It is sometimes hard for some aspiring devotees to accept all the sastras or scriptures dealing with cosmology as literal fact in the face of modern science which in itself has changed so much since the 17th Century and has continued to transform so much even in the last 40 years since Srila Prabhupada was physically here.
Some have asked, if Srila Prabhupada were here today, would he have a different opinion on some issues regarding the material scientist? For example, Srila Prabhupada said 40 years ago that all space flight endeavors would end in failure? Would his opinion change today on the Moon landings in the face of SO much evidence, seeing that so many countries are supposedly sending probes there? And what about the success, not failure, of vehicles moving around on Mars today as many of us are inclined to believe as fact? I'm bringing this up because so many devotees will ask these questions and will choose to not follow blindly while searching for answers.
Regardless of these reservations, one thing is certain, Srila Prabhupada today would definitely NOT change his opinion on sastric conclusions, Therefore his understanding of the Sun and moons distances and the fact the Sun orbits Meru will never change because it is sastric fact regardless of what the material scientists speculate with their imperfect senses.
So what is the ultimate answer to the conclusions of modern science? As devotees and aspiring devotees, we have to understand the deep meanings of sastric Cosmology and learn to accept only that version because the material scientists are not seeing the subtle material energy, as well as the subtle material bodily vessels of living entities that exist there on other planets, including the Sun. The material scientists are also only seeing the gross material energy, which is very limited, they are not seeing the full picture of the material universe described in the Srimad Bhagavatam.
Therefore, they only see the limited gross material energy within the material universe, they are not seeing so many subtle worlds including the Sun chariot with their telescopes and probes, nor the living entities on the Sun, moon and other planets, they are not seeing the demigod inhabitants or even the hellish planets and their inhabitants, they are restricted in everyway and everywhere by their gross material senses.
Hare Krsna, your fallen servant Gauragopala dasa
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