All Creations of\u00a0God\u00a0stretch Infinitely,<\/i><\/div>\n
All Times, Past, Present and Future,<\/i><\/div>\n
Worlds imagined and unimagined..<\/i>
\nEverything that Can be,<\/i>
\nEverything that Cannot be,<\/i>
\nAll exist somewhere..<\/i><\/div>\n
Beyond this world are myriad worlds,<\/i><\/div>\n
And beyond all worlds,<\/i>
\nIs\u00a0the One\u00a0that is Eternal..<\/i><\/div>\n
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The\u00a0Hindu New Year has just started and\u00a0Chaitra Navratri<\/i><\/b>\u00a0gets over today. Calculations tell us that we are in the\u00a05114th Year of the Era of Kaliyuga<\/b>, a thought that was enough to get me started on an exploration of the scriptures once again.<\/p>\n
Hindu scriptures have always used mind-boggling numbers for the Age of the Universe and the Gods inhabiting it. For example,\u00a0Brahma<\/b>, the Creator-God, has\u00a0an impressive life span\u00a0that runs\u00a0into trillions of Solar Years!<\/p>\n
The\u00a0\u2018Chemical locha\u2019<\/b>\u00a0<\/i>in my brain makes me\u00a0look for\u00a0a scientific sub-text\u00a0in every\u00a0religious text that I read.\u00a0How can it be, that the demi-gods and their Superior gods have such long time-spans\u00a0that make them seem\u00a0almost IMMORTAL\u00a0to us??<\/p>\n
For some time now, I have been\u00a0nursing this notion\u2013 COULD the multi-limbed\u00a0gods and goddesses with super-human abilities, space-crafts\u00a0and atomic-weaponry, be actually super-advanced ALIENS with\u00a0a keen interest in our world??<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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I\u00a0don\u2019t intend\u00a0this statement to be\u00a0blasphemous, as\u00a0I myself\u00a0am as much a man of Faith as of Science and\u00a0completely believe in the Divinity of\u00a0Supreme Lord\u00a0<\/b>and the\u00a0Holy Trinity<\/b>. What I propose here is a new understanding of the\u00a0DEMI-GODS as denizens of the same Universe living on different planets called LOKAS.<\/p>\n
They\u00a0have access to\u00a0highly\u00a0advanced Science (that we percieve as supernatural abilities) and a much better\u00a0grasp of the Supreme Lord\u2019s Cosmic Plan! Of course, they are Spiritually more advanced too and perform their individual\u00a0roles\u00a0in running\u00a0the\u00a0Universe\u00a0impeccably\u00a0viz.\u00a0Indra-<\/b>the Lord of Rain,\u00a0Varun-<\/b>the\u00a0Lord of Oceans\u00a0and\u00a0Yamaraj-<\/b>the Lord of Death.<\/p>\n
Could the Scientific advancement of these beings have resulted in their extended life-spans as well?? To us, the World seems to be ending,\u00a0but our Brahma\u00a0has\u00a0JUST hit Middle-age, and\u00a0is currently\u00a0near the Noon\u00a0of the\u00a01st Day of the 51st year of his life!<\/p>\n
By my calculation, Lord Brahma\u2019s\u00a0current age of 50 Deva Years (~155 Trillion Human Years)\u00a0+ Half a Day (~1.85 Billion Years) amounts to\u00a0the massive figure of\u00a0155.521852 Trillion Solar Years<\/b>\u00a0which would\u00a0also be\u00a0the Age of OUR Universe approximately!!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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It is noteworthy that unlike any other belief system in the World,\u00a0Hindu\u00a0Cosmology<\/b>\u00a0talks about Time frames that are\u00a0even FURTHER in the mists of time than the\u00a0approximations arrived at by\u00a0current Science (Age of Universe \u2013 14 Billion years).<\/p>\n
Whether\u00a0we consider them advanced aliens or demi-gods,\u00a0these beings\u00a0would be\u00a0FAR FAR Superior to us in Scientific as well as Spiritual pursuits and we should keep that in our mind while reading about their super-human feats in the ancient chronicles. Respecting the authority of these same\u00a0sources,\u00a0in this post, let us\u00a0embark on a journey of\u00a0Scriptural Space-Exploration<\/b>.<\/p>\n
Do Aliens Exist?<\/u><\/b><\/div>\n
Our planet is the\u00a0only KNOWN planet\u00a0which has\u00a0given birth to Life; however,\u00a0it does not follow\u00a0that\u00a0it\u00a0is the\u00a0ONLY one capable of supporting Life!<\/p>\n
There are Billions and Billions of Stars in each Galaxy; Billions of Galaxies in each Universe, and as we learnt in the 2nd post (Black Holes\u00a0and Bhagavatam<\/a><\/b>), Billions of Universes in the Material Creation!!\u00a0It is more likely than not, that Life in its myriad forms exists in not just one but many other planets as yet undiscovered by the human race.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
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Scientifically, it is still undetermined whether the universe\u00a0exists by itself or\u00a0is just one of the countless trillions within a larger\u00a0 Multiverse<\/b><\/a>, itself contained within the\u00a0Omniverse<\/b><\/a>\u00a0that is the Material World.<\/p>\n
Even if we forget the Multi-verse and Parallel Universes we encountered in a previous post, there are still enough planets within our OWN Universe,\u00a0which could\u00a0be inhabited by alien species. Here, I would quote my favorite author,\u00a0Arthur C. Clarke\u00a0<\/b>to put\u00a0a very valid\u00a0point across-<\/p>\n
Almost certainly there is enough land in the sky to give every member of the human species,\u00a0his own private world!\u00a0But how many of those potentially habitable worlds are\u00a0ALREADY inhabited, we have no way of\u00a0knowing!<\/i><\/p>\n
