If I blindly believe only what I perceive, then there is no way for me to know the truth about my date of birth and my name even! I believe my name is the actual name given to me, I believe that a specific date is my actual date of birth only because I heard so from people whom I trust – my parents.

Likewise, to know the truth, the best way is to learn from acharyas and sastra. Because these are trust worthy and always correct. That is the only way to know the truth. My sense perception is not. Suppose one turns blind suddenly, should that person start denying all the visual things around? No! Trust trust-worthy authorities – acharyas and scriptures.

Sastram refers to the earth as ‘bhoogolam’, meaning it is a sphere. Based on that we believe it is sphere and not flat; and our perception and experiments also supports that. In some other cases, sastram says one thing but we are not able to perceive that directly. Nevertheless we should accept sastram (and acharyas) as correct, because they are correct, but our sense perception is defective.

Hope it is clear.

Srimathe Rangaramanuja Mahadesikaya Namaha

Absolutely Swamy our senses may be defective. The fact is PanchAngam is written considering the position of planets and sun revolving around Earth.

So Sun revolving around Earth?

Dasanudasan

Srimathe Rangaramanuja Mahadesikaya Namaha

From the points devareer quoted ,

BHUGOLAM= Earth is round when reference point is different (Shastram)
FLAT EARTH= When reference point is Earth itself. (PanchAnga Shastram)

Both are shastrams

My atheist friend argued that curvature will be taken into account when long railway lines are laid.

Of course however long it may be, it’s flat to me.

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha
????????

Dasanudasan

Sri Ramanuja Munaye Namaha,

Sri Velukkudi Krishnana Swmai Guruve Namaha,

Beautiful conversations BhagavAtas.

Adiyen would like to add some vision to the discussion based on Scriptures and other forums that Earth is Round (Sphere) and that is actually visible in present day by Science as well, where the continents have been clearly mentioned in Ithihaasas & Puranaas.

The first ever world map was sketched thousands of years ago by Indian saint Swami Ramanujacharya, who simply translated the following verse from Mahabharat and gave the world its real face in Swami’s Grantham “Yathira Mata Deepika”.

In Mahabharat, it is described how Maharishi Ved Vyasa gave away his divine vision to Sanjay, Dhritarashtra’s charioteer so that he could describe him the events of the upcoming war. But, even before questions of war could begin, Dhritarashtra asked him to describe how the world looks like from space.

This is how he described the face of the world:

यथा हि पुरुषः पश्येदादर्- शे मुखमात्मनः- ।

एवं सुदर्शनद्व- ीपो दृश्यते चन्द्रमण्ड- ले॥

द्विरंश- े पिप्पलस्तत- ्र द्विरंशे च शशो महान्।।-

(भी- ्म पर्व, महाभारत)

(In Bhima Parva , MahaBharatam)

Meaning:-

अर्थ- जैसे पुरुष दर्पण में अपना मुख देखता है, उसी प्रकार यह द्वीप (पृथ्वी) चन्द्रमण्ड- ल में दिखाई देता है। इसके दो अंशों में पिप्पल (पीपल के पत्ते) और दो अंशों में महान शश (खरगोश) दिखाई देता है।

Just like a man sees his face in the mirror, so does the Earth appears in the Universe. In the first phase, you see PEEPAL LEAVES and the next phase you see a RABBIT.

******

Based on this shloka, Swami Ramanujacharya sketched out the map, but the world laughed it off on seeing some leaves and a rabbit. Much later, when the picture was switched upside down by scientists and other philosophers, the reality struck in.

Don’t believe us, just try turning the above picture upside down and you’ll know what I am talking about.

So the Bharatha Varsha means the Whole Earth which includes all the countries as per Scriptures, not just India. So Sanatana Dharmam is for the Whole Earth which spread out, as Swami recently says in the Enpani #1421.

