space travel in vedas

These Hindu Texts Describe Flying Vimanas And Details Of An Ancient Nuclear War

• Seeking Truth
• Ancient Origins
• Ancient Lost Technology

The Hindu Vedas are packed with fantastic stories about the gods, their powers, and epic battles that supposedly took place long ago. Their sagas are widely perceived to be mythological stories that were created to be taken as allegory, much like we tell our children fables, so they might glean useful life lessons to apply down the road. These Hindu myths talk of noble Gods who fight off wicked forces, flying craft called Vimanas, and … nuclear war? Are we sure these were just allegories?

Vimana Technology  

The Vimana aircraft that are described in ancient Hindu Sanskrit texts are flying machines of varying degrees. The word Vimana translates to “having been measured out” or “traversing,” and were machines piloted by the gods. Much like the chariots of biblical texts, most notably the one seen in Ezekiel’s vision of the wheel, these flying craft came in all shapes and sizes and could travel at different speeds and distances. Some were land and seafaring vehicles, while others flew, sometimes all the way to the moon or further.

The most well-known documentation of the ancient Vimana flying machines comes from the Vaimānika Śāstra, an early 20th century translation of many accounts of Vimana technology found in ancient Vedic scriptures. It details drawings of a range of crafts, including the sources of fuel used to power them, although some can be confusing. The translations talk of certain elements and minerals we are familiar with, like mica, quicksilver and mercury, but also mentions strange liquids referred to as honey, which may have been an unknown substance with a similar viscosity or appearance to a bee’s nectar.

On top of every Hindu temple or pyramid, one can find a Vimana, and often they are rounded, saucer-like objects, which certain theorists believe were the vehicles of extraterrestrials. Erich von Däniken points out the modern sightings that created our perception of UFOs look very similar to the Vimanas of ancient India.

Von Däniken also points out that the depiction of Shiva flying on his bird, Garuda, could easily have been a primitive description of an airplane or spacecraft. Garuda was known for dropping bombs, flying to the moon, and bringing Shiva to different locations throughout the solar system. In trying to explain this sight to future generations, the elders’ story of a “god” flying around on a “giant bird” or “bird-like” craft might sound ridiculous and be considered merely mythological to those who may have never witnessed it.

When we look closer at these Vimanas, the descriptions of the sounds they made and the way they looked when they took off begin to resemble jet propulsion more and more. One translation of a passage in the Vedic Mahabharata describes a Vimana.

“The Vimana had all necessary equipment. It could not be conquered by the gods or demons. And it radiated light and reverberated with a deep rumbling sound. Its beauty captivated the minds of all who beheld it. Visvakarma, the lord of its design and construction, had created it by the power of his austerities, and its outline, like that of the sun, could not be easily delineated.”

The passages speak of Krishna’s cohort and epic hero of the Baghavad Gita, Arjuna, describing a trip he took in a Vimana into the heavens, where he saw thousands of airborne chariots and another massive Vimana that was seven stories tall. Much like Enoch’s trip taken up in a wheeled chariot, Von Däniken says he believes that this could have been a primitive interpretation of a trip to the mothership, from which the many Vimanas seen on Earth could have originated.

The Drona Parva’s Nuclear War

One of the strangest stories of the ancient Hindu Vedas comes from a translation of the Drona Parva, the seventh book in the Mahabharata. The book describes Drona, a warrior appointed as leader of an army in the Kurukshetra War and his ensuing death in that battle. The story fits in with themes seen elsewhere in the Mahabharata, and other ancient texts that detail the difficulties of war, but this particular book provides some descriptions that sound eerily similar to the effects of a nuclear war.

Explosions that level everything, animals screaming and engulfed in flames, pregnant women’s babies dying and metal armor melting onto the skins of warriors who wear them, all sound like the result of nuclear blast. It mentions birds falling from the sky, due to a single projectile charged with all the power of the universe, as bright as a thousand suns.

“We beheld in the sky what appeared to us to be a mass of scarlet cloud resembling the fierce flames of a blazing fire. From that mass many blazing missiles flashed, and tremendous roars, like the noise of a thousand drums beaten at once. And from it fell many weapons winged with gold and thousands of thunderbolts, with loud explosions, and many hundreds of fiery wheels,” (source).

Were these scarlet clouds resembling blazing fires and the subsequent death and destruction in the ancient scriptures describing the effects of a nuclear fallout? The primitive technology of the time couldn’t have been exposed to radiation of any sort, though the descriptions of pregnant mother’s babies dying sounds very much like the effects of radiation exposure.

After we developed the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, J. Robert Oppenheimer even quoted the Baghavad Gita saying, “Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds.”  Oddly enough, Oppenheimer, who developed the bomb, was also a scholar of Sanskrit, and some have compared his story to that of Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita. Arjuna must be convinced to fight in a battle he does not want to take part in due to a moral dilemma, which some have compared to Oppenheimer’s hesitance in developing the atomic bomb.

The Unexplained Destruction of Mohenjo Daro and Harappa

The remnants of two ancient civilizations in the Indus Valley of modern day Pakistan and India have puzzled archeologists for decades. These cities were both deserted suddenly, coincidentally around the time of the construction of the great pyramids in Egypt, despite having been thriving centers of technology and culture for centuries. Mohenjo Daro, in particular, appears to have been flattened, or collapsed after 600 years of being inhabited. Could this have been the location of what may have been an ancient nuclear war ?

Mohenjo Daro and Harappa are anomalous not just because of their desertion by the people who lived there, but also because of their incredibly advanced technology and decentralized, secular society. Archeologists have determined that the layout of these two massive cities shows evidence of an egalitarian civilization with no distinct hierarchy or elite ruling class and was likely governed by elected officials. The ruins of Mohenjo Daro show careful urban planning, advanced irrigation and drainage systems, and a 900 sq. foot, watertight, communal bath that was filled by the Indus river. This civilization spanned over 500 acres and supported a population of somewhere between 20,000 – 40,000 citizens.

Ruins of Mohenjo Dara via nationalgeographic.com

Harappa, which came into ruin around the same time as Mohenjo Daro, was equally as advanced, with granaries, superstructures, and calculated trading practices. These civilizations had board games like chess, traded precious gems and jewelry, and valued cleanliness and hygiene. Both were civilizations with thriving cultures that disappeared suddenly and without explanation.

Excavations at Mohenjo Daro unearthed the skeletons of a family holding hands, appearing to have been flattened with rubble and ash covering them as if they had died in an abrupt and unforeseen event. Some accounts say that a layer of radioactive ash was found in the soil before the site was dug up, adding to the theory of a nuclear event that could have been the cause of destruction of this ancient city.

These claims however are somewhat unsubstantiated with insufficient evidence to support the discovery of this radioactive material. It is strange though, that these two highly advanced civilizations experienced apocalyptic events at the same time while being situated within the same region, but still being many miles apart.

Whether these stories found in the ancient Vedic scriptures actually provide evidence of a nuclear war or not, they seem to at least describe some incredibly advanced, apocryphal technology. Could there really have been flying crafts and a nuclear event that wiped out these two ancient civilizations like the one described in the Mahabharata? If so, could these “gods,” who were behind this technology, actually have been an extraterrestrial species with advanced technology that is common to us today?

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Emerald Tablet 101: The Birth of Alchemy

“As above; so below. As within; so without. As with the universe; so with the soul.” ~ Hermes Trismegistus

The story of the Emerald Tablet reads like the syllabus for an ancient civilization college course, with Egyptian pharaohs, Greek conquerors and philosophers, and travels through long-gone countries.  While no one in the modern world has seen it, accounts of the Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus describe a slab of brilliant, crystalline green stone covered with bas-relief Phoenician text. Some believe the tablet holds the secrets of the universe.

Considered the original source of hermeticism, gnosticism, Western alchemy and science, the tablet is inseparable from the elusive Hermes Trismegistus, an ancient philosopher, healer and sage. References to Trismegistus can be found in Renaissance, Christian, Islamic, Roman and Greek literature.

No one knows what became of the original tablet — what remains are translations and translations of translations, along with a historic timeline punctuated with disconnects and gaps. The tablet appears and disappears across the ancient world, before and after the birth of Christ, with periods of revival, including the Italian Renaissance.

Dennis William Hauck, author of the classic “ The Emerald Tablet ,” wrote, “One of the most mysterious documents ever put before the eyes of man, the Emerald Tablet has been described as everything from a succinct summary of Neoplatonic philosophy to an extraterrestrial artifact or a gift from Atlantis.” The tablet’s premise that “All is One,” and that direct experience of the Divine is possible through meditation and psychological exercise, became the foundations of Freemasonry, and later Theosophy and esoteric schools including The Golden Dawn .

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Vedic Cosmology – The Planets of the Material Universe

Posted by The Editor | Apr 2, 2017 | Vedic Astrology (Jyotish)  | 59,012 views

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The cosmology and cosmography of the ancient Vedas is awe inspiring to say the least. The more “modern” of the Vedic texts are known to originate from approximately 3000 B.C., thus being the oldest scientific and religious doctrines known to man. The descriptions of our solar system and what modern astronomy has discovered of the visible universe corresponds with the ancient Vedic knowledge, proving that man has had advanced knowledge of astronomy for thousands of years before our modern civilization began. This article describes the Vedic version of planetary systems from the topmost, eternal planets down through the temporary planetary systems within innumerable universes of this material world.

When saying “cosmic manifestation” we speak of two separate worlds, the spiritual and the material. The spiritual planetary systems are eternal, beyond the limits of the material universes, and belong to a “super dimensional” or “anti-material” dimension. These are beyond the limitations of material time and space and therefore beyond our vision, or powers of perception. In these planetary systems there is no occurrence of creation or dissolution, and these planets are unlimited, indestructible, and eternally existing. There are descriptions of these spiritual planets in the vedic literatures, but this article concentrates on those within the material universe.

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The material planetary systems are created at some point in time and will be destroyed at another. They are bound by the influences of time and space. Both of these energies (spiritual and material) are of the same divine source called “brahmajyoti”, the spiritual light. About 1/4th of this brahmajyoti is covered by the “mahat-tattva”, the material energy, where are found innumerable material universes. The 3/4th portion is the eternal spiritual sky. In the spiritual world are two realms of existence, “Goloka-dhama” and “Hari-dhama”. The material world has one realm called “Devi-dhama”.

Goloka-dhama is the topmost planet and residence of the Supreme Godhead Sri Sri Radha-Krishna. Below this is Hari-dhama where the spiritual planets of the Vaikunthalokas are situated. Below the Vaikuntha planets is “Mahesh-dhama” (also called Sadasivaloka, or the abode of Lord Siva). This is the realm dividing the spiritual from the material universes. Below Mahesh-dhama is Devi-dhama, the realm of the material universe. It is said that the systems of yoga offer different destinations. Bhakti yoga directs one toward entering Hari-dhama or Goloka-dhama. Jnana yoga directs the aspirant toward entrance to Mahesh dhama, and karma yoga directs one to remain in Devi-dhama, experiencing repeated birth and death in the material worlds.

The Planetary Systems of Devi-Dhama

In the Bhagavad-Gita we find a statement that there are three divisions of material planets in our universe. They are “urdhva-loka” (highest), “madhya-loka” (middle), and “adho-loka” (lower). Above the urdhva-lokas are the coverings of the material universe beyond which lie the eternal realms of existence. Within these three spheres of existence are 14 main planetary systems with different standards of life and duration of existence. The residents of the upper three systems have almost no disease or aging of the body, and they have no sense of fear. As the planetary systems progress downward there is lesser duration of life and standard of living, as well as a greater manifestation of disease and anxiety.

The 14 planetary systems are named as follows, from highest to lowest:

1) Satya-loka

2) Tapa-loka

3) Jana-loka

4) Mahar-loka

5) Svar-loka

6) Bhuvar-loka

7) Bhur-loka

8) Atala-loka

9) Vitala-loka

10) Sutala-loka

11) Talatala-loka

12) Mahatala-loka

13) Rasatala-loka

14) Patala-loka

In one of the Vedic scriptures called the “Hari-vamsa” there is a description as follows: “Above the planetary systems where humans live is the sky. Above the sky is the orbiting sun, which is the entrance point of the heavenly planetary systems. This is the middle of the universe where begins the planets of those elevated by great austerities and penances. The planets above these, up to Satya-loka are the residences of those advanced in spiritual knowledge. All these planets are within the material world and under the control of Devi (Goddess Durga), and therefore called Devi-dhama.”

The term “amara” (deathless) is often used to describe the residents of the heavenly planets because their span of life is inconceivable to us, but although they live for millions of years by our calculation, none within the material worlds can live here eternally. In Bhagavad-Gita there is given a description for the life span of those living on Satyaloka. One day is equal to 4,300,000,000 solar years. On other heavenly planets the day is considered to equal six months of our time, and the night also equal to six months on earth. These souls live in their bodies for 10 million of their years.

Time duration such as day, night, months, and years are different in different planetary systems, and there are also different types of human beings, animals, trees, and vegetation. Some of the planets that are visible to us are considered heavenly planets with different timings. Jupiter, Venus, and the Moon are examples of planets where one day is equal to six months on earth. How can that be, one may ask, when we can see these planets orbiting the Sun?

One point of reference that may be difficult for some to understand is crucial to this realization. All planets have different dimensions surrounding them. The dimension of existence visible to our eyes gives us the impression that the other planets in our solar system are mostly devoid of life. In actuality astronomers have found proof of intelligent life on other planets, regardless of the fact that little is yet public knowledge. The purview discernable by our physical eyes, though, cannot enter into the heavenly spheres of these planets where devas, angels, and higher beings exist, nor even that of humans who enjoy an existence far superior to what is obtainable on our planet earth.

Just as on and surrounding earth there are realms of existence inhabited by ethereal beings invisible to our eyes, some highly advanced and others bound by unfortunate circumstances (such as ghosts), all planets have different spheres of existence. We can never gain knowledge of the multi-dimensional reality on earth with our physical eyes, so how could we possibly expect to enter into the higher realities of other planets with them?

There are also different types of oceans on different planets in the material world. “Siddhanta-siromani”, an ancient vedic astrological text describes them as being of seven varieties:

1) an ocean of salt water

2) an ocean of milk

3) an ocean of curd

4) an ocean of ghee (clarified butter)

5) an ocean of sugar cane juice

6) an ocean of liquor

7) an ocean of sweet water

Our minds may balk at such a conception of different types of oceans, but why should any of these be more fantastic than the ocean of salt water that we have here on earth?

