How To Disappear The Earth #2 - Mayesvara das

How To Disappear The Earth
Mayesvara das


It should be also noted that the acharyas in their fifth Canto commentaries never equate these dwipas and oceans with India and its surrounding area. They present the structure of the universe as described by Sukadeva Goswami accepting the huge measurements of sapta-dwipa as factual. It is very unfortunate that Sadaputa Prabhu has followed this western interpretation in his presentation of Jambudwipa as a topographical map of South-central Asia. This is from an article called Universe of the Vedas:



http://www.krishna.com/universe-vedas


Jambudvipa as a Topographical Map of South-Central Asia

Jambudvipa, the central hub of Bhumandala, can be understood as a local topographical map of part of south- central Asia. This is the third of the four interpretations of Bhu-mandala. In the planisphere interpretation, Jambudvipa represents the northern hemisphere of the Earth globe. But the detailed geographic features of Jambudvipa do not match the geography of the northern hemisphere. They do, however, match part of the Earth.


Six horizontal and two vertical mountain chains divide Jambudvipa into nine regions, or varshas (Figure 11,top left). The southernmost region is called Bharata-varsha. Careful study shows that this map corresponds to India plus adjoining areas of south-central Asia. The first step in making this identification is to observe that the Bhagavatam assigns many rivers in India to Bharata- varsha. Thus Bharata-varsha represents India. The same can be said of many mountains in Bharata-varsha. In particular, the Bhagavatam places the Himalayas to the north of Bharata-varsha in Jambudvipa (Figure 11).



A detailed study of Puranic accounts allows the other mountain ranges of Jambudvipa to be identified with mountain ranges in the region north of India. Although this region includes some of the most desolate and mountainous country in the world, it was nonetheless important in ancient times. For example, the famous Silk Road passes through this region. The Pamir Mountains can be identified with Mount Meru and Ilavrita-varsha, the square region in the center of Jambudvipa. (Note that Mount Meru does not represent the polar axis in this interpretation.)




Other Puranas give more geographical details that support this interpretation. (end)

I am sorry to say I find this article completely speculative. There is no basis in the Puranas or the commentaries to support this view of Jambudwipa as a Topgraphical Map of South Asia. Chapter 16 of Fifth Canto is called Description of Jambudwipa. The word 'description' is appropriate. Jambudwipa is described in a particular way. If we do not follow the description given, then we cannot claim to be presenting Srimad Bhagavatam. I mention this not to criticize Sadaputa Prabhu who has done wonderful work to explain the Vedic Cosmos, but it should also be recognized where mistakes have been made in our understanding of the Earth of Srimad Bhagavatam. How can one whimsically equate varshas and mountains measuring hundreds of thousands of miles with the small area of India and surrounding area? There is no correlation at all, and the superimposition of the Jambudwipa map unto India is completely arbitrary. Sadaputa Prabhu says: "The Pamir Mountains can be identified with Mount Meru and Ilavrita-varsha, the square region in the center of Jambudvipa."

Mount Meru is 800,000 miles high!

We can't just whimsically assign the features of Jambudwipa to India. Mount Meru is Mount Meru; it is not the Pamir mountains. The center of Mount Meru is some four hundred thousand miles from the Pamir mountains. Again,I find this kind of presentation simply obscures the reality of Jambudwipa.

Sorry to have to point this out, but we need to really start presenting Srimad Bhagavatam as it is.  

Y.S Mayesvara dasa