Yet, as he quite eloquently states, the barriers of distance are crumbling; one day SOON we may\u00a0meet our Equals, or our Masters, among the stars.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Sadly, Human race today, is like the proverbial Frog-in-the-well. We have been cocooned by our Atmosphere and sheltered from the harsh realities of Universe for so long, that we just can\u2019t remember how things are outside of it. But there are entire Solar Systems, Galaxies and even Universes that are inaccessible to us right now and it would be good to remember the plausability of Life existing somewhere out there.<\/p>\n
Different Worlds\u00a0in Our Universe<\/u><\/b><\/div>\n\n
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It would be immediately clear from this video that we are an extremely tiny and insignificant part of this gigantic Universe and there are billions and zillions of worlds out there\u00a0about which we have absolutely no clue even today. Fortunately for us, the Ancients were\u00a0NOT as short-sighted or limited by Scientific Theories\u00a0as we are today,\u00a0and have described\u00a0planets, galaxies and even multiple Universes in this Material Realm which would act like\u00a0what Science calls an\u00a0 Omniverse<\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0Puraans\u00a0<\/b><\/i>give THREE different divisions of our Universe and label them as the:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n\n
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Urdhva-loka<\/b>\u00a0(Highest abodes),<\/li>\n
Madhya or Bhu-loka<\/b>\u00a0(Middle ones), and<\/li>\n
Adho-loka<\/b>\u00a0(the Lower realms).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\nVarious scriptures talk about these different realms within Material Creation. In the Great War\u00a0of Mahabharat,\u00a0when Arjuna faltered in his duty, Lord Krishna gave him the Divine discourse of\u00a0\u00a0 Shrimad Bhagavad Geeta<\/b><\/a>, and\u00a0let him have\u00a0a glimpse of\u00a0His Supreme\u00a0Virat-Roop<\/a><\/b>.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
In this Universal Form of the Lord,\u00a0Arjun could see the entire cosmos. Eternity manifests itself in endless ways on endless planes of existence and from head to toe, Arjuna saw the body of Lord Krishna\u00a0encompassing\u00a014 different\u00a0planetary dimensions!!<\/div>\n
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Let us try to understand what the fourteen planetary systems or Lokas refer to and what is their geographical and spatial arrangement.<\/div>\n
Lokas in\u00a0Our Universe<\/u><\/b><\/div>\n
Each\u00a0Universe is shaped like an egg (Brahmand<\/b><\/i>) and within it exist the three levels of Lokas. There are\u00a014 planetary systems comprising the three Lokas and below them exist the 28 different Hells. It is interesting to note that various Puraans claim the original abode of Shiva to be at the boundary of this Universe and NOT Kailash.<\/div>\n
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The\u00a0Vayu Puraan, Chapter 39\u00a0<\/b>sheds more light on the details of this place and says thatbeyond Brahmaloka and beneath the upper crust of the Cosmic Egg \u2013 in between these two is the PURA (Shiva\u2019s city), his divine abode MANOMAYA (consisting of the mind).<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n
This, then is the Original and Supreme abode of Shiva where He resides till the end of Creation and is visited by the other gods in their space-crafts (aliens again?). This would also make sense, since geologically, the Himalayas (of which Mount Kailash is a part), did not rise up till about 5o million years ago!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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The\u00a0Hari-vamsha<\/b>\u00a0says that Higher planetary systems\u00a0are the realms of Devas, Angels, Spirits and Manes; Middle Planets (Bhu-Loka) the abode of mortal beings like Humans and animals; and the Lower planets are populated by the Demons and Nagas. Since the names in the Image above may not be very clear, I am jotting down the 14 systems here:<\/div>\n
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<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Higher Lokas\u00a0 \u2013\u00a0\u00a0Lower Lokas<\/b><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Satyaloka<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
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1<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
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Atal<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Tapoloka<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
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2<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
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Vital<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Janloka<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
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3<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
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Sutal<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Maharloka<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
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4<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
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Rasatal<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Swargaloka<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
