Maharaj Priyavrita’s chariot creating dvipa’s

[Pradeep Kumar]

Hare Krishna,

How to understand description in 5th canto of Srimad Bhagavatam of Maharaj Priyavrita’s chariot wheel creating dvipa’s on Bhumandala? Where are these created?

[Ashish Dalela]

This is not an easy topic. Although the sun covers a revolution in 24 hours, its effect is not the same in all parts of the Bhumandala. To understand this, we need to understand three things:

• Suppose we divide 24 hours into different beat cycles; there are 7 basic beat cycles in classical music. All these beat-cycles cover the same time, but with different rhythms.
• Each of these beat-cycles is associated with a different meter, which comprises a different number of syllables. Like the beat-cycles, there are 7 different kinds of meters.
• The 7 horses of the sun-chariot are 7 kinds of meters, which can be associated with the 7 beat-cycles. Some horses are closer to the center and others farther from the center.

We can combine these three and say that all the horses are not running with the same rhythm, beat, or rate. Some horse takes a greater number of steps, and some horse takes a lesser number of steps. However, all of them complete the revolution in a 24-hour period. There is a sense in which precisely 24-hours elapse, and there is a sense in which these 24-hours are different beat-cycles. Similarly, the time in the 7 islands is not of the same type; it is 24-hours, but it is also different beat-cycles.

You can understand this in terms of different bases for counting. For example, there are binary, octal, decimal, hexadecimal, etc. counting systems. Accordingly, the number 11 means three in binary and eleven in the decimal system. The same symbol gets a different place value with the same face value. The 7 regions of Bhu-mandala are just like 7 different counting systems, such that the symbol is the same, but due to the difference in place value, the effect is different. Thereby, the movement of the sun produces different effects in the different parts of Bhu-mandala.

If you have read Mystic Universe, I have described the nature of space division in that book. Basically, every type of knowing has some activity, and every type of activity has some knowing. Knowing and activity underdetermine each other. For example, a knife can be used to cut and pierce, a saw can be used only for cutting and a screwdriver can be used only for piercing. When we divide this space, we get different kinds of places in which some knowing or activity is disallowed. For example, there can be a place in which everything will be cut using a saw, and everything will be pierced using a screwdriver. A knife, that can both cut and pierce, will not exist in that place, because nobody will be able to imagine the possibility of something that can both cut and pierce.

So, when a living entity is bound to a limited region of space, then they are limited in their imagination and realization. These limitations then create different kinds of worlds.

The significance of the division of space is that living entities are not allowed to move freely in space. That means that their minds cannot roam to many ideas, and the senses cannot roam to many sensations. Even if someone told them about it, they will not be able to understand it, and they can never realize it. They will consider such things nonsense. Hence, being bound to a world means limited imagination and realization. An advanced soul gets the ability to roam everywhere mentally and sensually. Even if the body is here, the mind and the senses can go to other places, and they can perceive and conceive other kinds of realities and bring them to this world. However, others who are bound to some space cannot understand such things, even if it is explained to them because their minds and senses cannot roam in the same way as that of the advanced soul. Thereby, there are millions of things that become incomprehensible for the bound soul because their minds and senses are bound to a limited portion of space, constraining their imagination and perception.

These divisions on Bhu-mandala are created by Maharaja Priyavrata. This means that previously such limitations on imagination and realization did not exist, and the person who was living on earth could imagine anything and perceive anything, because their minds and senses could roam freely into other parts of space. But Maharaja Priyavrata has created a division in space such that our imagination and fulfillment have been constrained after the division. And this constrain is based on dividing the space into 7 regions, which is in turn based on 7 meters and rhythms.

So, understand one basic idea that our minds and senses are bound right now. They are not free to understand everything or perceive everything. As we get more purified, this bondage reduces, which means we can understand more and perceive more. When all bondage is removed, then the soul can understand anything and perceive anything. That is called complete freedom or liberation. Even if the soul is in a body, he is not limited like the others in his perception and knowing. Thereby, everyone is not equal even if they are in a human body. Some souls have more freedom and they can roam into regions beyond the imagination and perceptual capacity of most other people. And Maharaja Priyavrata has created limitations in this perception and understanding.

