanara. Krishna says that
too is Him, in chapter 15. In chapter 8, Krishna says, "I am the Adhiyajna
within this body." In other words, He is the due recipient and we must learn
to offer ALL to Him, on a daily and regular basis. (Many yajnas, that we can
do effortlessly, without sitting around a fire and chanting mantras are
mentioned in chapter 4, verses 24 to 32.)

Even with his mindbogglingly vast lifespan [total lifetime of 311.04 trillion
years or 311,040 billion years, per human reckoning, or 36,000 kalpas
or 72 million Chaturyugas (which is the same as what Krishna calls
yugas in chapter 8, verse 17), or 864 billion divine years, see box on
page 25], where each kalpa equals 8.64 billion years, according to the
Srimad Bhagavatam sloka above, and in Brahma's own words, he too is
afraid of the powerful ravages of time, and the power held by Bhagavan
over him. He spends many many years of his 100 Brahma years in tapas
(austerities). In the Srimad Bhagavatam, Lord Shiva is also described as a
great yogi who is always meditating and a great devotee of Bhagavan.
Page 82 of 122

Brahma’s lifetime = 100 years
Each Brahma year (BY) has 360
Brahms days (BD) called kalpas (we
define kalpa to include daytime and
nighttime, both of equal duration).
So, Brahma’s lifetime = 36,000 kalpas
Each kalpa has 1000 Chaturyugas(Cy)
for daytime and 1000 for nighttime, so
total of 2000 Chaturyugas.
So, Brahma’s lifetime equals 36,000
times 2000 Chaturyugas = 72 million
Chaturyugas (Cy).
One Chaturyugas has 12,000 divine
years (DY).
So, Brahma’s lifetime equals 72 million
times 12,000 divine years = 864 billion
divine years (DY)
The above calculations have nothing to
do with any human days, years, or time
durations. Multiply DY by 360 to get
Brahma’s lifetime in human years. The
number is 311,040 billion (human)
years or 311.04 trillion years.
In the Tulsi Ramayana and the
Adhyatma Ramayana, Shiva
says that he is constantly
chanting Ramanaamam to be
liberated.
Brahma and Shiva thus set the
example for us. In the limited
lifespan of 100 human years
that we have (most do not
reach this maximum and are
gone by 80s, or 70s, or 60s, or
50s or even less) we too can do
what Brahma says he is doing
in this sloka. As Shukaacaraya
tells us, one muhoortam of
concentrated meditation may
be enough, as long as we
possess the right tools. Also,
Shukaacaraya says there is no
need to fear the moment of
death. We will discuss this in a
future email.
Very sincerely
V. Laxmanan
April 12, 2012
Page 83 of 122
 Yuga sandhyaa
The transition between two yugas
Dear All:

In our recent email discussion of Cosmology Lessons from chapter 8 of the

Bhagavad Gita, we went through the simple calculations (just multiplying
numbers and doing some addition, now we don't even need to know
multiplication tables from memory, we can just use computer or calculator)
to determine the lifespan of Brahma in terms of human years.

The Srimad Bhagavatam,

however, defines this lifespan
NOT in terms of human years but
Brahma’s lifetime = 100 years
in terms of Divine years (Divya
Or, Brahma’s lifetime = 36,000 varsha). There is NO mention AT
kalpas ALL of human years in Canto 3,
Or, Brahma’s lifetime = 72 million chapter 11, where various
Chaturyugas (Cy). timescales, big and small, are
Or, Brahma’s lifetime equals 864 described in detail by
billion divine years (DY) Shukaacaryaa. The whole
discussion is in terms of divine
Multiply DY by 360 to get Brahma’s
lifetime in human years. This number years. Only commentators help us
is 311,040 billion years or 311.04 to relate this to human years.
trillion years.
For example, in the footnotes to
the appropriate verses in the Hindi
translation published by
Gorakhpur press we find the clarification that one divine day equals one
human year and that one divine year has 360 divine days and is therefore
equal to 360 human years. Srila Prabhupada also mentions the same in his
purports, written in English; see sections pasted below signature line.

Page 84 of 122
In Canto 3, chapter 11, verses 18 and 19, where the duration of the four
yugas (Kruta, Treta, Dwaapara, and Kali) are defined, we also encounter
the idea of yuga-sandhyaa. The word "sandhyaa" refers to the transition
from one state to another, or the conjunction of two different states. Hence,
we use the term "Sandhyaa vandanam" to denote the prayers (to be)
performed, on a daily basis, at the conjunction of the night with day, with
rising of the sun, at midday, and at the conjunction of the day with night,
with the setting of the sun. As we know from experience, we can ‘feel’
these transitions. It becomes bright gradually and likewise become dark
gradually. At midday it gets quite hot.

Likewise, we have yuga-sandhyas. According to verse 19 cited above, the

duration of Kaliyuga is 1200 divine years of which 200 divine years are the
transition years. These are split equally at the beginning and the end.

This means we have 100 divine years of transition from Dwaapara yuga to
Kaliyuga and another 100 divine years of transition from Kaliyuga to Kruta,
or Satya yuga, where Kaliyuga will end. The effects of the previous yuga
will be felt in the transition years. Thus, for the first 100 divine years of
Kaliyuga we will feel the effect of Dwaapara yuga and for the last 100
divine years of Kaliyuga, we will begin to feel the effects of Kruta, or Satya,
yuga. (Conversely, were the effects of Kali were felt in the last 100 divine
years of Dwaapara yuga? Does the future blend with the present? Does the
past affect the present? ) This is very fortunate, since the Bhagavatam
states clearly that "dharma" is different in each of the four yugas. This is
mentioned in verses 20 and 21 of chapter 11, Canto 3.

There are four legs of dharma - tapah shoucam dayaa satyam iti
paadaah kruteh krutaahaa (Canto 1, chapter 17, verse 24) - these are
tapas, austerities, shoucam, purity, dayaa, compassion, and satyam,
truthfulness. All four legs are present (i.e., all four flourish) in the first
yuga, Krutayuga or Satyayuga. Then one of the four legs is progressively
lost with each passing yuga. In Kaliyuga, only the last leg will be standing.
That last leg is truthfulness.

Page 85 of 122
People will fail to perform austerities. They will fail to maintain purity
(mental and physical). They will become quite cruel and lack compassion.
Just imagine what it would have been like in earlier yugas if you think you
are filled with compassion today for your fellow humans! The only thing left
is truthfulness. (Ah, tell me about it with all the lies of this political campaign
and the venom that is being spewed on the airways!).

The yugasandhya period is 100 divine years, or 36,000 human years.

Wow! This is very very interesting since according to the Panchangam (the
Vedic calendar) calculations, only about 5113 years of Kaliyuga have
elapsed. We are, therefore, still in the yugasandhya period. The full effects
of Kaliyuga are NOT yet being felt.

So, there is still HOPE and CHANGE will come soon!

