Time dilation and other mysterious features of the Vedic universe
This concept of distances being perceived differently as we go upwards in the hierarchy of planetary may sound like mere speculation at first, but there is another similar concept described.
« Making Sense of the Vedic Universe, a Higher-Dimensional Reality
Time dilation and other mysterious features of the Vedic universe
This concept of distances being perceived differently as we go upwards in the hierarchy of planetary systems of the universe may sound like mere speculation at first, but there is another similar concept described in the Vedas, which is time dilation. In short, each planetary system of the cosmos has its own clock rate, with time being experienced differently by different inhabitants of the universe. What is 360 years for us, is just a year to the demigods in Svargaloka, and what is 8.64 billion years is just a set of day and night in Satyaloka. As we go higher, the concept of time changes radically, and lifetimes extend for millions or even trillions of years. In this way, there are years both here and in Satyaloka, but what we call a year is very different from what a “year” is in their calculation.
This dilatation of time is also studied in modern science, following the relativity theory of Einstein, which concludes that time runs faster near massive or higher-energy regions.
One practical example of this working in practice is the story of King Kakudmī, described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. He stayed for just a few minutes in Brahmāloka, but when he returned, many sets of four yugas had passed:
“Taking his own daughter, Revatī, Kakudmī went to Lord Brahmā in Brahmāloka, which is transcendental to the three modes of material nature, and inquired about a husband for her. When Kakudmī arrived there, Lord Brahmā was engaged in hearing musical performances by the Gandharvas and had not a moment to talk with him. Therefore Kakudmī waited, and at the end of the musical performances he offered his obeisances to Lord Brahmā and thus submitted his long-standing desire. After hearing his words, Lord Brahmā, who is most powerful, laughed loudly and said to Kakudmī: O King, all those whom you may have decided within the core of your heart to accept as your son-in-law have passed away in the course of time. Twenty-seven catur-yugas have already passed. Those upon whom you may have decided are now gone, and so are their sons, grandsons and other descendants. You cannot even hear about their names. O King, leave here and offer your daughter to Lord Baladeva, who is still present. He is most powerful. Indeed, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose plenary portion is Lord Viṣṇu. Your daughter is fit to be given to Him in charity.” (SB 9.3.29-33)
Another example is Brahmā himself briefly returning to his planet after taking away the cowherd boys and the calves from Kṛṣṇa. He stayed for just a moment on his planet, quickly returning to earth, afraid of the result of his mischief. However, by this time, a whole year had passed on our planet.
These descriptions make two points:
a) The Vedic universe has a higher-dimensional geometry. The flow of time becomes different as we move from the earthly regions to the celestial regions and from there to the upper regions of the cosmos.
b) Travel between the different planetary systems involves movement through subtle dimensions. Even though the distances separating the planetary systems are huge, higher beings can travel very fast between them using these subtle passages, just as King Kakudmī quickly returning from Brahmāloka to earth in order to marry his daughter to Balarāma. A very crude example to illustrate how this can be possible inside the concept of a multidimensional universe, is that a two-dimensional being can only travel horizontally or vertically on a map. A three-dimensional being, however, can fold the map, and make two points very close, while a four or five-dimensional being could manipulate the map in ways we can’t even imagine.
We can see an example of this subtle manipulation of space in the pastime where Kṛṣṇa shows Brahmā many forms of Viṣnu, each one complete with His own universe, and then brings all the Brahmās together, leaving the Brahmā of our universe completely disconcerted and bewildered.
Each universe is separated from the other by trillions of yojanas and each Brahmā never leaves his respective universe. Kṛṣṇa, however, the master of all mystic power, could not only show one universe inside another but also bring all Brahmās together, without any of them leaving his respective universe. It seems Kṛṣṇa knows a few extra dimensions that are beyond what even Brahmā can understand.
Kṛṣṇa Himself, personally, is another example. From our perspective, He appears to be the size of a regular human child, but at the same time everything that exists is inside of Him. When He showed the whole universe inside his mouth to Mother Yaśodā, she could see not only all planetary systems, including the earth, but also herself looking at Kṛṣṇa, all of that inside of Kṛṣṇa’s mouth. How is this possible? Only Kṛṣṇa himself can fully understand.
Similarly, what is a Mahā-kalpa, a whole cycle of creation for us, is just a breath for Mahā-Viṣnu.
The same way Kṛṣṇa can bend space and time in ways we can’t even imagine, a small fragment of His potency can create all the variety of abodes and experiences we have in the cosmos.
When we take this into perspective, the idea that, just as time, the concept of distances for inhabitants of the higher planetary systems may be radically different, doesn’t sound too implausible. If we see it from this perspective, the universe described in the Vedas is incalculable from our perspective, matching the apparently unlimited vastness we see when we look into the sky.
Therefore, when we study the model of the universe described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, it makes sense to try to understand it as a map of different levels of consciousness (a description of how each level is progressively harder to attain than the previous, with a higher level of existence and even different perceptions of time and distances), rather than a literal description of distances measured in earthly inches or meters.
A non-Euclidean space
Another way to explain it: When we study the description of distances contained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, we tend to presume that the distances add linearly, just like when we drive through different cities or countries of our planet. Therefore, when we read that a yojana is 8 miles, we presume that this is the same distance we can run in about 95 minutes everywhere in the cosmos. However, the description of the Bhāgavatam resists this reading.
When we try to apply the model of the Bhāgavatam to what we see when we look at the sky, we face many apparent contradictions: the Vedic universe appears to be too small to fit all the stars we see. The descriptions of demigods traveling through the cosmos in short periods of time appear to be impossible according to what we understand as physical laws, and so on. This adds to all the other questions we may have when we study the text: How can Sumeru be surrounded by gigantic islands and oceans, and why can’t we see them? How can Lokāloka block all light? How can yogis travel through the rays of the sun? How can time flow differently in different planetary systems?
One way to reconcile this is to conclude that the problem is not in the description of the Bhāgavatam, but in our assumption of the universe being a linear, Euclidean space. When we examine the description through the thesis of the universe being a multidimensional space, where the perception of time and distances depends on the level one inhabits, it becomes much easier to understand and relate to our perception of the cosmos.
In the level we live, Bhūrloka, our reality is composed of gross elements, time goes slowly, and the universe appears to be unlimitedly vast. In the level of the demigods, in Svargaloka, reality is formed by subtle material elements, and time and distances are experienced differently. Demigods probably see our limited reality just as we see an ant colony. If we go to the level of great sages, culminating with Satyaloka, reality is even subtler, almost a mental space rather than a physical dimension. There is enormous time dilation (8.64 billion years for us equals just one day), and the perception of distance is radically different.
The 14 planetary levels described in the scriptures are thus organized like pages of a book, with each page bringing a different paradigm from the previous. Even though the pages are stacked on top of each other, moving from one page to another requires a different process than just moving horizontally or vertically on the same page. The different planetary systems described in the Vedic universe can thus be seen as 14 different realms stacked on top of each other, accessible through different combinations of consciousness, karma, and qualities. Moving to a higher realm provides access to a whole new level of reality, changing one’s perception of space and time.
The main point, however, is to accept that the universe is a mechanism built by an intelligent and conscious God, and not just the result of mechanical physical laws. We also need to understand that the way to travel through the universe and reach the spiritual side is by following the process of purification described in the scriptures, and not by building a spaceship. This is precisely the point made in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
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« Making Sense of the Vedic Universe, a Higher-Dimensional Reality
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