There are also some eternal planets seemingly situated within this material universe, but they are always inaccessible for human beings. The text “Laghu-Bhagavatamrita” describes these eternal planets as follows: “Above Rudraloka, the planet of Lord Siva, is the planet called Vishnuloka. It is 400,000 miles in circumference, and inaccessible for any mortal living being. Above that Vishnuloka is a golden island called Maha-Vishnuloka in the ocean of salt. Brahma and other demigods sometimes go there to meet Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu lies there with Lakshmi (the goddess of fortune). East of here is the “ocean of milk” where within is the island of Svetadvipa, where Lord Vishnu also resides with Goddess Lakshmi. His transcendental island is 200,000 square miles and covered with desire trees for the pleasure of the Supreme Lord.”

This planet is called “Dhruvaloka” and we see it as the polestar. It is said to be 3,800,000 yojanas above the sun (one yojana is equal to 8 miles). Above Dhruvaloka by 10,000,000 yojanas is Maharloka. Above Maharloka by 20,000,000 yojanas is Janaloka, a further 80,000,000 yojanas lies Tapaloka, and above by 120,000,000 yojanas is Satyaloka. The Vaikuntha planets begin 26,200,000 yojanas beyond Satyaloka.

The scripture “Vishnu Purana” describes that the outer covering of the universe begins 260,000,000 yojanas above the sun. About 70,000 yojanas below the earth begin the seven lower planetary systems of Atala, Vitala, Sutala, Talatala, Mahatala, Rasatala, and Patala. Below these planets 30,000 yojanas is the Garbhodaka Ocean where Sesa Naga lies. This ocean is 249,800,000 yojanas deep. This gives an approximate diameter of the universe as 500,000,000 yojanas or 4,000,000,000 miles. These distances are calculated according to the distances between the planetary “planes” of existence. Actual distances between planets may be more.

The higher planetary systems are the realms of devas, demigods, and angels. Bhuvarloka is the abode of ghostly spirits, and the lower planets are populated by those of demoniac consciousness as well as the snakes known as “Nagas”. Development of higher consciousness, which also includes advanced intellectuality, starts with human beings and further increases among the denizens of higher planetary systems. The earth is situated close to the middle of these planetary systems.

Descriptions of the Planetary Systems

The following are descriptions of the 14 planetary systems in Vedic cosmology.

This is the abode of Lord Brahma, the progenitor of this material universe. Here there are airplanes controlled by mantra, not by any mechanical means. The residents have mind and intelligence, but no material gross bodies. They feel compassion for those suffering in the lower regions, but do not suffer fear, old age, or death. At the time of final dissolution of the material planets the residents here transform their subtle bodies into spiritual bodies and enter the eternal Vaikuntha planets. Great yogis finally reach this highest planet through the Milky Way, which is the “highway” to this most elevated planet where the duration of life is calculated as 15,480,000,000,000 years.

This is the abode of the four Kumaras named Sanat, Sanaka, Sanandana, and Sanatana. In this world many great sages also reside due to their advancement through spiritual austerity. The enjoyment available to the residents is inconceivable to us as it is beyond anything of our experience. When there is annihilation of the material universe the residents here also transform their subtle bodies to spiritual and enter the spiritual sky.

This planet, still above the heavenly realms, is another abode of great saints and sages. This planet is populated by mystics who move to higher planets, and eventually transform their subtle bodies to spiritual, when the fire of devastation consumes the material planets. These residents can move between any planets within the material universe as mystic “spacemen” at speeds unthinkable to us.

When fully purified from material desire and contamination through sacrifice, penance, and charity one can reach the heavenly planets, and if advancing further can pass through the higher orbits to reach Maharloka. The greatest of sages, such as Bhrigu Muni, live in this place. It is situated beyond the “Sisumara”, which is the pivotal point for the turning of the universe. Advanced yogis reach this planet and live here for 4,300,000,000 solar years. When the fire of devastation almost reaches this planet the residents transport themselves to Satyaloka where they live further before this highest of planets is destroyed. They then transform their subtle bodies to spiritual and enter the spiritual realms.

In every material universe is one Vaikuntha planet with an ocean of milk where Lord Vishnu resides on an island called Svetadvipa. This planet is Dhruvaloka. Living here are completely pure personalities. In our universe this planet is seen as the polestar and is situated above the planets of the Seven Rishis. As it is a spiritual planet, it is eternal and therefore remains when all other planets within the material universes are destroyed. It is said that this planet is the pivot for all material stars’ and planets’ orbits. All planets travel at high speeds in orbit, including the sun, which travels 16,000 miles per second in its orbit around Dhruvaloka. The planets of the seven sages are stars just below this planet that also orbit Dhruvaloka. They are always concerned with the welfare of the living entities within this material world and send emissaries to bring spiritual knowledge at various times and circumstances.

Sanaiscara (Saturn)

Saturn is considered an inauspicious planet astrologically, as he gives painful lessons to us here on earth. It is situated 1,600,000 miles above Jupiter and passes through one sign of the zodiac every 30 months.

Brihaspati (Jupiter)

Jupiter is considered a most auspicious heavenly planet and is generally considered favorable astrologically, depending on placement at the time of our births here on earth. It is a planet of devas, and situated 1,600,000 miles above Mars.

Angaraka (Mars)

Mars is considered to be a malefic planet, which creates lack of rainfall on earth and almost always is capable of creating unfavorable influences here. It is situated 1,600,000 miles above Mercury.

Buddha (Mercury)

Mercury is said to be the son of the moon and is 1,600,000 miles beyond the planet Venus. As does Venus, he sometimes moves behind the sun, sometimes in front, and sometimes along with it. Generally the influence of Mercury is said to be auspicious astrologically, except when not moving with the sun. At such times this planet causes great storms on earth.

Shukra (Venus)

Venus is considered a most auspicious and favorable planet, and is also of the heavenly planets. Venus is said to bring rainfall, another reason for it being considered auspicious to life on earth.

Chandraloka (Moon)

The Moon is one of the four most important residences of the demigods. Those who worship the demigods through sacrifice aimed at great material enjoyment are promoted to the Moon. Here the celestial, intoxicating beverage called “soma” is available. It is not possible to enter into or even see the actual heavenly dimensions of this planet with our present eyes. The Moon passes through the entire zodiac in approximately one month. He influences the growth of vegetation and therefore considered the life-giver for all living beings on earth.

Surya (Sun)

The Sun is the source of light and heat for our universe. Modern science considers many stars to also be suns, but in the vedic literature they are considered to be planets of varying material elements, but not the center, as is the Sun. Surya, the sun god, is considered an expansion of Narayana (a form of Lord Vishnu). He controls the seasons here on earth. It is situated between Bhuloka and Bhuvarloka, rotating through the time circle of the zodiac. Yogis practicing hatha or ashtanga yoga, or those performing agnihotra sacrifices, worship the sun for their benefit. The demigods residing on the sun planet have bodies made of fire, necessary for life here.

Rahu is said to be an invisible planet, which is situated 80,000 miles below the sun. It causes solar and lunar eclipses, as Rahu, along with Ketu, are the north and south nodes of the moon respectively.

Siddhaloka, Caranaloka, & Vidyadharaloka

These planets are 80,000 miles below Rahu. The residents of these planets are born with natural mystic powers, including the ability to fly without mechanical means, even to other planets. They have all the mystic siddhis, and being materially perfect beings can control gravity, time, and space. Their arts, culture, and sciences are far superior to that knowledge possessed by we here in the earthly realm.

Yakshaloka & Rakshashaloka

Beneath these higher planetary systems, in the sky called “antariksha”, are the residences of the Yakshas, Rakshashas, Pisachas, ghosts, and other etheral beings. This realm extends as far as the wind blows and clouds float in the sky. Above this there is no air.

Bhu-mandala (Middle Earth)

The planetary systems of middle earth (Bhumandala or Bhuloka) are abodes of both standards of living such as we enjoy on our planet, as well as some heavenly abodes where living beings may “stop” on the way to, or from, births in the heavenly planetary systems. There are seven planetary systems, which are divided by seven oceans. The names of the planetary systems are Jambu, Plaksha, Salmali, Kusha, Krauncha, Shaka, and Pushkara. Each system is twice as large as the one preceding it, and each ocean between the systems are made respectively of salt water, sugarcane juice, liquor, ghee, milk, emulsified yogurt, and sweet water.

Bhumandala is shaped like a lotus flower and the seven planetary systems are in the whorl of the lotus. The radius of Bhumandala extends as far as the sunshine, and the limits of our vision here to see the stars and moon. As the sunshine reaches earth from a distance of 93,000,000 miles, this is the radius of the plane of Bhumandala.

Lower Planetary Systems

Below the earth are seven other systems called Atala, Vitala, Sutala, Talatala, Mahatala, Rasatala, and Patala. These lower planetary systems are the same size as the earth planet, and begin 560,000 miles below earth. Sunshine does not reach these planets and light comes from jewels on the hoods of serpents. These planets are populated by persons of great power and opulence, yet of demoniac consciousness, who have reached here through austerity aimed at material enjoyment without spiritual development. They do not become old and diseased and fear only the time factor, which ultimately must destroy their abodes. Therefore they are given the name of “bila-svarga”, or subterranean heavenly planets.

The residents here enjoy a standard of material comfort more opulent than even the higher planets due to their desires for high standards of sensual enjoyment, wealth, and influence. The residents are known as Daityas, Danavas, and Nagas and are all engaged in illusory material enjoyment with no thought of spiritual liberation. There are incredible feats of architecture in their cities bedecked with valuable jewels in houses, gardens, compounds, etc. All residents drink juices and bathe in herbal elixirs which free them from any anxiety or physical disease, as well as any sign of physical aging. The visual beauty of these artificial heavens surpasses that of the higher planets and this sensual atmosphere completely captures the mind, allowing no thoughts but those directed toward sensual pleasure and happiness. Since time is not divided into days and nights due to no sunshine reaching these planets, they have no fear produced by time. Only at the time of dissolution does anxiety and fear consume them.

Narakaloka, the Hellish Planetary Systems

Beneath the planet Patalaloka, and slightly above the water of the Garbhodaka ocean, are the Naralokas, or the hellish planetary systems. These planets are of different degrees of suffering for those who must endure life there. Here on earth we can see many hellish circumstances of suffering for people, but nothing like what is experienced on these planets. They are said to be a place of rectification for those who commit the most abominable actions while living as humans on the earthly plane. Although life here seems like it goes on for an eternity, in actual fact the duration of one’s “karmic sentence” here may be only seconds or moments. There are 28 different hellish planets described in the Vedic literatures.

These descriptions of the material creation, as well as the spiritual planets, may be found in several Vedic literatures to a far greater depth. I have out of necessity greatly abbreviated the information given here.

All of the planetary systems in the material world will in time be annihilated. This annihilation takes place in two ways. Partial annihilation occurs every 4,300,000,000 solar years, or at the end of each day on Satyaloka. This extends from the hellish planets through all lower planetary systems up to the heavenly planets. The highest planets are not annihilated at this time. The entire cosmic manifestation is wound up in the universal form of God every 8,600,000,000 x 30 x 12 x 100 solar years. The spiritual world, which is never annihilated, simply absorbs the material creation. It is described that before the destruction there is no rain for hundreds of years. Everything dries up and dies due to continuous sunshine. The sun becomes 12 times as powerful as was previously. Then there are horrendous rains that absorb everything into water.

The mortal bodies of living entities, including all vegetation, merge into the earth. The earth merges into its subtle sensation of fragrance. Fragrance merges into water, and water merges into its quality of taste. That taste merges into fire, which merges into form. Form merges into touch and touch into ether. Ether finally merges into the sensation of sound. The senses all merge into their origins, the presiding devas and demigods, then they merge into the controlling mind, which merges into ego in the mode of goodness. Sound becomes one with ego in the mode of ignorance, and ego (the first of all the physical elements), merges into the total nature. The total material nature dissolves into the modes (goodness, passion, and ignorance). These modes then merge into the unmanifest form of nature, and that unmanifest form merges into time. Time merges into the Supreme Godhead, present as Maha-Vishnu, the original creator of the cosmic manifestation. The origin of all life merges into God, the unborn Supreme Soul who remains one without a second, and from whom all creation and annihilation takes place. This annihilation of the material world is the exact reverse of the process of creation. Everything ultimately rests within the Supreme Absolute.

Source: vedicworld.org

17 Comments

Amazing details of cosmos, unseen.

thank you for this concise explanation

thank u for explaining cosmology

This is made so clear. Thank you.

This could undoubtedly be very erudite but for me it is too complicated and lengthy to be understood.

You have missed out one. It is Sarvaloka Manidwepa. Srimad Devi bhagavatha maha purana gives the exact same description of the vedic universe as given above. Starting from Golokadham to devi dham but it has one more addition above Golokadham and that is Manidwepa. It is also called as Sarvaloka because it is superior to all other lokas and because it houses everything which can be found in other lokas. It’s the only purana where Vedavyasa has glorified as maha purana at the end of each chapter. No other purana has this type of acknowledgement from the muni.

We must open both to material and spiritual cosmology in practical life. How to attain this is important. To be practically with space Raden Ayou Jodjana has done experiments and there you will find practical exercises if you search by her name. Space

Oh Space, thy holy essence, embracing all and interpenetrating all form.

The gentle liberator, setting us free from all that seems to bind us, carrying us on wings of ethereal.

That most compassionate, forever present, being aat one with all that is, essence of truth, revealing through the fabric of illusions of our human life, that deepest consciousness of pure perfection.

In thee, there can not be that cruel separation threatening us through the perverted consciousness of limitation.

For all thy working is relationship most intimate, the perfect unity of all things. O Space, thy tenderness is infinite.

its amazing

SIMILARLY TIME IS MOST IMPORTANT PART OF COSMOLOGY WHERE CONSTELLATIONS AND LOKAS EXIST FOR TIME IMMEMORIAL. IN PRACTICAL LIFE, WE ARE LIVING A VERY LIMITED TIME OF THIS BODILY EXISTENCE. I WRITE A FEW LINES AS I FELT ABOUT TIME.

We are light of cosmos. We live in Space & Time. Whole cosmos smiles in us.

We breathe in space. Sun-Earth are our base. Cosmic Soul guides us ALL THE TIME, TIME IS ALL. We are movement of moment on times tide.