**************************

Also Srimad Bhagavatam:

Canto 3 Chapter 18 Shloka 2, & 

Canto 5 Chapter 21 Shlokas 8–9

Talks about Sri Varaha Perumal Avataram how Earth is Round and How BhagavAn held the Bhooma Devi Thayar (Earth) in HIS tusks

Adiyen Sri Velukkudi Krishna Dasan,

Uyya Oraey Vazhi UdayavAr ThiruvAdi,

உலக வரைபடத்தை முதலில் வரைந்த சுவாமி இராமாநுஜாசார்யார் கி ஜெய்

Sarvam SriKrishnarpanam Asthu.

Sri Ramanuja Munaye Namaha,

Who is that “namakku ?”. For Acharyas and all Bhagavata’s, the earth is round looking from outside or sitting on the ground. Just stay away from that “namakku” people who is not sure what they are taking about. Otherwise, when they take next birth, the “namakku” people also will accompany them, instead of going to Moksham.

There are terms which is being confused by some.

Bhoomi is also called Bhoolokam, which is Spherical ROUND.

BhooMandalam is bigger size of 50 crore yojanas inside which Bhoomi is a small entity. This BhooMandalam which us the Center plane of Andakatakam (Universe) is FLAT (circular with a thickness like a sliced potato section).

People use word “Earth” ? for both Bhoomi and BhooMandalam. That’s why some say Earth is Round and some say Earth is Flat, because of common term, both are different entities.

Swami has said Perumal gives Moksham to us only if HE is Happy with us. And Swami has said, BhagavAn is Happy only if we Follow Poorvacharyas Vachanam, since it is for our own benefit.

Adiyen Sri Velukkudi Krishna Dasan,
Uyya Oraey Vazhi UdayavAr ThiruvAdi,
உலக வரைபடத்தை முதலில் வரைந்த சுவாமி இராமாநுஜாசார்யார் கி ஜெய்

Sarvam SriKrishnarpanam Asthu.

Srimathe Rangaramanuja Mahadesikaya Namaha

Friend: Vikram ne gunda irukka
Vikram: See in microscope I won’t be fat

Our argument is like this. Why should I go to satellite and see Earth?

Dasanudasan

Sri Ramanuja Munaye Namaha,

Sri Velukkudi Krishnan Swami Thiruvadigalaey Sharanam,

Dear Bhagavata,

BhagavAtas description of Earth Flat is based on our LIMITED vision (Dhrishtam) by looking at a PARTIAL Object (PARTIAL Earth), and not by looking at the Full object (Full Earth). So we cannot conclude by saying whole Earth is Flat. So What we should Say is “I’m looking only a PARTIAL Object, so I don’t know how the Whole Earth shape looks like. So I need to gather further information from spiritual texts to. Understand the “ADRISHTAM (that cannot be understood by naked eyes Dhrishtam)”.

Same thing about Bhagavata being FAT as said by BhagavAtas friend is by looking the Whole Object (Vikram). In microscope, BhagavAtas friend is looking at a PARTIAL portion of the OBJECT (Vikram) which is Flat, and it doesn’t represent  the FULL object Vikram Bhagavata, since Bhagavata itself is not a PARTIAL Object, but full objject as FAT. Unless BhagavAtas friend can fit Vikram Bhagavata in a bigger microscope, then BhagavAtas full view as FAT can be seen.

So the conclusion is full object Vikram Bhagavata us Fat and not flat, like full object Earth is Round and not flat.

*******************

More Detailed Explanation

There are three Standard ways or three categories to know things either by a materialistic or spiritual person as said by Swami Ramanujar based on Shastras which Sri Velukkudi Swami gas blessed us through Upanyasams.

