Blog

Wednesday, 14 May 1975

Paramahamsa Swami: At 4.30am, Srila Prabhupada called me into his room and we discussed for one hour about how the scientists' astronomical calculations of the universe are all wrong. He said: "You say I am wrong, I say you are wrong, but what is the standard? Your conclusions change, mine are fixed, hence you are wrong. All the exact astronomical calculations are given in the Srimad-Bhagavatam."

Prabhupada knew that modern scientists would give no credence to the Bhagavatam's description's of Jambudvipa, existing in the middle of concentric oceans and islands; nor would they be able to account for descriptions of such tall mountains that are described in the Vedic literatures. Srila Prabhupada was quick, however, to caution his devotees not to be guided by their own Western prejudices, but rather to try and understand the universe as described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, although the descriptions in the Bhagavatam could not be adjusted within the limits of mundane knowledge. Inevitably, the devotees would ask: "But how will we explain all this to the scientists?"

Prabhupada was adamant, however, that they did not require to satisfy the scientists. They should simply describe it according to sastra. If the scientists could understand it, then well and good. Otherwise, it was not the devotees' business to try to satisfy the so-called scientists. As Prabhupada would say: "We are dealing with the real description -- just try to understand."


- From "The Great Transcendental Adventure" by HG Kurma Prabhu