A serial presentation of the holy places mentioned in the Jaiva Dharma of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur - Part 34. Following Bhuh (the Earth planet) and Bhuh-mandala (the middle planetary system in the universe), next on the Jaiva Dharma Glossary of Places is Bhuvah: Bhuvah - (Bhuvar-loka) the second of seven divisions of planets: Bhuh, Bhuvah, Svarga, Maharloka, Janaloka, Tapoloka, and Satyaloka. This planet is situated between the earth and the sun planet. It is attained by siddhas and munis. As with the case of Bhuh-mandala, we find no mention of Bhuvah or Bhuvar-loka in the body of Jaiva Dharma. However, in the segment on Bhuh we mentioned several references to Bhuvah/Bhuvar-loka in sastra. One of three planetary systems, These three worlds are known as Bhuh, Bhuvah and Svah (Patala, Martya and Svarga). (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.11.28) The glories of Bhuvah are evident in numerous sastric references. The Gopala-tapani Upanishad mentions it in this pronouncement: krishnaya devaki-nandanaya om tat sat. bhur bhuvah svas tasmai vai namo namah. Om Tat Sat. Bhur Bhuvah Svah. Obeisances to Lord Krishna, the son of Devaki. One of Lord Visnus Names is Bhuvah, being an element of the 967th Name listed in Visnu sahasra-nama from the Shanti Parva of Mahabharata: bhoor-bhuvah svas-taruh: The tree of bhur, bhuvah and svah Likewise, Bhuvah is mentioned in the Sri Balabhadra-sahasra-nama of the Garga Samhita 8.2.13.2: Text 72 amsamsas ca naraveso vataro bhupari-sthitah mahar janas tapah satyam bhur bhuvah svar iti tridha He expands in many incarnations (amsamsa). He appears as a sakty-avesa incarnation (naravesa). He descends to the material world (avatara and bhupari-sthita). He is Maharloka (mahah), Janaloka (jana), Tapoloka (tapah), and Satyaloka (satyam). He is the three planetary systems: Bhuloka (bhu), Bhuvarloka (bhuvah), Svarloka (svah). Bhuvah is also glorified in the Yamunashtakam of Srila Rupa Goswami: Text 8 cid-vilAsa-vAri-pUra-bhUr-bhuvaH-svar-ApinI kIrtitApi durmadoru-pApa-marma-tApinI ballavendra-nandanAGgarAga-bhaGga-gandhinI mAM punAtu sarvadAravinda-bandhu-nandinI May Sri Yamuna, the daughter of Suryadeva, who is the famous splendid spiritual river flowing through the Bhuh Bhuvah and Svah planets, who burns away the greatest sins, and who is fragrant with scented ointments from Lord Krishnas transcendental body, always purify me. And as the Yamuna flows through Bhuvah, so the holy waters sanctified by Srimati Radharani also flow to Bhuvar: With water from a beautiful cup again and again She [Radha] washed her mouth, hands, and feet, and then threw the water to the ground, water that purifies the celestial worlds beginning with Bhuvar and Svar. (Sri Sankalpa-Kalpadruma by Srila Jiva Goswami, Chapter 2, Nitya Lila - Eternal Pastimes, Text 43) The origination of Bhuvah is described by Srila Vedyavyasa in the Vamana Purana: During the period of final annihilation, when the whole earth was submerged in water, Lord Brahma manifested inside an egg. He slept there for thousands of Yugas. When he woke up from his sleep, he found the world devoid of any inhabitants. Being under the influence of Rajo Guna, he planned to commence his creation. At the same time, Lord Vishnu awakened from His sleep and broke that egg after seeing that the whole world had merged inside him. Subsequently, Lord Brahma began his creation starting from the word- OMKAR. After that, the terms bhur, bhuvah and swah respectively came into existence. Likewise in Chapter 14 of Krsna Book, Srila Prabhupada narrates the pastime when Lord Brahma admitted to Sri Krsna that he is puffed up, due to his powerful position: Lord Brahma then admitted that his birth was from the lotus flower which blossomed from the navel of Narayana after the dissolution of the three worlds, or three planetary systems, known as Bhurloka, Bhuvarloka and Svarloka. The universe is divided into three divisions, namely Svarga, Martya and Patala. These three planetary systems are merged into water at the time of dissolution. At that time Narayana, the plenary portion of Krsna, lies down on the water and gradually a lotus stem grows from His navel, and from that lotus flower, Brahma is born. It is naturally concluded that the mother of Brahma is Narayana. Because the Lord is the resting place of all the living entities after the dissolution