EXPLORING VISHWAROOPAM

I started my research journey to explore the meaning of various sacred symbols and animal forms of the god in the Indian culture when I found that ancient Indian astronomers compared the shapes of star groups with the animal shapes. In this way, planetarium show helped me to explore the description of various sacred symbols and animal forms of the god in the Indian culture. Finally, I was able to visualize structure of the Brahmanda or the Trailokya after referring various explaining I found in various books. In these ancient books, this structure of the Brahmanda or the Trailokya itself is referred as the Vishwaroopam of the god.

Here is the explanation of Vishwaroopam given in Matsya Purana:

All stars and planets continue to rotate in the sky as per the natures law. These rotational paths of the stars as

Vishwaroopam Description (Matsya Purana, Adhyay 128) 

observed from the surface of the Earth from the North Pole appear to narrow down into the Dhruva i.e. the North Pole Star. As some of these stars are present at the North most or uppermost position is the sky are far away from the Earth’s surface, there circular rotational path appear like a point i.e. very narrow circle. The Dhruva i.e. the North Pole Star is present at the farthest point in the north direction. It is like a huge disc shaped opening at a very huge distance from Earth’s surface that’s why we feel as if it’s a small star. The Lord has placed the Dhruva at that position very thoughtfully to help us distinguish between various regions or Lokas. This is the structure of our starry sky. The is the wonderful Vishwaroopam (the Cosmic form) of the God. No human being can see this entire Cosmic Form of the god by standing at any point on the Earth. Observer can see only part of this entire Cosmic Form with his naked eye. One with strong visualization power can only see this Vishwaroopam (the Cosmic form) of the God.

 Somehow I felt that the planetarium show at the Nehru planetarium helped me to visualize the this Vishwaroopam (the Cosmic form) of the God. I also realized that there are many rituals and rules we follow at the temple which also help us visualize the Vishwaroopam (the Cosmic form) of the God.

Here are some of those practices which help us visualize the Vishwaroopam(the Cosmic form) of the God:

1)      Temple’s entrance door always faces towards the east direction:

In all the Hindu temples, the entrance door always faces towards the east direction. As the entrance door of the temple faces the east direction all devotees enter the temple from the east direction. This tradition represents the rise of stars and planets including the Sun and the Moon from the east direction as observed from the equatorial regions. As India is present in the equatorial region, the sun rises from the east daily. To help devotees understand this astronomical fact or observation the ancient Indian astronomers designed the temple architecture in such a way that its entrance always faces the east direction.

2)      Devotees perform the Pradakshina around the temple:

Within the temple premises, devotees perform Pradakshina of the temple. During Pradakshina, devotees rotate around the temple in clockwise direction. This tradition is followed to represent the circular rotational path of stars around the earth. When observed from the North Pole. All stars and planets including the Sun and the moon appear to rotate around the North Pole Star (and Earth) in clockwise direction. As the North Pole Star is present at the North most position, the rotational paths of all stars and planets is from the south direction of the North Pole Star. That is why this tradition is called as Pradakshina. In Sanskrit, Dakshina means the south direction.

3)      Devotees perform the Pradakshina around themselves inside the temple:

Inside the main part of the temple, devotees perform Pradakshina around themselves. During this Atma-Pradaskhina, devotees around themselves like Earth around its own axis. As devotees rotate around themselves, the pictures of gods on the inner walls of the temple appear to rotate around them. This is very similar to the astronomical fact that as Earth rotates around its own axis, stars and planets appear to rotate in circular paths when observed from the surface of the Earth. These stars and planets are considered as the homes of various gods.

4)      The extended part of the Linga always points towards the North direction:

In the core part of the temple, the extended part of the Linga always points towards the North direction. This structure of the Linga helps devotee to understand a fact that there is a cosmic endless pillar which points towards North direction or that Cosmic Pillar is extended in North-South direction. All stars rotate around that Cosmic Pillar and try to move up towards the North Pole Star which is the divine opening the Brahmanda. Through this divine opening one can break out of the Brahmanda into the Satya Loka which is permanently divine place. All stars and planets have to go through cycles of birth and death within the limits of the Brahmanda but if they reach the place of the North Pole Star they will become immortal.

There is now birth or death in the Satya Loka. The Satya Loka is considered as the ultimate Swarga.

5)      The golden kalasha is present at the uppermost part of the temple:

On the top of every Hindu temple there is a golden Kalasha. This is the representation of the North Pole Star i.e. Dhruva or the Satya Loka or the Ultimate Swarga. Devotees rotate in clockwise circular path from the south of this Kalash, that’s why this tradition is called as Pradaskhina.

6)      All the sacrifices or Poojas are majorly performed during the Uttarayana or Northwards journey of the stars and the planets:

In India, there is a tradition that all major sacrifices or Poojas are majorly performed during the Uttarayana or Northwards journey of the stars and the planets. This is because ancient Indian astronomers considered the north as the direction of gods and the Dhruva i.e. the North Pole Star as the place of Swarga. One who wishes to get out of cycles of the birth and death should try to move towards the north direction which is a divine direction.

7)      While performing the Aarti light is rotated around the face of deity:

In the temples, while performing the Aarti light is rotated around the face of the deity. The idol of the deity is compared with the vishwaroopan. So, the head of the idol represents the North Pole Star. As all stars rotate around the North Pole Star, Aarati Diya or Niranjan is rotated around the idol’s head.

In yogic concepts, the human body is compared with Earth or Vishwaroopam. It is considered that human body is similar to the earth or Vishwaroopam and human body is considered as a small model of Earth or the Vishwaroopam.

In ancient Indian scriptures, the direction of North Pole (i.e. North direction) is compared with the head side of the human body and South Pole (i.e. South direction) is compared with the leg side of the human body. So, as North Pole Star is at a fixed position above the North Pole, the top of the head side of the human body is considered as the place of North Pole Star or Dhruva Star. The same principle is applied for the idol of the deity.

We all know that the earth rotates around itself from West to East. If we consider the North Pole as the head of Earth then we can say that Earth rotates around itself from the left-hand side. Due to the earth's rotation around itself when we look at the North Pole Star all stars appear to rotate in the clockwise direction from South of North Pole Star which is fixed at one fixed position.

During the ritual of Aarati Diya or Niranjan is considered as a representation of Jyoti or a star. We rotate this Jyoti or a star around the head of diety or a person which is a representation of the North Pole Star from the clockwise direction. Similar concept is applied when we do atma pradakshina when we rotate around ourselves as if top of our head is fixed like North Pole Star.

On the basis of all the research I did, I was able to conclude that the Hindu temples are nothing but the ancient planetariums designed by the brilliant ancient Indian astronomers and scholars to help common man or devotees to understand the structure of the earth and help them to understand the basic concepts and facts of the science of astronomy. Finally, I felt as if I was able to explore the Vishwaroopan through the knowledge of modern science of astronomy which I acquired through planetarium show and the knowledge of ancient science of astronomy which I acquired through the ancient books written by ancient Indian scholars. I drew all the diagrams which I was able to visualize. Finally, my exploratory journey which started form the Nehru Planetarium came to an end with convincing answers.