We will experience the effects of dayaa or compassion, the trait prevailing

in Dwaapara, for some 30,880 human years (give and take a few) into the
future. And, not only that, when Kaliyuga ends, the effects of Kruta, or
Satya, yuga will be manifested in the last 36,000 years. That is when
Bhagavan will appear as Kalki and re-establish the full force of dharma and
destroy the evil effects of Kali which lasted for 432,000 years:

Dharma samsthaapana-arthaaya sambhavaami yuge yuge (Gita

chapter 4, verse 8).

Great thoughts to keep in mind as we begin New Year celebrations this

month. They actually began a few weeks ago when the Telugu, Marathi
and other communities celebrated their Yugadis. Cheers! Happy New Year
to ALL.

Very sincerely

V. Laxmanan
April 13, 2012

Page 86 of 122
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 3.9.18
yasmād bibhemy aham api dviparārdha-dhi yam
adhyāsita sakala-loka-namask ta yat
tepe tapo bahu-savo 'varurutsamānas
tasmai namo bhagavate 'dhimakhāya tubhyam

SYNONYMS

yasmāt — from whom; bibhemi — fear; aham — I; api — also; dvi-para-

ardha — up to the limit of 4,300,000,000 x 2 x 30 x 12 x 100 solar years;
dhi yam — place; adhyāsita — situated in; sakala-loka — all other
planets; namask tam — honored by; yat — that; tepe — underwent; tapa
— penances; bahu-sava — many, many years; avarurutsamāna —
desiring to obtain You; tasmai — unto Him; nama — I do offer my
obeisances; bhagavate — unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
adhimakhāya — unto Him who is the enjoyer of all sacrifices; tubhyam —
unto Your Lordship.

TRANSLATION

Your Lordship, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You who are

indefatigable time and the enjoyer of all sacrifices. Although I am situated in
an abode which will continue to exist for a time duration of two parārdhas,
although I am the leader of all other planets in the universe, and although I
have undergone many, many years of penance for self-realization, still I
offer my respects unto You.

PURPORT

Brahmā is the greatest personality in the universe because he has the

longest duration of life. He is the most respectable personality because of
his penance, influence, prestige, etc., and still he has to offer his respectful
obeisances unto the Lord. Therefore, it is incumbent upon all others, who
are far, far below the standard of Brahmā, to do as he did and offer
respects as a matter of duty.

Page 87 of 122
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 3.11.18

maitreya uvāca

k ta tretā dvāpara ca
kaliś ceti catur-yugam
divyair dvādaśabhir var ai
sāvadhāna nirūpitam

SYNONYMS

maitreya uvāca — Maitreya said; k tam — the age of Satya; tretā — the
age of Tretā; dvāparam — the age of Dvāpara; ca — also; kali — the age
of Kali; ca — and; iti — thus; catu -yugam — four millenniums; divyai —
of the demigods; dvādaśabhi — twelve; var ai — thousands of years;
sa-avadhānam — approximately; nirūpitam — ascertained.

TRANSLATION

Maitreya said: O Vidura, the four millenniums are called the Satya, Tretā,
Dvāpara and Kali yugas. The aggregate number of years of all of these
combined is equal to twelve thousand years of the demigods.

PURPORT

The years of the demigods are equal to 360 years of humankind. As will be
clarified in the subsequent verses, 12,000 of the demigods' years, including
the transitional periods which are called yuga-sandhyās, comprise the total
of the aforementioned four millenniums. Thus the aggregate of the above-
mentioned four millenniums is 4,320,000 years.

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 3.11.19

catvāri trī i dve caika

k tādi u yathā-kramam
sańkhyātāni sahasrā i
dvi-gu āni śatāni ca

Page 88 of 122
SYNONYMS

catvāri — four; trī i — three; dve — two; ca — also; ekam — one; k ta-
ādi u — in the Satya-yuga; yathā-kramam — and subsequently others;
sańkhyātāni — numbering; sahasrā i — thousands; dvi-gu āni — twice;
śatāni — hundreds; ca — also.

TRANSLATION

The duration of the Satya millennium equals 4,800 years of the years of the
demigods; the duration of the Dvāpara millennium equals 2,400 years; and
that of the Kali millennium is 1,200 years of the demigods.

PURPORT

As aforementioned, one year of the demigods is equal to 360 years of the

human beings. The duration of the Satya-yuga is therefore 4,800 x 360, or
1,728,000 years. The duration of the Tretā-yuga is 3,600 x 360, or
1,296,000 years. The duration of the Dvāpara-yuga is 2,400 x 360, or
864,000 years. And the last, the Kali-yuga, is 1,200 x 360, or 432,000
years.

Page 89 of 122
 The Irony of the Big Questions
What we call Hindu philosopy is filled with eloquent aphorisms. I have listed
a few of them here, for reflection, based on our discussion so far about
Krishna’s teachings in chapter 8 of the Bhagavad Gita.

In the opening verse of chapter 8 Arjuna poses the question (verse 1)

Kim tad Brahma?

What is that (which you call) Brahma (or Brahman)?

Krishna, the Supreme Being Himself (Krishnas tu Bhagavan swayam,

Canto 1, chapter 3, verse 28), answers Arjuna as follows:

Aksharam Brahma Paramam - Brahma is that Indestructible Absolute

Adi Sankara, one of the foremost of modern Hindu philosophers who laid
the foundation for what is known as Advaita (Non-dualism) philosophy said.

Aham Brahma asi or Aham Brahmaasi - I am Brahma (or Brahman)

The very first being created by Bhagavan, on the first day of creation,
known to us as Brahma, the Creator, on the other hand, wonders, when he
finds himself atop the lotus that sprang from the navel of Bhagavan:

KOham or Kahaa Aham --- Who Am I?

or S
Page 90 of 122
In the famous Charama Slokam of Vishishtthadvaita philosophy, the
foremose modern proponent being Ramanujaacarya we encounter (see
link given here for a brief discussion of these three slokas given below
http://www.scribd.com/doc/56368141/The-Three-Charama-Slokas-An-
Introductory-Discussion ):

Tavaasmee or Tava asmi – I am yours

The full verse, found in Valmiki Ramayana, recited by Lord Rama Himself
at the time of His acceptance of Vibhishana (brother of Ravana) who had
come to seek His refuge.

Shree Rama said:

Sakrudeva prapannaaya tavaasmeeti ca yaacate l

Abhayam Sarva bhootebhyo dadaamyetat vratam ma-ma ll

च च l
ll

This is called the Charama sloka (the final message, or most important
message) of the avatara, incarnation. The other two important slokas are.

Shree Krishna said:

Sarva dharman parityajya

maam ekam sharanam vraja l
Aham tvaam (tvaa) sarva paapebhyo
mokshayishyaami maa shucahaa ll 18.66 ll BG

Page 91 of 122
 l
( ) च ll १८.६६ ll

The Varaha Charama Sloka of Varaha Purana

Sthite manasi su-swasthe shareere sati yo narahaa l

Dhaatu-saamye sthite smartaa Viswaropam Maamajam ll

Tatas-tam mriyamaanam tu kaashtha-paashaana-sannibham l

Aham smaraami madbhaktam nayaami Paramaam gatim ll

च ll

ll

Lord Addresses Mother Earth or Bhumi Devi -

When any man who is with a sound mind and situated in good
health thinks of me as the cause of this universe (having the form
of this universe) and one without birth, I think of him when he is in
his death bed lying like a stone or wood and take him to the
ultimate Abode.