So in time, with time, we come, live, die and proceed further Our mundane and social concepts and experience of time differ As diverse cultural patterns, habits, beliefs, schedules we prefer How is your time? How goes your time? Often we use a metaphor

Time is more real than sun in the sky On two eternal wings of time and space I always fly If you cut my wings, I may appear to die Let breath leave, with time space my spirit hold tie

There is one time, one earth, one water, one breath and one air There is one ether, one sound, one space, one sun and one fire All these exist, live, work, rule, play and display as one entire Togetherness and harmony is cardinal law of time, if you inquire.

What makes us think that one yojana equals eight miles throughout the universe? Honest question.

In Puranas yojana is defined as four times the distance one can hear the cow mooing, or it is otherwise tied to the height of a man. This is certainly not applicable to the distances between planets.

Why should we measure distances between visible and invisible things in miles? It’s like measuring the distance between thoughts and paper.

Descriptions of the universe in this article assume the same “flat” structure of cosmos as modern science does. By “flat” I mean it’s made of the same kind of matter everywhere placed in the same kind of space.

Vedic cosmos, however, is described as a tree with its roots upside down. Tree structure means things grow out of each other, inside out, and they are all of different types – leaves are not the same as roots, for example. Low hanging fruit might be only two meters above the ground but the actual distance from the roots should follow the path through all the successive parts of the tree – trunk and branches.

We should also remember that in our view trees are located in that same “flat” space I mentioned earlier but the universe is not in space, space is within the universe, it’s the first created element – ether, and so there’s no “direct” path between fruits and roots, only the path that traverses tree structure itself, and this path describes transformations of one type of matter into another. Desires into thoughts, thoughts into words, words into action, actions into results – like that.

In Sankhya it’s morals (perceived by ego)-intelligence-mind-senses-sensations-sense objects. The sages of the upper planets in the universe meditate on varieties of moral values, which they perceive with intelligence, they don’t prefer one moral value over another – that is a function of a mind and it is available on planets in Sisumara system. Preferred values are further divided into senses – like sweetness can be found in taste, smell, smile or sound. This is what is available in heavenly planets. Further division is into sensations for residents of Bhuvar – ghosts are prime example of those who desire sensations but don’t have gross bodies to actualize them in sense objects. Sense objects are created on our Bhu-mandala and this is what modern scientists think the rest of the universe is made of, too, and that’s what makes their universe conceptually flat.

Three gunas divide the original morals selected in mahat-tattva (austerity, cleanliness, mercy, and truthfulness) from which our universe is created and which correspond to four heads of Lord Brahma, four Vedas etc. When enough divisions have been made then, by the grace of Vishnu, another type of matter is created, so if, for example, there should be n divisions to create fire from sound then there would n*n divisions to create water from fire and so the “size” of each successive elements in the coverings of the universe is said to be ten time bigger than the previous. The yojanas, therefore measure the transformations, not physical distances between sense objects.

Our bodies have corresponding different layers, too. The Moon, for example, could be said to be inside of us as the mind, the desire for sweetness can be then manifest through a particular sense, which is located on a planet controlled by an appropriate deva, and only at the very end it appears as sweet tasting or sweet smelling sense object – what we usually call “gross” matter.

Very beautyful nirupan and thanks for good language also.

Thank you for the concise but informative article of the Cosmology. It also serves a reminder to us human beings to expand from the self to the universal.

It is true the universe cannot be described as “flat” one cannot measure in Yojanas as if one planet is above another. To view the universe this way is misleading the egotistic mind, already a sensual organ. But for the sake of our limited intelligence lord Vedavyasa was instructed to write the Purana’s in this way from the Supreme Source (Atman: Sat Chid Ananda).

Further to my comment about a “flat” or classical view of the universe, perhaps this model will explain better. If you remember when reading the Puranas the Devas connect with other Devas or Mahadevas by just though (vritties). Then at the speed of the mind one is transported there. Distance is not a problem. The universe follows the physical laws of Quantum Mechanics. Particles appear and disappear at random. But by the will Icchasakti of the Divine Mind there is order. Like a vegetable soup when you look for a carrot in the soup you spoon it up. But if not mouthed could you find that particular carrot piece again? And the same holds true for all the pieces of vegetables in the soup. The universe is like that soup but of planets . You join beings on chosen planets by the meditative mind, if a mortal being, or by Divine will if otherwise. Then you get “beamed-up” at the speed of the mind and distance, space or time is immaterial. Everything is controlled by the Divine Mind (Rita). One planets location, what is below, what is above to another, does not matter.

Very interesting but useful knowledge given by the Vedas on the Cosmonolgy

Help. I need a siddha. My glass of water spilled and the god girl hates me. I am just a child challenged to endure at this stage in living. I do not consider being dead. I am and once loved caused by sat chit ananda. I what can you or I possibly do. I hope you understand me I urge you all to be of the good wish. Thank you. God blest you. It’s easier than continually God bless you.

Minor point – the universe doesn’t follow the laws of Quantum Mechanics, it follows laws set by God. In QM particles appear and disappear at random because quantum theory does not recognize existence of karma. Karma commands which possibility must be turned into “reality”, and without accepting input of karma quantum world remains uncertain.

Quantum theory doesn’t have the law to remove this uncertainty but God does, and therefore he rules the universe and quantum physicists just stand there trying to make sense of it all, and they can’t.

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वेदों में खगोल विज्ञान

  Vedas are lightening pillars for human beings. The light of Vedas has enlightened the path for welfare of Humunity. The Vedas are unlimited reservoir of knowledge and all streams of knowledge and science have been highlighted in Vedas in the form of Sutras. In scientific tradition some principles of Astronomy are mentioned in Vedas in the form of “Sutras”. Actually ‘Ganita Jyotish’ is the real astronomy.

Under Astronomy the structure of space and its origin, etc have been highlighted. The unlimited space around the earth is called world. An elaborate description of it is found in the Vedas. There are many suns and solar systems in space and there are large no. of suns revolving around them like our visible sun.

The bomb of temperature gases, and heavy quantum of gases are found around it. It has four layers and Blackspots which are found in the fourth layer. Sun is the only oldest source of Energy of the world. The complete energy radiated by the sun is called the solar radiation. It has been explored by Trit in the Rigveda. From the sun Electromagnetic waves flow along with energy Ozone layer protects us from these EM waves. Earth as well as all astronomic mass revolve around the sun and they are bound with each other through gravity force.

Thus so many facts related with Astronomy have been clarified in this research paper on the basis of “Vedic Mantras”.

वेद भारतीय संस्कृति की आत्मा हैं। ये मानव जाति के लिए प्रकाश-स्तम्भ है। वेद की ज्योति ने ही मानव जाति की समुन्नति का मार्ग प्रशस्त किया है। वेद ज्ञान के अथाह भण्डार हैं। इसमें ज्ञान और विज्ञान की सभी विधाओं का सूत्र रूप में उल्लेख है। अत एव मनु का कथन है कि सर्वज्ञानमयो हि सः। [1]

शब्द रचना की दृष्टि से ही ‘वेद’ शब्द ज्ञानार्थक है। वेद आधिभौतिक, आधिदैविक, आध्यात्मिक, इन त्रिविधि अर्थों के प्रतिपादक पुरुषार्थ चतुष्टय के साधक समस्त ज्ञान-विज्ञान के संवाहक तथा भारतीय ऋषियों, मनिषियों के प्रत्यक्षज्ञान के महान आदर्श हैं। वेदरूपी ज्ञानमहोदधि में अग्नि से लेकर सौर ऊर्जा, नाभिकीय ऊर्जा, भूगर्भीय ऊर्जा इत्यादि बहुमूल्य रत्न प्राप्त होते हैं।

वेदाङ्ग ज्योतिष का अर्थ ही है खगोल विज्ञान। सूर्य, चन्द्र, नक्षत्र आधि आकाशीय पदार्थों की गणना ज्योतिर्मय पदार्थों में है। इनसे सम्बद्ध विज्ञान को ज्योतिर्विज्ञान अथवा खगोल विज्ञान कहते हैं। यजुर्वेद के अनुसार भी ज्योतिष खगोल विज्ञान ही है। इसमें ग्रहों, नक्षत्रों का अध्ययन होता है।

प्रज्ञानाय नक्षत्रदर्शनम्। [2]

खगोल विज्ञान – इसके अन्तर्गत अंतरिक्ष की संरचना व इसकी उत्पत्ति का अध्ययन किया जाता है। पृथ्वी के चारों ओर स्थित अनन्त अंतरिक्ष को विश्व कहा जाता है। वेदों में इसका विस्तृत विवेचन प्राप्त होता है। इस प्रपत्र में खगोल विज्ञान से संवंधित निम्नलिखित तथ्यों का विवरण है-

• सूर्य ही संसार की ऊर्जा का स्रोत है (Solar Radiation)- सूर्य ही वायुमण्डल एवं पृथ्वी पर मिलने वाली उष्मा का अजस्र स्रोत है और इससे विकरित की जाने वाली सम्पूर्ण ऊर्जा को सौर विकरण (Solar Radiation) कहा जाता है। यही बात ऋग्वेद में कही गयी है-

सूर्य आत्मा जगतस्तस्थुषश्च [3]

यहाँ ‘आत्मा’ शब्द ही ऊर्जा का बोधक है। क्योंकि वर्तमान वैज्ञानिक भाषा में ऊर्जा वह है ‘जो किसी वस्तु में कार्य की क्षमता है उसे ऊर्जा कहत हैं’ और क्षमता आत्मा में होती है। किसी कार्य को सम्पादिक करने के लिए आत्मिक ऊर्जा की महती आवश्यकता होती है इस प्रकार यह सूर्य सम्पूर्ण विश्व की अजस्र ऊर्जा का स्रोत है।

आज का विज्ञान भी सोलन रेडियेशन को मानता है। यह सौर विकिरण चारों ओर अंतरिक्ष में फैलता है और सूर्य से 15 करोड़ किमी. की औसत दूरी पर स्थित हमारी पृथ्वी भी इसका क सूक्ष्म अंश (2 अरबवाँ भाग) प्राप्त करती है फिर भी पृथ्वी को प्राप्त होने वाला यही सूक्ष्म अंश बहुत महत्वपूर्ण है और इसी से पृथ्वी की सम्पूर्ण भौतिक एवं जैविक घटनाएं नियंत्रित होतीं हैं।

• अंतरिक्ष में अनेक सूर्य तथा सौरमण्डल (Solar System) – सूर्य के चारों ओर चक्कर लगाने वाले विभिन्न ग्रहों, उपग्रहों, धूमकेतुओं, क्षुद्र ग्रहों तथा अनेक आकाशीय पिण्डों के समूह या परिवार को सौरमण्डल कहते हैं, परन्तु वैज्ञानिकों ने इस बात की पुष्टि की है कि दृष्यमान सूर्य के सदृश अंतरिक्ष में अनेक सूर्य हैं तथा उनकी परिक्रमा अन्य आकाशीय पिण्ड कर रहे हैं।

ऋग्वेद में यह बात हजारों साल पहले ही कह दी गयी है-

सप्त दिशो नानासूर्याः। देवा आदित्या ये सप्त। [4]

अथर्ववेद में भी यही बात कही गयी है-

यस्मिन् सूर्या अपिताः सप्त साकम्। [5]

• सूर्य के चारों ओर विशाल गैस समूह – सूर्य पृथ्वी के सबसे निकटतम का तारा है। यह तप्त गैस का गोल है जिसका निर्माण 74% हाइड्रोजन, 25% हीलियम तथा 1% अन्य तत्त्वों के संयोग से बना हुआ है। इसकी मूल संरचना अन्य चारों के सदृश ही है इसकी द्रव्यमान 2 x 10 30 किग्रा. है सूर्य का दर्शनीय भाग प्रकाश मण्डल कहलाता है जिसकी सतह का ताप 580 0 होता है। इस मण्डल से ऊपर की परत वर्णमण्डल होता है जो किरीट में विलीन हो जाता है। यह सक्रिय गैसों का विशाल समूह है। इस वर्णमण्डल का तापमान 430 0 से 400000 0 से बी अधिक होता है।

ऋग्वेद में दीर्घतमस् ऋषि का कथन है कि मैंने योगदृष्टि से देखा कि सूर्य के चारों ओर शक्तिशाली गैसों का समूह है-

शाकमयं धूमम् आराद् अपश्यम्, विषूवता पर एनावरेण। [6]

• सूर्य की सतह पर धब्बे ( Spots in Sun) – सूर्य की ऊपरी परत चार गैसीय परतों से ढकी हुई है वे हैं (1) केरोना (2) क्रोमोस्फीय (3) रिवसिंग लेयर (4) फोटोस्फीयर।

फोटोस्फीयर सूर्य की चौथी तथा सबसे आभ्यान्तर परत है। सूर्य पर दिखाई देने वाले धब्बे इसी परत पर देखे जाते हैं। इस सतह का तापमान दो करोड़ डिग्री सेन्टीग्रेड है।

ऋग्वेद में वर्णन है कि सूर्य की चक्षु (मण्डल, घेरा), रजस् (धूल) से आवृत है।

सूर्यस्य चक्षू रजसैवावृत्तम्। [7]

• सौर ऊर्जा ( Solar Energy) – सूर्य तथा ब्रह्माण्ड के अन्य तारे की ऊर्जा का स्रोत वहाँ होने वाला नाभिकीय संलयन है। संलयन के सिद्धान्त को वर्तमान में जर्मनी के दो वैज्ञानिकों हाल एवं स्ट्रासमैन ने अन्वेषित किया है। उनके अनुसार यदि यूरेनियम पर न्यूट्रानों की बमवारी की जायत तो नाभिक दो खण्डों में विभाजित हो जाता है। ये दोनों खण्ड समान आकार के होते हैं तथा इनकी द्रव्यमान संख्या 74 से 162 के मध्य होती है। नाभिकीय संलयन से प्राप्त नाभिकों का द्रव्यमान संलयन से पूर्व नाभिक के द्रव्यमान से कम होता है। द्रव्यमान में हुई यह कमी। द्रव्यमान ऊर्जा समीकरण के अनुसार ऊर्जा में परिवर्तित हो जाती है।

सूर्य का अधिकांश बाग हाईड्रोजन एवं हीलियम का बना हुआ है तथा इसके भीतर के भाग का ताप करीब 170 डिग्री केल्विन होता है। इतने अधिक ताप पर हाईड्रोजन नाभिकों का संलयन होता है तथा अपार ऊर्जा मुक्त होती है। 1938 में अमेरिकी वैज्ञानिक बैथे ने बताया कि सूर्य पर दो तरह की संलयन प्रक्रिया – प्रोटोन व कार्बन नाइट्रोजन चक्र होती है। सूर्य जिस दर से ऊर्जा उत्सर्जित कर रहा है उससे अनुमान लगाया जाता है कि वह अभी 1000 करोड़ वर्ष तक इसी दर से ऊर्जा उत्सर्जित करता रहेगा।