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5<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
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Talatal<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Bhuvarloka<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
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6<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
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Mahatal<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Bhuloka<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
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7<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
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Patal<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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All these planets are within the material world and under the control of Devi Durga, therefore the Material Creation is also known as\u00a0Devi-dham.<\/b><\/p>\n
Development of higher consciousness, starts with human beings, and further increases among the denizens of higher planetary systems. Our Earth is situated close to the middle of these planetary systems and\u00a0represents the Mortal Realms known as\u00a0the\u00a0Bhu Mandala<\/b>.<\/p>\n
Jain Scriptures<\/b>\u00a0also describe a similar form known as the\u00a0Lok-purush\u00a0<\/b>or the Cosmic Man. The torso and head of the Cosmic Man contain a series of heavenly realms where the inhabitants experience lives of pleasure. The legs represent a series of seven hells, which offer an endless variety of torments.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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For us, the most important part of the universe,\u00a0is the disk at\u00a0the Loka-purush\u2019s waist, representing the\u00a0MIDDLE-WORLD,\u00a0where humans live and great teachers can be born. In this post, I\u00a0shall take you through the\u00a014\u00a0planetary systems starting with the\u00a0Top planets first and gradually progressing to the Lower ones.<\/div>\n
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URDHVA-LOKA or The Higher Planets<\/u><\/b><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The Higher Planets are abodes of super-intelligent, super-human, semi-divine and spiritually advanced beings. Loosely they may be understood as the Heavenly planets compared to the Middle Realm of Earth-like planets\u00a0and the lower Hellish realms.<\/div>\n
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This group\u00a0contains SIX planetary systems shown in the image above as the top six Lokas. The\u00a0lowest of these,\u00a0the Bhuvar-Loka, lies immediately above the Earthly Realm or\u00a0Bhu-Loka<\/i><\/b>.<\/p>\n
SATYA-LOKA<\/u><\/b><\/div>\n
The HIGHEST planet in the Material Realm\u00a0is the abode of\u00a0Lord Brahma<\/b>, the progenitor of this universe. Along with him are present, his consort\u00a0Saraswati<\/b>\u00a0and other spiritual entities\u00a0who, after eons of spiritual penance have been able to transcend the bonds of Material world and reach this plane by traversing\u00a0through the Milky Way.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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At the time of final dissolution of the material planets the residents here transform their subtle bodies into spiritual bodies and enter the eternal\u00a0Vaikuntha<\/b> planets which begin 26,200,000 yojanas ABOVE the Satyaloka.<\/p>\n
TAPO-LOKA<\/u><\/b><\/div>\n
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This is the abode of the four Kumars named\u00a0Sanat, Sanak, Sanandan,<\/b>\u00a0and\u00a0Sanatan<\/b>\u00a0and is located 120,000,000 yojanas below the Satya-Loka.<\/p>\n
They are the first incarnations of Lord Vishnu and represent the\u00a0Gyan-shakti<\/b><\/i>\u00a0(power of knowledge) of the Lord. They are\u00a0collectively referred to as the Kumars because they are immortal and\u00a0live for the entire duration of universal time, yet retain their\u00a0appearance of 5 year old kids!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Because of their pure nature, they have easy access to the\u00a0Brahma-Loka<\/i><\/b>\u00a0as well as the Spiritual Realm and regularly visit Lord Vishnu in the\u00a0Vaikuntha<\/i><\/b>.<\/p>\n
JANA-LOKA & MAHAR-LOKA<\/u><\/b><\/div>\n
The next Loka lies 80,000,000 yojanas\u00a0below the\u00a0Tapaloka and is the abode of great rishis.\u00a020,000,000 yojanas\u00a0below Janaloka is the Maharloka which\u00a0is another abode of great saints and sages.<\/p>\n
These\u00a0Lokas are populated by mystics who can move between any planets within the material universe at speeds unthinkable to modern Science and the greatest of sages, such as\u00a0Bhrigu Muni<\/b>, live in this place. The inhabitants have a life span of one whole day of Brahma (4.32 Billion years)!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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When the fire of devastation reaches this planet the residents transport themselves to\u00a0Satyaloka<\/i><\/b>\u00a0where they live further before the highest of planets is also destroyed. They then transform their subtle bodies to spiritual and enter the spiritual realms.<\/p>\n
Here, by\u00a0means of\u00a0his\u00a0Karma<\/i><\/b>, a soul can either go\u00a0higher, up to\u00a0Satyaloka\u00a0<\/b><\/i>and\u00a0become Brahma\u2019s associate, or down, to the level of the\u00a0Devas\u00a0or demigods<\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\n
