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Vol 02.020 Pre-SaraNAgati Issues
10 February, 1997

In this Issue: 
1. Note from the Editor
2. Excerpts from Chapter 21 of "Hinduism Rediscovered"
    on " Evolution and Dissolution of Matter- Space - Time Triad"

1. Note from the Editor

Dear Bhagavatas,
We give below excerpts from Chapter 21 of "Hinduism Rediscovered" dealing with "Evolution and Dissolution of Matter- Space -Time Triad" This issue deals with "Annexures 1 to 4 " referred in the body of the text.

Dasoham
Anbil Ramaswamy


2. Excerpts from Chapter 21 of "Hinduism Rediscovered"
containing the Annexures 1 to 4 referred in the body of the text in this series.

ANNEXURE I: TRANSLATION OF PURUSHA SUKTA HYMN
[ I have attempted a loose translation in verse form of the famous Purusha Suktam hymn as follows. Any corrections or suggestions to improve will be gratefully acknowledged]

A thousand heads has the Purusha, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet He envelops the earth on all sides ever exceeding it by the breadth of at least ten fingers -the Lord of immortality who grows ever greater by food.

This Purusha is all that was, is and will ever be He is the mightiest, yet he is mightier than himself. Three quarters of him is in the highest realms

All that is in the Universe appear again and again in the balance of the quarter below.-those that consume food and those that do not.

The shining Virat was born from him;  from him was born the Brahma Viraj through whom he created himself as the very earth and its creatures thus encompassing all that is

The Gods prepared for the sacrifice with the Purusha as the oblation; Spring was oil; summer the victual and autumn the offering

They anointed the Purusha with the seven meters as the fencing sticks around the sacrificial fire; with the thrice seven verities as the very grass fuel.

The Sadhyas and Rishis sprinkled holy waters on this Purusha And, commenced the holy sacrifice called ' Sarvahuth ' - thus they sacrificed the sacrifice

From the sacrifice arose curds dripping with butter Arose from the sacrifice beasts wild and mildthose that live in woods and those that live in village as also the birds that fly.

Arose from the sacrifice the Vedic Riks, the Saman hymns spells and charms as also those of the Yajus, Krishna and Shukla

Kines and animals with single row of teeth and those with dual rows of teeth - horses, goats and sheep

When they in their imagination divided the Purusha how did they visualize the various parts - the face, the arms, the sinews and the feet?

The Brahmin was his mouth, the chiefs of army were his arms the tradesmen his thighs and the servitors his feet. The moon was born from his mind, the Sun from his eyes

Indra and Agni issued forth from his mouth; the winds from his breath from his navel sprang forth the atmosphere; the sky was shaped from his head.

The four directions took their directions from his ears Thus all the worlds were fashioned with specific forms and names to eke out existence on the earth and heavens

Thus, in an imaginary sacrifice, the Devas sacrificed the creator The very remembrance of this holy sacrifice of the Purusha is sure to secure deliverance from Samsara

The eternal Suris live happily ever and anon in Paramapada ever propitiating the Paramapurusha enjoying supreme everlasting bliss in his glorious company

One who knows him the way Brahma , Indra and the Devas did as the Primordial Purusha resplendent like the Sun and beyond all darkness- such a one attains him in this life itself.

ANNEXURE 2: SCHEME OF DYAVA PRITHVI IN THE HINDU COSMOLOGYNOTE

SUVARLOKA or SVARGA If you IMAGINE a globe, the Suvarloka or Dyava ( the Celestial) may be said to be in the region above the Arctic circle;

BHUVARLOKA- The Bhuvarloka (Atmospheric) may be said to occupy the entire region between the Arctic circle on top up to the Antarctic circle at the bottom level;

WITHIN THIS BHUVARLOKA The region corresponding to the tropic of Cancer from the Equator upwards may be said to correspond to the Teyu (Fire region);

The Equatorial region extending between the Cancer at the top and Capricorn at the bottom may be said to represent the Vayu (Air region);

The region lying between the Capricorn line up to the Antarctic circle may be said to represent the region of Apah ( Water);

BHULOKA The region below the Antarctic circle may be said to represent the Bhuloka( Earth region)

SUVAR LOKA a. k. a. SVARGA or DYAVACELESTIAL ( ETHER)

BHUVAR LOKA ATMOSPHERIC  comprising TEYU ( FIRE) VAYU (AIR) and APAH(WATER)

BHU LOKA a. k. a. PRITVI -TERRESTRIAL ( EARTH )