ऋग्वेद में सौर ऊर्जा के आविष्कार और सफल प्रयोग का श्रेय ‘त्रित’ को दिया गया है। त्रित में तीन देवता हैं इन्द्र, गन्धर्व और वसु है।

त्रित एनम् आयुनक्, इन्द्र एनं प्रथमो अध्यतिष्ठत्।

गन्धर्वो अस्य रशनाम् अगृभ्यात्, सूरादश्वं वसवो निरतिष्ठ। [8]

   इसमें ‘अश्वम्’ पद सौर ऊर्जा का बोधक है, आज भी ऊर्जा को अश्व शक्ति में मागते हैं।

• सूर्य से विद्युत चुम्बकीय तरंगों का प्रवाह- जिन तरंगों के संचरण के लिए किसी माध्यम की आवश्यकता नहीं होती तथा जो तरंगें निर्वात में भी संचरित हो सकती हैं, उन्हें विद्युत चुम्बकीय तरंगें कहते हैं। ये किरणें हैं- गामा एक्स, पराबैगनी, दृश्य विकिरण, अवरक्त किरणें, लघु रेडियो तरंगे, वायरलैस तरंगे हैं। वर्तमान में एक्स किरणों की खोज राञ्जन नामक वैज्ञानिक ने की है। पराबैगनी की खोज रिटर ने की थी। यह किरण मानव जीवन के लिए सबसे खतरनाक है। दृश्य विकिरण की खोज न्यूटन ने की थी। अवरक्त किरणों की खोज हरशैल ने की थी। हर्त्स की खोज 1888 में हार्वे ने, तथा वायरलैस की खोज मारकोनी ने 1896 में की थी।

इन किरणें के सूर्य से प्रभावित होने का वर्णन ऋग्वेद में मिलता है। ऋग्वेद में वर्णन है कि सूर्य की किरणों के साथ मित्र और वरुण एक ही रथ पर बैठकर चलते हैं। मित्र शब्द धनात्मक आवेश और वरुण ऋणात्मक आवेश लिए हैं। ये दोनों मिलकर ही विद्युत चुम्बकीय तरंगें प्रवाहित करते हैं। इन तरंगों के द्वारा प्रवाहित शक्ति के लिए ‘दूत’ शब्द का प्रयोग किया गया है। इस दूत को अतितीव्रगामी कहा गया है। इस मंत्र में ‘अजिर’ शब्द बहुत सक्रिय अर्थ को बताता है और मदेरधु शब्द अतितीव्रता को बताता है। इस ऊर्जा में चुम्बकत्व के लिए ‘अयःशीर्षा’ शब्द आया है।

• ओजोन परत- ओजोन (O 3 ) आक्सीजन के तीन परमाणुओं से मिलकर बननेवाली गैस है, जो कि वातावरण में बहुत कम मात्रा में (0.02%) में पायी जाती है। जहाँ निचले वातावरण में पृथ्वी के निकट इसकी उपस्थिति प्रदूषण बढाने वाली है और मानव ऊतक के लिए नुकसानदेह है वहीं ऊपरी वायुमण्डल में इसकी उपस्थिति परमावश्यक है। इसकी सघनता 10 लाख में 10वाँ हिस्सा है। यह गैस प्राकृतिक रूप से बनती है- जब सूर्य की किरणें वायुमण्डल के ऊपरी सतह पर आक्सीजन से टकराती है तो उच्च ऊर्जा विकरण से इनका कुछ हिस्सा ओजोन में परिवर्तित हो जाता है। पृथ्वी के धरातल के 20-30 किमी. की ऊँचाई पर वायुमण्डल के समताप मण्डल क्षेत्र में ओजोन गैस का एक झीना आवरण है जिसे ओजोन परत कहते हैं। यह परत पर्यावरण की रक्षक है तथा सूर्य की पराबैंगनी किरणों को आने से रोकती है।

ऋग्वेद में पृथ्वी के चारों ओर विद्यमान ओजोन परत का उल्लेख है। इसके लिए ‘महत् उल्व’ शब्द आया है।

महत् तदुल्बं स्थविरं तदासीत्।

येनाविष्टितः प्रविवेशिथापः।। [9]

• ब्रह्माण्ड का प्रत्येक परमाणु गतिशील है- वेदों के अनुसार ब्रह्माण्ड का प्रत्येक परमाणु गतिशील है यथा पृथ्वी सूर्य के चक्कर लगाती है- इसका वर्णन ऋग्वेद के दसवें मण्डल में मिलता है-

क्षाः शुष्णं परि प्रदक्षिणित। [10]

          यही बात विज्ञान भी कहता कि इस विश्व का समस्त परमाणु गतिशील है यदि उसकी गति रुक गयी तो वह किसी अन्य में जाकर विलीन हो जायेगा। पहले विज्ञान की यह मान्यता कि सूर्य स्थिर है तथा प्रत्येक अंतरिक्ष के ग्रह-उपग्रह इत्यादि उसकी परिक्रमा करते हैं, परन्तु आज विज्ञान का यह कहना कि सूर्य भी अपने अक्ष पर परिक्रमा करता है तथा 25 दिन में वह अपनी एक परिक्रमा पूरा कर लेता है।

• विश्व के प्रत्येक परमाणु में आकर्षण शक्ति है – कैवलर के खगोलीय प्रेक्षणों के आधार पर ग्रहों के सम्बन्ध में तीन नियम प्रतिपादित किये गये हैं-

(1) प्रत्येक ग्रह सूर्य के चारों ओर दीर्घ वृत्ताकार कक्षा में परिक्रमण करता है तथा सूर्य कक्षा के फोकस पर होता है।

(2) किसी भी ग्रह को सूर्य से मिलाने वाली रेखा समान समयान्तराल में समान क्षेत्रफल पार करती है। जब ग्रह सूर्य के समीप होता है तो चाल अधिकतम और जब दूर होता है उसकी चाल न्यूनतम होती है।

(3) किसी ग्रह के परिक्रमण काल का वर्ग सूर्य से उसकी दूरी औसत दूरी के धन के व्युत्क्रमानुपाती होता है।

न्यूटन के गुरुत्वाकर्षण नियम के अनुसार (1687) ब्रह्माण्ड में प्रत्येक पिण्ड दूसरे पिण्ड को अपनी ओर आकर्षित करता है। सूर्य के चारों ओर घूमते हुए ग्रहों को घूमने के लिए आवश्यक अभिकेन्द्रीय बल इसी आकर्षण बल से प्राप्त होता है।

ऋग्वेद के अनेक मंत्रो में यह उल्लिखित है कि सूर्य अपने आकर्णण बल से पूरे द्युलोक को रोके हुए हैं-

(क) सूर्येण उत्तंभिता द्यौः। [11]

(ख) अस्कम्भने सविता द्याम् अदृंहत। [12]

एक स्थान पर यह वर्णित है कि सूर्य अपने किरणरूपी यंत्रों से पृथ्वी को रोके हुए है- सविता यन्त्रैः पृथिवीम् अरम्णात्। [13]

• सूर्य की किरणों सात रंग की है तथा उसी के सारे रंग बनते हैं- अथर्ववेद का कथन है कि सूर्य की सातवर्ण की किरणें हैं-

अव दिवस्तारयन्ति सप्त सूर्यस्य रश्मयः। [14]

इन्हीं किरणों से संसार के सारे रंग बनते हैं-

ये त्रिषप्ताः परियन्ति विश्वा रूपाणि बिभ्रत)। [15]

• चन्द्रमा में प्रकास सूर्य से ही प्राप्त होता है- यजुर्वेद का कथन है कि सूर्य की सुषुम्ण नाम की किरण चन्द्रमा को प्रकाशित करती है। यास्क ने निरुक्त में भी उल्लेख किया है कि सूर्य की एक किरण चन्द्रमा को प्रकाशित करती है-

(1) सुषम्णः सूर्यरश्मिश्चन्द्रमा गन्धर्वः। [16]

            (2) आदित्यतोऽस्य दीप्तिर्भवति। [17]

• ग्रहों का उल्लेख- अथर्ववेद में ‘ शं नो दिविचरा ग्रहाः [18] में आकाशीय ग्रहों का उल्लेख है। एक मन्त्र [19] में चार ग्रहों के नाम दिये ये हैं। चन्द्रमा, सूर्य, राहू, धुमकेतु या केतु। शतपथ ब्राह्मण [20] में ‘अष्टौ ग्रहाः’ के द्वारा आठ ग्रहों का निर्देश है।

इस प्रकार वेदों में खगोल विज्ञान से सम्बन्धित अनेक तथ्यों का विवेचन प्राप्त होता है।

सन्दर्भित ग्रन्थ-

(1) ऋग्वेद संहिता – वैदिक शोध संशोधन मण्डल, पूना, सायण भाष्य सहित, 1972।

(2) वैदिक साहित्य एवं संस्कृति- कपिलदेव द्विवेदी, विश्वविद्यालय प्रकाशन,चौक,वाराणसी, 200।

(3) अथर्ववेद संहिता सातवलेक – सुबोधभाष्य।

(4) वेदांग ज्योतिष – लगधकृत टी.एस. कुप्पनस्वामी, नई दिल्ली, 1985।

(5) सामान्य विज्ञान – यूनिक प्रकाशन, 2004।

[1]  मनुस्मृति 2.7।

[2]  यजुर्वेद 30/90।

[3]  ऋग्वेद 1.115.1।

[4]  ऋग्वेद 1.114.3।

[5]  अथर्ववेद 13/3/10

[6]  ऋग्वेद 1.164.43।

[7]  ऋग्वेद 1.64.14।

[8]  ऋग्वेद 1.63.2।

[9]  ऋग्वेद 1.115.1।

[10]  ऋग्वेद 10.51.1।

[11]  ऋग्वेद 1.22.14।

[12]  ऋग्वेद 1085.1।

[13]  ऋग्वेद 10.149.1।

[14]  अथर्ववेद 7/107/1।

[15]  अथर्ववेद 1/1/1।

[16]  यजुर्वेद 18/40

[17]  निरुक्त 2/6

[18]  अथर्ववेद 19/9/7।

[19]  अथर्ववेद 19/9/10।

[20]  शतपथ ब्राह्मण 14/6/2/1।

Km. Bindu Department of Sanskrit, Banaras Hindu University Vijnana Bharati

• वेदों में ज्योतिष (श्रीओमप्रकाशजी पालीवाल)
• भूकम्प का ज्योतिषीय विश्लेषण (Samhita Jyotisha mein Bhookampa ki Sthiti) (Girija Shankar Shastri)
• वैदिकं ब्रह्माण्डं खगोलशास्त्रं च (Vedic Cosmology and Astronomy) (Sachichidananda Mishra)

Ayurvedic Approach to Diet and Nutrition

Ayurvedic approach to health, ayurveda and allopathy: why, how and where ther differ, ayurvedic approach to disease management, ayurveda: connnecting the dots and sensing the past, evolution of medicine in india: a brief glimpse, foundations of ayurveda, literature in ayurveda, masters and teachers of ayurveda, mantra: a non-physical intervention, decimal place value system, value of pi, calculate square root of a number, bhuja koti karnan nyaya, pythagorean theorem, construction of a square which is sum of two squares, construction of a square, construction of a square which is n times of a square, determing cardinal directions, constructing a shyen chiti.

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Tuesday, 16 April 2024

Agenda - The Sunday magazine

• Cover Story

Sunday Edition

• Spirituality

Space journeys in ancient India

Ancient sages freely moved from Earth to far-off planets like Brahma loka, which had different time speeds than Earth, writes Dr Asha Goswami

This study relates to the well-known theory of Astrophysics regarding space travel, ‘that among twins, one brother who stays on earth grows older and the other who is on space travel remains of the same age’ [vide Hawking, A Brief History of Time]. This is not a new notion, in fact the same phenomena of Astrophysics were even known to our ancient sages, the Puranakaras long back in the Puranic age, about 5,000 years ago. They were not only aware of space journeys, but also of the existence of other planets besides the earth which they knew as Pitriloka, Devaloka, Indraloka, Brahmaloka, so on and so forth. Not only this but, they also freely moved from earth to other far-off planets like Brahma loka which had different time speeds than Earth. They were also equipped with knowledge such as that gravity can bend time in space.

As, clue to their awareness of such a theory of the Astrophysics be derived from a chronicle as described in the Bhagavatapurana IX 3.29-36 and the Vishnupurana IV 1.20-39, which refers to a similar state of affairs during the Treta Yuga. The chronicle recounts that in the Treta Yuga, the oldest son of Revata, who was named as Kakudmi undertook space travel to reach another Planet Brahmaloka to take advice from Brahma, the sole ruler and king of that Planet with regard to the suitable match for his daughter Revati who was also accompanying him. After arriving there they had to wait for a ‘moment’ as King Brahma was busy with other guests and couldn’t attend to them immediately. Once the guests were gone, Brahma apprised Kakudmi with the above cited phenomena of Astrophysics ‘that a moment spent in his loka was equal to twenty-seven Tetra-Yugas or approximately about 216 years on earth; and a moment of wait thus spent by them at the Brahmalokawas also equal to twenty-seven Tetra Yugas on earth. Hence, from the time the king and the daughter had left the Earth, round about 216 years had passed in between. With the result at that time those suitable grooms for his daughter which he then had in his mind had also died; and the only option of suitable match for his daughter at that time could be the best of Yadus, who was Krishna’s brother Baladeva. Hence, he should go to earth and marry his daughter to Baldeva only. King Kakudmi then returned to Earth and discovered to his surprise that his whole clan had lost. In such a situation he got his daughter married to Baladeva who was of different clan than him and also much shorter in stature than his daughter Revati, whom they were also able to make of the same short stature with some medical device available to them those days.

This Puranic chronicle furnishes significant hints as regards the knowledge in the field of Astrophysics which was available to the ancient Indians those days; a) In space, there exist some Planets with different solar system and time speed worth living for the human beings like the Brahma loka which is governed by different solar system and is presided over by Brahma, its sole sovereign, and is 26 light years away from earth. b) A moment spent on such Planet like the Brahmaloka is equal to about 216 years on earth. c) Time passes with different speeds on the different Planets. d) life gets extended with space Travelling. Thus, on the basis of this the above cited revelations of the Puranic chronicle, there is no exaggeration ascertaining that our ancient sages were well conversant with these phenomena’s of Astrophysics.