of the universe, He is called Narayana. The word nara means the aggregate total of all living entities, and ayana means the resting place. It is explained in the Sri Harinama Cintamani of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur that Bhuvar comes from the maya-tattva: The seven higher planetary systems Bhur, Bhuvar, Svarga, Mahar, Jana, Tapa, and Satya or Brahma and the seven lower planetary systems such as Atala, Sutala and so on are all manifestations of maya (the illusory potency). Cid-vaibhava is the complete whole, and maya is its shadow. (Sri Harinama Cintamani, Chapter One) And the progression of creation that resulted in the manifestation of Bhuvar is given by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana in his Sri Vedanta-syamantaka The Supreme Personality of Godhead divided the five material elements each into two parts. Then each of those parts He divided again. Then He looked at how He had divided the five elements. Then the fourteen planetary systems were manifested from the five material elements. The seven upper planets, namely Bhur, Bhuvar, Svar, Mahar, Janas, Tapas and Satya were manifested. The seven lower planets, namely Atala, Vitala, Sutala, Rasatala, Talatala, Mahatala, and Patala were also manifested. From them the four types of material bodies of the living entities, bodies born from wombs, from eggs, from perspiration and from seeds, were manifested. Human beings, cows, and other like creatures are born from wombs. Birds, snakes, and other like creatures are born from eggs. Lice, mosquitoes, and other like creatures are born from perspiration. Trees, bushes, and other plants are born from seeds. In this I have given a general description. It is not possible here to give many details. Then the sun was placed in the sky and made to rise in the east. Then the directions of outer space were created. (Sri Vedanta-syamantaka, Caturthah Kiranah - Fourth Ray of Light, Prakrtitva-nirupanah - Matter, text 12-14) A serial presentation of the holy places mentioned in the Jaiva Dharma of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur - Part 32 and 33 in relation in Bhu mandala and the 5th Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam. There are two commonly used spellings for the holy place under discussion: bhuh and bhu, and the two are used interchangeably in the various translations of Jaiva Dharma. As the word is used throughout Srimad Bhagavatam, it would seem that the spelling bhuh is closest to Srila Bhaktivinodas use of the word in Jaiva Dharma. The name Bhuh is used in sastra to describe both the Earth planet and the element of earth, i.e., land, and there are a number of related uses of the word. We opened our first segment on Bhuh with the primary mention in Jaiva Dharma, which describes Bhuh as being the field of activity for those conditioned souls seeking bhukti, material sense gratification in life. In a lecture on Bhagavad-gita, March 28, 1966 in New York, Srila Prabhupada had this to say about the cause of fruitive activity: One should not think that Because I am not this body, so I shall cease to work. No. You cannot cease to work. If you cease to work, then idle brain will be a devils workshop. No. We have to work. So therefore the Lord says, The technique of acting on the spiritual platform is that you have your right to act. You have your right to act according to your position. But, karmany evadhikaras te ma phalesu kadacana: But you should not desire to enjoy the fruit of your activity. That is the technique. You should not desire to enjoy the fruit of activity. Then, if I want to enjoy the fruit of my activity, then what it will be? Suppose I am a businessman. I have made a profit of ten million dollars in this year. So do you mean to say that I shall not enjoy this huge amount of money? I shall throw it away? Oh. Yes. The Bhagavad-gita says that ma phalesu kadacana: You cannot take the fruitive result of your work. Then if I do it, then what it will be? Now, he said, ma karma-phala-hetur bhuh: Dont be cause of your activities. Then you will be bound by the interaction of your activity. Dont be cause of your activity. Then you shall be bound up by the effects of your activity. You dont be cause; then effect will not touch you. Ma karma-phala-hetur bhur ma te sango stv akarmani. Bhuh, the Earth planet, is also mentioned as a field of activities in