Vision of the Earth from Space
Regarding the view of Earth from Space it is said, " That beautiful, warm, living object looks so fragile, so delicate, that if you touched it with a finger it would crumble and fall apart."
The ancient texts delineate the majesty of the Earth as experienced from above.
Aerial view of the earth is described in many ancient classical works like Raghuvamsham, abhijnashakuntalam of Kalidasa. In Raghuvamsham, when Rama was returning to Ayodhya from Lanka in Pushpakavimana ( aerial vehicle like aeroplane ), he descibes to his wife Sita ,the path of milkyway and other natural scenes as to how they looked from above.
He also refers to the unique serenity and joy he experienced while passing through them.
In Abhijnanashakuntalam, a famous drama by Kalidasa, Dushyanta, the king and the hero being called by Indra, the Lord of Heaven went to assist him in his fight against the demons ( descendants of Kalanemi demon ) . After the victory over the enemies, Dushyanta was returning to his kingdom on the earth in the chariot driven by Matali, Indra's charioteer.
While going to Indra's place, Dushyanta did look into space as he was preoccupied with the thoughts of war and defeating the enemies. He now being relaxed, enjoyed the beauty of vast Nature around him. He asked the charioteer about the path ( zone of the space ) through which they were traversing. Matali replied that was the zone of the space where the wind by name ' Parvaha ' blows and there in the milky way, that special wind directs the stars on their path.
The king replied that he experienced a unique serenity inwards there.
He later observed the path of the clouds through which the chariot was moving and the wheels were wet with the drops of water and at the flash of lightning, the horses were jumping and chataka birds were flying through the space between the spokes of the wheels. The king looked down at the earth , the abode of human beings. He describes it beautifully,
" It looks as if the earth is going down the high mountains, the branches hidden among the leaves are clearly visible, thin rivers are becoming wider and this earth is coming towards me as if somebody is throwing the earth towards us ."
Varahamihita's Brhat Samhita also mentions the various types of winds blowing in different zones of Space .
The famous astronaut Edgar Mitchell said,
" My view of our planet was a glimpse of divinity ." He added : " We went to the Moon as technicians, we returned as humanitarians ."
The Bulgarian Cosmonaut Aleksandro was similarly moved, stating " We are all Earth's children. We should treat her as our Mother."
Vastness of Space and richness of Nature always inspires and ennobles man. That is why pilgimage centres are at the mountain tops or shores of the ocean and rivers.
Spiritual traditions indicate a reverence for Nature .
Regarding the view of Earth from Space it is said, " That beautiful, warm, living object looks so fragile, so delicate, that if you touched it with a finger it would crumble and fall apart."
The ancient texts delineate the majesty of the Earth as experienced from above.
Aerial view of the earth is described in many ancient classical works like Raghuvamsham, abhijnashakuntalam of Kalidasa. In Raghuvamsham, when Rama was returning to Ayodhya from Lanka in Pushpakavimana ( aerial vehicle like aeroplane ), he descibes to his wife Sita ,the path of milkyway and other natural scenes as to how they looked from above.
He also refers to the unique serenity and joy he experienced while passing through them.
In Abhijnanashakuntalam, a famous drama by Kalidasa, Dushyanta, the king and the hero being called by Indra, the Lord of Heaven went to assist him in his fight against the demons ( descendants of Kalanemi demon ) . After the victory over the enemies, Dushyanta was returning to his kingdom on the earth in the chariot driven by Matali, Indra's charioteer.
While going to Indra's place, Dushyanta did look into space as he was preoccupied with the thoughts of war and defeating the enemies. He now being relaxed, enjoyed the beauty of vast Nature around him. He asked the charioteer about the path ( zone of the space ) through which they were traversing. Matali replied that was the zone of the space where the wind by name ' Parvaha ' blows and there in the milky way, that special wind directs the stars on their path.
The king replied that he experienced a unique serenity inwards there.
He later observed the path of the clouds through which the chariot was moving and the wheels were wet with the drops of water and at the flash of lightning, the horses were jumping and chataka birds were flying through the space between the spokes of the wheels. The king looked down at the earth , the abode of human beings. He describes it beautifully,
" It looks as if the earth is going down the high mountains, the branches hidden among the leaves are clearly visible, thin rivers are becoming wider and this earth is coming towards me as if somebody is throwing the earth towards us ."
Varahamihita's Brhat Samhita also mentions the various types of winds blowing in different zones of Space .
The famous astronaut Edgar Mitchell said,
" My view of our planet was a glimpse of divinity ." He added : " We went to the Moon as technicians, we returned as humanitarians ."
The Bulgarian Cosmonaut Aleksandro was similarly moved, stating " We are all Earth's children. We should treat her as our Mother."
Vastness of Space and richness of Nature always inspires and ennobles man. That is why pilgimage centres are at the mountain tops or shores of the ocean and rivers.
Spiritual traditions indicate a reverence for Nature .
Ancient Indians were capable of space flight. It’s frequently mentioned in the Sanskrit literature that kings on the earth went to upper regions to help Indra, the lord of heaven fight against the demons. Similar descriptions are seen in other classics of the world.
It’s interesting to note in a quote by Socrates recorded ln Plato’s work ‘ Phaedo’, one source of such space flight.
“ That by reason of feebleness and sluggishness, we are unable to attain to the upper surface of the air;, for if anyone should come to the top of the air, he could see the things in our world.If his nature is strong enough to bear the sight he would recognize that that is the real heaven and the real light and the real earth.”
Socrates addresses his disciples and friends who came to bid their master a final farewell when the philosopher is incarcerated in an Athenian prison under the charge of corrupting the minds of youth and introducing new daemon ( demon ), or gods to the city.
“ Comrades, that when someone observes earth from above he will see that it has a spherical shape, just like the shape of those balls we make out of twelve layers of leather
Earth is infused with colors, colors such as exist here and we see all around us and painter employed in their art. From high up these colors appear as brighter and clearer than those we see here around us,and some parts of the earth have a porphyrin ( purple ) hue , some appear golden and others gleam white, whiter than plaster or snow.’
It is a most magnificent sight to behold !
It is interesting to note the compare of the Earth to a leather ball as early as 5th CBC. Even though Kalidasa and Socrates lived miles apart in different times, their vision of Earth have so much in common , eliminating preconceived East- West difference and cultural boundaries.
Similar strikings are seen in the sights today’s space age cosmonauts and astronauts enjoyed and experienced the feelings from above.
In the words of Alexey Leonov, the cosmonaut:-
" The Earth was small, light blue, and so touchingly alone, our home must be defended like a holy relic. The Earth was absolutely round. I believe I never knew what the word round meant until I saw the Earth from space."
Astronaut Ronald McNair:-
" Truly there is no more beautiful sight than to see the earth from space beyond ." McNair reflected on the experience , " This planet is an exquisite oasis. My wish is that we would allow this planet to be the beautiful oasis that she is, and allow ourselves to live more in the peace she generates.”
It is astonishing to see Kalidasa ‘s description of the Earth from above, Socrates’s account of the spherical Earth related centuries before the age of spaceflight is reflected in the accounts of modern spacemen. This similarity is highly striking, erasing the notion that present is different from past. But here where past and present meet.
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