Since, the hints to ancient Indians’ knowledge of Astrophysics and related issues are also derived from the Upanishadic statements with regard to the five stages of vital spirit known Prana which are latent in man without which he cannot survive. They are known as Prana,Apana, Samana, Vyana and Udana. While discussing about the five-fold functions of these five vital forces or ‘panchapraanas’, the Prashnopanishad specifically mentions ‘that the gravitation or gurutvaakarshana of the earth serves as in-support of man’s apana, the downward breathing’. Which implies that the Vital Air known as Apana when made active by the connection with gravitation of Earth, directs the ageing process of a being. On the contrary, the same vital spirit when loses contact with the gravitation of Earth, stops the deterioration of a person and helps elongation of his life. This makes apparently clear that according to the Upanishadic statement, the fivefold vital force Prana, which is the very life-aayuh of a person within its two parts as Prana and Apana, representing the upward breathing and downward breathing together exhilarate the life of a person by partaking and consuming the food. Since among them, the Prana represents the spirit that intakes the food, and the Apana is capable of forcing down food and also the life of the person. While, the Samana is responsible for prompting the digestive system; the Vyana helps the blood circulation; and the Udana prompts the thinking faculty of the person.

Thus, the Upanishadic sages make it clear that the attractive force of Earth called as ‘gravitation’ along with these five vital air forces or the Pranas latent in all the beings on earth bring about their ageing process and their ultimate deterioration. On the contrary, during space journeys when the human body loses contact with Earth’s gravitation, his vital force stops its function of deterioration of the human body. As a result, the life of that person gets extended, or remains stable. The same fact is sufficiently evidenced from the chronicle of the Puranas showing that the king Kakudmi and his daughter retaining their same age which they had long back 216 years ago. This also proves the notion of astrophysics correct ‘that life could be extended with the device of space travelling’. Finally, it may be maintained in all fairness ‘that the ancient Indians’ knowledge of other Planets in space besides the earth with different time speeds, and of the notion that life gets extended during space journeys which they used to call ‘Vibhu-gamanam’ proves prelude to the modern-day discoveries made by the Astro-physicists; and also that our ancient sages amply gave vent to their scientific trends while presenting their revelations of the ultimate, the eternal element as Praana Brahma whom they felt  always present within themselves as the vital force’.

The writer is a noted Indologist and authority on Krishnaite Studies

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Colony Earth: Science in The Vedas - Part 1

• Read Later  

In my view, 6000 years ago the peoples of India either were far more advanced than NASA and then somehow mysteriously forgot — or the Mahabharata is the history of and evidence for an off-world civilization that did colonize this planet.

“History is the one weak point of Sanskrit literature, being practically non-existent. Not a single systematic chronological record has survived. And so complete is the lack of any data to guide us in this matter that the dates of even the most famous of Indian authors like Panini [the grammarian] and Kaidasa [Sanskrit poet & dramatist] are still subject to controversy.”

Quoted from the introduction by Lakshman Sarup to ‘The Nighantu and The Nirukta of Sri Yaskcarya, The Oldest Indian Treatise on Etymology, Philology and Semantics.’

The above quotation is taken from a highly esteemed important book said to be the cornerstone of any valid translations of Vedic Sanskrit. The Nighantus are the glossaries or lists of rare and obscure words occurring in the Vedic hymns. In his book on ‘Vedic Physics’ K.D. Verma states, “Without recourse to Nirukta of Yaska no claim to the study of Veda is sustainable.”

Thus from respected Indian scholars we learn that the Sanskrit literature itself does not provide “a single chronological record” and therefore the dates are subject to controversy. Even the end of the Kali Yuga is disputed, although India does accept 3102 BCE as the beginning of our current Cycle of Time. However, the dates of the Mahabharata War vary from 6000 BCE to 500 BCE.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy in his book ‘Vedic Physics, Scientific Origin of Hinduism’ connects the Mahabharata War with the Indus Valley Civilization. He notes and compares the coding of knowledge found in the (as yet untranslated) Indus Valley seals, to the coded 'hidden' knowledge in the Rig Veda.

Roy's view is that, “On the eve of the ‘Mahabharata War’ our ancestors believed that their knowledge was in danger of being lost. …writings could be destroyed. Therefore they decided that they would organize the Vedic knowledge and instruct pupils to memorize it, who will pass it on orally.” Krishna Dvaipayana who is described by Roy as “the chief Vedic scientist” accomplished this organization of Vedic knowledge in the Rig Veda, the Samaveda, the Yajurveda, and the Artharveda. The Sanskrit word VEDA means knowledge wisdom.

According to Roy after the Mahabharata War “the knowledge contained in the Vedas was gradually lost. As the knowledge contained in the Vedas started to make no sense at all, it became difficult to preserve the knowledge.” Thus the Sanskrit commentaries were composed in order to preserve the meaning of the Vedas. The Satapatha Brahmana is the most comprehensive of these commentaries, but as Roy opines: “Several centuries must have passed between the Mahabharata War and the writing of the Satapatha Brahmana, because the Satapatha Brahmana shows a significant loss of Vedic science.” Also there are several new ideas not found in the Vedas and “hardly any legend of creation.”

Other researchers have suggested that in ancient times a massive war occurred that used terrible nuclear weapons, which released and spread radiation over and around the earth. The radiation generated by such a catastrophic conflict involving all the armies of the ancient world may have spread far beyond the targeted areas, just as the plumes from the Fukushima disaster have and continue to spread over the Pacific Ocean and the entire planet. Such intense exposure could have easily altered most, if not all of mankind and diminished our perceptive capacities and intelligence levels considerably.

I suggest that the war was indeed waged between opposing sides of one family, but a family whose origin was beyond our heliosphere. This Great War is described in detail in the Mahabharata and ushers planet Earth into the Kali Yuga. The consequence of the devastating clouds of radiation left human intelligence vastly diminished. Most humans were then relegated to and trapped in five-sense perception, as we lost our previous abilities to access the myriad worlds and dimensional realms now invisible to most. Recent research by Professor Gerald Crabtree, who heads a genetics laboratory at Stanford University in California, suggests that human intelligence peaked as early as 4,000 BCE.

Thus we see that ideas found in today’s string theory are connected Vedic thought. More quotations from M.Anant Bhakta’s Vedic String Theory:

“Mind-space (Chidakasha) … mind space is a mirrior-image of the macrocosm. … Imagery of Foam and Bubbles … often used in the Vedic literature while describing the clusters of universes that are being created and dissolved in the cosmos. … Quantum electrodynamics holds the view that all-pervading vacuum continuously spawns particles and waves that spontaneously pop into and out of existence on an unimaginably short time scale. This flux of particles is frequently referred to as ‘quantum foam’ which is believed to extend throughout the universe.”

“According to Gribben and Rees, ‘Theorists are now being led to consider the possibility that our universe is, indeed, just one bubble among many in some greater meta-universe.’ Michio Kaku writes... These universes might be compared to a vast collection of soap bubbles suspended in air.”

The genius sage and saint of Kashmir, Abhinavagupta (950-1020 AD) expressed a similar idea in his Paramarthasara, or Essence of the Exact Reality: “Maya tattva serves as the inanimate objective substance out of which all other sentient elements evolve. It is thus the substantive cause of numerous universes floating like bubbles in an ocean.”

M. Anant Bhakti: “Hiranyagarbha is variously translated as the Golden Egg, Golden Embryo … also called ‘Sutratma,’ the string-shaped consciousness (Atman) … Sutras mean ‘strings’ … accurate to regard sutras as strings with encoded program. According to Sanskrit scholars, sutra literally means ‘that which generates something.’ … Hiranyagarbha or the string field … that, along with consciousness, pervades the universe is also called VYOMA (ether).”

M. Anant Bhakti emphasizes the importance of consciousness in reaching any real understanding of the universe and quotes Eugene Wigner, the Hungarian-American theoretical physicist and mathematician who explored quantum mechanics: “Science itself is beginning to realize that it cannot evolve a T.O.E. without elevating consciousness to the primordial (transcendental) level which is beyond the reach of scientific methods. Eugene Wigner clearly states that it is not possible to formulate the laws of quantum mechanics in a fully consistent way without reference to consciousness.”

By V. Susan Ferguson

There are two dates where my friend was born and did some serious work...One was about 100,000 years ago during Ramayana when Lord Rama left planet Earth in a space ship to Mizar Star System, my friends were in the ship managing the ship controls etc.

The other one is Lord Krishna time about 12,300 years ago. This time, people were super simple with bows and arrows. But Lord Krishna group were in super space ships from another galaxy. They did available during Rama time too in a different body.....

Until we understand this...we will stay in the dark, until we have true UFOs show up and talk to us. Thank you.

nice research

I would like to thank you for the efforts you have made in writing this article. I am hoping the same best work from you in the future as well <a href=" https://www.freelanceweb-seo.com" rel="nofollow">freelance</a>

its very well known that majority of ancient text in old Libraries (Nalanda and Takxila) and text around were burnt or destroyed by Muslim Invaders at large. It followed by Muslim rule (in majority of India) giving no time to recollect those text but caused further damage deteriorating the condition by introducing a ban on teaching and banned Hindu texts. the whole history seems to be turned upside down during the time of Britishers rule, they ruled out any presence of ancient civilization in India calling it as MYTH or EPIC and introduced ARYAN INVASION THEORY (which is proved FALSE by many and soon would be on the brink of taking it off from the History books).

the earth is very old billions of years so why look to the skys for evidence of hi tech ? civilizations rise and fall who is to say that there have not been many hi tech advanced peoples on earth who through natural disasters or celestial ones rose and fell and left little physical evidence of passing except in old oral traditions passed down through time .after all what would be left of what we have if some huge catastrophe overtook us ? after say 7000 years very little i think except fragments like we have now

V. Susan Ferguson

Born in 1945 in the Lone Star State, I left to try my wings in New York City art school in 1964. It was around this time that I first learned about the spiritual path and began... Read More

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Abbreviations

Atharvaveda

Bṛhadāraṇyaka-Upaniṣad

Maitrī (aka Maitrāyaṇa, Maitrāyaṇī or Maitrāyaṇīya)-Upaniṣad

Jaiminīya-Upaniṣad-Brāhmaṇa

Mahābhārata

Yogavāsiṣṭharāmāyaṇa

Āgāśe, K. (Ed.). (1896). The Bṛhad Āranyaka Upaniṣad. The Brihadāraṇyakopanishanmitāksharā by Nityānanda Muni . Āpte: Poona [BĀU].

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Yanchevskaya, N., Witzel, M. (2017). Time and Space in Ancient India: Pre-philosophical Period. In: Wuppuluri, S., Ghirardi, G. (eds) Space, Time and the Limits of Human Understanding. The Frontiers Collection. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44418-5_3

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How The Vedas Influenced Indian Astronomy Through The Ages

Nov 10, 2019, 11:04 AM | Updated 11:04 AM IST

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• No Indian astronomer — from Aryabhata in the fifth century to Pathani Chandrasekar in the nineteenth century — refers to the Vedas as a source of their astronomy or mathematics.
• They only refer to the jyotisha siddhantas of earlier astronomers.

Vedic Mathematics is a more popular catchphrase than Vedic Astronomy. The adjective ‘Vedic’ has become associated with anything Sanskrit.

The four Vedas, though, are primarily slokas about ritual, prayer and philosophy. But numbers are mentioned, even revered; 28 stars, new and full moon, eclipses, seasons, days, periods, years, et cetera are mentioned. From these, we can glean some facts and deduce concepts.

All arts and sciences, of whatever variety that existed, had their own separate texts. Invariably, older texts or anthologies were discarded or forgotten over time, because newer compositions replaced archaic knowledge.

Panini’s grammar, for example, made 11 previous Sanskrit grammars obsolete. Even scripts of written languages underwent this change, as Brahmi and Kharoshti inscriptions in India, and Sumerian Cuneiform and Egyptian heiroglyphs show us.

As an aside: we rarely hear of Sumerian commercial mathematics or Pharaonic mathematics.

We don’t know what other texts or anthologies existed during the Vedic era. Also, the Vedas were transmitted from one generation to the next entirely orally.

If any other books were written or even transmitted orally, they are mostly lost to us. The Vedas, alone, because they were considered sacred, were passed on thousands of years later, unmodified.

No Indian astronomer, from Aryabhata in fifth century to Pathani Chandrasekar in the nineteenth century refers to the Vedas as a source of their astronomy or mathematics — they only refer to jyotisha siddhantas of earlier astronomers.

Nevertheless, some historical information may be gleaned from the Vedas.

Remember also, the Vedas are a compilation of various slokas of rishis – we don’t truly know the period of their composition.

The Puranas , and Vedic commentaries attribute yugas — millions of years — to history. Geology, archaeology, biology and anthropology consider Indian civilisation to be a few thousand years old; how many thousands is subjective.

Since it is least controversial, I call the period before the fifth century BCE as Vedic, without an upper bound.

Divisions of Day

The concept of solar ( savana or divasa ), lunar ( tithi ) and stellar ( nakshatra ) days co-existed, as we saw earlier. 28 Nakshatras are listed, but Abhijit was dropped, with no loss to astronomy.

The 12 zodiac series from Mesha (Aries) to Meena (Pisces) was a later import, probably from Babylonia.

Moonrise or tithi is predictable. The opposite of tithi is atithi , which means guest. Perhaps because the arrival of a guest is unpredictable. What a magnificent astronmical pun.

The day was divided into two major parts: poorvaahna (forenoon) and aparaahna (afternoon). Poorvaahna itself is divided into two parts — praatha and samgava . Aparaahna is divided into three parts — madhyaahna , aparaahna and saayaahna . Even today, sandhyaavandanam and maadhyaahnam are important Vedic rituals, performed by millions daily.

This five-part division was at some point superseded by a division of the day into 30 muhurthas , 15 each for daytime and nighttime.

Today, we number the hours, from 1 to 12 or 1 to 24 (this is an import from Egyptian astronomy). But Vedic muhurthas were named, not numbered.

Much later, during the era of the 18 Siddhantas , naadis supplemented muhurtas , as we saw in Aryabhata’s sloka.

A naadi equals two muhurtas .

We use numbered tithis — prathama , dvitiya , trithiya , chaturthi , panchami (first, second, third, fourth, fifth) upto trayaodashi and chaturdashi .

But the Vedas had names, not numbers, for each tithi . In fact, the tithis had different names for the day versus nighttime, and different names during the waxing ( shukla paksha) versus waning ( krishna paksha ) of moon phase.