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SWARGA-LOKA<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The abode of the 33 Vedic gods also known as the\u00a0Trayastri\u1e43\u015ba<\/b><\/span>\u00a0in Buddhist cosmology is\u00a0located on the peak of\u00a0Mount Meru<\/b><\/a>, the central mountain of the world, at a height of 80,000 yojans.<\/p>\n
This Loka corresponds to the concept of Heaven as described in the Western sense of the term. Here the King of the Gods,\u00a0Indra<\/b><\/a>\u00a0rules with his brothers and\u00a0companions. His entourage comprises of Angels,\u00a0Gandharvas, Apsaras, Maruts, Vasus<\/i><\/b>\u00a0and other divine beings.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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This is one of the most opulent\u00a0planetary system\u00a0with unimaginable riches, wish-fulfilling trees, supersonic space-crafts, ability to travel in different dimensions, long life-spans, and freedom from disease and disability. The\u00a0duty of these\u00a0Demi-gods<\/b>\u00a0is to manage the affairs of the universe, protecting its inhabitants against the demons.<\/p>\n
The capital city of this world is\u00a0Amravati<\/b>\u00a0\u2013 Abode of the Immortals.\u00a0Indra and his fellow-residents obtain all the pleasures of life because of the\u00a0wish-fulfilling cow\u00a0Kamdhenu<\/i><\/b>. This divine cow, the three-headed White Elephant\u00a0Airavat<\/i><\/b>\u00a0as well as the Flying Horse\u00a0Uchhaihshrava<\/i><\/b>\u00a0(~Greek Pegasus) were the riches Indra obtained after the Churning of the Cosmic Ocean.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
However, the\u00a033 gods do not have a completely worry-free life here. In particular, they find themselves frequently challenged by\u00a0the\u00a0Asuras<\/b><\/a>\u00a0who dwell at the foot of Sumeru, plotting for ways to\u00a0overthrow the Devas and take over their kingdom.<\/div>\n
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Scriptural references make it equivalent to the\u00a0Biblical Heaven<\/b>\u00a0or\u00a0Islamic Jannat<\/b>\u00a0where the good souls go after death to reap the benefits of their good\u00a0Karma<\/i><\/b>.<\/p>\n
If\u00a0they become advanced in devotional service, they can\u00a0advance to\u00a0one of the higher\u00a0Munilokas<\/b><\/a> but if they become attached to material enjoyment,\u00a0they will degrade into a lower position\u00a0of a semi-divine being of even a Human again.<\/p>\n
BHUVAR-LOKA<\/u><\/b><\/div>\n
This planetary system\u00a0roughly corresponds\u00a0to our Solar System and contains Five major\u00a0planets\u00a0plus the Sun-God. However, there\u00a0are two planets outside the Solar System\u00a0included in this \u2013\u00a0Dhruva Loka<\/i><\/b>\u00a0or Pole Star and the realm of the\u00a0Sapta-rishis<\/i><\/b>\u00a0or Big Dipper.<\/p>\n
These\u00a0Lokas are the abodes of\u00a0Semi-divine<\/b>\u00a0beings who are one notch higher than the Humans.\u00a0They assist the demigods in various ways and sometimes interact with the humans. By advancement in\u00a0their service\u00a0they can become a\u00a0Demigod<\/b><\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0by indulging in enjoyment,\u00a0be born as a\u00a0Human<\/b><\/a>\u00a0on the Earthly Realms.
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Dhruv-Loka<\/u><\/b><\/div>\n
It is the planetary complex revolving around the\u00a0Polestar that\u00a0is said to be\u00a010,000,000 yojans below the Maharloka. It\u00a0is described\u00a0as the center of a bright ring of stars identified with our galaxy, Milky Way.In every material universe, there\u00a0is one\u00a0Vaikunth<\/b>\u00a0planet with an ocean of milk where Lord Vishnu resides on an island called\u00a0Shvetadvipa<\/i><\/b>. In our Universe, this planet is situated in the Eastern side of Dhruvaloka and\u00a0is the abode of Lord Kshirodakshayi Vishnu!\n<\/div>\n
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This transcendental island is 200,000 square miles and covered with desire trees for the pleasure of the Supreme Lord\u00a0who resides here with Goddess Lakshmi and other pure, transcendental entities.<\/p>\n
As it is a spiritual planet, it is eternal and therefore remains when all other planets within the material universes are destroyed. It is\u00a0believed to be\u00a0the pivot for all material stars and planets with even the Sun,\u00a0revolving at the speed of\u00a016,000 miles per second around the\u00a0Dhruvaloka<\/b><\/i>.<\/p>\n
As mentioned in a previous\u00a0post {Black Holes and Bhagavatam<\/a><\/b>}, this Loka is located at the\u00a0Galactic Center<\/b>\u00a0which is formed by a Super-massive Black Hole which may act as a portal between the Physical and Spiritual Realms.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Sapta-rishi Loka<\/u><\/b><\/div>\n
The abode of the\u00a0Seven Great Seers or the\u00a0Sapta-rishis<\/b>\u00a0located 100,000 Yojans below the Dhruva-Loka.<\/p>\n
The seven rishis are the most advanced spiritual guides for Humanity and have been present at all major time periods of our History. Astronomically, their abode is recognized in the form of the Big Dipper or Ursa Major constellation and it always revolves around the\u00a0Dhruv-Loka<\/i><\/b>\u00a0or Pole Star.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Rishi\u00a0Vasishth\u00a0<\/b>was the preceptor of\u00a0the Solar Dynasty or Suryavansh\u00a0while\u00a0Vishwamitra<\/b>\u00a0was the guru of Lord Rama. There are numerous stories and legends in the ancient scriptures which relate the immense services these rishis have provided to different rulers on our planet since the beginning of time.<\/div>\n
