It is worth noting that Hinduism believes in te Nn Linear theory of Time, tat is the Cyclic Theory, which means that there is nor beginning and no end and that Time is eternal;as such events keep on happening with regularity.For more read my post Time, Non Liner,Cyclic.
There are three type of cataclysms described in the Vishnu Purana, all the Puranas declare the same, with no variations.
This takes place at the end of Lord Brahma‘s Day, One Kalpa.
This happens after one Maha Yuga, that is one Chatur Yugas, each Yuga cycle containing Four Yugas,Kruta,Tretha,Dwapara and Kali.
This is equivalent to 4.32 billion human years.
At the end of this period dissolution starts.
During the last Hundred Years(Human), there will be severe Drought.
Living Beings shall become ver weak.
Lord Vishnu, in the form of Rudra unsettles the Living Beings.
The Seven rays of the Sun become too long(Infrared?)
Water will be sucked out of the earth.
The seven rays are.
Aarohan,
Praajan,
Pataran,
Pathangan,
Swanaran,
Jyothishman and
Vibhaasan.
The world shall be enveloped in fire.
Excepting evolved souls all others shall perish.
Of the evolved souls, Brahma Gnanis shall reach Brahma Loka through Satya and Thapo Loka.
The ruling class of Manu dynasty, shall go first toMahar Loka:finding tat to be too hot, they shall reach Jana Loka along with Mahar Loka residents.
This is naimithika Pralaya.
2.Prakrutha Pralaya.
This takes place at te end of Brahma’s Life cycle.
This is two parathas, equivalent to 10 to te power of Eighteen years(Human)
That is at the end of 200.000,000,000,000,000 Years.
Current estimate of Earth.
The Earth is a little over 4.5 billion years old, its oldest materials being 4.3 billion-year-old zircon crystals. Its earliest times were geologically violent, and it suffered constant bombardment from meteorites. When this ended, the Earth cooled and its surface solidified to a crust – the first solid rocks. There were no continents as yet, just a global ocean peppered with small islands. Erosion, sedimentation and volcanic activity – possibly assisted by more meteor impacts – eventually created small proto-continents which grew until they reached roughly their current size 2.5 billion years ago. The continents have since repeatedly collided and been torn apart, so maps of Earth in the distant past are quite different to today’s.
So there are Four Cataclysmic events involving Water on the Earth and let us see how this is reflected in Tamil and Sanskrit literature.
There is a major differnce between Naimithika Pralaya and Prakrutha Pralaya.
There is a conception that the terms Asura and Rakshasas are interchangeable.
This file has annotations. Move the mouse pointer over the image to see them. The bas-relief of Samudra manthan from Angkor Wat, Cambodia, shows Vishnu in the center, in his Kurma avatar, with the asuras and the devas on either side.
These terms evoke the images of Demons and Evil Doers.
The Rakshasas are said to have been born of Brahma while He was asleep and started eating Brahma.
Brahma started yelling ‘Rakshama’- Protect Me’ and Lord Vishnu banished the Rakshasas from the Earth.
“The word, Asura, including its variants, asurya and asura, occurs 88 times in the Rigveda, 71 times in the singular number, four times in the dual, 10 times in the plural, and three times as the first member of a compound. In this, the feminine form, asuryaa, is included twice. The word, asurya, has been used 19 times as an abstract noun, while the abstract form asuratva occurs 24 times, 22 times in each of the 22 times of one hymn and twice in the other two hymns….
Bhargava believes that, in most of the ancient hymns, the word, asura, is always used as an adjective meaning “powerful” or “mighty”. In the Rigveda, two generous kings, as well as some priests, have been described as asuras. One hymn requests a son who is an asura. In nine hymns, Indra is described as asura. Five times, he is said to possess asurya, and once he is said to possess asuratva.Agni has total of 12 asura descriptions, Varuna has 10, Mitra has eight, and Rudra has six. Bhargava gives a count of the word usage for every Vedic deity.”
Except of the Poetic License where the writer indulges in hyperbole.
However the basic information about the Topography is correct and verifiable.
Many of the sites mentioned in the Ramayana, Mahabharata,The Vedas have been found now.
Ayodhya, Mathura,Pandyaa Kingdoms, not to speak of the Holy places, Rivers, Mountains and even the Species that thrive in these locations.
At the same time one gets the impression that the areas mentioned are not in The Earth and are located in some other location ,Planet, under the Ocean.
And we have the Lokas, the abode of Beings confusing.
We have , for example, the Surya Loka, Chandra Loka.
While the description of these places make one belive that these are In Heavens, one is floored by the reference to these places in Treatises relating to Astronomy that they are Stars, Planets and their movements are measured, without mentioning the Inhabitants.
These are taken as reference points in studying Astronomy.
Then we have the Philosophical treatises mention these places as indicative of spiritual development.
Chandra is associated(Moon) withe Mind.
In Spiritual development, Chandra loka means an awakening of the mind on its path towards Self realization.
Surya Loka is a heightened state of spiritual development.
While taking about these , the treatises do not talk of these as place of Dwelling, but as a state of Spiritual Development.
