Is Vedic Cosmology Susceptible to 21st Century Modern Scientific Influence?

BY: GAURAGOPALA DASA

Mayesa Prabhu and Sadaputa Prabhu differ greatly in their understanding of Surya-Siddhanta and the 5th Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam; Mayesa cannot understand how one can come to the conclusion that the Moon is 258,000 miles from Earth, which is close to the material scientist’s calculations of 238,000 miles, with mathematical calculations found in both Srimad Bhagavatam and Surya-siddhanta. Who is right?

Also why did Srila Prabhupada accept the distance between Earth and Sun at 93,000,000 miles that differs from the Srimad Bhagavatam's calculations?

Sadaputa Prabhu in his book, Vedic Cosmography and Astronomy tries to answer this with the following explanation:

Question - In Srimad Bhagavatam 8.10.38p, Srila Prabhupada says, "The Sun is supposed to be 93,000,000 miles above the surface of the Earth, and from the Srimad-Bhagavatam we understand that the Moon is 1,600,000 miles above the Sun. Therefore the distance between the Earth and the Moon would be about 95,000,000 miles." Doesn't this plainly say that the Moon is farther from the Earth than the Sun?

Answer – "In the summary at the end of Chapter 23 of the Fifth Canto Srila Prabhupada says, "The distance from the Sun to the Earth is 100,000 yojanas." At 8 miles per yojana, this comes to 800,000 miles. We suggest that when Srila Prabhupada cites the modern Western Earth-Sun distance of 93,000,000 miles, he is simply making the point that if you put together the Bhagavatam and modern astronomy you get a contradictory picture. His conclusion is that one should simply accept the Vedic version, and he was not interested in personally delving into astronomical arguments in detail".

The comment about Srila Prabhupada saying the Sun is 93,000,000 does not translate to the yoganas mentioned in the Bhagavatam, he seemed to be just quoting the material scientists distance of the Sun of 93,000,000, then adding the Moon distance on top of that, the point is, does it translate to 93,000,000 miles away? I don't think it says that in the Bhagavatam even though Srila Prabhupada kind of says it, actually if you read his statement he says, 'The Sun is supposed to be 93,000,000 miles above the surface of the Earth, if that is so, then the Moon must be 95,000,000 million miles away.' In other words he is not really saying those figures, he is just using an example using modern science calculations.

Mayesa dasa explains further with a more fundamental understanding–

'Srila Prabhupada sometimes quoted the modern science view that the Sun is 93 million miles away from Earth. In those instances he is not trying to tell us that scientists are exactly right. Like Srila Prabhupada, we are also slaves to guru, sadhu and sastra, so with guru and Krsna's help, it may be possible for us to understand to some degree these things.

In the matter of the Moon it is so difficult but one thing is, modern science has it that the Moon and the Earth are both very small planets. Modern science says that the Moon and the Earth revolve around each other as they revolve around the Sun, which revolves around an unseen center of what they call the Galaxy center. Modern science also believe the universe is continuously expanding.

We disagree with almost all of this. But the important point is, this revolution of the Moon around the Earth and Earth around the Moon, with the Sun "virtually" unmoving save only over long period around some galactic center, means the Moon must therefore be small and it must be very close to Earth for this rotation to be possible.

Our Sastra however, does not agree with this. Actually it is the Sun moving and not the Earth. Also as already explained, modern science takes the Moon and Earth to be going around each and the Earth revolving on its axis, the Earth does not do that according to sastra. Vedic information has Earth close to center of the whole planetary system; this information should come close to the information about the winds and the circular shape of the universe.

It is helpful to understand that Vedic knowledge has it that the planets are propelled by a kind of wind. There is a verse in Vedic literature that the winds of this universe are the prana of the universal form. Now as such, these winds are able to circulate around us. Dhruva is said to revolve at the top. And way low in the universe some demigod animals are regulating this flow to keep it perfect.

By reconstructing a model of this it might be possible to show how this is possible, however, prana and wind are not exactly going to follow the exact same laws. Still it would be interesting to try an experiment like this, it could lead to scientific discovery.

The Srimad Bhagavatam and Surya Siddhanta says, "No, the Earth is close to center of north south center of universe and Moon and Sun both travel on orbits around the Earth." I do not remember Sadaputa dasa Prabhu addressing this matter at all; he seems to be trying to find a compromise with some of the modern scientific cosmological views.

It is very important to consider that the universe is said to be round and covered on the inside by a layer of atoms of Earth. This is directly stated in Matsya Purana precisely.

One thing is, these numbers in Srimad Bhagavatam for the Sun and Moon and planets and constellations are not "distances", 324,000 is given for the Moon. 4,331,500 is given for the Sun, 259,890,012 is given for constellations, etc. These are not distances, they are mathematical constructs. Let us see how this is so. 324,000 / 11,859 = 27.32, the number of days of the Moon's revolution.

I do not think Srila Prabhupada was trying to give any accurate distance. He left this for us to work on. 4,331,500/11,859 = 365.25 the days of the Sun's revolution.

So these numbers have a purpose. Used in a certain way they can help us determine several different things including distance, but they are not distance in and of themselves.

If we find a completely different arrangement to the universe and different distances to the planets, it will surely not be easy to convince modern science or even devotees. If it were the understanding of sastra, then why would we care what the modern scientists think?

Furthest according to Bhagavatam, the Sun is 150,000,000 miles away from Earth approx., and closest it is 112,000,000 miles away approx. Remember, modern science says the Sun is a ball of gases, not a planet with an advanced civilization on it as we understand from Sastra. They also do not believe it changes sizes. They do not believe it moves away from us but rather always remains like the Moon describing a backwards C, sticking more or less to the circumference of Earth.

I have published preliminary figures for the Moon, it is about 112,890,000 miles away from Earth. These numbers do not make sense unless you understand that when the Moon is 112,890,000 miles away, the Sun at the same degree is 120,000,000 miles away. You see, sometimes planets occupy the same space as another planet but not at the same time (Sun, Mercury, Venus). And in the case of the Sun and Moon they may have similar distances but not at the same declination.

When the Moon is 0 degrees celestial (going around our equator) it is 112,000,000, but the Sun going around our equator is 120,000,000. But later the Sun will be approx. 112,000,000 just like the Moon's distance, but at 23.5 degrees declination.

The Bhagavatam and Surya Siddhanta solve the Sun, then the Moon. But if the Moon is 112,000,000 miles away at its closest to Earth, you would have to divide that by 4. That would be how many miles the astronauts and space probes traveled each day to get there in 4 days. This is why Srila Prabhupada did not think they went to the Moon. Therefore either our calculations from Sastra are wrong and space probes are going there, or Srila Prabhupada was right all along and it is impossible to go there in 4 days. In the face of so much evidence from modern science now with so many countries supposedly sending probes to the Moon, I can understand why Sadaputa came to his conclusions.

However, it makes me wonder how Sadaputa gets the figure of 258,000 miles for the Moon's distance from Earth. Keep in mind he sees Bhumandala as the solar system. He has taken Maharaja Priyavrata (first part of 5th canto) and thought this referred to planetary system.

Then since he took that as reference to planetary system, he has taken everything else like that -- the oceans and lands around Jambudvipa as areas of space. But Danavir Gosvami's excellent movie shows how to take it more directly. When we add the movement of planets to this it will be clear. But the mind takes time to absorb the new knowledge.

This film is very good:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKyQxI1Q3UU&list=PLIn9zvOkthKfHQdTyzd2PRiKQkEx1dX3X