Why he has done it, is another topic. Maybe he did not want people to have so much freedom that their minds and senses will keep roaming here and there. Or, maybe he wanted people with different mental and sensual capacities to be segregated into different worlds so that they can live with others with similar capacities and enjoy only limited kinds of pleasures. Whatever be the reasons, those divisions exist, and that means most people’s minds and senses are limited in understanding.

[Pradeep Kumar]

Amazing explanation. Thank you, will re-read Mystic Universe with this understanding.

Just a follow up question- does it mean that these dvipa’s or worlds are perceptions or views of the same reality called bhu- mandala which is the planet we are on right now or these dvipa’s include other places in the universe and they perceptually grouped (as opposed to physical) as different dvipa’s?  Is it like, based on terrain/avatar chosen in VR game, reality and experience appears differently to the player? I used to have dreams of being in earth like places where nature is of different quality, one can fly etc but they are not this planet in the sense that no place on this planet offers that experience. That explains they might be different parts of bhu-mandala.

[Ashish Dalela]

does it mean that these dvipa’s or worlds are perceptions or views of the same reality called bhu- mandala

There is no difference between view and reality. A view is reality and reality is view. Your mind and senses are as much matter as things outside your body. The distinction between view and reality is created in Western thinking where the view is unreal and reality is real. In Vedic philosophy, they are both real. They may not be eternally manifest, but they are eternally real. Truth is that which is eternally manifested while falsity is that which is sometimes manifest and sometimes unmanifest. Both eternally manifest and temporarily manifest realities are eternally real. When you imagine something that nobody has seen before, your consciousness has roamed to a new place. That place is idea-like. Your vision is not your invention. It is only a discovery of something preexisting.

Is it like, based on terrain/avatar chosen in VR game, reality and experience appears differently to the player?

I have no idea what you are talking about because I have never played VR games. But it is not a view. It is reality. You are unable to understand how view is reality, and consciousness moves from one view to another which is called seeing another reality and being in another reality.

I used to have dreams of being in earth like places where nature is of different quality, one can fly etc but they are not this planet in the sense that no place on this planet offers that experience. That explains they might be different parts of bhu-mandala.

It’s possible. I can’t say what it is, but there are infinite such places. Even if something existed in the past, like a war, it exists in the present in a potential form. Consciousness can go back into the war which is why people have nightmares. Likewise, it can go into the future states.

[Pradeep Kumar]

Thank you, Now I understand that view is reality.  One further question- if past, present and future are present in potential form always, does it mean all permutations and combinations of how past could have unfolded and future might unfold are also present in consciousness of Lord Shiva as time? Does it mean that an event that already occurred (eg: Chaitanya Lila) might unfold again and one can participate in it? Is it that time simply mean Lord Shiva scanning the possibilities (Shakti) and selecting possibilities one after another? Can  a person(soul), who dies now come back in the past?

 

[Ashish Dalela]

does it mean all permutations and combinations of how past could have unfolded and future might unfold are also present in consciousness of Lord Shiva as time

There are no permutations and combinations. The world works according to God’s will, and He is not unsure about what is going to happen. He is not calculating permutations and combinations. The destiny of the universe is fixed. This destiny, however, only describes what will happen; it doesn’t say who will do what. Therefore, for example, a war is fixed by destiny, and a certain number of people will die. But which countries will fight, and who will die, is not fixed. Likewise, that certain amount of alcohol will be sold is fixed. But who will drink and who will not, is not fixed. You have to read the books. All these things have been discussed dozens of times in my books.

Does it mean that an event that already occurred (eg: Chaitanya Lila) might unfold again and one can participate in it?

Yes it will unfold again in the next day of Brahma.

Is it that time simply mean Lord Shiva scanning the possibilities (Shakti) and selecting possibilities one after another?

Please read the books, as they explain these things in detail. And don’t use words like “scanning”. Shakti is Lord Shiva’s consort. He glances at Her lovingly. Do you consider looking at your wife “scanning your wife”? You have made it sound like database search. We have to develop some personalism and affection for the Lord and His beautiful pastimes to understand philosophy. Otherwise, if we remain impersonalistic, we cannot understand anything.

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