There are also references in the Vishnu Purana about the Sun, Moon an`d the Pole Star(Dhruva Mandala)
The distance of these places from the earth are shown and it is stated that they , Sun and Moon are destroyed during the Dissolution by Brahma(Pralaya), but Pole Satr remains!
Here it becomes tougher to know whether these places are locations or indicative of spiritual development.
Lets us keep this point in mind before proceed further.
Descriptions of Svarga or Heaven remain unchanged in all the Puranas and Ithihasas.
When one reads the original texts and finds that some characters have visited these places form the earth, right from Mandhata to Arjuna, Narada keeps commuting from Heaven to earth, one gets an inkling that these places could be on the earth.
Read the following study.
I am inclined to have an open mind on this as this seems to be on course with the tenets of Hinduism, where Svarga or Naraka ,Heaven or Hell is more of the Mind and its manifestations, not withstanding the Garuda Purana where details of Travel to Heaven is described.
These are mostly allegorical.
One may refer to the ascendency to Heaven by the Pandavas, where the descriptions are of the Himalayas and proceeding further North.
And we have the Meru Mountain , whose description bewilders one.
Please read my post on this.
Now the Heavens are Arctic….
“Despite the prevalent opinion that all gods were inhabitants of heaven, their larger part lived on land, in water or underground. According to Indian and Slavonic legends, gods-incomers (Adityas/Devas and Svarozhichi – Svarozhichs) lived in the land (kingdom) of Indra/Svarog –Svarga/Blue Svarga, the capital of which the majestic city of godsAmaravatiwas. In spite of the fact that Old Indian written information sources point (indicate) to a different location of Svarga and Amaravati -from the superior planets (Satjaloka, Maharloka, Svargaloka) to some area between Earth and the Sun, of heaven or of the earth surface, in the Second and Third books of the“Mahabharata” (Sabhaparva and Aranyakaparva) more than convincing arguments are given in favour of that Svarga, including Meru mount (Amaravati was on the top of it), Mandara and adjacent mounts with forests,
gardens, parks and orchards, was on the Earth (on land).
Here is how the land of Indra is described in the “Aranyakaparva” in B.L. Smirnov’s translation from Sanscrit and author’s translation from Russian:
«At last the abode (dwelling place) of Shakra, Amaravati, I have seen.
… the Sun there does not bake, neither heat, nor chill do not exhaust,
… There on trees always flowers and fruits, (always)
Leaves turn green;
[There] various ponds, grown with the blue
Lotuses and lilies white, fragrant;
…There winnows a fragrant breeze – vivifying, cool, pure;
… There is possible to see many air chariots,
Flying by in heaven…»…
The “Rigveda”, “Mahabharata”, “Bhagavata purana”,«Laws of Manu» [1] and other Old Indian texts, and also theOld Iranian “(Zend-)Avesta” place Meru mount [2] and accordingly Svarga in the far North: «On the North side, shining, there is mighty Meru… Great Meru, the chaste (pure), good abode (dwelling place). Here set and again [over the Meru] rise Seven divine rishis led by Vasishtha [3]» (the “Mahabharata”); «On Meru gods see the sun after its one-time rising over a period its path, equal to a half of its circulation round land». «For gods and day and night – a year [human], again divided in two: day – the period of movement of the sun northward, night – the period of movement to the south» («Laws of Manu»). The “Avesta” also give characteristic features of the polar disposition of Hara mount (Meru): «That they consider by day, that is a year. … there stars, moon, the sun can be seen once a year only rising and setting, and year seems only one day». Judging by the fragments cited above, Svarga, “Paradise of Indra” or “Paradise of Svarog” was located near to the North pole and, perhaps,were by a part of the disappeared polar continent – Hyperborea. According to the descriptions given in the “Mahabharata”, it was a mountainous country with mounts to the sky, the main of which was Mandara: «On the North side, shining, stands mighty Meru. The paradise of great god Indra placed on its top. From these mounts the great rivers … fall. At the bottom of Meru – « adobe of gods », Milk ocean is, and before the great mounts Meru sandy sea is stretched out».
Svarga can be compared with Jambudvipa described by Shukadeva Gosvami [4] in the “Bhagavata purana” . If we clean it from poetic embellishments (such, as trees up to heaven, lakes of honey and milk) it come to the following. In Jambudvipa there is Sumeru mount. Sumeru is environed by four other mounts: Mandara, Merumandara, Suparshva and Kumuda. On these four mounts mango trees, pink apples trees, kadamba trees and banyan trees grow. Besides, there are a lot of lakes with pure water. There are also gardens, the names of which are Nandana, Chitraratha, Vaibhradzhaka and Sarvatobhadra. Sumeru is surrounded by twenty mountain chains, including Kuranga, Kurara, Kusumbha, Vaikanka and Trikuta. To the East from Sumeru Dzhathara andDevakuta mounts, to the West from Sumeru – Pavana and Pariyatra, to the South – Kailasa and Karavira, and to the North – Trishringa and Makara. On the top of Sumeru there is Brahmapuri, residence of Lord Brahma. Round Brahmapuri are cities of tsar Indra and seven other demigods. Each of these cities is in four times less than Brahmapuri…
Comparing different descriptions of continent of Svarga (Jambudvipa, Hyperborea) among themselves, somebody pays attention at once to their obvious differences. On the one hand, this country was situated near to the North pole «in the area of gloom and snow», «where stars rotate, the Moon and the Sun». On the other hand, there was never cold on it, evergreen trees and flowers grew, larger part of which could grow only in warm tropical climate.
