Characteristics of the celestial moon
The moon is very important, because it acts as a primary channel for the potency of the Lord. The moon is called Manomaya because it is the regulator of the mind.
« Making Sense of the Vedic Universe, a Higher-Dimensional Reality
Characteristics of the celestial moon
“When the moon is waxing, the illuminating portions of it increase daily, thus creating day for the demigods and night for the pitās. When the moon is waning, however, it causes night for the demigods and day for the pitās. In this way the moon passes through each constellation of stars in thirty muhūrtas [an entire day]. The moon is the source of nectarean coolness that influences the growth of food grains, and therefore the moon-god is considered the life of all living entities. He is consequently called Jīva, the chief living being within the universe.
Because the moon is full of all potentialities, it represents the influence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The moon is the predominating deity of everyone’s mind, and therefore the moon-god is called Manomaya. He is also called Annamaya because he gives potency to all herbs and plants, and he is called Amṛtamaya because he is the source of life for all living entities. The moon pleases the demigods, pitās, human beings, animals, birds, reptiles, trees, plants and all other living entities. Everyone is satisfied by the presence of the moon. Therefore the moon is also called Sarvamaya [all-pervading].” (SB 5.22.9-10)
Although the Surya-siddhanta gives a description of the gross moon that is close to our planet, the Bhāgavatam calls our attention to the characteristics of the celestial moon, and presents it as the real object to be studied.
We can see that even in scientific circles, the interest in the moon largely waned after the Apollo program. People came to the conclusion that there is nothing very interesting there. There were a few unmanned missions to the moon, like the Indian probe, but these were more a matter of prestige, and not really in hope of finding anything new there. Similarly, when we study other parts of the cosmos using telescopes and other physical means, everything appears to be sterile and purposeless. In comparison, the multidimensional description of the Bhāgavatam is much more interesting, and useful, offering us real understanding of the universe, and helping us to find our way out of it.
The moon is very important, because it acts as a primary channel for the potency of the Lord. The moon is called Manomaya because it is the regulator of the mind. The Supreme Lord Himself presides over the mind as Aniruddha, and His influence is manifested inside the material universe through Chandra, the moon-god. Just as Indra presides over the rain, and Vāyu over the wind, Chandra acts as the presiding demigod of the mind, channeling the potency of the Supreme Lord. Sometimes, sages who desire to control the mind worship the moon, but the ones with higher insight understand that the one being worshiped is not the demigod, but the Supreme Lord as Aniruddha.
The mind also functions as a universal nourisher, nourishing the plants and vegetables with not only nutrients but also vital force that is later transferred to humans, animals, demigods, etc. The Vedic concept of anna, or food, is not just a source of gross material nutrients, but also of subtle and spiritual nourishment. All of this is governed by the moon, and thus the moon is called amṛtamaya, the source of life for all.
It’s also interesting to note that the moon performs all these functions not only for our planet, but for the whole planetary system of Bhū-mandala. Just as in the Vedic universe there is just one sun, there is just one moon. This reinforces the idea of a higher-dimensional moon that transcends the earth satellite. This is yet another mysterious characteristic of the mystic Vedic universe.
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« Making Sense of the Vedic Universe, a Higher-Dimensional Reality
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