Gayatri Its Astronomical and Cosmological References The Modern Cosmological World View

 The Large Scale Universe A Brief Chronology of India

 Paleolithic <38,000 BC NW tools, petroglyphs  Early Indus Valley <5000 BC NW cattle and pottery  Early Harappan <2500 BC NW Grains, towns, goddess  Harappa and MD <1500BC NW Sanskrit and Rig Veda  Vedic: 1000-400BC NW and the 3 other , Buddhism, Jainism, Brahmanas  Persian 400 BC NW Foreign, Cyrus  Macedonia 327 BC NW Alexander  Indo-Greeks 185 BC NW Mohenjo-Daro Ruhr University – Ten Years of Archaeoastronomy Common Numbers: 4, 7, 9, 12, 27 (28), 108 Number 4 – Four Main Lunar Phases

Moon - - Balachandra Number 7 – Big Dipper or/and the Geocentric Worldview Planets: Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Lunar Nodes Number 9: – The 9 Influences on Earth (Bhumidevi)

Surya – Sun (Sunday) Chandra – Moon (Monday) – Mars (Tuesday) – Mercury (Wednesday) Brihaspati – Jupiter (Thursday) – Venus (Friday) – Saturn (Saturday) Rahu – ascending lunar nodes (N) – descending lunar nodes (S) North and South Lunar Nodes Number 7: Seven Pointed Star Number 12 (10): and the Zodiac Number 27 (28) – The 27 (28) , the Lunar Mansions Why 27, and 108 (4 x 27)?

The Sidereal Lunar Month of 27.3 days represents the progression of the moon across the Stars The First Mansions Ashvini – Asvini Kumaras - The Beautiful Stallion ( a, b ) Arietes  – (dim triangle in Arietes) Krittika – - The Pleiades Rohini – - Aldebaran (the eye of the Bull) Mrgasirsha – Soma - The head of Orion, l Orion and others As Above so is Below … Sir A. Avalon Gayatri - Meaning of the "extended" :

OM bhūr OM bhuvah OM svah OM mahah OM janah OM tapah OM satyam tatsavitur varenyam bhargo devasya dhīmahi dhiyo yo nah pracodayat

OM āpo jyotī raso ‘mrtam brahma bhūr bhuvah svar OM

Let us meditate on the excellent glory of the divine (the sun) May he inspire/enlighten our thoughts/understanding

Water, light, flavor, the food of immortality, the earth, the region in between, [and] heaven are all Brahman. From the PURANA - VII

MAITREYA.--The sphere of the whole earth has been described to me by you, excellent Brahman, and I am now desirous to hear an account of the other spheres above the world, the Bhuvar-loka and the rest, and the situation and the dimensions of the celestial luminaries (Vishnu Purana – VII - Horace Hayman Wilson, 1840) PARÁŚARA. The sphere of the earth (or Bhúr-loka), comprehending its oceans, mountains, and rivers, extends as far as it is illuminated by the rays of the sun and moon; and to the same extent, both in diameter and circumference, the sphere of the sky (Bhuvar-loka) spreads above it (as far upwards as to the planetary sphere, or Swar-loka) . The solar orb is situated a hundred thousand leagues from the earth; and that of the moon an equal distance from the sun. At the same interval above the moon occurs the orbit of all the lunar constellations. The planet Budha (Mercury) is two hundred thousand leagues above the lunar mansions. Śukra (Venus) is at the same distance from Mercury. Angáraka (Mars) is as far above Venus; and the priest of the gods (Brihaspati, or Jupiter) as far from Mars: whilst Saturn (Sani) is two hundred and fifty thousand leagues beyond Jupiter. The sphere of the seven (Ursa Major) is a hundred thousand leagues above Saturn; and at a similar height above the seven Rishis is Dhruva (the pole-star), the pivot or axis of the whole planetary circle. Such, Maitreya, is the elevation of the three spheres (Bhúr, Bhuvar, Swar) which form the region of the consequences of works. The region of works is here (or in the land of Bhárata) (Vishnu Purana – VII - Horace Hayman Wilson, 1840) Above Dhruva, at the distance of ton million leagues, lies the sphere of saints, or Mahar-loka, the inhabitants of which dwell in it throughout a , or day of Brahmá. At twice that distance is situated Janaloka, where Sanandana and other pure-minded sons of Brahmá, reside. At four times the distance, between the two last, lies the Tapo-loka (the sphere of penance), inhabited by the deities called Vaibhrájas, who are unconsumable by fire. At six times the distance (or twelve Crores, a hundred and twenty millions of leagues) is situated Satya-loka, the sphere of truth, the inhabitants of which never again know death (Vishnu Purana – VII - Horace Hayman Wilson, 1840) Worlds of Becoming; Worlds of Perfection

These three spheres (Bhur, Bhuvah, Svah) are termed transitory: the three highest, Jana, Tapa, and Satya, are styled durable 4: Maharloka, as situated between the two, has also a mixed character; for although it is deserted at the end of the Kalpa, it is not destroyed (Vishnu Purana – VII - Horace Hayman Wilson, 1840) Sutras - Patanjali