So, there were 60 tithi names for a lunar month. Similarly, there were 60 muhurthas . All these are named in Taittreya Brahmana (3.10).

A sample of these names are shown in the accompanying tables.

Divisions of the Year

Just as the day was divided into parts, the year was also divided into days ( Dina ), months ( Maasa ), seasons ( Rtu ) and Ayana (half-years).

The months were named Madhu , Madhava , Shukra et cetera , not the Chaitra , Vaishaka , series we use today.

Each rtu is a season of two months; India experiences six seasons, not four like Europe. The ayana is the apparent traversal of the Sun between northern and southern latitudes; uttaraayana (also called devaayana ) is the traversal from south to north; dakshinaayana (also called pitraayana ) is traversal from north to south.

Disparity between lunar (the months were lunar; 12 months came to 354 days, but the solar year was 11 days longer) and solar calendars were observed, and to resolve this disparity, which threw the calendar off, the concept of adhika maasa was introduced. Adhika means extra. Basically, it was a leap month, similar to a leap day.

A five-year cycle after which five solar years and 62 lunar months aligned again, was called a yuga (which means conjunction).

These demonstrate that the concept of time evolved even during the Vedic period.

When the yuga transformed into a tremendous period of 4,32,000 years and a chaturyuga 10 times as long is unclear; this is the period the puranas mention. The five-year yuga is not even referred to by astronomers of the Siddhanta or Classical period, except Brahmagupta, who rejects it, and the entire Vedanga Jyotisha , without explanation.

A fine historical and philosophical anomaly — the very Brahmagupta who is dismissed as orthodox for rejecting Aryabhata’s alleged heresies — is not himself considered a heretic for rejecting an entire Vedanga .

The invocatory sloka of Vedanga Jyotisha mentions all these divisions of the year, saluting Prajapati, the Creator, as one whose limbs are days, seasons, months et cetera .

पञ्चसंवत्सरमयं युगाद्यक्षम् प्रजापतिम् । दिनर्तोयनमासाङ्गं प्रणम्य शिरसा शुचिः ॥

Pancha-samvatsam-ayam yugaadi-aksham prajaapatim Dina-rtu-ayana-maasa-angam praNamya shirasaa shuchi

This is a common theme throughout the Vedas and Hindu philosophy: not only the Sun, Moon and planets, besides the Earth are considered manifestations of divinity, all celestial phenomena are described as parts of their divine bodies. Even numbers are considered divine, and offered salutations.

Everything was sacred, which rails against our perception of science today, when considering anything sacred is unscientific.

The Taittiriya Aranyakam 4.69 of the Krishna Yajur Veda has this sloka:

सकृते अग्ने नमः । द्विस्ते नमः। त्रिस्ते नमः। दशकृत्वस्ते नमः । शतकृत्वस्ते नमः । आसहस्रकृत्वस्ते नमः ।

अपरिमितकृत्वस्ते नमः ।

Sakrte agne namaH. Dvis-te namaH. Tris-te namaH. Dasha-krtvas-te namaH. Shata-krtvas-te namaH. Aa-sahasra-krtvas-te namaH. Aparimita-krtvas-te namaH.

Translation: NamaH (salutations) to Agni. NamaH twice. Namah thrice. Ten times namaH. Hundred times namaH. Thousand times namaH. Unlimited times namaH.

The Taittiriya Samhita 7.2.20 has this sloka:

शताय स्वाहा सहस्राय स्वाहा अयुताय स्वाहा नियुताय स्वाहा प्रयुताय स्वाहा अर्बुदाय स्वाहा न्यर्बुदाय स्वाहा समुद्राय स्वाहा…… परार्धाय स्वाहा

Shataaya svaahaa sahasraaya svaahaa ayutaaya svaahaa niyutaaya svaahaa prayutaaya svaahaa arbudaaya svaahaa nyarbudaaya svaahaa samudraaya svaahaa … paraardhaaya svaahaa

Translation: Svaahaa to a hundred, thousand, ten thousand, lakh, etc..up to one trillion.

This prayer or offering follows a series of prayers to the first 20 natural numbers, odd numbers, even numbers, multiples of four, five, ten, twenty, forty and fifty. The religious significance is not my scope.

What they counted a trillion of, is an enigma. But these slokas demonstrate the use and understanding of decimal (base 10) numbers and large numbers.

Note the absence of the familiar laksha (lakh) and koti (crore). By the classical era, new names for some larger numbers emerged. Aryabhata, for example, uses koti for arbuda , and vrndam for samudra .

The fractions — paada , shapha , kushTha and kalaa — respectively 1/4, 1/8, 1/12 and 1/16 are mentioned in the Vedas, too.

These are all names of numbers only, not mathematical operations or algorithms, which are explained in Vedangas .

Other Stars, Planets, Constellations

Five planets are mentioned, but only Brhaspati by name, and Venus as Vena rather than Shukra .

The most famous constellation was Sapta Rishi , (a section of Ursa Minor), stars in the polar regions, which revolved around Dhruva , the Pole star. There is a beautiful poem, comparing stars rising after Vrkam (Sirius), as birds of heaven chasing the wolf.

The brightest star of the southern hemisphere suddenly became visible during this era. This star was called Agastya (Canopus) and linked with the story of the rishi who headed south, requesting the growing Vindhyas to stop until he returned.

Perhaps, the legend captures the period of a tilt in the earth’s axis, when the night sky at that latitude became on Aryavrata . Another southern star is called Vishvamitra , and three surrounding stars , Trishanku .

Comets, Meteors, Eclipses

A prayer in Atharva Veda mentions comets ( ulkaani ) and meteors ( dhoomaketu ). Strangely, except for Varahamihira, no classical astronomer mentioned these objects.

अत्रि: सूर्यस्य दिवि चक्षुर आधत् स्वर्भानोर अप माया अगुक्षत ||

यं वै सूर्यं स्वर्भानुस् तमसा विध्यद आसुर: |

अत्रयस् तं अन्वविन्धन् न हि अन्ये अशक्नुवन् || Rg Veda 5.40.8-9

This sloka refers to the rishi Atri “who set the press stone, revered the Gods, dispelled the illusions of Svarbhanu and restored the Sun’s light”, a reference to a solar eclipse.

“Atri and his sons alone could restore the Sun when Svarbhanu had covered him with darkness”, it continues.

By the era of the 18 Siddhantas , Indian astronomers understood eclipses, and could predict them. We will come to that after a look at the Vedangas .

R Gopu delivers lectures on astronomy, history, sculpture, Sanskrit, and Tamil, and is part of the Tamil Heritage Trust. He blogs here.

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Speed of Light in Vedas ?

Imagine that archaeologists, digging a thousand year old virgin site in Antarctica, come across an inscription deep underground that shows the sun, and next to it the numbers 186,000 miles per second, the speed of light.  What would the world do? More likely than not, this find will not be accepted by Scholars.  A fraud, they would say, committed for cheap fame.  The reputation of the archaeologists will be ruined.  If they didn’t hold tenure, they will lose their jobs.

Only lunatics will support them,  claiming that this proves that aliens have visited the earth from time to time. The high priests of the academy will say that even if the find was genuine it proves nothing; at best it is a coincidence.

But what an astonishing coincidence!  Just the right number out of an infinite different numbers!

The speed of light was first determined in 1675 by Roemer who looked at the difference in the times that light from Io, one of the moons of Jupiter, takes to reach earth based on whether it is on the near side of Jupiter or the far side.  Until then light was taken to travel with infinite velocity.  Even Newton assumed so.

But why are we talking about the absurd scenario of the archaeologists in Antarctica?  Because, we are confronted with a situation that is quite similar!

In a hymn addressed to the sun, he says that it is “remembered that the sun traverses 2,202 yojanas in half a nimesha”.

This statement could either relate to the speed of the sun or to that of light.  The units are well known.  For example, the Indian epic Mahabharata conservatively dated to 400 BC – 400 AD defines 1 nimesha to be equal to 16/75.3 seconds; 1 yojana is about 9 miles.  Substituting in Sayana’s statement we get 186,536 miles per second.

Unbelievable, you’d say! It cannot be the speed of light. Maybe it refers to the speed of the sun in its supposed orbit around the earth.  But that places the orbit of the sun at a distance of over 2,550 million miles.  The correct value is only 93 million miles and until the time of Roemer the distance to the sun used to be taken to be less than 4 million miles. This interpretation takes us nowhere.

What about the possibility of fraud? Sayana’s statement was printed in 1890 in the famous edition of Rigveda edited by Max Muller, the German Sanskritist. He claimed to have used several three or four hundred year old manuscripts of Sayana’s commentary, written much before the time of Roemer.

Is it possible that Muller was duped by an Indian correspondent who slipped in the line about the speed? Unlikely, because Sayanas commentary is so well known that an interpolation would have been long discovered. And soon after Muller’s Rigveda was published, someone would have claimed that it contained this particular “secret” knowledge. The fact that the speed in the text corresponds to the speed of light was pointed out only recently by S.S. De and P.V. Vartak.

Further support for the genuineness of the figure in the ancient book comes from another old book, the Vayu Purana. This is one of the earliest Puranas, considered to be at least 1,500 years old. (The same reference is to be found in the other Puranas as well).

In Chapter 50 of this book, there is the statement that the sun moves 3.15 million yojanas in 48 minutes. This corresponds to about 10,000 miles per second if considered as speed of light, and 135 million miles for the distance to the sun, if considered as the speed of the sun. Sayana’s speed of light is exactly 18 times greater than this speed of the sun! Mere numerology?

We must also not forget that the Puranas speak of the creation and destruction of the universe in cycles of 8.64 billion years, that is quite close to currently accepted value regarding the time of the big bang.

For the rationalists these numbers are a coincidence. Given the significance of these numbers, they’d look very carefully at the old manuscripts of Sayana’s commentary.

There are others who would say that consciousness, acting on itself can find universal knowledge. Look, they’d say, by examining biological cycles one can know the periods of the sun and the moon. So why shouldn’t it be possible to know other universal truths?

They’d add that ancient texts speak – and this is true – of embryo transplants, multiple births from the same fetus, air and space travel, slowing or speeding of time, weapons that can destroy the entire world. They’d say that it is more than ancient science fiction; it shows that the human imagination can envision all that can happen.

This brings us back to the question of whether the figure of 186,000 miles per second in Sayana’s book is a astonishing coincidence or a fraud, an example of the powers of intuition or a meaningless number.

What do you think? 

~ Subhash Kak

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Rig Veda Described Sun’s Orbit, Attraction of Planets 1000s of Years before Copernicus

Rig Veda 10.22.14

“This earth is devoid of hands and legs, yet it moves ahead. All the objects over the earth also move with it. It moves around the sun.”

Rig Veda 10.149.1

“The sun has tied Earth and other planets through attraction and moves them around itself as if a trainer moves newly trained horses around itself holding their reins.”

Yajur Veda 33.43

“The sun moves in its own orbit in space taking along with itself the mortal bodies like earth through force of attraction.”

Rig Veda 1.35.9

“The sun moves in its own orbit but holding earth and other heavenly bodies in a manner that they do not collide with each other through force of attraction.

Rig Veda 1.164.13

“Sun moves in its orbit which itself is moving. Earth and other bodies move around sun due to force of attraction, because sun is heavier than them.”

India started astronomy, for “time keeping”. Main requirement was to repeat Satras (or yagnas) in repeated cycles (year after year). They wanted to do it precisely (1 year means 1 year). So, India was an not inventor of foretelling. Greeks started copying Indian astronomy. They were amused/amazed at the Indian capability to time and predict “rains” (actually seasons).

Greeks were a war machine at that time. Planning attacks in favorable season was a great strategy for them. So, the person who can predict weather became a very valuable asset for them. They recruited people with such capability. They wanted many intelligent Greeks to actually go to  India and learn from them. This “foretelling of seasons”  trickled down to foretelling individual fate in Greece. Greeks developed this art. This was part of Romaka Siddantha (Romaka is Romans, who inherited it from Greeks). In India, We had many Siddanthas like Pythamaha siddantha, Romaka Siddanta, Soorya Siddanta etc. Varahamihira consolidated 5 Siddantas and wrote his refined Siddanta, popularly known today as Panchasiddantika . This “pancha siddantika” is our knowledge base even today for Panchangas and Indian system of Jyotishya.

Varahamihira is identified as “Maga Brahmin’ by his successors. In his name, we have Mehrauli (Mihira Avali = Mihiras agrahara) in Delhi. But, Maga Brahmins are not Indians by geography. Maga Brahmins migrated to India from Maga, for various reasons, at various point of time.  Magas were traditional priests for Persians (Iranians). When Iran was full of Zoarastrians, Magas were hired for temple duties. Magas were sun worshipers. So, they were considered as “Brahmins” by Indians, as they were doing exactly the same role. This “Maga” is nothing but today’s “Makka” in Saudi Arbian coast. It was on the popular silk route, going to Damascus (Syria). Syria was the distribution point for Asian and Chinese goods. Varahamihira, who was a Maga Brahmin was trained/learned in Persian and Greek knowledge systems from childhood. He was an expert in it, before he came to India. He came to India for higher learning. India had “astronomy seat/school of learning” in its universities like Nalanda, Takshshila etc. After learning superior Indian system, he deprecated Persian/Greek books and wrote consolidated/updated book. That is Panchasiddantika . Varahamihira did not import Persian/Greek knowledge to India. If that was the case, he would be refining Romaka Siddanta (not deprecating it). He was trying to harmonize/upgrade his knowledge with superior Indian knowledge system. So, Indians were ahead and knowledge flowed from India to west.

A great misnomer exists about Bharatiya knowledge system. It is not at all dependent on any bookish knowledge including Vedas and Upanishads . This knowledge was obtained by meditating on Brahma (so, it is Shruti , heard in brain). Ultimate knowledge is possible only through meditation and/or Bhakti. If it is presumed that during the days of Varamihira and even thousand of years before him the human lifespans were similar as today then it is not possible for any human being to observe astronomical cycles which repeat only in thousand of years. Even Parashara system of Mahdashas applicable to human lives is 120 years way beyond average sensible human life excluding childhood and old age.

India had traditional schools (what we call as Guru Shishya Parampara). That is why we had ‘n’ number of Veda shakhas (the way, a school teaches Vedas ). In similar fashion, ideology or astronomy was also groomed. So, it is possible for people belonging to a school to observe a phenomenon over 1000s of years. If one studies astronomy books, this is clearly evident, as authors always give credentials to their Gurus and also refer to scientific data observed by their predecessors. They give references and Indian knowledge system was built in spiral fashion (just exactly like the way, we are improving and building science incrementally today).

