Vedas, Puranas and the Hollow Earth Theory - Part 1 or 3

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A fascinating theory of a hollow instead of a solid sphere as the shape of our earth has been under active consideration and research for over two centuries. There are several Websites on the Internet supporting this theory with a large mass of solid information of various kinds.

The Hollow Earth Theory

The Hollow Earth Theory states that the earth is not a solid sphere with a central, hot magma which is yet to cool, but a hollow sphere that has a thick crust of landmass only around the circumference, with openings at the north and south poles. There is an 'inner sun' at the centre of the earth. The ring of land crust is supposed to be between 600 and 800 miles in thickness and the polar openings between 100 and 1400 miles in diameter. This leaves a space of over 7000 miles at the centre, which is hollow.

In direct contravention to the proportion of land and water mass being of the ratio 1:4 on the surface, the inner crust has this proportion in the ration 4:1, that is, four-fifths of land and only one-fifth of water. The reason for this reversal is that the floors of the surface oceans are actually landmass on the inner side!

A unique feature of this theory is that it logically confronts the currently accepted solid earth theory, with facts that orthodox science has overlooked. The adherents of this theory point to its origins in the religious myths throughout the world, the science fiction works of the 17th and 18th centuries, and the 'anomalies' found during the Arctic expeditions undertaken over the last two centuries.

Some of these adherents subscribe to the thinking that a whole civilization
of prosperous, peaceful and technologically more advanced humans live in a world of highly evolved vegetable and animal life sustained by the 'inner sun' of the hollow earth, on the vast continents of land mass that form the inner side of the surface world we are living.

There are also people who think that the stories of dark entities such as the werevolves, vampires, ghosts and other ghastly creatures that are said to occupy the caverns under the earth might have some element of truth in them.

Hollow Earth and the Puranas

There are Puranic evidences that are said to point to a civilization inside the hollow earth. Some of them include:

1. Sons of Sagara and the Patala Ganga (Brahmanda Purana)

Indra had stolen the sacrificial horse of King Sagara which he had kept for the ashvamedha yajna (sacrifice ritual using a horse). In their search for the horse, the sons of Sagara came to a Northern ocean, which they crossed, and entered the interior of the earth. There they found the horse in the hermitage of Kapila Rishi. They mistook that it was the Rishi who stole the horse and disturbed his tapas (meditation). The angered Rishi burnt all the 60,000 of them to ashes with a curse. The horse was later found by the grandson of King Sagara and the asvamedha yajna was completed. Finally, it was Bhagiratha, a descendant of the late King Sagara who performed intense tapas and brought the Ganga River to the world and then to the Palata Loka where she washed the sins of the sons and liberated them.

2. Kalki Avatar of Lord Vishnu

Srimad Bhagavtam states in Canto 12, chapter 2, Text 18:

sambhala-grama-mukhyasya
brahmanasya mahatmanah
bhavane visnuyasasah
kalkih pradurbhavisyati

According to this verse, Lord Vishnu will take the Kalki Avatar at the Sambhala village at the end of Kali Yuga to establish the oncoming Satya Yuga. Padma Purana (6.242.8-12) also mentions that the name of the village is Sambhala. This village is supposed not to exist today, but to be be born in due time, from the inner earth. The Tibetan lore speaks of a city named Shamballa which they consider to be in the interior of the earth on the Himalayas. Thus the Satya Yuga with its truly Vedic civilization will be established on the surface of the earth from its interior.

3. Parasurama's Connection

Srimad Bhagavatam states in Canto 9, Chapter 16, Text 21 that Sri Parasurama, after wiping out the kshatriya clan off the face of the earth, performed a yajna (sacrifice) to bring his father back to life.

"After completing the sacrifice, Lord Parasurama gave the eastern
direction to the hota as a gift, the south to the brahma, the west to the
adhvaryu, the north to the udgata, and the four corners--northeast,
southeast, northwest and southwest--to the other priests. He gave the
middle to Kasyapa and the place known as Aryavarta to the upadrasta.
Whatever remained he distributed among the sadasyas, the associate
priests."

Hollow Earth theory adherents say that the term 'madhyatah' in the above verse might mean the central or innter portion of the earth (that Sri Parasurama gave to Kasyapa Rishi), but this seems to be a far-fetched idea, as the verse is clear as to what parts of the earth he gave as gifts to the rishis.

However, the Hindi TV serial on Vishnu Puranam showed Sri Parasurama springing up from the interior of the earth to kill a kshatriya king.