A) One way is Pratyaksham (Seeing or Self Experiencing):

• Seeing: Some believe only if they See with naked eyes. Like, what is a Fire?. When we see the actual fire, then we can memorize in our mind that this is called Fire and we it for second time, then we boldy say it is Fire, becasue we have seen it in first time.
• Self Experiencing: If we have never seen a Fire as in above experience, and if another person says fire is hot, don’t touch it, then we don’t believe, since we don’t have experience of touching a Fire. But when we touch the fire by ourselves, then our hand gets burned due to the heat. Now this 1st experience has made us aware that fire is hot and we will not touch next time.

B) Second way is Anumaanam (Guessing): Guess based on our past experiences of Prathyaksham. Like if we see a smoke behind a hill, then we can Guess that the smoke is due to a Fire, since we have memorized seeing the Fire during the previous Prathyaksham experience. If we have never seen a Fire, then we cannot guess that the smoke is from the Fire.


C) Third way is Shabtham (Pramaanam/Written Original Text like Shastras Puranas or Ithihasaas): Just Believe what the text says, if it is written by another Devotees/Acharyas/Mahan and the content is Constructive for Lokha Shemam (Welfare of the World).

The 1st two methods A) & B) Prathyaksham & Anumaanam always should match The 3rd method C) Shabtham (Pranaamam the Spiritual Text), since the creator of the world is BhagavAn’s own Manual.

Summary:

1. Our Prathyaksham of “Seeing” is insufficient due to limited vision to see the Whole Earth as spherical. We are seeing only “PARTIAL OBJECT AND NOT THE WHOLE OBJECT”. With PARTIAL OBJECT vision, we cannot conclude the whole object Earth is Flat.

2. So the next step is to apply Prathyaksham of “Self experiencing”. Like the “CircumNavigators” who started their expedition from a particular start point and reached the same point after long years, which is possible ONLY if Earth is round. If Earth is Flat and straight, one can never reach their own initial start point. So this is better step to experience that Earth is Spherical ROUND and not flat, since we havexachived WHOLE OBJECT experience.
3. If one doesn’t have Pratyaksham by “self experience” that Earth is Spherical by expedition, then the Method B) Anumaanam (Guessing) as the Earth is Flat cannot be applied, since our Prathyaksham of “Seeing” was due to limited vision. We are seeing only “PARTIAL OBJECT AND NOT THE WHOLE OBJECT”, and we donot have Prathyaksham “self experience” expedition.
4. Now the people who have Prathyaksham “self experience” that Earth is Spherical will also accept the Method C) Shabtham (spiritual text) to understand the Specifications of Earth like what is its size and what is included inside Earth, which Sanjaya has said in above Mhahabharata verse (rabbit and peepal leaves) and then later mapped out by Swami Ramanujar in detail of the continents etc, since Prathyakshyam should match the ultimate method of knowing an object. Since we did not create the world, we have to accept Owners manual “Vishnu Puranam, Srimadh BhagavAtam and Poorvacharyas granthams” that say Bhoomi (Earth) is Spherical.

***************

BhagavAtas description of Earth Flat is based on our LIMITED vision (Dhrishtam) by looking at a PARTIAL Object (PARTIAL Earth), and not by looking at the Full object (Full Earth). So we cannot conclude by saying whole Earth is Flat. So What we should Say is “I’m looking only a PARTIAL Object, so I don’t know how the Whole Earth shape looks like. So I need to gather further information from spiritual texts to. Understand the “ADRISHTAM (that cannot be understood by naked eyes Dhrishtam)”.

Same thing about Bhagavata being FAT as said by BhagavAtas friend is by looking the Whole Object (Vikram). In microscope, BhagavAtas friend is looking at a PARTIAL portion of the OBJECT (Vikram) which is Flat, and it doesn’t represent  the FULL object Vikram Bhagavata, since Bhagavata itself is not a PARTIAL Object, but full objject as FAT. Unless BhagavAtas friend can fit Vikram Bhagavata in a bigger microscope, then BhagavAtas full view as FAT can be seen.

So the conclusion is full object Vikram Bhagavata us Fat and not flat, like full object Earth is Round and not flat.