Srimad Bhagavatam 6.5.11: bhuh ksetram jiva-samjnam yad anadi nija-bandhanam adrstva tasya nirvanam kim asat-karmabhir bhavet [The Haryasvas understood the meaning of Naradas words as follows.] The word bhuh [the earth] refers to the field of activities. The material body, which is a result of the living beings actions, is his field of activities, and it gives him false designations. Since time immemorial, he has received various types of material bodies, which are the roots of bondage to the material world. If one foolishly engages in temporary fruitive activities and does not look toward the cessation of this bondage, what will be the benefit of his actions? Bhuh is used to describe earth as the element (rather than the sphere) in Srimad Bhagavatam 3.26.12: bhur apo gnir marun nabhah tan-matrani ca tavanti gandhadini matani me There are five gross elements, namely earth, water, fire, air and ether. There are also five subtle elements: smell, taste, color, touch and sound. The land of the Earth globe is also described by the word bhuh, meaning specifically the surface of the globe (SB 7.3.5 and SB 8.18.31). Lord Varaha is glorified as the Lifter of the Earth , bhuh (SB 3.13.40), and He is joined in that pastime by the personification of the Earth planet, his consort Bhu Devi. The personification of Earth is also known as Mother Bhumi, the predominating deity of Bhurloka (SB 4.15.18) While the place name Bhuh is used in Jaiva Dharma primarily in reference to the Earth planet, in SB 5.20.23 the word is also used to describe a planetary system: punantir bhur-bhuvah-suvah ta nah punitamiva-ghnih sprsatam atmana bhuva iti TRANSLATION [The inhabitants of Krauncadvipa worship with this mantra.] O water of the rivers, you have obtained energy from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore you purify the three planetary systems, known as Bhuloka, Bhuvarloka and Svarloka. By your constitutional nature, you take away sins, and that is why we are touching you. Kindly continue to purify us. (Srimad Bhagavatam 5.20.23) The planetary system is also mentioned in sastra as one of three worlds that come under the act of dissolution by Rudra: These three worlds are known as Bhuh, Bhuvah and Svah (Patala, Martya and Svarga). (SB 3.11.28) These three are also referred to in their embodiment as transcendental sound vibration: The science of logical argument, the Vedic goals of life, and also law and order, moral codes, and the celebrated hymns bhuh, bhuvah and svah all became manifested from the mouths of Brahma, and the pranava omkara was manifested from his heart. (SB 3.12.44) This is further described by Srila Prabhupada in SB 5.20.37, SB 8.24.32, and in Krsna Book: …[as] clearly described in the Brahma-samhita: The living entities, space, time, and the material elements like fire, earth, sky, water and mind, constitute the total cosmic manifestation, known as bhuh bhuvah svah, which is manifested by Govinda. It flourishes on the strength of Govinda and after annihilation enters into and is conserved in Govinda. Lord Brahma therefore says, I worship Lord Govinda, the original personality, the cause of all causes. (KB 87) Next on the Jaiva Dharma Glossary of Places is Bhuh-mandala, and the sacred place following that on the list is Bhuvah. These planetary designations were mentioned in our last segment on Bhuh, Earth planet, as we began to explore how the term bhuh is variously used. As described in the Glossary of Places: Bhuh-mandala - the middle planetary system within the universe. We find no mention at all of Bhuh-mandala (or Bhu-mandala) in either of the translations of Jaiva Dharma were working with. But as demonstrated in the above segment, the term bhuh has many connotations related to planetary spheres and systems. Bhu-mandala is mentioned many places in Srimad Bhagavatam, particularly in the 5th Canto. It was also a topic of much discussion between Srila Prabhupada and the devotees over several days in July 1977 in Vrindavan, as they explored how best to execute artistic renderings of Jambudvipa, Bhu-mandala, etc. The 5th Canto describes how Bhu-mandala was created: When Priyavrata drove his chariot behind the sun, the rims of his chariot wheels created impressions that later became seven oceans, dividing the planetary system known as Bhu-mandala into seven islands. (SB 5.1.31) PURPORT Sometimes the planets in outer space