A trip to the stars

Sai R Vaidyanathan

The Indian space programme is doing very well whether it is putting satellites into orbit or launching explorations to the Moon and Mars.

Indians — from Aryabhata in the fifth century to Sawai Jai Singh II in the 17th century — have not only wondered about the skies above but also made efforts to uncover their secrets.

Our storytellers were not far behind our men of science. They incorporated complex ideas about infinite space in their tales to impart those to the common man easily.

Life beyond Earth

Are we alone in this limitless universe? Not willing to take yes for an answer, modern scientists from all over the world even today keep sending probes deep into space.

Similarly, Indian seers visualised a series of heavenly planets, Earthly worlds and hellish worlds, as Lord Krishna indicated in verse 14.18 in the Gita.

Space travel

Just like air travel, space trips may soon become the norm with common folk. And like jetlag hits air travellers, a trip to space may cause us to age less.

In modern physics, this is called the twin paradox. It is a thought experiment in special relativity involving identical twins, one of whom makes a journey into space in a high-speed rocket and returns home to find that the twin who remained on Earth has aged more.

In our epics, we encounter Balaram who married Revati who was several centuries his senior. To find a match for his granddaughter Revati, King Raivat went to Brahmlok to seek Brahma’s advice. As Brahma was rapt in music, the duo decided to wait. When the music session ended, Raivat approached the Creator.

“Raivat, have you realised how much time you have been away from the Earth?” asked the Creator.

As a day in Brahmlok equalled centuries on Earth, many Kings and kingdoms had come and gone on Earth while Raivat and Revati had waited for Brahma’s opinion.

At that moment, the king realised that he no longer had a kingdom to rule and all the people he knew were no more. Brahma said, “Go to Dwaraka. There, you will find her match in a wielder of the plough.” Raivat and his granddaughter landed on Earth and went to meet King Ugrasen. The king summoned Balaram, the valiant brother of Lord Krishna, as he wielded the plough. Soon, Revati and Balaram got married.

Multiple universes

The universe started with the Big Bang 13.8 billion years ago. But what caused it?

Scientists speculate that instead of a single universe, reality is in the form of a multiverse (multiple universes). Two of those collided and caused the Big Bang.

In the epics, we come across sage Vishwamitra who created a separate universe for King Trisankhu, an ancestor of Lord Rama.

Trisankhu wanted to go to heaven in his body, but Indra, the chief of gods, denied him entry and pushed him down. Enraged Vishwamitra halted Trisankhu’s fall and created an upside-down universe for him.   For inspiration, look up to the stars...or the epics.

The author can be contacted at author.sai@gmail.com