Page 92 of 122
In summary, we find the following:

Lord Rama said that He has made a vow to protect all those
who seek His refuge.

Krishna said, Just surrender to me, I will liberate you all

your sins.

Lord Varaha said, “Think about me and surrender to Me,

once, when you are healthy and in full possession of all your
mental faculties and I shall, personally, take should a
devotee to My Abode.”

There is really nothing to fear from

Death
http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15836

http://www.eliteskills.com/c/2198

Death Be Not Proud …….

One short sleep past
We wake eternally
And, death shall be no more
Death Thou shalt die!

Page 93 of 122
 Simple tabular form calculation of
Brahma’s lifetime

Lifetime in Brahma Years (BY) 100

Days/BY 360
Total days 36,000
Daytime 1000 Cy = 0.5 kalpa
Nighttime 1000 Cy = 0.5 kalpa
Kalpas/day 1
Total kalpas 36,000
Chaturyugas (Cy)/kalpa 2000
Total Cy 72 million
Divine years (DY)/Cy 12,000
Total lifetime in DY 864 billion
Human years/DY 360
Total lifetime in (human) years 311040 billion

Total lifetime in (human) years 311.040 trillion

BY = Brahma’s year
Cy = Chaturyuga (the four yugas taken together, Kruta, Treta, Dwaapara, Kali)
DY = Divine year

Commentaries on verse 17, chapter 8, by acaryas of the four Vaishnavite

sampradayas may be found at http://www.bhagavad-gita.org/Gita/verse-08-17.html
Ramanujacarya’s commentary states very clearly that one kalpa refers to the day of
Brahma which includes equal durations of daytime and nighttimes. One year of
Brahma is thus made of 360 kalpas and Brahma’s lifetime equals 36,000 kalpas.

The sandhi of ahah+yat or ahah+yad becomes aharyat or aharyad (alternatives)

or becomes or

Some authors take kapla as the daytime of Brahma and one Brahma day
as two (2) kalpas, see http://baharna.com/karma/yuga.htm
Page 94 of 122
 From Non-Science to
Real Space Science
Dear All:

Based on our discussion so far about the Cosmology Lessons from Krishna's
teaching in chapter 8, here are at least two bold, or rather crazy, ideas.

The first one is the easy one. It has to do with our understanding of history.
The second is more crazy.

We now know, with actual astronomical observations, reported since 1995

(when the first exoplanet was discovered, here ‘exo’ means not orbiting our
sun, or extra solar), that there are indeed billions of planets orbiting around
stars, even in distant galaxies, and many of these may be habitable like our
earth. We will get to this later.

First, today, April 14th is a historic day. Not because some communities
from India celebrate their New Year today (Happy Vishu, Happy Baisaki,
today is also the traditional date for Tamil New Year). If you still don't
know why, you haven't been paying attention to all the hype
about the luxury liner Titanic – the grandest ship of its day.

Shortly before midnight today (about 11:50 PM), the unsinkable Titanic
(even God cannot sink this ship, it is not certain who said this but someone
did, before its tragic voyage started) struck an iceberg, on its maiden
voyage, on April 14, 1912, and sank in just about two and half (2.5) hours,
around 2:20 am on April 15, 1912. You won't believe it ---- there is an actual
cruise planned to re-enact the steps and it also got into unexpected
problems -- fortunately only delays, no tragedy. And, I stayed up at night,
through practically the whole time that Titanic was sinking, exactly 100
years ago, composing this email!
Page 95 of 122
Also, it was just around the same time, at 2 am on October 12, 1492 that
Columbus discovered the New World. Land was sighted and they waited
until after dawn to come ashore the island which Columbus called San
Salvador, which many believe to be an (unknown) island in the Bahamas -
there we go again about facts of recent history and the accuracy of records
of just a few centuries ago; see also links given here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Columbus#First_voyage and

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyages_of_Christopher_Columbus

As we discuss cosmological timescales, based on the teachings of Krishna in

the Bhagavad Gita and the teachings of the Srimad Bhagavatam, it is of
interest to revisit this date of October 12, 1492. Is this the correct date for
Columbus' landing in the New World?

Why even raise this question when accurate historical records have been
maintained about these historic voyages?

Firstly, we must remember the reform of the calendar by Pope Gregory XIII
(see earlier email on this topic, or consult the public document. This went
into effect in on Feb 24, 1582 and ten days were dropped from the calendar.
Since Columbus landed here in 1492, he must have used the ‘old calendar’.
Did some overzealous historians correct the date to agree with Gregorian or
report the date that Columbus says he landed in the New World?

As I had mentioned earlier, in England they still followed the new calendar
in 1642 since they did not accept the Pope's authority. So, Sir Isaac Newon,
who laid the foundation of modern gravitational theory, was born on
Christmas day. It is also said by science historians that Newton was born
the year Galileo died. This makes for a nice story. But, now see what
happens when we impose the Gregorian calendar on to this bit of history.
The date Dec 25, 1642 will move into the New Year since we have to add 10
days and so Newton is born, according to these revisionists on Jan 4, 1643.

Page 96 of 122
So, Newton loses the distinction of being on Christmas. Also, worse, he is
no longer born the year Galileo died since changing to the Gregorian
calendar does not affect Galileo’s death. Galileo still died in 1642! (Now,
please check out if Galileo died BEFORE or AFTER the papal bull --- and
date of Feb 24 and how it will affect his new death certificate as rewritten
by overzealous historians --- yes, I have seen some of this type of nonsense
being applied to Newton's birthday.)

Also, think about George Washington's birthday. In America, they still used
the old calendar. It was only in 1752 that the British calendar act went into
effect, on September 2, 1752. They dropped 12 days then, and the date after
Sept 2, 1752 became Sept 14, 1752 --- sort of like when we lose one hour
when we advance to daylight saving time but now more extreme --- So, if
you wish you can change the calendar and die on any auspicious day of your
choice so that you follow all the principles of chapter 8 of the Gita.

Wish life was that simple! The main point is the ‘fudging’ going on even
with things that we apparently claim are backed with solid historical
records. We often forget the hidden assumptions that we make. And so it
goes with the calculation of Brahma's life time.

What is Brahma's lifetime if we no longer live on planet Earth but

can transport ourselves to either a planet like Mars, orbiting our own sun,
or even an entirely new system, in a new galaxy? Obiously, one human year
will no longer have the same 365.25 days (on average) and Brahma's
lifetime cannot be said to be 311.04 trillion human, or earth, years. So, what
is the real number for Brahma's lifetime?

Practically, everyone I asked this question, over this weekend, at

the temple, said Brahma's lifetime is a constant and is NOT
affected by where we live. Of course, we can all agree on that! If so,
what is that constant value for Brahma's lifetime? How do we arrive at 311
trillion and 40 billion earth years, i.e., 311.040 trillion years (see
Prabhupada's purport for verse 17, chapter 8)? The answer is arrived at, as
shown in the table on 94 by reversing the calculation and starting with the

Page 97 of 122
assertion that Brahma’s lifetime is 100 (Brahma) years and so on and stop
short of the final conversion to Earth years or human years (see page 94).