Nakshtara-Loka<\/u><\/b><\/div>\n
Nakshatra Mandala is the stellar neighborhood of the Solar System perceived as the starry night sky. It is generally equated with the Zodiac Map around the Earth and represents the different constellations visible to us from Earth.<\/div>\n
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Lokas of Solar Planets<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n
The next\u00a0Lokas are those of the major Solar\u00a0planets viz.\u00a0 Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn which are the abodes of the divine-beings called\u00a0Budh, Shukra, Mangal, Brihaspati<\/i><\/b>\u00a0and\u00a0Shanaichar<\/b><\/i>\u00a0respectively.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
An alternate view is that these are spherical shell regions in which the respective planet\u2019s orbits are situated and these shells contain one after the other in the order of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. These are believed to be located at a respective distance of 2,00,000 Yojans each.<\/div>\n
Surya-Loka<\/u><\/b><\/div>\nSimilarly, the Surya-Loka refers to the sphere of the\u00a0Sun-god<\/b>\u00a0and the Solar neighborhood. It is located at a height of 1,00,000 Yojans above the Earth.The Most importnt thing about this Loka is that it is situated bang in the middle of the Bhuloka and Bhuvarloka, rotating through the time circle of the zodiac. Thus, it represents not only the center of the Solar System, but ALSO the center of the Universe!!\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Since all observable data has shown the Universe to be expanding all around us, it\u00a0MAY in fact BE true that our Solar System occupies the central position in the Egg-shaped Universe that we exist in. Those interested in knowing more can go through this article by Dr. Russel Humphrey \u2013\u00a0{Our-galaxy-is-the-centre-of-the-universe-quantized-redshifts-show<\/b><\/a>}.<\/p>\n
It is not so easy to determine the real space structure of the universe because\u00a0there\u2019s no\u00a0INDEPENDENT measure of distance in the universe.\u00a0Hence, the\u00a0astronomers\u00a0have to\u00a0look at a map of redshifts and directions in the sky from where the light has come. Then to get the distance to the source galaxy they have to\u00a0assume\u00a0<\/i>the Hubble law.<\/p>\n
Such observations\u00a0have confirmed that numerical values of galaxy redshifts are \u2018quantized\u2019, tending to fall into distinct groups. According to\u00a0Hubble\u2019s Law<\/b>, redshifts are proportional to how far a Galaxy is from us and an analysis of these shifts shows that galaxies tend to be grouped into (conceptual) spherical shells concentric around our home galaxy, the Milky Way.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Chandra-Loka<\/u><\/b><\/div>\n
Chandra\/Soma<\/i><\/b>\u00a0is the Sanskrit name of the\u00a0Moon-god<\/b>\u00a0and hence, this Loka includes the satellite of Moon as well as its orbital neighborhood.It should be remembered that when the scriptures talk about the Sun or the Moon-gods, it does not imply that the Star and the Satellite themselves are revered as Gods! There are deities who have been given the responsibility of these Heavenly bodies and\u00a0THEY are the ones referred to by these terms.\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Moon\u00a0influences the\u00a0tidal processions\u00a0and growth of vegetation therefore it is considered the life-giver for all living beings on earth. Here the celestial, intoxicating beverage called\u00a0Soma<\/i><\/b>\u00a0is also available which is consumed by Indra and other Devas especially when they are getting ready for a battle.<\/div>\n
Rahu<\/u><\/b><\/div>\n
Rahu is the North node of the Moon\u2019s orbit while its counterpart Ketu is the southern one. It is said to be situated 80,000 miles\u00a0above the three previous Lokas and is responsible for causing the\u00a0Solar and Lunar eclipses.Astronomically, Rahu and Ketu are identified with the\u00a0Ascending and Descending Nodes<\/b>\u00a0of the Moon which are the points where the orbits of Sun and Moon intersect and if the alignment is correct, either a Solar or Lunar eclipse may occur.\n<\/div>\n
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Thus, these are not imaginary entities which periodically swallow the Sun and the Moon to cause an eclipse but ACTUAL positions contributing to the eclipses. The ancients were after all NOT crazy and the myths actually have underlying science inherent in them.<\/div>\n
Siddhaloka, Charanaloka, & Vidyadharaloka<\/u><\/b><\/h4>\n
These planets are\u00a0spread from\u00a0above the Antariksh to the orbit of the Moon. Their residents are born with all the mystic siddhis naturally, including the ability to travel to other planets without using mechanical contraptions.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The\u00a0Vidyadhars<\/i><\/b>\u00a0are winged-creatures corresponding to the western concept of\u00a0Angels and\u00a0Siddhas<\/i><\/b>\u00a0are advanced beings who do not need wings to fly\u00a0on account of their\u00a0mystic Yogic powers.\u00a0Chaarans\u00a0<\/i><\/b>spend most of their time traveling between the different planetary systems, eulogizing the Lord.<\/p>\n
