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En: Hollow Earth

From the Bhakti List Archives

dean • December 20, 1999 


Dear List Members,                                             December 21st

I am curious about a certain theme which is not so directly mentioned in shastra, but to which there is some indirect reference. I am referring to the hollow Earth idea and subterrainian existences. I realise that in some contexts, the word subterrainian is used in the Puranas to indicate planetary systems which are below the plane of Bhu Mandala, the Solar system. 

But there are other statements which seem to suggest a hollow Earth existence. For example, in the Bhagavat Purana, it is stated that at the end of the Kali Yuga, the Kalki Avatar will be born in the city of Shamballa in the best of brahmin families. Now, according to the descriptions of the end of the Kali yuga, we can expect to find no cities which could support several brahmin communities such that one would be the best, period!

But there are a couple of hints about all this. In Tibetan lore, Shamballa exists in collective memory as a city of the interior of the Earth. ANd even though the Bhagavatam makes no mention of this, I have heard tell that in other Puranas, it is stated that at the end of the Kali Yuga, at the beginning of the next cycle, men come up from the interior of the planet and re-populate and re-start Vedic culture on the surface of the Earth. The Bhagavatam simply states that the Kalki Avatar will be born in Shamballa and that He will carry out his task of anniliating the miscreants. So could one of the learned list members confirm to me if some other Purana, perhaps the Vishnu Purana, makes a further statement about men comeing to the surface from the interior?

Also, in Ramayan, after Sita was captured, Laxman makes the comment to Ram that he will persure the rascal " even if he hides away in the dark hollows of the Earth." And when Ram shoots his arrow in order to prove his prowess to Sugriva, the arrow pierces seven palm trees, a rock, and then penetrates to the interior region of the Earth before surfacing and returning to the quiver. ( Talk about guided missles! ) Could anybody elucidate on the Sanskrit terms used? English is such a general language and the nature of translations are such ( traductori, traidori ) that I the meaning of interior regions, describing where the arrow went, is not very specific. Could the words refer to a hollow portion of the planet? Any Ramayan experts out there?

I humbly wait to be illuminated by the learned members of the group.

Thanks for the attention,

Dean De Lucia/Dharmapada dasa