This brings us to the more interesting question of finding an exoplanet to

live on. Imagine that we are the new Star Trek generation with advanced
rockets that can move at ease through distant galaxies. And, here we are
zooming through and find a star system with a whole bunch of inviting
planets. We will not get into how we can accomplish this voyage (even
traveling at the speed of light will mean many years of intergalactic travel).
The question: Can our new Mr. Spock come up with ‘sniffing’ gadget that
will tell him the planet is habitable and consistent with our here earth-
bound notion of what is (the constant) Brahma's life time?

We know Brahma lives for 100 years where ‘years’ are defined in a way we
still do not fully comprehend. What is a Divine day or year, if it is divorced
from the idea of one day for the gods being a whole Earth or human year?

What “physical” tools can we use to discover if human life on this planet
will be consistent with ideas about Brahma’s lifetime that we hold today?
Does knowing about 100 Brahma years help us choose the planet in this
situation --- like we decided where to live, or buy a house, when we move to
new city, or a new country, here in our earth-bound situation? In our new
city, we still used some “vastu” ideas about what is auspicious and a good
location for our new home. Likewise, this new planet must help us be in
tune with the Cosmology Lessons we gained from Krishna in chapter 8.

Do, I know the answer? I am certainly thinking very hard about this now.

One thing I do recall is that it takes light approximately 1000 seconds to

travel across a distance equal to the diameter of the earth's orbit. Yes,
amazing isn't it? Almost 1000 seconds and this number 1000 is revered in
our Purusha Suktam, Vishnu Sahasranamam and other related scriptures.

And, I also remember that Einstein got famous by developing his theory of
relativity (first published in 1905) where he postulates (not proves) that

Page 98 of 122
the speed of light is a universal constant. A postulate means ‘trust me and
take it to be true and let’s see where it takes us’; do check the meaning out
in the dictionary of Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Synonyms. Postulate
is thus different from what we call a hypothesis. No proof is offered when
putting forward a postulate. Only its consequences are carefully examined
in developing a new theory.

Now, our young geniuses can do the rest of the thinking and pick our new
planet to populate and start chanting and hold our first poojas and the first
Gita class and the first Ramayanam chanting and Bhagavatam saptaah
shravaNam.

Very sincerely

V. Laxmanan
April 16, 2012 9:56 a.m.

P. S. Got to preserve this moment in history - hence date and time to the
minute if not second!

Never mind, I did not tell you how to measure the speed of light at the new
planet. And, neither does Einstein, in his 1905 paper. He just takes the
speed of light to be a known and says let's build a NEW CLOCK that
works on the universal constancy of the speed of light.

*******************************************************
http://galileo.phys.virginia.edu/classes/109N/lectures/spedlite.html
http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2004/CherisseBarnes.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomical_unit

The average value for diameter can be rounded off as 300 million km.
In January: 294.2 million km (earth is at 147.1 million km from sun)
In July: 304.2 million km (earth is at 152.1 million km from the sun).
Speed of light c = 299,792.458 km/s, or rounded to 300,000 km/s.
ence time to traverse the diameter of earth’s orbit = 300 × 106 / 3 × 105 = 1000 s.
Page 99 of 122
 Merging of two universal constants
One from Non-science and the other from science
In his 1905 paper, Einstein suggests that we build a clock that uses light as
follows. Just place two mirrors at a known distance apart (let's say, d) and
let a ray of light bounce back and forth between them. The clock will tick
with each bouncing of the ray and give us EXTREMELY PRECISE time
intervals of t = 2d/c where 2d is the total distance travelled by the ray of
light and "c" is the universal constant for the speed of light.

Such a clock is always accurate and can NEVER go wrong since "c" will
never change. Indeed, Einstein lays the groundwork in simple words, talks
about the notion of simultaneity of events and what it means and describes
this clock before beginning his serious mathematical deliberations.
http://www.fourmilab.ch/etexts/einstein/specrel/specrel.pdf , see very
bottom of page 4 and top of page 5 of the 1905 paper.

Einstein specifically prohibits use a clock based on gravity principles (like a

pendulum clock) in order to test his theory of relativity. He wants a clock
that use light only (or one that does not use gravity directly or indirectly),
see footnote http://www.fourmilab.ch/etexts/einstein/specrel/specrel.pdf
which appears on page 11 of the paper; the clock placed on the equator must
go more slowly than a clock placed at one of the poles, since the equatorial
clock is moving at a higher speed compared to the polar clock (see the last
sentence of § 4 Physical Meaning of the Equations in Respect to Moving
Rigid Bodies and Moving Clocks).

No such clock has yet been built in spite of the great successes of Einstein's
theory. (This is in stark contrast with the situation when Galileo discovered
the law of the pendulum, around 1602, i.e., the period of oscillation of the
pendulum, the time elapsed between consecutive swings, is a constant. By
1656, the Dutch physicist and and mathematician, Christian Huygens had
designed and built the first pendulum clock.) Also, in the 1905 paper,

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Einstein describes a world with NO gravity. Only electromagnetic forces
and the motion of electrically charged particles (like the electron) are
considered. With no gravity, it is difficult to conceptualize how to build the
clock described by Einstein (how would the two mirrors be held in place at
a constant and fixed distance?). Anyway, it only means more work for our
geniuses of the future who will seek out distant galaxies exploring new
planetary systems.

The new planetary system, it is being postulated here, should also be

consistent with the constant value for Brahma’s lifetime in order to
be conducive for colonization by humans.

Now Non-Science merges with Space Science or Real Science.

How does this merging occur? This is discussed in what follows.

****************************************************
On picking a habitable exo-planet
Light, Mawell’s Electromagnetic Theory and Relativity

Throughout the 1905 paper, we find Einstein using Maxwell’s famous

mathematical equations which describe the behavior of light.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxwell%27s_equations .
http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/Relativity/SpeedOfLight/measure_c.html
Now, as in the case another famous pair from physics, Galileo-Newton,
Einstein was born in the same year that Maxwell died (1879)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Clerk_Maxwell . Maxwell died at the
young age of 49 was a brilliant theoretician, as well as an ardent
experimentalist. Both he and his wife performed experiments together!
Maxwell is not a household name like Einstein, but practically everything
that we use today in the modern world is due to Maxwell theory of
electromagnetism – from radios, TVs, cellphones, GPS systems, satellite
navigation systems and many many other electromagnetic devices.

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Maxwell imagined an imperceptible fluid, which was called the ether, much
like well known air or water (both are called fluids in science). In this ether
there are electrical charges. Lines of force exist between any two charges, or
between two magnets, as envisioned by Faraday. Maxwell thought of these
lines of force as being similar to streams of water – or streamlines – as they
are called in fluid dynamics theory. Then he applied all the known laws of
fluids to this ether and developed mathematical equations which predicted
all known (i.e., experimentally) laws of electricity and magnetism
(http://uncletaz.com/library/scimath/maxfar.html ) discovered since the
days of Benjamin Franklin (the American politician and philosopher was
also a scientist and he was the first to think about two types of charges – the
positive and the negative – as we find on the two terminals of a battery).