4. Abduction of Duryodhana

Vana-parva of Mahabharata describes a battle waged by Karna and Duryodhana with the Gandharvas in a forest. Duryodhana was defeated and captured by the Gandharvas until he was rescued by Arjuna, his archenemy. Humilated, Duryodhana decided to give up his life doing tapas and fasting unto death. The Danavas found this out, created a powerful woman named Kritya, using whom they brought Duryodhana to their nether world (bila-svarga). They explained to Duryodhana that he was born out of a yajna (sacrifice) to please Lord Shiva, that his friend Karna was Narkasura in his earlier birth who was hostile to Vishnu and that their purpose was to defeate the Pandavas. The Danavas also assured that great warriors like Drona and Bhishma would be influenced by them to fight the war remaining on his side. The whole episodes seemed like a dream to Duryodhana.

Strangely, the Hollow Earth theorists attribute this episode to be typical of a UFO encounter! This is because they think that the origin of the UFOs is from the interior earth through the polar openings. They point out the similarities thus (Ref: http://www.holloworbs.com/abduction_of_duryodhana.htm):

1. A strange being takes Duryodhana bodily to another location, where he has a meeting with other stange beings.
2. Mystical or higher-dimensional transport is used.
3. The strange beings have human form, but look 'gruesome'. Certainly they are 'aliens'.
4. These beings have been guiding Duryodhana's life from the very beginning.
5. They designed his body so that he would be impervious to weapons. Thus they apparently engaged in genetic manipulations, or something similar.
6. The aliens were planning to manipulate human beings through mind control.
7. After his interview, Duryodhana returned to the spot where he was taken, and after settling him down, his captor disappeared.
8. After the experience, it seemed to be a dream.
9. There are accounts in the UFO literature which parallel the story of Duryodhana.

5. Arctic Home of the Vedas
(Ref: http://www.holloworbs.com/Arctic_Home_Vedas.htm)

Bala Gangadhar Tilak (1856-1920), a key participant in India's freedom struggle was a vedic scholar and researches. He published his findings in a book titled The Arctic Home of The Vedas in 1903. In this book he quotes the authority of Vedas and states that the original Arctic home of humanity was destroyed around 10,000 - 8,000 BCE by the last Ice Age, and that from 8,000 - 3000 BCE, was the 'Age of Wandering', before they Vedic people finally settled in India between 5,000 - 3000 BCE.

In chapter four, page 57 of the book, Tilak writes:

We shall therefore, next quote the Mahabharat, which gives such a clear description of Mount Meru, the lord of the mountains, as to leave no doubt its being the North Pole, or possessing the Polar characteristics. In chapters 163 and 164 of Vanaparvan, Arjuna's visit to the mount is described in detail and we are therein told, 'at Meru the Sun and the Moon go round from left to right ( Pradadakshinam ) every day and so do all the stars.' From the normal, inhabited longitudes on the surface of the earth, the Sun and Moon don't rise and travel left and right, only above one's head. According to how one turns, the rising could be left or right, frontal or from the back. Only from the Arctic could the rising of the Sun be from left to right, and it can ONLY be from left to right. So what region is being referred to in this description of Meru's placement?

The Mahabharata describes Mount Meru as a resplendent mountain which "by its luster, so overcomes the darkness of night, that the night can hardly be distinguished from the day." Tilak attributes this fact to the aurora borealis, which however, is not bright enough to make night seem like day. And there is no accepted landmass in the current geography of Arctic, unless Mount Meru happens to be in the underground, shining by the light of the inner, central sun!

In relation to the Rig Veda, Tilak quotes the following on page 102:

"Thus in I.32.10, Vritra, the traditional enemy of Indra, is said to be engulfed in long darkness … and in V.32.5, Indra is described as having placed Shushna, who was anxious to fight, in 'the darkness of the pit'".

This might correspond to the Arctic night with its midnight sun as in fact the Arctic basin is a depression.

The idea that the day and night of the gods are each of six months duration is so widespread in the Indian literature, that we examine it here at some length, and, for that purpose, commence with the post Vedic literature and trace it back to the most ancient books. It is found not only in the Puranas, but also in astronomical works, and as the latter state it in a more definite form, we shall begin with the later siddhantas. Mount Meru is the terrestrial North Pole of our astronomers, and the Surya Siddhanta, XII, 67, says: 'At Meru gods behold the Sun after but a single rising during the half of his revolution beginning with Aries.' Now, according to the Puranas, Meru is the home or seat of all the gods, and the statement about their half-year long night is thus easily and naturally explained...