To me, the above mentioned three dimensions seem to represent the DIVISIONS of ATMOSPHERE which is quite neatly divided into three bands as well!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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It is quite possible, that the three Lokas mentioned here, actually refer\u00a0to the\u00a0Atmospheric layers of\u00a0Thermosphere, Mesosphere and Stratosphere and these entities exist there in\u00a0an ethereal form.<\/p>\n
Antariksh<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The sky called\u00a0Antariksh<\/i><\/b>\u00a0is the lowest of the higher Lokas and exists immediately above the Earth realm.\u00a0It extends as far as the wind blows and clouds float in the sky and within it are the\u00a0residences of\u00a0Yakshas, Rakshashas, Pisachas<\/i><\/b>, Ghosts, and other etheral beings.<\/div>\n
Now that we are done with the Higher planets, let\u2019s move on to the Middle level Earth-like worlds known as th\u00a0Mrityu-Loka<\/b>\u00a0or\u00a0Bhu-Loka<\/b>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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MADHYA-LOKA or The Middle Planets<\/u><\/b><\/h4>\n
<\/div>\n
The\u00a0Bhumandala<\/i><\/b>\u00a0comprises of SEVEN Planets\u00a0giving rise to\u00a0the Mortal Realm. These\u00a0are:<\/div>\n
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Jambu-dvipa,<\/b><\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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Plaksha-dvipa,<\/b><\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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Salmali-dvipa,<\/b><\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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Kusha-dvipa,<\/b><\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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Krauncha-dvipa,<\/b><\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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Shaka-dvipa,<\/b><\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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Pushkar-dvipa<\/b><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
We have already identified JAMBUDWEEP as our planet, in a previous post {Jambudvip \u2013 The Global Island<\/b><\/a>}. The other six planets are arranged in a concentric fashion around the central planet Earth.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I wouldn\u2019t go much into the details of the different planets here because the\u00a0descriptions more or less follow the same pattern as those of the Earth. All these planets have land surrounded by huge oceans\u00a0and comprise of Humanoid species.<\/p>\n
However, the denizens here live longer and are more materially opulent than the denizens of our world\u00a0becuase right from\u00a0Plaksh-dvipa<\/b>\u00a0to\u00a0Shak-dvipa<\/b>, there is a perpetual\u00a0Treta-Yuga<\/i><\/b>\u00a0which is a more conducive age than our present Kailyuga.<\/p>\n
I hope most of you would have grasped the point to be noted here \u2013\u00a0Besides Earth, there are\u00a0SIX more planets which have Human-beings\/Humanoids inhabiting them!<\/b><\/p>\n
The significance of this information is huge!! If only we could identify these planets, we would be able to identify the location of\u00a0OTHER intelligent species similar to us as well. I for one would be most eager to join if someone with access to astronomical resources needed for this endeavor decides to take the initiative..<\/p>\n
Till then, let us do what we can and learn more about the other Lokas.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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ADHO-LOKA or The Lower Planets<\/u><\/b><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
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About 70,000 Yojans below the earth begin the seven lower planetary systems. It should be remembered that these planets may be LOWER in spatial co-ordinates but are materially MORE opulent than even the Higher Planets hence they are known as the\u00a0Bila-Swarga<\/i><\/b>!<\/p>\n
These geographically lower worlds are:<\/p>\n
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Atal<\/b><\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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Vital<\/b><\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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Sutal<\/b><\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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Talatal<\/b><\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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Mahataal<\/b><\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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Rasaatal<\/b><\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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Pataal<\/b><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The residents here enjoy a standard of material comfort\u00a0UNMATCHED by\u00a0even the higher planets because the denizens of these worlds are concerned only with\u00a0Material<\/b>\u00a0enjoyment\u00a0and have very loittle\u00a0Spiritual<\/b>\u00a0inclination.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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These lower worlds are dark planets, devoid of any Sunshine and\u00a0are hence\u00a0artificially-lit<\/i><\/b>\u00a0by means of huge reflecting surfaces in the form of crystals and gems! Since time is not divided into days and nights due to no sunshine reaching these planets, they have no fear produced by time.<\/p>\n
