The size of our material universe From Vedic literature we find that our universe, compared to other universes, is relatively small. The Brahma in charge of this universe has only four heads, whereas Brahmas managing larger universes have proportionately more heads. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said: Sri Krsna smiled and immediately meditated. Unlimited Brahmas arrived instantly. These Brahmas had different numbers of heads. Some had ten heads, some twenty, some a hundred, some a thousand, some ten thousand, some a hundred thousand, some ten million and others a hundred million. No one can count the number of faces they had. There also arrived many Lord Sivas with various heads numbering one hundred thousand and ten million. Many Indras also arrived, and they had hundreds of thousands of eyes all over their bodies. Krsna said [to Brahma of this universe], Your particular universe has a diameter of four billion miles; therefore it is the smallest of all the universes. Consequently you have only four heads. (Caitanya-caritamrita Madhya 27.66, 67, 68, 84) Srimad Bhagavatam (3.11.40) confirms this distance of four billion miles. This phenomenal material world is expanded to a diameter of four billion miles, as a combination of eight material elements transformed into sixteen further categories, within and without, Half of the universe is filled with the water of the Garbhodaka Ocean and the other half is filled with planets floating in space. (Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 5.96). This huge egglike universe (Brahmanda) is covered by seven layers of material elements; earth, water, fire, air, etc. The first layer is ten times the diameter of the universe, i.e. forty billion miles. The next is ten times that, namely 400 billion miles. Each layer is successively ten times greater than the previous one. Every universe is covered by seven layers — earth, water, fire, air, sky, the total energy and false ego — each ten times greater than the previous one. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.16.37) Altogether the universe of floating planets and its innumerable coverings has a radius of approximately 46.2 quadrillion miles, on diameter or approximately 92.4 quadrillion miles. To calculate the circumference of the universe we multiply the diameter times pi (3.14) which equals approximately 290 quadrillion mil* % or 36.3 quadrillion yojanas (a yojana equals eight miles). This figure brings us into the realm of calculations presented by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati in the Siddhanta-siromani. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, one of the greatest Astrologers of his time, gives information from Siddhanta siromani that this universe measures 18,712,069,200,000,000 in miles and is the circumference of this universe. According to some, this is only half the circumference. (Caitanya-caritamrita Madhya 21.84 Purport) If 18,712,069,200,000,000 yojanas is half the circumference, then the lull circumference is 37,424,138,400,000,000 yojanas, quadrillion figure. Srila Prabhupada always supported the Srimad Bhagavatam statement that the part of the universe that contains planets and the Garbhodaka ocean, which is the relatively hollow part within the coverings, is lour billion miles in diameter. Prabhupada: The whole universe, diameter, is fifty crore yojanas. So one yojana equal to eight miles, one crore is equal to ten million yojanas. Paramaharhsa: Four billion miles is the diameter. Prabhupada: Is the diameter. Paramaharhsa: You gave that in The Teachings of Lord Caitanya also. Prabhupada: Yes. And the sun is in the middle. Paramaharhsa: So two billion miles from the edge of the universe. Prabhupada: Yes. (Morning walk: May 12, 1975) COVERINGS OF OUR MATERIAL UNIVERSE CALCULATION 2,080,000,000 miles 41,600,000,000 miles 416,000,000,000 miles 4,160,000,000,000 miles 41,600,000,000,000 miles 416,000,000,000,000 miles 4,160,000,000,000,000 miles 41,600,000,000,000,000 miles 46,209,680,760,000,000 miles (4.16 billion mi.) = radius of universe (40 billion mi.) = 1st layer (400 billion mi.) = 2nd layer (4 trillion mi.) = 3rd layer (40 trillion mi.) = 4th layer (400 trillion mi.) = 5th layer (4 quadrillion mi.) = 6th layer (40 quadrillion mi.) = 7th layer (46.2 quadrillion mi.) = radius of the universe & coverings circumference = 2 pi (r) radius radius X 2 = 92,426,419,360,000,000 miles 92,426,419,360,000,000 X pi or 3.14= 290,218,956,790,400,000 miles (circumference) Divided by 8= 36,277,369,598,800.000 yojanas Compare to 37,424,138,400,000,000 yojanas (figure given in Siddhanta- siromani) 36,277,369,598,800,000 yojanas / 37,424,138,400,000,000 yojanas= 96.93575096120316% rounded off to 97% Sometimes it is reasoned that Srila Prabhupada suggested a different, far greater size for our universe. Such ideas are based on statements such as the following, found in the Srimad Bhagavatam (1.9.29, purport): Even attempting to reach the highest planet will take millions of years at a speed of millions of miles per hour. There are many statements like this. The point Srila Prabhupada is making is a philosophical one — that the material creation is beyond our calculations, what to speak of the spiritual world! In the above statement as well as those cited below, Srila Prabhupada is not giving exact astronomical distances of the universe. Rather he is establishing an essential philosophical understanding. Consider the following statements: The conditioned souls may try to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead for many billions of years through their mental speculative processes, travelling at the speed of the mind or the wind, but still the Absolute Truth will remain inconceivable to them because a materialistic person cannot measure the length and breadth of the Supreme Personality of Godhead s unlimited existence. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.4.23 Purport) Just like if you start your jet plane from here to see where is the original cause, panthas tu koti-sala-vatsara, and go on for many, many millions of years with the speed of mind, panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara- sampra... Koti-sata-vatsara... Millions and millions of years... So with the mental speed, airplane, if you start today and go for many millions of years, still it will be not possible to find out wherefrom the explosion is coming. (Lecture:, April 2, 1975, Mayapur) Space is unlimited, and the Brahmd-samhitd suggests: Suppose one travels by spacecraft for millions of years at the velocity of the wind or even the speed of mind. Everyone knows that the mind is so swift that in even one ten-thousandth of a second it can take us million of miles, If we have seen something millions of miles away, the mind am go there immediately. But even if we can travel at that speed on a spacecraft manufactured by muni-puhgavanam, the greatest scientists and most thoughtful men, will that be perfection? No. The Brahma samhita says, so py asti yat-prapada-simny avicintya-tattve creation will remain inconceivable to our understanding. (Teachings of Queen Kunti The precise distances for the size of the universe (an inner diameter of four billion miles for the space-and-planet-filled portion) are given in the Fifth Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam. Srila Prabhupada adamantly confirms their accuracy in his purports. It is not justifiable to suggest, therefore, that Srila Prabhupada is inferring that our universe is something other than four billion miles in diameter. Yet if were determined to build a hypothesis on the statement, Even attempting to reach the highest planet will take millions of years at a speed of millions of miles per hour, then we cannot rule out the possibility of material planets beyond our universe. There are many universes, each with countless planets. To travel from one brahmanda to another (and there are innumerable brahmandas) would require billions of light-years. In this way, Srila Prabhupadas statement is easily verified. Vedic cosmology involves vast distances of incalculable light-years. However, according to Vedic authority, such distances are not within our visible universe. In conclusion we humbly present that the circumference of our Brahmanda, including the seven coverings, according to the Srimad Bhagavatam, is approximately thirty-six quadrillion yojanas. That is a fact. It is also correct that the Siddhanta-siromani proposes essentially the same distance for the circumference. Srila Jiva Goswami has explained in his Sandarbha that of all scriptures, Srimad Bhagavatam is the most exalted authority. Even if there appears to be a contradiction between sastras, the version of the Srimad Bhagavatam is to be accepted above all else.
Posted on: Tue, 08 Apr 2014 17:58:52 +0000