ANNEXURE 3 : SCHEME OF LOKAS IN THE HINDUCOSMOLOGY

Above Satyaloka is Paramapada or Vaikunta, the abode of Lord Vishnu- Narayana

Sl./Loka/ World of Abode of/ Distance. to next below World/ Remarks

  1. Satyaloka-/Truth/ Brahma/ 120 million yojanas/ Above is Paramapada
  2. Tapoloka-/ Tapas/ Vairajas / 80 million yojanas
  3. Jana loka-/ Seers/ Brahmaputras, Janaka/ 20 million yojanas Ends at Mahapralaya NOTE : 1-3 is called APRAKRITALOKA
  4. Maharloka/ Brigu & other Munis/ 10 million yojanas NOTE : 4 is called KRITAKRITAM- Partly abandoned at deluge. NOTE : 5 to15 is called KRITAM Fully destroyed at end of every Kalpa and re - formed at the start of next kalpa. All the planets move in concentric circles around the earth like bulls tethered to a central post.
  5. Druva Mandala /Druva-Pole Star / Half way live Saptarishis/ 200,000 yojanas/
  6. Sani Mandala/ Saturn / 200,000 yojanas NOTE : 5 to 14 are called Suvar or Svarga loka or Paradise, Heaven etc. The entire region is also called 'SaptaVyahritis ' Suvar means 'Light of Heaven'
  7. BrihaspatMandala/ Jupiter / 250.000 yojanas /
  8. Angaraka Mandala/ Mars/ 200.000 yojanas
  9. Sukra Mandala/ Venus/ 200.000 yojanas
  10. Budha Mandala/ Mercury/ 200.000 yojanas
  11. Nakshatra Mandala/ Stars, Siddhas, Pitrus aka Pretaloka / 100,000 yojanas
  12. Chandra Mandala/ Moon/ 100,000 yojanas
  13. Surya Mandala/ Sun/ 100,000 yojanas
  14. Bhuvarloka aka Dyava- Atmosphere Sky/ Munis, Rishis/ 100.000 yojanas 14 and 15 together are also called Dyava-Prithvi
  15. Bhu Loka- Prithvi/ Universe we live in/ Earth (All other creatures) Below the Bhuloka lie the various Nether worlds which are shown below separately. The Scheme of the Nether Worlds that lie below the Bhuloka Name of the world/ Color etc schemes/ Abode of / Remarks
  16. Atala/ white/ Bala s/o Asura Maya
  17. Vitala/ black/ Hatakeswara, Rudra and Buthaganas
  18. Nitala/ purple/ Mahabali s/o Prahlada , Daityas
  19. Rasatala aka Ghabastimat/ yellow Asura Maya who created Tripura that was destroyed
  20. Mahatala/ sandy/ Serpents s/o Kadru
  21. Sutala/ stony/ Anti-gods/ World of eclipse where live strange and weird magical demons- Ruled by Mahabali, the grandson of Prahlad Below this runs the river VAITARANI through which the soul of the dead person passes to Yamaloka. The cow is supposed to carry souls through across the dreaded river.
  22. Patala/ golden/ Vasuki & other lords of Nagas. Yama, the Lord of the dead rules here
Below the Patala region , is the world snake, Sesha with a thousand hoods with Bhagavan ( in the form of Samkarshana) supporting and bearing the weight of all the Lokas above. The various nether worlds extend in area about 10,000 yojanas below the surface of the one preceding.

ANNEXURE 4 SCHEME OF DVEEPAS IN THE HINDUCOSMOLOGY
Name of Dveepa / Name of Land Surrounding Ocean made of Presiding deity/ Ruler/ Extent of Land and Ocean (units in Diameter of 10,000 ) yojanas

  1. Jambudveepa / Rose apple tree Lavanasamudra Salt water/ Indra/ Indra/ 1 / 1
  2. Plakshadveepa / Fig tree land/ Ikshusamudra Sugarcane juice Yama/ Methathithi 2 / 2
  3. Salmalidveepa / Silk cotton land/ Surasamudra- Wine Varuna -Vapushman/ 4 /
  4. Kusadveepa / Kusa reeds land/ Sarpisamudra -Ghee Kubera -Jyotishman-8 / 8
  5. Kraunchadveepa / Heron land/ Dadhisamudra- Yogurt Vivaswat- Dyutiman/ 16 / 16
  6. Sakadveepa / Teakwood land/ Dugdasamudra- Milk Soma / Bavirayan/ 32 / 32
  7. Pushkaradveepa / Blue lotus also Banyan tree land Jalasamudra-Fresh Water Agni and Vayu, Savanan/ 64 / 64
  8. Kanchanadveepa / Golden land/ Lokalokasaila No mountains and no ocean/ Bhagavan/ Bhagavan/ 128 /
  9. Tamoloka / Land of darkness Andakatah-The outer shell of the World egg Bhagavan / Bhagavan/ 128


TOTAL 510
 

  1. It is from Salmalidveepa that Anjaneya is believed to have brought the Sanjeevani mountain
  2. People in Ikshudveepa to Pushkaradveepa are believed to live for 5,000 years
  3. People in Kanchana bhumi and Tamoloka are believed to live for 10,000 years.
  4. Each ring of land and surrounding oceans are believed to be in concentric circles with Jamudveepa being in the middle, the width of which is measured as 10,000 yojanas and the others are to be reckoned in terms of multiplication of this unit as shown in the last column. 5. Within the Jambudveepa itself, the area is divided into 9 regions called ' Varshas'. India is in 'Bharata Varsha'. which is the Karma bhumi (Land of deeds).The others are called Bhoga bhumi'-' the land of enjoyment' where some hold incorrectly that no karmas need be done.


ANEXURES 5 and 6 will follow