These planets are\u00a0the residence of\u00a0Daityas, Danavas,\u00a0Panis, Nivat-kavachs, Rakshasas, Kalkeyas,<\/b>\u00a0Nagas,<\/b>\u00a0Uragas<\/b>\u00a0who are all engaged in illusory material enjoyment with no thought of spiritual liberation. All residents bathe in elixirs which free them from any anxiety or physical disease, as well as any signs of physical aging.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The visual beauty of these artificial heavens surpasses even that of the higher planets and hence they are known as\u00a0Bila-Swarga<\/b>. There are incredible feats of architecture in their cities bedecked with valuable jewels.<\/div>\n
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This sensual atmosphere completely captures the mind, allowing no thoughts but those directed toward fulfillment of pleasure.\u00a0Demon live in these lower planetary systems with their wives and children, always engaged in sense gratification and not fearing their next births.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
There are some details\u00a0which are worth mentioning here-<\/div>\n
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The\u00a0planet Sutal is the abode of\u00a0Bali Maharaj<\/b>, the most benevoent and just king of the Asura race, who was blessed by Lord Vishnu to become the\u00a0Indra<\/i><\/b>\u00a0for the next\u00a0Manvantar<\/i><\/b>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
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In the Lower planets of Mahataal and Pataal, reside the\u00a0Nagas<\/b>\u00a0or the semi-human serpent people. The Nagaloka is a splendid place with unimaginable riches. All darkness is banished here because of the brilliantly glowing jewels on the hoods of the huge serpents. The King of the Nagas,\u00a0Vasuki<\/b>\u00a0resides here in his capital\u00a0Bhogavati<\/b>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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Buddhist texts mention eight major kings of the Nagas \u2013\u00a0Vasuki, Takshak, Nanda, Upananda, Sagar, Balvan, Anavatapta<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Utpal<\/em><\/strong>. The same are also referred to as the \u2018Eight Dragon Kings\u2019 in\u00a0Chinese<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Japanese<\/strong>\u00a0legends.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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Below the lowest planet of Pataal, is the planet of the Manes or ancestors who are known as the\u00a0Pitras<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Texts like the\u00a0Mahabharat\u00a0<\/strong>repeatedly give incidents of Nagas emerging from under the ground (inspired probably by their tendency to live in burrows) and Naga princesses abducting handsome men deep down under water. Maybe a thorough underwater exploration can help shed some light on the\u00a0possible existence of\u00a0portals between these worlds and our Earth.<\/p>\n
Till now, we have encountered\u00a0planets\u00a0with advanced\u00a0beings having multiple limbs\u00a0who can transport themselves from one place to another in a fraction of a second\u00a0(Vaikunth-Loka<\/strong>). We\u00a0saw\u00a0planets where people travel on\u00a0airplanes and space-crafts rather than ground-cars (Swarga-Loka<\/strong>) and also\u00a0read about\u00a0planets\u00a0that do not need the Sun for survival (Bila-Swarga<\/strong>)<\/p>\n
Beneath all these,\u00a0and slightly above the\u00a0Garbhodak ocean<\/em><\/strong>, are the\u00a0Naraklokas<\/em><\/strong>, or the hellish planets.<\/p>\n
NARAK-LOKA or The Hellish Planets<\/u><\/strong><\/h4>\n
Narak\u00a0is the Hindu counterpart of Christian\u00a0Hell<\/strong>\u00a0and Islamic\u00a0Dozakh<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
This place\u00a0acts as a purgatory for\u00a0the souls who have\u00a0commited the most abominable actions on the earthly plane. Unlike the Eternal\u00a0Hell\u00a0of Western\u00a0religions though, this place is temporary and once the soul has learnt its lesson, it is free to move back into the regular dimension.<\/p>\n
There are 28 different hells described in the Vedic literature\u00a0and these planets are:\u00a0Raurav, Sukar, Rodha, Tal, Vishsan, Mahajwal, Taptakumbh, Lavan, Vilohit, Rudhiramabh, Vaitarni, Krimish, Krimibhojan, Asipatravana,\u00a0Krishna, Lalabhaksha, Darun, Puyuvah, Pap, Vahnijwal, Adhahshira, Sandansh, Kalsutra, Tamas, Avichi, Swabhojan, Apratishthit<\/i>\u00a0and\u00a0Aprachi<\/i>.<\/p>\n
The ancient\u00a0sages have made provisions of expiation for those sinners who feel guilty in their conscience after committing their sins. Only those sinners who do not expiate for their sins fall into these hells. Although life here seems to go on for an eternity, in actual fact the duration of one\u2019s\u00a0Karmic sentence<\/i><\/b>\u00a0here may be only seconds or moments.<\/p>\n
All these Hells are under the domain of\u00a0Surya-putra\u00a0Yamaraj<\/b>\u00a0where he delivers judgement according to the record kept by his assistant Chitra-gupta.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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As I understand, the sins are paid off in hell only when you have achieved the human form at the end of the 84 lakh births you have taken.. at all other times, the soul is immediately transferred to a new body as soon as it leaves the previous one.<\/span><\/p>\n