6. Ramayana and the Inner Earth

The HET adherents think that there are evidences in the epic Ramayana to the underworld. According to them:

- when Sita Devi is abducted by Ravana, Lakshmana swears to Rama that he would chase Ravana to the 'dark caverns of the earth' to find and release Sita. This implies the existence of subterranean regions in the earth.

- In chapter 8 of Kishkindya, Rama proves his ability to Sugriva by discharging an arow which "pierced through seven palms, a rock, and the INNERMOST region of the Earth and in a minute again came back to the quiver".

7. The Nagas Land
(Ref: http://www.holloworbs.com/india.htm)

The Nagas are a race of serpent beings. Most often they manifest themselves
with half-man, half-serpent bodies, although sometimes they assume the shape
of a dragon, or appear in the guise of a cobra. They can take many different
forms including snakes, humans with snake tails and normal humans, often
beautiful maidens. A precious gem is embedded in their heads endowing them
with supernatural powers including invisibility. Some are demoniac, some
neutral or sometimes helpful.

Nagas are divided into four classes: heavenly, divine, earthly or hidden,
depending upon their function in guarding the heavenly palace, bringing
rainfall, draining rivers or guarding treasures.

In Burma, the Nagas combine elements of the dragon, snake and crocodile. They
have guarded and protected several royal Burmese personages. They also give
rubies to those they favor.

They inhabit lakes and rivers, but their real domain is a vast underground
region called Bila-svarga, or subterranean heavens. There they guard great
amounts of jewels and precious metals. Here they dwell with their seductive
mates, the Naginis who sometimes seduce humans.

One such account is to be found for example in the Mahabharata. Arjuna, the
son of King Pandu, was "abducted" by Ulupi, the Naga princess who enamored
him, into the parallel realm in the river Ganges near Hardwar. After spending
a night with her and begetting a son called Iravan, he returned back. This
incident is also mentioned in the Bhagavata Purana 9.22.32.

Vishnu Purana talks about a battle between the Gandharvas and the Nagas. Srimad Bhagavatam tells the story of King Pariksit who was cursed to die of a snakebite. The origin of the Naga race is described in the Mahabharata, Adi Parva.

8. Krishna's Jump
(Ref: http://www.holloworbs.com/Geodes_Jump.htm)

Srimad Bhagavadam says that Sri Krishna and his brother Sri Balarama went a long distance and found a mountain with a height of 88 miles. They climbed up this mountain and jumped from its top to the ground as a sport. The highest mountain in the solar system is only 15 miles high -- it is Olympus Mons, on Mars. This mountain might therefore have been located in the inner earth, which has a diameter of over 7000 miles.

9. Ritudhwaj Injures Paatalketu
(Ref: http://www.urday.com/vuma7.htm)

King Ripujeet- a descendant of Raghu lived with his valiant and brave son named Ritudhwaj. Ritudhwaj being a virtuous prince thought it as his duty to protect all the sages and hermits. Under his protection, the sages performed their religious duties without any problem.

During Ripujeet's reign, a great sage- Gaalav lived in his hermitage doing penance. A demon named Paatalketu used to torment him. Although Gaalav was capable of burning Paatalketu to death yet he hesitated to do so for the fear of losing his virtuosity. One day, sage Gaalav was contemplating on the means to get rid of Paatalketu's terror tactics but was unable to find any solution and let out a deep sigh in frustration. He was amazed to see a horse falling from the sky. As he was looking towards the sky, he heard a heavenly voice- "This horse can travel thousands of Yojans in a single day. Give this horse to Ritudhwaj who will solve your problems."

As per the instructions of that heavenly voice, Gaalav presented that horse to Ritudhwaj and engaged himself in penance. This horse was sent by a Gandharva king named Vishwavasu with a special purpose. Vishwavasu had a beautiful daughter named Madalasa. Infatuated by her beauty, the demon- Paatalketu had abducted her to Paatal loka. He wanted to marry her but Madalasa rejected his advances. Vishwavasu knew that only Ritudhwaj was capable of killing Paatalketu, so he presented that horse to sage Gaalav with the instruction that it should be given to Ritudhwaj.

Ritudhwaj went to Paatal loka on that horse and fought a fierce battle in which Paatalketu was seriously injured. Ritudhwaj released Madalasa from Paatalketu's captivity and married her.

In Part 2 of this compilation we will have a brief look at the religious myths and folklore across the world and in the modern science fiction for references to the subterranean world.

In Part 3, we will discuss the scientific basis of the Hollow Earth Theory and try to arrive at a conclusion about its validity.