Mysteries of the Sacred Universe
The Cosmology of the Bhāgavata
Purāna
Richard L. Thompson
From the flat earth to the sun's chariot,
traditional spiritual texts often seem wedded to outmoded cosmologies that
show, at best, the scientific limitations of their authors. The
Bhāgavata Purāna, one of the classical scriptures of Hinduism, seems, at
first glance, to be no exception. However, a closer examination of this
text reveals unexpected depths of knowledge in ancient cosmology.
Mysteries of the Sacred Universe shows that the cosmology of the
Bhāgavata Purāna is a sophisticated system, with multiple levels of
meaning that encode at least four different astronomical, geographical, and
spiritual world models.
By viewing the text in the light of modern
astronomy, Richard Thompson shows how ancient scientists expressed exact
knowledge in apparently mythological terms. Comparison with the ancient
traditions of Egypt and the Near East shows early cultural connections between
India and these regions--including a surprisingly advanced science.
However, quantitative science is only part of the picture. Mysteries
of the Sacred Universe also offers a clear understanding of how the
spiritual dimension was integrated into ancient Indian cosmology.
"A revolution our understanding of
the cosmology of the Puranas is in the making here. This book
offers a way of reading ancient Indian texts that is profoundly interesting,
that overturns a long history of scholarly undervaluation of the supposedly
"only mythological" contents of Puranic literature." --Professor Gene
Thursby of the University of Florida
"Gripping, scholarly and
groundbreaking. Mysteries of the Sacred Universe deserves to be
widely read and discussed." --Robert Bauval, coauthor of The Orion
Mystery and The Message of the Sphinx
Softbound, 375
pages, 104 illustrations, 51 tables, glossary, bibliography, index
ISBN
0-9635309-3-3
Mysteries of the Sacred Universe
Interactive CD
250 color
pictures - 23 computer graphic animations - 13 interactive picture sequences -
a 48-minute video of all topics (also sold separately)
For Windows
Only, version 95 or later; not yet for Mac - Pentium 166 MHz or greater - 4x
CD-ROM or faster - 16MB RAM or more - True Color 640 x 480 video card - Sound
card - ISBN 0-9635309-7-6
"The CD accompanying this book is
also outstanding. The graphics are spellbinding." --Prof. S. Kak
of Louisiana State University
Book: $15.95 CD: $14.95
Video: $14.95 Any two: $24.95 All: $36.95
Plus Shipping Charge--Book rate
(U.S.): $2.25; Priority mail (U.S.): $4.35; Foreign airmail (most
countries): $9.95
Order from Govardhan Hill
Publishing, P.O. Box 1920, Alachua, Florida 32616-1920 U.S.A.
Phone: (386) 462-0466 FAX: (386) 462-0463
e-mail:
ghi@nersp.nerdc.ufl.edu
WWW:
http://sacreduniverse.com