To make the long story short, for the Non-Science view being developed
here, Maxwell’s theory also showed that there must be waves in the ether.
He called them electromagnetic waves. He was also able to calculate the
speed of these waves. The speed is given by the simple equation 1 below
that we can all understand, even those who pursue Non-Science.

The speed of electromagnetic wave Cem = √ab ………………… 1

Here “a” and “b” are constants that had been measured by other scientists
BEFORE Maxwell. “ab” is the product of these constants. √ means we
must take the square root of the product. Example, if a = 4 and b = 16. The
product is ab = 64. Take the square root. We get 8. What are “a” and “b”?

The constant “a” is the universal constant in the law describing electrical
forces. Physicists call it the electrical permittivity.

The constant “b” is the universal constant in the law describing magnetic
forces, such as the force between two magnets. Physicists call it the
magnetic permeability (see further discussion at the end of this section).

Now, the speed of light c had also been determined by scientists BEFORE
Maxwell developed his theory. It was first determined by astronomers

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who were studying the eclipses of Io, one of the largest of Jupiter’s moons.
Later, laboratory experiments were developed to measure the light speed c.

Speed of light, c = D/t …………………………………………………2

Here D is some known distance and t is the time taken to travel

the distance. This the equation used by the astronomer Ole
Roemer who was studying the puzzling pattern of the eclipses of
Io, see links given below. To reach an observer on earth, light
from Io must travel across the diameter of the earth’s orbit,
when the earth is located at its furthest point from Jupiter.

http://www.amnh.org/education/resources/rfl/web/essaybooks/cosmic/p
_roemer.html and also
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%B8mer%27s_determination_of_the_
speed_of_light

In his 1905 paper, Einstein is simply reversing the logic of equation 2 above
to come up with the time duration between the ticks of a new type of a clock
which is built using the known speed of light c.

Returning to Maxwell, when he developed his theory, Maxwell checked the

numbers he got from equations 1 and 2 and was struck that the two speeds
were very nearly the same. Hence, Maxwell theorized that light might
just be an electromagnetic wave. This is the reason Einstein also uses
Maxwell’s equations to develop the theory of relativity in 1905.

Cem ≈ c …………………………………………………………………3

Future astronauts can apply the same ideas while orbiting a new planet,
orbiting around some new sun, in some distant galaxy. The speed of light is
still given by equation 1. The values of the two constants “a” and “b”
will most likely be different from their Earth-based values, but the
value of the square root of the product will be the same and equal to the
known speed of light, near the Earth, if Einstein’s relativity is valid.

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Our future astronauts can determine the values of “a”and “b” in the new
world and also check the time taken by light to travel across the diameter of
its orbit around the new sun. If it is 1000 seconds, BINGO!

The planet, regardless of its mass, size, and actual values of “a”
and “b” will agree with the constant value of Brahma’s lifetime.

In summary, if latter day astronauts or explorers encounter new stars and

planetary systems, it is postulated here that the planetary system for which
the time T taken by light to travel the diameter of the orbit, D, must be such
that T = 1000 seconds. This may be thought of a simple
mathematical habitability criterion. It is suggested that such system
will be conducive to all physical process (e.g. breathing, one of the most
fundamental) that will nourish human life, as well non-human life forms,
animate and inanimate. The basic equation for T, with the added
constraint, may be taken as the physical manifestation of the universality of
Brahma’s lifetime.

T = D/√ab = D/c = 1000 seconds ………………………………………..4

The electrical and magnetic constants “a” and “b” should be determined
using electrical charged bodies and magnets prepared using matter found
on the new planet. This will yield the “local” value for the speed of light c,
which may or may not agree with its value here on Earth. The above
experiment, if actually, conducted might also provide a critical test of the
special relativity postulate of the universal constancy of the speed of light, c.

Mathematical note:

The graph of “a” versus “b”will be a hyperbola since ab = c2 =

constant, if Einstein’s relativity is correct. Hence, if “a” increases “b”
must decrease, or vice versa, if the (special) theory of relativity is valid. So,
it should be possible to test the (special) theory of relativity more critically
by performing experiments in new planetary systems other than our own.

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 Fundamental problem with defining
both “b” and “c” in modern physics
In the modern theory of physics, the magnetic constant “b” is taken to be a
“defined” quantity for reasons we cannot get into here, see link below. Both
“a” and “b” were measured experimental before Einstein’s theory was
developed. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_constant

Thanks to Einstein’s theory of relativity, c, is now taken as a “defined”

quantity, equal to its known value near the earth and no longer to be
determined experimentally. The magnetic constant “b” is also taken as a
defined value. (Briefly, this was done to develop an accurate “standard” for
measurement of electrical currents. It uses a device called the “current
balance” constructed using well known electromagnetic principles.)

The above fixing of “b” and “c” means the electrical constant “a” is also
fixed automatically, without having to rely on actual experiments.

The question we must ask is the following: Do we need a clock to determine

“a” and “b” and “c” or can physics get away with simply “defining” and
assigning values to all the three, because we now believe in the theory of
relativity and it has so far withstood all experimental tests to disprove it?

Perhaps, there are some unknown biases. We must also ask the question: If
we needed a clock to determine c, before Einstein arrived, did we not also
use a clock to determine “a” and “b”. If so, can we “assign” a value to both
“b” and “c” which automatically fixes “a”, the electrical constant?

Finally, it should be noted that Einstein never seems to have acknowledged

Maxwell’s equation 1 above as the reason for postulating the speed of light
to be a universal constant to develop relativity. Even in the first 1905 paper,
Einstein never explicitly quotes equation 1 above, although he uses
Maxwell’s electromagnetic theory extensively to develop mathematical

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equations to describe the motion of the (then) smallest known electrical
particle: the electron. Using the universal constancy of the speed of light,
Einstein was trying to describe electrical and magnetic phenomena as
might be perceived by two observers A and B. One observer, say A, is
stationary, like a scientist in his Earth-bound laboratory. The other
observer B is moving relative to A at some known (and fixed) speed U. Both
A and B have identical clocks to measure time and measuring rods (like a
meter rod) to measure distances. Let the co-ordinates (x, y, z, t) describe
the motion for A and let the coordinates (x’, y’, z’ and τ) describe the motion
for B. What is the relationship between these two space-time co-ordinates?
This is the question posed by Einstein. Then, he derives equation 5, given
below, for the time τ.