are called islands. We have experience of various types of islands in the ocean, and similarly the various planets, divided into fourteen lokas, are islands in the ocean of space. As Priyavrata drove his chariot behind the sun, he created seven different types of oceans and planetary systems, which altogether are known as Bhu-mandala, or Bhuloka. In the Gayatri mantra, we chant, om bhur bhuvah svah tat savitur varenyam. Above the Bhuloka planetary system is Bhuvarloka, and above that is Svargaloka, the heavenly planetary system. All these planetary systems are controlled by Savita, the sun-god. By chanting the Gayatri mantra just after rising early in the morning, one worships the sun-god. The history of Bhu-mandalas creation and physical characteristics are further described in 5th Canto, chapter sixteen, in the discussion between Maharaja Pariksit and Sri Sukadeva Goswami. While describing the character of Maharaja Priyavrata and his descendants, Sukadeva Gosvami also described Meru Mountain and the planetary system known as Bhu-mandala. Bhu-mandala is like a lotus flower, and its seven islands are compared to the whorl of the lotus. The place known as Jambudvipa is in the middle of that whorl. In Jambudvipa there is a mountain known as Sumeru, which is made of solid gold. The height of this mountain is 84,000 yojanas, of which 16,000 yojanas are below the earth. Its width is estimated to be 32,000 yojanas at its summit and 16,000 yojanas at its foot. (One yojana equals approximately eight miles.) This king of mountains, Sumeru, is the support of the planet earth. (SB 5.16 Summary) In his Bhaktivedanta Purport to SB 5.16.1, Srila Prabhupada further explains: In this verse it is stated that the planetary system known as Bhu-mandala extends to the limits of the sunshine. According to modern science, the sunshine reaches earth from a distance of 93,000,000 miles. If we calculate according to this modern information, 93,000,000 miles can be considered the radius of Bhu-mandala. In the Gayatri mantra, we chant om bhur bhuvah svah. The word bhur refers to Bhu-mandala. Tat savitur varenyam: the sunshine spreads throughout Bhu-mandala. Therefore the sun is worshipable. The stars, which are known as naksatra, are not different suns, as modern astronomers suppose. From Bhagavad-gita (10.21) we understand that the stars are similar to the moon (naksatranam aham sasi). Like the moon, the stars reflect the sunshine. Apart from our modern distinguished estimations of where the planetary systems are located, we can understand that the sky and its various planets were studied long, long before Srimad-Bhagavatam was compiled. Sukadeva Gosvami explained the location of the planets, and this indicates that the information was known long, long before Sukadeva Gosvami related it to Maharaja Pariksit. The location of the various planetary systems was not unknown to the sages who flourished in the Vedic age. (SB 5.16.1) Pariksit Maharaja requests Sukadeva Goswami to elaborate further upon the specific characteristics of Bhu-mandala, and in reply Srila Sukadeva stated the following: The planetary system known as Bhu-mandala resembles a lotus flower, and its seven islands resemble the whorl of that flower. The length and breadth of the island known as Jambudvipa, which is situated in the middle of the whorl, are one million yojanas [eight million miles]. Jambudvipa is round like the leaf of a lotus flower. (SB 5.16.5) Amidst these divisions, or varsas, is the varsa named Ilavrta, which is situated in the middle of the whorl of the lotus. Within Ilavrta-varsa is Sumeru Mountain, which is made of gold. Sumeru Mountain is like the pericarp of the lotuslike Bhu-mandala planetary system. The mountains height is the same as the width of Jambudvipa--or, in other words, 100,000 yojanas [800,000 miles]. Of that, 16,000 yojanas [128,000 miles] are within the earth, and therefore the mountains height above the earth is 84,000 yojanas [672,000 miles]. The mountains width is 32,000 yojanas [256,000 miles] at its summit and 16,000 yojanas at its base. (SB 5.16.7) My dear King, in his orbit through Bhu-mandala, the sun-god traverses a distance of 95,100,000 yojanas [760,800,000 miles] at the speed of 2,000 yojanas and two krosas [16,004 miles] in a moment. (SB 5.21.19)
Posted on: Sat, 08 Nov 2014 23:57:59 +0000
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