The Shape of the Earth

 

Swami's sessions with students, whether in Brindavanam, Kodaikanal or Sundaram, were rejoiced by all participants.  The students and some chosen devotees felt blessed to attend such sessions.  For a few years, I too was blessed to attend students' sessions.

A topic would be evolved from the questions of some students and at times, Swami Himself asks a question.  One day Swami looked at all students lovingly and raised a question.  "What is the shape of the Earth?"  Prompt answers came up from various parts of the gathering.  Everyone agreed that Earth is circular.  One or two said "spherical".  But Swami's reply was a firm "No".

Swami continued, "The line of the surface of the earth may look spherical.  But these are bulges like mountains and depths like oceans.  So you cannot call it circular.  But man is now tampering with very creation.  They dig up the earth for materials for construction.  And they create new hills and mountains in the form of skyscrapers.  This definitely creates unbalance.  Even a .00000000000001 alteration will create havoc in the surface of the earth.  The change of seasons, floods, cyclones, the earthquakes are all the results of the tampering that are happening all over the world.

How can we blame God for this?  Unreasonable greed of man becomes reasons for such unnatural havocs.  Mother Earth bears everything with Divine fortitude."

~ Mumbai Srinivasan