Below these planets is the\u00a0Garbhodak<\/b>\u00a0Ocean<\/b>\u00a0which forms the bottom of the\u00a0Universal Egg<\/i><\/b>\u00a0or the\u00a0Brahm-and<\/i><\/b>.<\/p>\n
Foundation of Our Universe<\/u><\/b><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
At the base of our Universe lies the immense Garbhodak\u00a0Ocean on which reclines the second form of Lord Vishnu \u2013\u00a0Shri Garbhodakshayi Vishnu<\/b>, resting on the Eternal serpent,\u00a0Ananta-Shesha<\/b>. {For details check this link \u2013\u00a0Creation by Brahma<\/b><\/a>}.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Anant-Shesh<\/b>\u00a0has thousands of hoods and each of the hoods carries a bright gemstone that illuminates the azimuths. At the end of every\u00a0Kalpa<\/i><\/b>, Brahma goes to sleep and rests for the night.<\/p>\n
The time has come now for the\u00a0Maha-pralaya<\/i><\/b>\u00a0when fiery poison emanates from Ananta\u2019s thousands of hoods and destroys all Creation. This is the\u00a0Sankarshan\u00a0<\/b>form of the Lord from whose eyebrows appears the three-eyed\u00a0Rudra<\/b>\u00a0who\u00a0destroys the three worlds and dances the dance of destruction known as the Tandav.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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From all that we have read about\u00a0the different Lokas,\u00a0Bhu-Loka<\/b>\u00a0or the Earth-Realm\u00a0seems to\u00a0be sort of a\u00a0Launch-pad from where you can\u00a0reach the other worlds based on your\u00a0Karma<\/i><\/b>.<\/div>\n
Through\u00a0GOOD<\/b>\u00a0Karma and right inclination, one\u00a0can\u00a0ascend to the Spiritually advanced Higher planets; through\u00a0OKAYish<\/b>\u00a0Karma, indulgence of senses and unbridled desires, one can descend to\u00a0the Spiritually deprived but Materially advanced Lower planets. And through really really really\u00a0BAD<\/b>\u00a0Karma, one may have to suffer in one of the Hellish planets!This, I believe is the central learning from all this knowledge. Even if you are a\u00a0Deva<\/b>\u00a0or a\u00a0Rishi<\/b>, there\u2019s no guarantee that you won\u2019t be born as a\u00a0Rakshas<\/b>\u00a0or an ant or a bacteria\u00a0in your next birth!\u00a0There are numerous\u00a0instances where a Divine being was cursed to be born as a Human or an animal because of his bad Karma.\n<\/div>\n
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The only certain way to get out of this\u00a0<\/b>Samsara\u00a0or the Never-ending Cycle of Birth and Death is to keep the Lord in your heart in every action that you do, in every thought that comes to your mind, and in every breath that you take.<\/b>I conclude this post\u00a0with\u00a0a\u00a0statement\u00a0from the\u00a0Brahma-Vaivarta Puraan<\/b>\u00a0\u2013\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Harer naam Harer naam Hare naam Kevalam,<\/i><\/div>\n
Kalau na asti eva na asti eva na asti eva gatih anyathha!<\/i><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Only the name of Hari, Only the name of Hari, Only the name of Hari,<\/div>\n
There\u2019s no other delieverance, no other deliverance, no other deliverance in this Age of Kali!<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
All Creations of\u00a0God\u00a0stretch Infinitely, All Times, Past, Present and Future, Worlds imagined and unimagined.. Everything that Can be, Everything that Cannot be, All exist somewhere.. Beyond this world are myriad worlds, And beyond all worlds, Is\u00a0the One\u00a0that is Eternal.. The\u00a0Hindu New Year has just started and\u00a0Chaitra Navratri\u00a0gets over today. Calculations tell us that we are <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1652,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,23],"tags":[18,19],"class_list":["post-1651","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-science","category-space","tag-slider","tag-slider1"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bytesqube.com\/vedicverse\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/maxresdefault.jpg?fit=1280%2C720&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bytesqube.com\/vedicverse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1651","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bytesqube.com\/vedicverse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bytesqube.com\/vedicverse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bytesqube.com\/vedicverse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bytesqube.com\/vedicverse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1651"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/bytesqube.com\/vedicverse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1651\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1654,"href":"https:\/\/bytesqube.com\/vedicverse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1651\/revisions\/1654"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bytesqube.com\/vedicverse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1652"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bytesqube.com\/vedicverse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1651"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bytesqube.com\/vedicverse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1651"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bytesqube.com\/vedicverse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1651"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}