Vedas has been dissected and evolution patterns are identified. It is easily possible to establish their evolution time also, as the authors have given astronomical observations. Traditionally it is believed that, Vedas were passed over by Brahma. But Vedas themselves declare, a particular Rishi compiled it. So, each stanza is ascribed to an author. Some authors dedicated their work to their family/favorite ‘God’. So some are ascribed to “Devas” rather than to human composers.

If Vedas had come from Brahma all at one time, we should not be seeing difference in words, language, pattern etc. Words and languages evolve over a period of time. Same thing happened when Vedas were compiled too. So, evolution of words and language can also be identified. That itself proves, Vedas evolved over a period of time. For eg, some parts of Vedas speak about “mighty Saraswati river”, while some other parts describe the river as “almost drying out”. Similar geographic variations/evolution happening in different point in time are described. Important are changes in astronomical references. So, it is easily provable now that, Vedas were composed by humans. Passing over by Brahma is an allegory denoting it as ‘holy’ or sacred. Knowledge has to be ‘holy’ to give enough importance to protect it.

Technically there is nothing wrong in the claim that, “Brahma gave the knowledge of Vedas “. Vedas were some higher “knowledge” (for that period of human evolution) and creators got it in their mind due to their “higher intellect”. Not everyone can create this kind of higher knowledge (Why nobody explained nuclear physics exactly like Einstein before him??). But that process is same for modern subjects like Maths/Science etc. This UN-explainable “higher intellect power” is attributed as Brahma. This is exactly like Ramanujam described. He got his knowledge from “Devi” directly into his brain. But, we still call Ramanujam created his Mathematics. Similarly Vedas were created/composed by humans.

Modern scientists are not yet successful in explaining human intelligence. How/why some people get it, while others do not think in that direction is still a research subject. A great scientist’s son may not able to pass high school also. This demonstrates that, intellect is not transferable from parents to their offsprings. So, it has to be attributed to “God”.  Since the phenomenon is un-explainable by modern scientists, it is still a grey area. Till we understand this process of intellect, we have to consider it as “God given”/gifted”. So, we need to understand context properly and what is meant.

For spiritual reasons, if you want to consider, Brahma/Vishnu came down to earth and handed over Vedas to humans, feel free to hold that view. You do not need to discord your view for a logical argument by a science based rational arguer. Be comfortable with what you believe and trust. But it is difficult to argue that “Brahma alone gave the knowledge like Vedas ” and humans did not create it. At least it is not arguable, with non-believers, while evidence from Vedas itself (internal evidence) points in the opposite direction.

Featured image courtesy: Google and Amazon (from cover of Rig Veda  by Ralph T.H. Griffith).

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Concepts of Distance and Time from the Puranas – a book extract

2020, From the Beginning of Time

The Puranas describe a system of units for the measurement of distance and time. They also have names for very large numbers. This chapter talks about the origin of the units of distance as described in the Puranas. It talks about the cycles of time, especially the Kalpa, in terms of solar phenomena. It connects time-keeping to the science of astronomy and talks about a few other concepts, including Time Dilation, in this context.

Related Papers

Nataraja Sarma

HARDEV SINGH Virk

Puneet Goel

Srini Kalyanaraman

"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars." See: Mahābhārata, Resource for Bhāratīya Arthaśāstra Itihāsa 1. an ādhyātmikā enquiry, 2. an Itihāsa, narration of historical events https://tinyurl.com/ych547ga Mahābhārata is the most accurately dated historical text in the history of world literature, a golden-page in the Story of Civilization https://tinyurl.com/y8sqqg7o It will be a gross error to define Jyotiṣa as 'predictive astrology'. Jyotiṣa, is a vedānga which reckons time tracks movements, passage of celestial bodies. The resultant skymaps provide for an accurate dating of terrestrial events. Such a skymap dictates the timing of performance of a yajña in Veda tradition. Such a skymap is the framework of Mahābhārata to date historical events. I submit that this text provides an accurate device for the historians to delineate the chronology of historical events from the days of the Great Epic. Kr̥ṣṇa Dwaipāyana Vyāsa, the narrator is a witness to the events and records them reckoning/determining the dates of events using Skymaps. I submit that it will be a gross error on the part of historians, indeed a cop-out -- to cite alleged interpolations or layering of texts -- to question the integrity of the Kavi who recorded timings of the events. There could be differences in interpretation of texts which are couched in poetic diction of a Kavi but there should be no doubts whatsoever about the celestial skymaps provided which are consistenly repeated in hundreds of ancient manuscripts. To cite a famous quote from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar: "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings." [Julius Caesar (I, ii, 140-141)]. ज्योतिष [p= 427,3] m. an astronomer (Buddhist literature)L.; the sun (Demetrius Galanos's Lexiko: sanskritikes, anglikes, hellenikes); n. (g. उक्था*दि) the science of the movements of the heavenly bodies and divisions of time dependant thereon, short tract for fixing the days and hours of the Vedic sacrifices (one of the 6 kinds of वेदा*ङ्ग texts) आपस्तम्ब-धर्म-सूत्र. मुण्डक-उपनिषद् i , 1 , 5 MBh. xiif. &c (Monier-Williams) muhūrta denotes a division of time: one-thirtieth of a day, or a period of forty-eight minutes (each muhūrta is further divided into 30 (Indian) minutes or kalā (making 30 Kalā ≈ 48 western min). Each kalā is further divided into 30 (Indian) seconds or Kāṣṭhā, making 30 Kāṣṭhā ≈ 1.6 western minute.) मुहूर्त a [p= 825,2] m. n. a moment , instant , any short space of time RV. &c (ibc. , in a moment ; °तेन ind. after an instant , presently); (in pl. personified as the children of मुहूर्त) S3Br. &c काष्ठा [p= 281,2] (a measure of time (= 1÷30 कला Mn. i , 64 Sus3r. ; = 1÷12 कला Jyot. ; = 1÷15 लघु , = 1÷225 नाडिका , = 1÷450 मुहूर्त BhP. iii , 11 , 7) MBh. i , 1292 &c)(Monier-Williams) Celestial movements of nakṣatrā (stars) and graha (planets, comets) reckon time in Veda tradition. It appears that the ancient people saw a close nexus between the celestial events and terrestrial events. Related to daiva are the observances of traditional samskāra-s: In that Kalpa when Brahma the Creator, O king, took his birth in the mind of Narayana and issued from the latter's mouth, Narayana himself performed, O Bharata, his Daiva and Paitra rites in accordance with this religion. (MBh. 12.348.23207). Performance of yajña has to be in conformity with the passage of celestial time, the movements of celestial phenomena of the stars and the planets. Daiva is NOT fatalism. It is a recognized reality of the observed celestial movements which define the passage of time as a cosmic dimension in the affairs of men and terrestrial activities. CK Raju provides an elaborate excursus to present a perspective on the concept of time in various cultural settings. http://ckraju.net/11picsoftime/oldbook/index.html Raju notes: "Time is a difficult notion, since time beliefs underlie a variety of seemingly unrelated areas like (1) scientific theory, (2) philosophy of science, (3) religious beliefs about the the nature of life after death, and consequently about the soul (4) human values (5) nature of language and logic, etc...Non-Western views of time have typically been represented in Western literature and scholarship by contrasting Western “linear” time with non-Western “cyclic” time. “Linear” time is endowed with a variety of positive properties: rationality, progress, “free will”, etc. while “cyclic” time is attached to a variety of negative properties: spirituality, stasis, fatalism. ..Since there are different notions of “linear” time, such as superlinear time and mundane time, which do not cohere with each other, so the very category of “linear” time is not meaningful. The category of “cyclic” time is not meaningful for similar reasons. On the other hand, there need not be any particular conflict between a locally superlinear time, and a globally recurrent cosmos. If the cosmos is restricted to a finite region, like a gas in a box, and evolves deterministically—according to Newtonian mechanics, say— then the Poincaré recurrence theorem tells us that, with probability 1 every state of the cosmos must repeat to an arbitrary degree of precision, infinitely often. Recurrence would similarly take place even if the cosmos evolves probabilistically rather than deterministically, so long as the future state of the cosmos depends only on its present state, an assumption more precisely formulated in current mathematics as the Markovian assumption for the evolution of a stochastic process. These recurrence theorems assure us that a recurrent cosmos, instead of being in conflict with superlinear time, is a logical consequence of it, under some rather general conditions, such as finiteness. In the above situations of cosmic recurrence, it could be argued that time only seems superlinear because the time scale of cyclicity—the recurrence time—may be very large, just as the earth seems flat, although it is round, since it is very large. Thus, a “linear” picture of time, need not be in conflict with a “cyclic” picture of time. This meaningless dichotomy of “linear” versus “cyclic” time has nevertheless been persistently used in the West to characterize non-Western thought about time...The duration of a cycle of the cosmos is reckoned in the Vishnu Purana as a day and night of Brahma, and amounted to 8.64 billion years. (An ordinary day and night amount to 86400 seconds.) This notion of a soul which persists across vast cosmic cycles is not a metaphysical notion, since it presupposes a cosmic state of affairs, which may or may not be the case. That is, this notion of the soul is a physical notion, since it involves a refutable, or falsifiable picture of the cosmos...In India, this was the traditional view of time and life after death held from before the time of the Buddha. The Lokāyata denied the belief in life after death as a fraud. An interesting feature of this denial is how Pāyāsi sought to establish the non-existence of the soul by performing some 37 experiments with dying men, and condemned felons. It is unlikely that such experiments were ever performed anywhere else. The Buddhists did not deny this cosmic state of affairs. Indeed, popular stories like the Jātaka tales, clearly accepted what was then the prevalent common belief about the world. What Buddhists denied was only the significance of cosmic recurrence, for they denied the existence of a soul or any continuity between two similar individuals across two cycles of the cosmos. In fact, they denied also that anything essential persisted between two similar individuals across even two instants of time: they maintained that the seed in the granary is a distinct entity from the seed in the ground, which is bloated up etc. The seed in the granary cannot be the cause of a plant, because the seed in the granary remains a seed at the next instant. There is a similarity between the two seeds, and hence, due to the paucity of names, one gives the same name to both seeds. Therefore, in the Buddhist view it would not be proper to say that there is some essential sameness in an individual which persists even from birth to death: on the Buddhist view, a individual exists (unchanged) only for a single instant...Indeed, it is little known that this belief in quasi-cyclic time was the anchor also of early Christianity, as enunciated by one of its greatest real (as opposed to mythical) teachers, Origen of Alexandria (3rd-4th c. CE). This early-Christian notion of “cyclic” time was remarkably similar to what is today known as the “Hindu” doctrine of karma-samskāra. According to this doctrine the actions (karma) in one cycle, determine the dispositions (samskāra) in the next cycle, and the objective of life is taken to be deliverance (moksa) from these repeated births and deaths. " http://ckraju.net/new/Time-Non-Western-views.pdf

Acta Asiatica Varsoviensia , Marta Monkiewicz

Knowledge of Vedic time reckoning was preserved in the Ṛk-and Yajurveda recensions of the Jyotiṣavedāṅga. Most of the verses of the two treatises convey the same meaning and provide a lecture on the measurement of time and its division. some basic mathematical operations are also applied in order to calculate specific data important for the performance of Vedic ritual. this paper discusses some of the stanzas and examines the terminology applied for the sake of time reckoning.

Conference on Sindhu-Sarasvati Valley Civilization: A Reappraisal

Subhash Kak

This essay uses Vedic and classical sources to present a synoptic vision of the universe in ancient India and shows its continuity across different periods. This vision was based on an assumed equivalence of the outer and the inner cosmoses and it is embodied in architecture, music, and art. It provides an archaeoastronomical window on Indian monumental architecture.

Paul S McDonald

Abstract. This paper argues that efforts to understand historically remote patterns of thought are driven away from their original meaning if the investigation focuses on reconstruction of concepts, instead of cognitive ‘complexes’. My paper draws on research by Jan Assmann, Jean-Jacques Glassner, Keimpe Algra, Alex Purves, Nicholas Wyatt, and others on the cultures of Ancient Greece, Israel, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Etruria through comparative analyses of the semantic fields of spatial and temporal terms, and how these terms are shaped by their relation to the sphere of the sacred. It shows that there are three super-ordinate timeframes - the cyclical, the linear and the static - each of which is composed of lower-order cycles (days, lunar months, and seasons). These timeframes reflect their cultures’ ideas about the nature, scope and power of the gods, and structure the common point-of-view about the present, the past and eternity. There are also super-ordinate spatial frames which reflect their cultures’ ideas about the heavens and which structure both the sacred precinct and the profane field of action and exchange. Close analysis of texts that use words such as eternity, forever, past, present, and future, for example, do not reveal that there is anything like a general abstract concept of time in virtue of which some thing or event can be said to be in time or to have its own time. Archaic patterns of thought do not differ from our “modern” patterns in having different concepts, but in not having anything like concepts at all.

Acta Asiatica Varsoviensia

Marta Monkiewicz

Knowledge of Vedic time reckoning was preserved in the Ṛk- and Yajurveda recensions of the Jyotiṣavedāṅga. Most of the verses of the two treatises convey the same meaning and provide a lecture on the measurement of time and its division. Some basic mathematical operations are also applied in order to calculate specific data important for the performance of Vedic ritual. This paper discusses some of the stanzas and examines the terminology applied for the sake of time reckoning.

Manu V. Devadevan

Towards the close of the first millennium CE, thinkers in India began to reflect upon the nature of time. Coevally, there arose a set of other practices. One of them was recording historical time, which paved way for the appearance of calendars by the second and the third centuries CE. Another practice was the articulation of systems of cosmic time, such as the four yugas described in the Mahābhārata and the scheme of utsarpiṇī and avasarpiṇi in Jaina texts such as the Jaṃbudvīpaprajñapti. Yet another practice was the production of narratives that enabled the imagination of time in novel ways. These developments let to complex understandings concerning the nature of time and its relationship with existence. By the fifth century, it enabled the grammarian Bhartṛhari to evolve a refined theory of time, and by the ninth century, when Jinasēna II wrote his Pūrvapurāṇa, time and the past had come to be seen as sources of knowledge. This paper presents a historical overview of this process.

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La presentación del X-59 de la NASA personifica la tradición aeronáutica

From studies that seek to understand how the human body adapts to time in space to research on spacesuits and spacecraft, NASA works to ensure the safety of astronauts as they push the boundaries of space exploration.