The other equations are omitted here since they are NOT relevant to our
discussion. The equation relating t and τ has revolutionized science. (It is
assumed that the clocks carried by A and B can be built, based on principle
of using light as Einstein describes, at least in thought, see link given below)
http://www.fourmilab.ch/etexts/einstein/specrel/www/

τ = [ t – (Ux/c2) ] /√ 1 – (U2/c2) = t [ 1 – (Uv/c2) ] /√ 1 – (U2/c2)….…5

Here c is the known speed of light, U is the known relative speed of A and B
who are performing physical observations and x and t are distance and time
as measured by A, who is considered to be at rest. If U = 0, i.e., no relative
motion, t = τ. The time difference, also determined by Einstein, is given by:

Moving clock time τ = t = t – (1 - )t ………………….…………………….. 6

where λ =√1 – (U2/c2) ………………………………………………………… 7

Hence, τ ≈ t - ½ (U2/c2 ) t ….………………………………………………………. 8

Difference (t - τ) = (t – λt) = t(1 - λ) .………...………………………………. . 9

Hence, (t – τ) ≈ ½ (U2/c2 ) t .……………….….…………………………………. 10

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Equations 5 and 6 may be found on page 10 of the original paper; see
http://www.fourmilab.ch/etexts/einstein/specrel/specrel.pdf . Or see,
http://www.casavaria.com/hotspring/2008/05/21/123/einsteins-special-
theory-of-relativity-the-original-paper-1905/ equation for τ at the very top
of page 12 in the link given here. Since (t - τ)/t = (1 - λ), the time marked by
the clock with B is slow by (1 – λ) seconds per second, or neglecting higher
order terms (fourth powers of U/c) by approx ½ (U2 /c2).

Note: A very important assumption MUST be made here in that the ratio
x/t = v appears in equation 5 when t is factored out. It is ASSUMED to be
the same as U, the relative speed of the observers. All the equations derived
by Einstein are in this special moving frame, which is called rest frame (0r
the stationary system), with U = v = x/t. Hence, τ = t. Later, in the 1905
paper, these results are applied to the motion of an electron (page 21). Now,
Einstein says “the electron is at rest relatively to a system of co-ordinates
which is in parallel motion with velocity v along the axis of X”. Einstein
notes that what we learn from the special case of U = v should be generally
applicable.

For small speeds, λ is very close to unity (i.e., has its maximum value of 1)
and we do NOT see any difference significant time difference, see Figure 1.
This was the situation BEFORE Einstein derived these equations. Galileo,
Newton, Maxwell, Planck (who develop the famous quantum theory of
physics, in December 1900), and all greatest scientists before Einstein
believed that time t is ALWAYS an ABSOLUTE quantity and will NOT
depend on the motion of the observer, i.e., the exact value of U. Sitting in a
car and traveling at high speeds, or in a bullet train, or in an airplane, or
even in a spaceship, does not change the rate at which our clocks tick.

This was the belief held by all physicists before Einstein derived the three
mathematical equations 5 to 7 above. Then physics changed forever and
even the most recent attempt to prove Einstein’s theory may be violated (in
2011, the CERN fast neutrino experiment) has NOT been successful.

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 1.20
Relativistic time fraction τ/t = λ

1.00

0.80

0.60

0.40

0.20

0.00
0.00 0.20 0.40 0.60 0.80 1.00 1.20
Relative speed, U/c
Figure 1: Graph of the ratio τ/t versus the ratio U/c. As the
relative speed U increases and approaches the speed of light, the
time τ for the moving observer, expressed as a fraction of t,
decreases. Hence the time difference (t – τ) will increase. The
equation τ/t = λ, is plotted here, without any approximations.

However, we must think about all the assumptions made by Einstein to

develop this mathematical theory.

1. Is the speed of light c a universal constant?

2. If yes, why?
3. If yes, what happens to the constants “a” and “b”?

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And post-Einstein we must think about the following additional
questions raised by the general acceptance of Einstein’s theory of relativity.
Since 1983, the metre has been defined by international agreement (in an attempt
to eliminate the need for the physical meter rod, located in Paris) as the length of
the path travelled by light in vacuum during a time interval of 1/299,792,458 of a
second. This makes the speed of light exactly 299,792.458 km/s.
http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/Relativity/SpeedOfLight/measure_c.html

1. Can we take both the magnetic constant “b” and speed of

light “c” as known and assign values to both?
2. This automatically fixes the electrical constant “a”.
3. What will happen when we travel distant planets orbiting
distant stars in distant galaxies? Should same values of “a”
and “b” apply in the new world even if “c” is constant.

http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/Relativity/SpeedOfLight/measur
e_c.html

Even if we cannot, we can think about this. Einstein called these “thought”
experiments, or ‘gedanken’ using the German expression. All of Einstein’s
scientific work was published in German. Incidentally, the first English
translation of Einstein’s 1905 paper was by published by Indian physicists,
Saha and Bose, who were fascinated by Einstein’s papers.
http://archive.org/details/theprincipleofre00einsuoft

Mathematical note:

The graph of “a” versus “b”will be a hyperbola since ab = c2 =

constant, if Einstein’s relativity is correct. The values for “a” and “b”
measured here on Earth thus define just one point on this hyperbola.
Hence, if “a” increases “b” must decrease, or vice versa, if c is constant and
the (special) theory of relativity is valid. So, it should be possible to test this
theory more critically by performing experiments in new planetary systems,
other than our own, especially those in very distant galaxies. Can we do
this? Afterall, we did find the planets orbiting these distant stars!

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 Some recent studies on the
Habitality of Exoplanets
The terms exoplanets is used by astrophysicists to describe planets that orbit stars
other than our own sun, either in our own galaxy or in distant galaxies. The masses
of these planets (measured in units of the mass of the Earth) and the distance at
which they orbit their suns (measured in what is known as Astronomical Units,
AU) vary widely, as we see from Figure 2 below, prepared by Prof. Sara Seager of
MIT, one of the leading researchers in this field.

Figure 2: Plot of exoplanet masses and the distance at which they are located
from their suns (or stars), see http://seagerexoplanets.mit.edu/research.htm.
This distance is called the semi-major axis of the orbit and is measured in
what is known as the Astronomical Units (AU), with 1 AU being the average
distance of the Earth from our sun. Each point represents an exoplanet.
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Notice that some exoplanets have masses of tens, hundreds and even thousands of
Earth masses. Also, they orbit at a wide range of distances compared to our Earth,
some at more than 100 AU. Also, many are very close to their suns (like Mercury
in our solar system), at distances of less than 1 AU.

The semi-major axis of the earth’s orbit is 1 AU (by definition) and the speed of
light c = 299,792,458.00 m/s or 299,792.458 km/s. Expressed in AU, the speed of
light c = 0.002004 AU/s since 1 AU = 149,597,870.70 km. If we consider an
exoplanet with a semi-major axis of 100 AU and if the speed of light is a universal
constant, the time T taken by light to taken to cross its orbit would 100 times its
earth value (100,000 s ≈ 1666.67 mins ≈ 27.78 hours).

Hence, the suggestion made that we look for exoplanets with the same time T
taken by light to travel across the diameter of the planet’s orbit (equation 4) clearly
seems to have some merit. However, this time T should be determined on the basis
of “local” measurements of the speed of light, rather than the currently accepted
(actually, defined) value for the speed of light. Perhaps, astrophysicists could
develop methods of measuring the speed of light using exoplanets (and their
moons), just like the Dutch astronomer Ole Roemer was able to deduce the speed
of light by studying the anamolies in the successive times elapsed between the
eclipses of Io, one of the biggest moons of Jupiter (see page 103).

