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Radius

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 5

SB 5.16.1, Translation:

King Parīkṣit said to Śukadeva Gosvāmī: O brāhmaṇa, you have already informed me that the radius of Bhū-maṇḍala extends as far as the sun spreads its light and heat and as far as the moon and all the stars can be seen.

SB 5.16.1, Purport:

In this verse it is stated that the planetary system known as Bhū-maṇḍala extends to the limits of the sunshine. According to modern science, the sunshine reaches earth from a distance of 93,000,000 miles. If we calculate according to this modern information, 93,000,000 miles can be considered the radius of Bhū-maṇḍala. In the Gāyatrī mantra, we chant oṁ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ. The word bhūr refers to Bhū-maṇḍala. Tat savitur vareṇyam: the sunshine spreads throughout Bhū-maṇḍala. Therefore the sun is worshipable. The stars, which are known as nakṣatra, are not different suns, as modern astronomers suppose. From Bhagavad-gītā (10.21) we understand that the stars are similar to the moon (nakṣatrāṇām ahaṁ śaśī). Like the moon, the stars reflect the sunshine. Apart from our modern distinguished estimations of where the planetary systems are located, we can understand that the sky and its various planets were studied long, long before Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was compiled. Śukadeva Gosvāmī explained the location of the planets, and this indicates that the information was known long, long before Śukadeva Gosvāmī related it to Mahārāja Parīkṣit. The location of the various planetary systems was not unknown to the sages who flourished in the Vedic age.

SB 5.16.12, Translation:

Standing like flagstaffs on the summits of these four mountains are a mango tree, a rose apple tree, a kadamba tree and a banyan tree. Those trees are calculated to have a width of 100 yojanas (800 miles) and a height of 1,100 yojanas (8,800 miles). Their branches also spread to a radius of 1,100 yojanas.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

CC Adi-lila

CC Adi 8.66, Purport:

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura visited this temple at Vallabhapura. At that time the person in charge was a Śaivite, Śrī Śivacandra Caudhurī, who was a descendant of Kāśīśvara Gosāñi's brother. In Vallabhapura there was a permanent arrangement to cook nine kilos of rice, vegetables and other foodstuffs daily, and near the village there is sufficient land, which belonged to the Deity, on which this rice was grown. Unfortunately, the descendants of Kāśīśvara Gosāñi's brother have sold a major portion of this land, and therefore the Deity worship has now been hampered.

It is said in the Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (137) that the servant of Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana named Bhṛṅgāra descended as Kāśīśvara Gosāñi during the pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. In our householder life we also sometimes visited this temple of Vallabhapura and took prasādam there at noon. The Deities of this temple, Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda and the Gaurāṅga vigraha, are extremely beautiful. Near Vallabhapura is a beautiful temple of Jagannātha. We sometimes used to take prasādam in this Jagannātha temple also. These two temples are situated within a one mile-radius of the Śrīrāmapura railway station, near Calcutta.

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Mukunda-mala-stotra (mantras 1 to 6 only)

Mukunda-mala-stotra mantra 2, Purport:

Therefore King Kulaśekhara, knowing how pleased the Lord is to be addressed by a name indicating His transcendental relationships with His intimate devotees, and knowing also the potency of the name Kṛṣṇa, has chosen to glorify the Lord by addressing Him as Devakī-nandana and Kṛṣṇa. The king also addresses Him as Vṛṣṇi-vaṁśa-pradīpa ("the brilliant light in the Vṛṣṇi dynasty") because millions of generations of the Vṛṣṇi dynasty became sanctified by the Lord's appearance within it. The śāstras state that a family in which a pure devotee is born is sanctified for one hundred generations of ancestors and descendants. And the śāstras also state that every place within a radius of one hundred miles from where a devotee is born becomes sanctified. If a devotee can sanctify the place and family of his birth so extraordinarily, then what to speak of how completely the Lord can sanctify the place and family in which He chooses to take His birth.

The Lord's birth on the face of the earth is certainly very mysterious, and therefore it is difficult for ordinary men to believe in His birth. How can the all-powerful Lord take birth, seemingly like an ordinary man?

Lectures

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Prabhupāda: That we are. We, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we are moving in this material body, but we are permanent. That is (indistinct). But Kṛṣṇa is not like that. Then it will be avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā (BG 9.11), a rascaldom.

Śyāmasundara: He says it appears that there is conflict between contradictory factors but...

Prabhupāda: But everything will be coincided in Kṛṣṇa.

Śyāmasundara: The whole process is eternal and permanent.

Prabhupāda: Just like so many radius, and it, everything middle points. You expand, you go, long, long, long.

Śyāmasundara: Even when the wheel turns the center...

Prabhupāda: The spoke. Spoke, and what it is called? Hub. Hub.

Śyāmasundara: ...remains constant. That's his whole idea of history.

Prabhupāda: That is explained in Bhāgavata. Kṛṣṇa says, aham evāsam evāgre. All expansions take place but He remains the same.

Śyāmasundara: Does it, does the spirit, is it the divine idea being actualized by the evolution of history and social, biological and everything...