The Body in Space

Research in space, research on earth, extended stays in space, collaborate with us.

What happens to the human body during spaceflight?

Spaceflight affects bones, muscles, vision, and more. Life on the International Space Station unfolds in close quarters, which could affect astronauts’ moods. Travel to the Moon, Mars, and beyond will require new systems to provide medical care far from Earth. Learn more about the changes humans may undergo during spaceflight, as well as the steps NASA takes to keep astronauts healthy and safe.

Studies on the space station help prepare future crew for trips into deeper space.

NASA will soon send astronauts to the Moon, and will one day send astronauts to Mars. To get mission-ready, NASA seeks to learn all they can about how human physiology and psychology changes while astronauts live and work on the space station. Learn more about how scientists seek to maintain the health and well-being of crew members during and after their missions.

 NASA conducts Earth-bound simulations of life in space.

Simulated space missions conducted on Earth help NASA examine crew health and team dynamics without launching into space. Some simulations happen in closed laboratory settings, others take place in remote regions like Antarctica. Using such missions, scientists can study in detail and in larger populations how humans adapt to challenges astronauts may encounter on missions to the Moon and Mars.

Learn more about the record-holders for the longest continuous spaceflights by U.S. astronauts.

Frank Rubio, Mark Vande Hei, Scott Kelly, Christina Koch, and Peggy Whitson have spent an extended amount of time in space, helping to pave the way for even longer, future exploration missions. Their missions help researchers better understand how the human body adapts to the extreme environment of space for more distant missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

Learn how you can help NASA prepare for future spaceflight.

Are you developing innovative ways to keep astronauts healthy and mission-ready as space travel expands to the Moon, Mars, and beyond? Partner with NASA’s Human Research Program (HRP)! Check out information on NSPIRES and internships, and explore our how-to guides for working with us.

Spacewalk Spacesuit Basics

Spacesuits are much more than a set of clothes astronauts wear. However, like a set of clothes, different suits serve different…

Staying Healthy in Space

Experiments to Unlock How Human Bodies React to Long Space Journeys

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Isolation – What Can We Learn From the Experiences of NASA Astronauts?

New Tests Evaluate Mission Readiness of Astronauts Upon Landing

Scientists Probe How Long-Term Spaceflight Alters Immunity

Top Five Technologies Needed for a Spacecraft to Survive Deep Space

When a spacecraft built for humans ventures into deep space, it requires an array of features to keep it and…

Food in Space

Astronauts require food that is nutritious, appetizing, long-lasting, easy to make, and more. We strive to continuously improve the quality of space food and to satisfy the dietary needs of crew members on increasingly longer and more distant spaceflight missions.

The Menu for Mars: Designing a Deep Space Food System

How Does Spaceflight Change Food Appeal?

Enhanced Diet May Help Astronauts Adapt to Spaceflight

Space simulations on Earth as a research tool

Take a peek into the lives of crew on a simulated mission to Mars. Confined inside NASA's Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA), these crew help researchers study how teams overcome isolation and confinement to accomplish mission-critical tasks. 

Benefits to Humanity

Space exploration unites the world to inspire the next generation, make ground-breaking discoveries, and create new opportunities.

Technologies and missions we develop for human spaceflight have thousands of applications on Earth, boosting the economy, creating new career paths, and advancing everyday technologies all around us.

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Human Research Program

Space Station Research and Technology

ESDS Program

The Visualization, Exploration, and Data Analysis (VEDA) Project

NASA's Visualization, Exploration, and Data Analysis (VEDA) project is an open-source science cyberinfrastructure for data processing, visualization, exploration, and geographic information systems (GIS) capabilities. Developed collaboratively and mostly reusing existing open-source components, VEDA consolidates GIS delivery mechanisms, processing platforms, analysis services, and visualization tools and provides an ecosystem of open tools for addressing Earth science research and application needs through the public-facing VEDA Dashboard .

Challenge and Solution

VEDA was born from the Earth science community's need for a common set of tools to provide exploration, interaction, analysis, and processing of Earth science data, especially for data that have been migrated to the commercial cloud. VEDA provides:

• A collaborative science environment for data analysis and exploration
• An interactive visual interface for storytelling
• Exploratory GIS and data analysis capabilities
• A dynamic scaling platform for large-scale processing
• A modeling and data assimilation infrastructure scaled through high performance computing and a cloud-based infrastructure

VEDA Components

VEDA consists of three components that are interoperable: the Visualization and Interactive Exploration System (VisEx), a data analysis and processing platform (DPP), and GIS.

Visualization and Interactive Exploration (VisEx) System

The public-facing component of VEDA is the VisEx system. VisEx is an adaptation of NASA's  COVID-19 Dashboard and a complementary tool to the existing NASA/ESA (European Space Agency)/JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency)  Earth Observing (EO) Dashboard . Its modified design and technology facilitates the use of Earth science data for environmental change storytelling and enables the visual exploration of data that are transformed into cloud-native formats. The system also supports simple data analysis on the browser along with scaling via Jupyter Notebooks. VisEx includes:

• A transformation of high-value NASA datasets to dynamic visualizations, enabling users to perform on-the-fly visual analysis of Earth science data
• The conversion of high value datasets to analysis-ready, cloud-optimized (ARCO) formats
• A repository of data-driven stories that are exportable in GIS formats
• An integration of NASA Earth observation data and socio-economic information designed to support environmental justice initiatives
• A situational awareness system that brings together Earth observation datasets related to greenhouse gasses, air quality, sea level rise, and much more

Data Analysis and Processing Platform (DPP)

VEDA's DPP works in the background to enable interactive, collaborative work with large Earth science data collections. The power of the DPP facilitates large-scale modeling and the development of new products while supporting collaborative tools such as Jupyter Notebooks. The DPP supports access to NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System ( EOSDIS ) data collection, existing ARCO datasets, and new products generated by NASA's Earth Information System ( EIS ).

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

The vision of NASA's Earth Science Data Systems (ESDS) Program is to identify and deliver high value Earth science data in formats compliant and compatible with GIS standards and to ensure data are GIS-enabled through primary GIS platforms. VEDA's GIS component furthers this ESDS vision and meets the needs of the rapidly-growing GIS community to discover, access, and analyze NASA datasets by providing a consolidated, enterprise-scale, cloud-native GIS platform. Along with streamlining and standardizing ESDS GIS services, VEDA's GIS component enhances the delivery of EOSDIS GIS-ready data to users. It also delivers advanced GIS analysis capabilities online and generates custom, derived layers that can be explored using VisEx and other visualization tools. By collaborating with Esri and NASA's EOSDIS, VEDA supports Earthdata ArcGIS Enterprise in the cloud and the publication of high-value datasets to GIS catalogs.

Explore VEDA

The Beta version of the VEDA Dashboard features thematic areas including Environmental Justice and Air Quality. Additional features and thematic areas will be added over the next several months. In keeping with NASA’s open science policies, all VEDA project code repositories and associated documentation are publicly available and accessible via GitHub . Check the VEDA GitHub page  or this landing page to learn about the latest system enhancements.

Technologies

April is Earth Month and a great time to explore NASA's more than 9,300 Earth science data collections

RocketStar's Fusion-Fueled Breakthrough Could Revolutionize Space Travel Efficiency

I n an epoch where space propulsion technology has reached a plateau of incremental improvements, a milestone demonstration emerges with RocketStar Inc.’s successful testing of the FireStar Nuclear Fusion-Enhanced Pulsed Plasma Propulsion Drive. This potential breakthrough device upgrades the company’s basic water fuel pulsed plasma thruster by injecting particles into the exhaust plume of the driver, thus generating fusion reactions and significantly increasing the power output of the basic driver.

RocketStar’s Foundation drive is a type of electric propulsion technology that uses regular old water as its main propellant. According to the company, the drive has been tested in space as part of NASA’s Artemis mission. “Our FireStar Foundation Drive was developed and launched for Artemis 1 in November 2022,” they told The Debrief. “The initial model was delivered to NASA for integration in 2019, and further commercial sales have since ceased.”

“FireStar Foundation Drive will be integrated into a D-Orbit hosted payload for launch on SpaceX Transporter 11 & 12 in July and October this year,” company executives told The Debrief.

D-orbit echoed that enthusiasm, with Matteo Lorenzoni, Head of Sales at D-Orbit, noting that “we just integrated the thruster onto the ION Satellite Carrier, and look forward to witnessing its performance in orbit.”

Afterwards, Craddock and Fayler informed The Debrief that the FireStar Fusion Drive is set to launch with Rogue Space Systems in February 2025. The main objective is to gather in-space data regarding fuel efficiency and economy, as well as various performance metrics, both with and without fusion.

“We are very excited to test FireStar for RocketStar,” said Brent Abbott, CRO at Rogue Space Systems, in the same statement, confirming the February 2025 launch aboard the company’s Barry-2 spacecraft. “We look forward to considering it for future Rogue missions.”

“We create protons as a by-product of our Foundation thruster that are moving fast enough to induce nuclear fusion with Boron,” the company told The Debrief. “That type of fusion creates a high-energy carbon that immediately decays into three useful alpha particles, thereby breaking up the cloud of positive charge that exists in the exhaust of all-electric thrusters.”

This implies that the fusion reaction does not boost thrust by expelling fusion radiation out of the thruster. Rather, the alpha particles produced enhance the thruster by mitigating the “space charge effect,” thus enhancing the efficiency of the Foundation drive.

“It’s all indirect, using a very specific type of fusion to sweep away garbage,” RocketStar executives told The Debrief.

Those improved propulsion results were later confirmed in Phase 2 of the system’s development at Georgia Tech’s High Power Electric Propulsion Laboratory (HPEPL) in Atlanta, Georgia. There, the drive not only created the telltale ionizing radiation of the fusion reaction but also improved the base unit’s thrust by 50%.

Relevant articles:

– RocketStar Successfully Demonstrates FireStar Nuclear Fusion-Enhanced Pulsed Plasma Propulsion Drive

– Aerojet Rocketdyne advances space maneuver with new propulsion tech , Space Daily, Fri, 12 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT

When is the next total solar eclipse?

If you felt left out of the fun during Monday’s total solar eclipse , there will be other chances in the coming years to experience daytime temporarily turning to night as the Earth, the moon and the sun align .

The next total solar eclipse will occur on Aug. 12, 2026, but it will mostly pass over the Arctic Ocean. Totality, when the moon fully obscures the sun’s light, will be visible along a path that cuts through Russia, eastern Greenland, the western coast of Iceland, Spain and a tiny part of Portugal.

Then on Aug. 2, 2027, a total solar eclipse will be visible in Spain and across a swath of northern Africa.

After that, the next total solar eclipse will occur on March 30, 2033, but totality will be visible only from Alaska and Russia.

On Aug. 23, 2044, an eclipse’s path of totality will pass over some of the U.S.: Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, parts of Canada and Greenland.

Then, finally, on Aug. 12, 2045, a total solar eclipse will once again trace a path from coast to coast across the continental U.S., similar to the one this year.

The path of totality for the 2045 eclipse will cut through California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia and Florida before it continues on over the Caribbean and parts of South America.

During a total solar eclipse, the moon covers the face of the sun, temporarily masking its light and casting the moon’s shadow on Earth’s surface. People can see the moon fully block the sun from locations in the center of that shadow.

Denise Chow is a reporter for NBC News Science focused on general science and climate change.

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Middle East crisis: Several airlines suspend services, avoid Iranian airspace

New Delhi: With the Middle East tensions flaring up, Air India has temporarily suspended its Tel Aviv flights and other national and internationa carriers have charted alternative flight paths to avoid the Iranian airspace. Longer flight paths will result in increased operational costs for the airlines, and the situation could also push airfares higher.

Apart from Air India, Vistara and IndiGo from India have opted for alternative paths for their flights to the West. An official in the know said that IndiGo, which operates flights to Istanbul with aircraft leased from Turkish Airlines, is avoiding the Iranian airspace.

Airlines of the Middle East and Europe Major Middle East airlines, including Emirates Airlines, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways, said on Sunday they would resume operation in the region after cancelling or rerouting some flights. It was not yet clear if the latest unrest would impact passenger demand, which has remained robust despite ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, said Brendan Sobie, an independent aviation analyst. "If the political situation and the conflicts continue to escalate then at some point people will be concerned about travelling, but so far that hasn't happened," Sobie said.

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Saudia, the flag carrier of Saudi Arabia has suspended all its services to the airports in the northern region of the country until further notice. The airline had earlier recalled a flight to Al Qurayyat back to Riyadh. Meanwhile, Jordan has closed its air space indefinitely to all incoming, departing and transit aircraft. This led Kuwait Airways to cancel its flights to Al Qurayyat in Jordan (Al Qurayyat is there both in Saudi Arabia and Jordan). The airline company has temporarily suspended its services to Iraq, Iran, Jordan and Lebanon. Meanwhile, the European aviation agency also urged caution in Israeli and Iranian airspaces though it said no civil overflights had been placed at risk. Dutch airline KLM has cancelled all flights to and from Tel Aviv until Tuesday.

Biggest disruption since 9/11 This was the biggest single disruption to air travel since the attack on the World Trade Centre on September 11, 2001, according to Mark Zee, founder of OPSGROUP, which monitors airspace and airports. "Not since then have we had a situation with that many different air spaces closed down in that quick succession, and that creates chaos," Zee told Reuters, adding that disruptions were likely to last a couple more days.

The latest routing problems are a blow to an industry already facing a host of restrictions due to conflicts between Israel and Hamas, and Russia and Ukraine. Iran's airspace is used by airlines travelling between Europe and Asia and those carriers will be restricted to two viable alternative routes, either through Turkey or via Egypt and Saudi Arabia, Zee said. Israel closed its airspace on Saturday, before reopening them on Sunday morning. Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon also resumed flights over their territories. (Inputs from PTI and Reuters)

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Reporting by Federico Maccioni and Jana Choukeir in Dubai; Adam Makary and Muhammad Al Gebaly in Cairo; Editing by Alex Richardson, Sharon Singleton and Jan Harvey

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US OKs potential sale of aircraft support to Iraq, Pentagon says

The U.S. State Department has approved the potential sale of aircraft contractor logistics support and training to Iraq for an estimated cost of $140 million, the Pentagon said on Monday.

Israeli settlers killed two Palestinians on Monday in the occupied West Bank province of Nablus, Salah Bani Jaber, the mayor of Aqraba, told Reuters.