Astrophysicists also look for rocky planets in what is known as the “habitable
zone” around the stars - the range of distances in which planets are neither too cold
nor too hot to support life. The Habitable Exoplanets Catalogue in essence ranks
the habitability of planets and moons according to three criteria: their surface
temperature, similarity to Earth, and capacity to sustain organisms at the bottom of
the food chain, see link below.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/dec/05/exoplanet-kepler-22-b-nasa-earth

Also, a new mathematical analysis predicts the first truly habitable exoplanet will
show itself by early May 2011. “There is some wiggle room,” said Samuel
Arbesman of the Harvard Institute for Quantitative Social Science, lead author of a
new paper posted online and to be published in PLoS ONE Oct. 4. His calculations

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predict a 50 percent probability that the first habitable exoplanet will be discovered
in May 2011, 66 % chance by the end of 2013 and 75% chance by 2020.

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/09/habitable-world-next-may/

Arbesman and Laughlin devised a mathematical way to define habitability using

the techniques of scientometrics, the scientific study of science itself. They
considered a planet’s mass and its surface temperature at the points in its orbits
when it is closest and furthest away from its star, and calculated which of these
properties would be friendliest to liquid water (and, therefore, presumably, life).
Then they plotted their habitability function on a scale of 0 to 1, where 0 is
uninhabitable and 1 is a clone of Earth.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110516080124.htm

May 2011: The planetary system around the red dwarf Gliese 581, one of the
closest stars to the Sun in the galaxy. In 2007, scientists reported the detection of
two planets orbiting not far from the inner and outer edge of its habitable zone.
While the more distant planet, Gliese 581d, was initially judged to be too cold for
life. Now Gliese 581d looks like a prime candidate for a habitable planet.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/09/110912-exoplanets-super-
earths-space-science-new-planets-found/ Fifty New Planets Found. Discoveries
include 16 Earthlike planets, astronomers say.

Two new planets are most Earth-like ever seen – but hot as hell

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/dec/20/planets-earth-like-exoplanet-solar-
system Alok Jha, science correspondent guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 20 December
2011 13.00 EST

The newly discovered exoplanets are the first ever detected outside the solar
system that are Earth's size, or smaller. Previously, scientists have reported the
existence of three planets orbiting the Kepler 20 star, known as Kepler-20 b,
Kepler-20 c and Kepler-20 d. These have diameters 1.91, 3.07 and 2.75 times that
of Earth and orbital periods of 3.7 days, 10.9 days and 77.6 days respectively

Page 112 of 122

around their star. Earlier this month astronomers announced the discovery of
Kepler-22 b, one of the best candidates so far for an Earth-like planet outside our
solar system. "This planet is interesting as it is fairly small and at the right location
for water to be liquid," said Fressin. "However, the planet is very likely too large to
harbour life as we know it."

Note: Since the orbital time around Kepler 20 star is significantly less than
365.26 days for Earth, if these were habitable planets and humans were to live
here, their “year” would be very small, by a factor ranging from 5 to 180. This
will obvious change Brahma’s lifetime measured in human “years” on these
new planets. Equation 4 discussed earlier is thus a new habitability criterion
based on established scientific principles and the premise that only such a
system with yield life processes that are consistent with the universal
constancy of Brahma’s lifetime.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22017274

A two-tiered approach to assessing the habitability of exoplanets.

Schulze-Makuch D, Méndez A, Fairén AG, von Paris P, Turse C, Boyer G, Davila
AF, António MR, Catling D, Irwin LN.

Here we suggest a two-tiered classification scheme of exoplanet habitability. The

first tier consists of an Earth Similarity Index (ESI), which allows worlds to be
screened with regard to their similarity to Earth, the only known inhabited planet at
this time. The ESI is based on data available or potentially available for most
exoplanets such as mass, radius, and temperature. For the second tier of the
classification scheme we propose a Planetary Habitability Index (PHI) based on the
presence of a stable substrate, available energy, appropriate chemistry, and the
potential for holding a liquid solvent.

Page 113 of 122

 What is Time?
http://www-history.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/HistTopics/Time_1.html#s69

What then is time? If no one asks of me, I know; if I wish to explain to

him who asks, I know not. - St Augustine

St Augustine says how can it be that past and future times do not exist? He tried to
answer the apparent contradiction by claiming that past time can only be thought of
as past if one is thinking of it in the present. He identifies three times:-

... a present of things past, a present of things present, and a present of things
future. ... The present of things past is memory, the present of things present is
sight, and the present of things future is expectation.

St Augustine had reached conclusions that time does not exist without an
intelligent being who is able to think in the present about things past, present and
future. However he was not really happy with his own ideas and prayed for
enlightenment.

My soul yearns to know this most entangled enigma. I confess to Thee, O Lord,
that I am as yet ignorant what time is.

The ultimate version of the mechanical universe appeared in Newton's Principia

in 1687. The whole description of Newton's laws depended on time and so Newton
began by defining time as:-

... absolute, true, mathematical time, [which] of itself, and from its own nature,
flows equably without relation to anything external.

This was a major new idea regarding time. No longer was time determined by the
universe, but rather Newton postulated an absolute clock, external to the universe,
which measured time independently of the universe itself.
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Srimad Bhagavatam definition: A very beautiful description of time may be
found in the Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 3, chapter 29, verse 37 in the conversation
between the Kapila (an incarnation of the Bhagavan as the son of Devahuti,
daughter of Swayambhu Manu, the first Manu, and the sage Kardama) and His
mother Devahuti. After sage Kardama renounced family life and returned to his
austerities (he actually had set that as a pre-condition to agreeing to the proposal of
marriage to Devahuti made by Swayambhu Manu), Devahuti wanted to be
instructed about how to overcome her dejection and attachment to her senses and
attain liberation (moksha). The instructions given to Devahuti are known as Kapila
Gita. In the following sloka, Bhagavan, as Kapila, provides an interesting
description of what time is. The following discussion of this verse and the purport
may also be found at the link given below.
http://protectacow.typepad.com/krishna/2009/07/index.html

Roopa bhedaaspadam divyam kala ityabhidhiyate: This is a concise statement

of the meaning of time. Abhidiyate means is stated, understood, defined, by those
who are knowledgeable. Roopa means form, bheda means differentiations, and
divyam means divine and kaala is time. The word that is difficult to translate here
is the beautiful word ‘aaspadam’ The divine transformations and differentiations,
i.e., roopa bheda, are defined, or understood by the knowledgeable, as being time.

The time factor is another representation or manifestation of

the Supreme Personality of Godhead
SB 3.29.37 Explanation of Devotional Service by Lord Kapila

TEXT

rupa-bhedaspadam divyam
kala ity abhidhiyate
bhutanam mahad-adinam
yato bhinna-drsam bhayam

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 SYNONYMS

rupa-bheda--of the transformation of forms; aspadam--the cause; divyam--

divine; kalah--time; iti--thus; abhidhiyate--is known; bhutanam--of living
entities; mahat-adinam--beginning with Lord Brahma; yatah--because of
which; bhinna-drsam--with separate vision; bhayam--fear.