It can be related as with different time of compiling of legends, so with repeated application in the “Mahabharata”, “Ramayana”, “Bhagavata purana” and other Old Indian texts of additions and adjustments (improvements). And, most likely, that and other together.
In my opinion, the fragments given above describe different time – when Svarga represented the country with warm tropical climat and gods-incomers (Adityas, Svarozhichi -Svarozhichs, etc.) lived in it, and when the country, fertile before, had turned out in the area near the North pole (or to the contrary, the North pole moved to it) and had been locked by ice (has been icebound). Judging by the having data, it had happened rather recently (about 12 thousand years ago), and the most possible reason of it was aglobal catastrophe accompanied by a shift of Earth’s axis. I will tell to you about it in my work “Last days of the Great Northern civilization -the descendants of white gods. What has happened in the Northeastern Asia, Alaska and the shelf of Arctic ocean 12 thousand years ago? The reconstructions on a joint of geology and history“
Vishnu blessed Ganesha that at each Puja, Vrata, or any Sacred Deed, the Prathama Puja must be performed to Ganesha only
He was named by Lord Vishnu and He also gave Hm the Eight names which we use in Ganesha Puja today.
The first puja, after Ganesha’s new Rupa emerged, was executed by Vishnu and he blessed Ganesha that at each Puja, Vrata, or any Sacred Deed, the Prathama Puja must be performed to Ganesha only and garlanded him with a Vanamaala.
Vishnu performed the ‘nama karana’ (name giving) in the presence of Devas, Maharshis and Munis; he gave eight names: Vighnesha, Ganesha, Heramba, Gajaanana, Lambodara, Ekadanta, Shurpa-karna and Vinayaka. Devi Parvati made Ganesha sit on a golden chair, gave ‘Padya’with the holy waters of Ganga, Godavari etc.; offered Akshatas, flowers, chandana, Kasturi, Agaru Dhupa, Deepa, and Naivedya with a variety of Bhakshya, Bhojya, Lehya, Choshya and Paniyas, besides a wide range of fruits.
Tri Murtis and their spouses, Devas and Devis, Menaka and Himalaya had all chanted the Mantra: OM Shreem Hreem Kleem Ganeswaraaya Brahma ruupaaya chaaravey, Sarvasiddhi pradeshaaya Vighneshaaya Namo namah/ Bhagavan Vishnu then recited the Sacred Ganesha Kavacha to Shanaischara as follows:
( This ‘Samsaara Mohana Kavacha’s Prajapati is Rishi, Brihati is the Chhanda, Swayam Lambodara Ganesha is Devata; Dharma, Artha, Kaama and Moksha is the ‘Viniyoga’; this entire Kavacha is of great essence: Let the Mantra Om gam hum Shri Ganeshaaya swaaha safeguard my head; the Dwadashokshara Manta save my forehead; let Om Hreem Kleem Shreem Gam protect my netras / eyes; may Vighnesha protect my ear lobes; let the Mantra Om Hreem Shreem Kleem protect my nose; let the Mantra Goum Gam Shurpaanyaya Swaha guard my lips and tongue; let the Mantra Om Lam Shreem Lambodaraaya Swaaha secure my cheeks; may the Mantra Om Kleem Hreem Vighna naashaaya swaaha keep my ears safe; let Om Shreem Gam Gajaananaaya swaahaa secure my shoulders; may the Mantra Om Hreem Vinaayakaaya swaaha guard my rear part of my body; let Om Kleem Hreem protect my ‘kamkaal’/ skeleton and the Mantra Gam save my chest. Let Vighna-nihanta provide safety to my hands, feet and the entire body! May Lambodara save my Eastern side, Vighnanayaka the Agneya side, Vighnesha the Southern side, Gajaanana the Nirruti side, Parvati putra the West, Shankaraatmaja the Vaayavya side, Shri Krishna the North, Ekadanta the Ishaana kona, Heramba the Urthwa bhaga / skyward, and Ganaadhipa the ‘Adhobhaga’ the underground. May the ‘Yogi Guru’ procect my while asleep or awake. This is how I explained the whole ‘Samsara Mohana naama Kavacha’to you Suryanandana Shaneswara. This Kavacha was bestowed to me when I attended the ‘raasa leela’ convention at Goloka and this should be divulged to one and all. If a person wears the Kavacha after Guru Puja, it shall indeed safeguard him or her and bestows the boons of performing thousand Ashwamedha Yagnas and thousand Vaajapeya Yagnaas. The Siddhi of this Kavacha is attainable after hundred lakh japas of it.)
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