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. Hetunānena kaunteya jagad viparivartate. That is explained in Bhagavad-gītā, hetunānena kaunteya jagad viparivartate. Can you find out this verse, hetunānena, where is the Bhagavad-gītā?

Śyāmasundara: But if the truth is unfolding itself in history, in biology, in sociology...

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Prabhupāda: At least he has no power to see everything. That is a fact. He's not so powerful that he can see everywhere and everything. That you have to accept. He has limited power to see. By that limited power to see he cannot conclude that one species (is) extinct. That is not possible. No scientist will accept that. After all, your senses by which you are (indistinct), they're limited. So how you can say, "This is finished," or "This is that." That is not to be accepted. Because your senses are imperfect. You cannot see. You cannot search out. Have you searched out all the earthly layers or the 25,000 miles everywhere? That is not possible for you. The whole earthly planet is circumference is 25,000 miles, radius how many, has he discovered that all the places?

Śyāmasundara: No, representative samples in many places.

Prabhupāda: Our first proposition is that he says that there was no human beings some millions of years ago. That's not a fact. Because we see all different species of life existing along with human beings. Therefore it should be concluded this is always existing. Human life is always existing. That is our first charge against him. He cannot say there was no human life.

Śyāmasundara: But we don't see any dinosaurs existing.

Prabhupāda: You do not see—your power is very limited—but we have to conclude in this way, when we see at the present moment all the different species of life are existing. Therefore it is existing always.

Śyāmasundara: But I don't see all the...

Conversations and Morning Walks

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- July 11, 1975, Chicago:

Prabhupāda: How many million? (laughter)

Jayatīrtha: You can see light years away. Many, many, many millions of miles with the big ones.

Prabhupāda: They can see four billion?

Jayatīrtha: Maybe not four billion.

Prabhupāda: Then it is imperfect. The radius, what is called, radius?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Diameter?

Prabhupāda: Diameter is four billion miles, universe.

Tripurāri: One universe.

Prabhupāda: One universe. This is the smallest. Four-headed Brahma. (break) ...all universes taken together, that is one-fourth energy. And three-fourth energy is spiritual world. Ekāṁśena sthito jagat (BG 10.42), one part. (break) ...asat koṭi-yojana, one yojana equal to eight mile. And one koti means ten million. So fifty into eight, two hundred, into..., ten into ten million..., it comes. I have calculated four billion. How many millions make a billion?

Harikeśa: A thousand. (break)

Prabhupāda: Sun is situated in the middle from this circumference, two billion up and down. And the moon is situated above the sun, 1,600,000 miles. How they can go to the moon?

Devotee: They think the moon is closer than the sun.

Morning Walk -- October 9, 1975, Durban:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Does that mean that it's farther away from the earth than the... Does that mean that the earth is farther from the moon than from the sun?

Prabhupāda: Yes, certainly. Sun is in the center of the universe, and other planets there are above the sun and lower the sun. Sun is in the middle of the universe.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: So then the moon...

Prabhupāda: Everything is there. The whole, what is called, radius, no, diameter, from one point to another of the universe is given there. Pañcāśat-koṭi-yojana. Pañcāśat means fifty, and koṭi means ten million. So fifty into ten million. Huh? 500,000,000. Pañcāśat-koṭi. And eight.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Four billion.

Prabhupāda: Four billion miles, the area, this way and that way. So if the distance is so vast then one planet situated some millions of miles away, it is not extraordinary. The whole area is four billion.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes. But it appears at least for... It appears that the moon is so close.

Prabhupāda: "It appears"—that is another thing. As soon as you say "appears," that means you have no knowledge.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Correspondence

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- Allston, Mass 6 May, 1969:

I am sending herewith one program for the 18th of May which may be called Noukabihar. The song in this connection is also given and you may properly utilize it along with the translation. The next program on the 25th I shall send you in my next letter, and that is known as Rairaya. I understand you want every Sunday some program, and I shall try to help you as far as possible. Your statement that the program there could be to establish a large center for training preachers is very, very encouraging. I want my disciples to preach now. Here in Boston, sometimes I allow the students to speak, and it appears very hopeful.

As you are increasing your Sankirtana Movement to cover a great distance of 150 mile-radius it is still more encouraging. I am sure that because you are in serious and sincere attitude of service to Krishna, He is giving you all good counsel to propagate these transcendental activities. I am also so glad to know that the recent plan of observing various kinds of festivals is drawing wonderful results. I wish I would have been present there to see things so nicely going on. Your idea that when I am in Los Angeles I shall simply lecture on Sundays, and on the weekdays the boys will lecture so I shall be free to go on with my translating work is very stimulating. I am also glad to learn that you are going to San Francisco to adjust things there. By the 12th instant, when you are there you should help arrange for the Rathayatra Festival. This is to take place some time after the 15th of July, and you can fix up the days from the 20th of July to the 27th of July.

Page Title:Radius
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:12 of Apr, 2013
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=3, CC=1, OB=1, Lec=2, Con=2, Let=1
No. of Quotes:10