TRANSLATION

The time factor, who causes the transformation of the various material
manifestations, is another feature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Anyone who does not know that time is the same Supreme Personality is
afraid of the time factor.

PURPORT

Everyone is afraid of the activities of time, but a devotee who knows that the
time factor is another representation or manifestation of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead has nothing to fear from the influence of time. The
phrase rupa-bhedaspadam is very significant. By the influence of time, so
many forms are changing. For example, when a child is born his form is small,
but in the course of time that form changes into a larger form, the body of a
boy, and then the body of a young man. Similarly, everything is changed and
transformed by the time factor, or by the indirect control of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. Usually, we do not see any difference between the
body of a child and the body of a boy or young man because we know that
these changes are due to the action of the time factor. There is cause for fear
for a person who does not know how time acts.

Page 116 of 122

Page 117 of 122
 Some other references to theory of
relativity and Hindu Cosmology

The story of Kukudmi and Revati, as told by Narlikar, world renowed astronomer,
who along with his Professor Fred Hoyle proposed alternatives to the widely
accepted Big Bang theory of Creation, in the 1960s.

http://happyhealthyhome11.wordpress.com/2011/05/08/where-time-stands-still-
jayant-v-narlikar/

Where Time Stands Still- Jayant V Narlikar

Posted on May 8, 2011 by vjvrajesh

Indian mythology has this story about king Kukudmi who had a beautiful daughter
Revati with many eligible suitors. In a dilemma over how to choose the right
husband for her, Kukudmi took her to see no less a person than the creator Brahma
himself. Brahma was involved in some work at the time and told Kukudmi to ‘wait
a second’ till he could attend to him.

Kukudmi waited and when Brahma made himself available, presented his problem
to him. Brahma laughed. “Your brief wait here has meant that several aeons have
elapsed on the Earth. So all those prospective husbands for Revati are no more”.
He advised Kukudmi to get back to Earth and marry his daughter to Balarama, the
brother of Krishna.

Imagine two observers A and B who are in constant communication through light
signals. A is a distant observer while B sits on the surface of the shrinking object.
Both enter into an agreement whereby they send signals to each other once every
minute. This agreement works in an uneventful way to start with. But as time
proceeds, A will discover that B’s signals do not reach him every minute. In fact,
the interval between the signals grows progressively, to an hour, a day, even a

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month. And there would come a time when A’s wait is so prolonged that he would
be left wondering when B’s next signal would come, indeed if it would come at all.

The mystery behind why this happens is resolved if we take note of Einstein’s
general theory of relativity. The theory of relativity tells us that whenever the force
of gravity in a region grows in strength, time there flows more slowly. As the
object shrinks, the force of gravity on it grows and the watch of observer B runs
more and more slowly than the watch of the faraway observer A. So, although B
diligently sends his signals every minute, as measured by his watch, to A the
interval between signals is longer than a minute.

This effect is known as time-dilatation. And at the stage of becoming a black hole,
time dilatation reaches infinity and B’s time almost stands still as noted by A’s
watch. So one can say that Brahma’s den was close to becoming a black hole and
Kukudmi was experiencing no more than time dilatation! Black holes, for many of
us, are a here-and-now phenomenon. Doesn’t time stand still in a government
office?

http://ancientindians.wordpress.com/2011/08/03/time-special-relativity-what-is-
time-dilation/

Blog by Satya Sarada Kandula : With approx 1 million Indra seconds = 1 Brahma
second, I could propose that Brahma was moving with a constant velocity, v, with
respect to Indra, that was very close to the speed of light. Since that is close to the
rate at which the universe is expanding, that is a very interesting idea. I
personally have sought and found the answers in astronomy and not in relativity
see How the yugas grew in length, but in these matters people follow their own
heart-head combinations, and I am forewarned by Bhartruhari against arguing
with pratinivishta… chittas.

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Discussion: Answers to some questions
Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:39:13 +0000
To: vlaxmanan@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: Happy (Tamil) New Year: What is one year? Back to cosmology

Dear Laxmanan Sir,

This is so very informative. I have been thinking since our last Gita Class and
reading your emails. I am also watching a DVD series of Hubble's (telescope)
journey thru cosmos. “Undertanding the greatest images of the universe” by Prof.
David Meyer. In this, as we already know, he talks about the thousands and
thousands of galaxies beyond our local universe and how new galaxies are being
formed constantly and how the universe is expanding etc, etc.

What does this mean in relation to our Hindu Philosophy of Creation? Where does
the 14 lokas correspond in this discovery? Why is our earth and solar system so
special for the Gods (to be born again and again) when there are so many Suns and
planets? OR are we assuming that we are special??!! Does Bhagavatham talk
about these other galaxies and stars and the happenings in them?

I am sorry if I sound so dumb!! But this has been on my mind and you ARE the
right person to ask as you are our guru :)

Thanks,
Janaki

******************************************************************
Dear Janaki:

The brief answer to your question is as follows. Guru  ????

Just think about Brahma's lifetime and imagine you are living on the moon, or
Mars, or one of the moons of Saturn (it is VERY VERY COLD but it is like a

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frozen Antarctica-like world), or even that you are able to build some rocket and
are able to move to one of the planets in the far away galaxies that you saw
mentioned. What happens? This is the question I asked in today's email. Does
where you individually live change Brahma's lifetime?

If the answer is NO (that, I believe, is the correct answer). All these galaxies and
stars and planets are no different from ours and our earth.

All of this still belongs to Prakriti and is governed by the same laws described by
Krishna in chapters 7 and 8. The five gross elements is all that we are dealing with
in the discoveries that you are talking about in these TV series. Without humans
and other beings there is NO manas, buddhi, and ahankaram.

The scientists are only discovering different permutations and combination of the
five gross elements - bhoomiraapo analo vayuh kham..... (chapter 7 verse 4).
Even if there are intelligent beings in these faraway worlds, it is still Prakriti only
since prakriti as defined in this verse is made of eight constituents, the five gross
elements (bhoomi, earth, aapo, water, analo, fire, vayuh, air, and kham, sky or the
ether) plus the three just mentioned. This is what we call the material universe and
is ALL covered under ‘Bhu’. There are seven lokas: Bhu , bhuva , suva ,

maha , jana , tapa , and satya --- these are mentioned in the full
Gayatri mantra ( ॐ ॐ ॐ ॐ ॐ ॐ ॐ etc.) and
also in the Srimad Bhagavatam.

All the lokas beyond Bhu cannot be discovered using material gadgets like the
Hubble telescope. The Srimad Bhagavatam also states (Canto 3, chapter 11) that
all those who live outside of the trilokas (the first three lokas) have a lifespan equal
to Brahma’s lifespan.

Hope this sheds some light for you.

Laxmanan
April 13, 2012

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 Acknowledgements
In addition to a variety of hard copy books and texts, a
number of internet sources (soft books) have also been
consulted in order to compile this document. All these
sources, especially, the sources for the illustrations used
here, have been cited and are gratefully acknowledged.

http://www.vishvarupa.com/vishnu-krishna.html

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