As any student of the Bhāgavata Purāṇa will attest, its descriptions of the universe are difficult to comprehend when compared to contemporary understandings. These differences have long challenged Vedic scholars, who have tried in various ways to find reconciliation.
The Bhāgavata Purāṇa‘s significant position as a foundational spiritual text in the Vedic tradition has made this imperative. Richard J. Cole’s Exploring Purāṇic Visions of the Universe briefly examines many of these scholarly expositions, presenting them in clear and simple terms for a layman’s understanding.
The book is based on a video presentation he gave at a conference entitled “Cosmology of the Bhāgavata Purāṇa,” hosted by the Bhaktivedanta Institute for Higher Studies in 2023.
In his work, Cole provides a useful appendix with abstracts of all the presentations made at that conference by scholars of both modern cosmology and ancient Vedic conceptions, attempting to reconcile these apparently widely opposed ideas. His concise delineation of the Vedic cosmological theories forms the background for the talks at the BIHS conference. It thus offers a handy juxtaposition of old and modern understandings, providing the reader with a straightforward, well-written introduction to this contentious but highly fascinating area of study.
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About our Reviewer:
Krishna Dharma Das is a writer and speaker who has authored numerous retellings of Vedic texts, including Brilliant as the Sun, a serialized dramatization of the Bhagavata Purana.
Source https://iskconnews.org/book-review-exploring-pura%e1%b9%87ic-visions-of-the-universe/
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