Adiyen Sri Velukkudi Krishna Dasan,

Uyya Oraey Vazhi UdayavAr ThiruvAdi,

Sarvam SriKrishnarpanam Asthu.

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha,

Namaskaram Swami’s,

Puranas and Temple scriptures say Bhoomi is Round. Like Bhu Varaha Perumal saving Bhooma Devi Thayar from the “Avarna Jalam”. So this evidence (இது) is enough (போதும்)….

சுத்துதே சுத்துதே பூமி
இது போதுமடா போதுமடா சாமி

😇

So our inability to visually see Earth from outside doesn’t constitute Earth is flat from our visualisation point of view.

Adiyen (ElayaAlwar) Srinivasa (DhoddayAcharyar) Dasan

Bhu loka means Loka. Acharya’s have used Bhuloka for earth.

Loka is shape independent word.

Loka can be inconveniently translated as – Environment or Type of existence.

What are Loka’s?

Swarga Loka – Top

– Brahma Loka, Indra Loka etc
– Apsaras, Gandarvas, Devatas live there
– Ruled by Indra Deva
– They live very long life. They have living standards billions of time better then average earth resident’s.

Bhuloka – middle

– Manushya Live
– living standards is middle of Naraka and Swarga
– it’s also called as – Mrityu loka because death happen more here.

Naraka – Bottom

– Patala Loka, Rasatala Loka etc
– Asuras live there
– it’s extremely bad world

Surya Deva on his Ratha which is driven by Aruna, the brother of Garuda moves frequently and that’s why seasons and days and nights happen.

Vaikuntha is Dham and not loka. In loka people die, born, diseases, old age etc

In Dham Narayana and lakshmi reside and it’s beyond all the Loka’s

Dasanudas

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha,

Namaskaram Rukmini BhagavAta,

With Acharya ThiruvAdi Bhalam and Velukkudi Sri Krishnan Swami’s Aasirvadham, “Bhu Lokam and Bhoomi (Earth)” are not same.

It’s is true Bhu Lokam us center of the Round shape Andam which consists of total 14 lokas, but this Bhu Lokam is like a “SECTION CUT” of a Apple. We live in Bhoomi (Earth) which is round which inturn inside this Bhu Lokam.

Reference, Srimadh BhagavAtam and Yathindra Mata Deepika.

The Width size (linear XY plane distance end to end) of Bhu lokam is 50 crore Yojanai = 500 crore miles.

Total height of Bhu lokam is 1 lakh Yojanas = 10 lakh miles, same as height of Meru mountain

1 yojanai =10 miles.

Bhoomi/Earth is only 7926 miles in diameter approx even as per science). So, Bhoomi is well inside the Vast Bhu lokam which consists of:

There are 7 Dweepams in this Bhu lokam Concentric to each other like a “mathemateical Torus” (all in the same XY plane with Meru mountain as Center axis, each Dewwpams seprated with 6 oceans

The Dweepam around the Meru mountain is Jambhu Dwepam, which itself is 1 lakh Yojanai = 10 lakh miles.

The height of Meru Mountain itself is 1 lak yojanai, same as diamter of Jambhu Dweepam.

The other concetric dweepams concentric to jambhu dweepam are a bigger is Torus radius and NON- reachnable by ordianry humas like us.

The Entire Bhoomi itself is inside Jambhmu Dweepam and all continents that we see are inside one Jambu Dweepam, so any Sankalpam done in any Co ntry the Meru mountain is naturally on North Side but IT IS PRESENT OUTSIDE THE BHOOMI(EARTH) but inside and center of the vast Bhu Lokam.

So Poorvacharyas says based on Srimadh BhagavAtam and Yathindra Mata Deepika that Bhoomi (round Earth) is a small entity inside the vast Section Cut Bhu Lokam. So both are not same.

Adiyen (ElayaAlwar) Srinivasa (DhoddayAcharyar) Dasan.