Weightlessness

Expressions researched:
"weightless" |"weightlessly" |"weightlessness"

SB Canto 1

SB 1.3.22, Purport:

Because Lord Rāmacandra was the Personality of Godhead, He exhibited superhuman activities which no human being, including the materially advanced Rāvaṇa, could perform. Lord Rāmacandra prepared a royal road on the Indian Ocean with stones that floated on the water. The modern scientists have done research in the area of weightlessness, but it is not possible to bring in weightlessness anywhere and everywhere. But because weightlessness is the creation of the Lord by which He can make the gigantic planets fly and float in the air, He made the stones even within this earth to be weightless and prepared a stone bridge on the sea without any supporting pillar. That is the display of the power of God.

SB 1.7.10, Purport:

There is no end to the list of material enjoyments, nor can anyone in the material universe have all of them. As far as the mystic powers are concerned, they are eight in all (such as to become the minutest in form, to become weightless, to have anything one desires, to lord it over the material nature, to control other living beings, to throw earthly globes in outer space, etc.). These mystic powers are mentioned in the Bhāgavatam. The forms of liberation are five in number.

Therefore, unalloyed devotion means service to the Lord without desire for the above-mentioned personal benefits. And the powerful Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa can be fully satisfied by such unalloyed devotees free from all sorts of desires for personal benefit.

SB Canto 2

SB 2.7.1, Purport:

Since the beginning of creation, the demons and the demigods, or the Vaiṣṇavas, are always the two classes of living beings to dominate the planets of the universes. Lord Brahmā is the first demigod, and Hiraṇyākṣa is the first demon in this universe. Only under certain conditions do the planets float as weightless balls in the air, and as soon as these conditions are disturbed, the planets may fall down in the Garbhodaka Ocean, which covers half the universe. The other half is the spherical dome within which the innumerable planetary systems exist. The floating of the planets in the weightless air is due to the inner constitution of the globes, and the modernized drilling of the earth to exploit oil from within is a sort of disturbance by the modern demons and can result in a greatly harmful reaction to the floating condition of the earth. A similar disturbance was created formerly by the demons headed by Hiraṇyākṣa (the great exploiter of the gold rush), and the earth was detached from its weightless condition and fell down into the Garbhodaka Ocean.

SB Canto 4

SB 4.20.22, Purport:

The residents of the upper planetary systems, beginning from Brahmaloka (the planet where Lord Brahmā lives) down to Svargaloka (the heavenly planet of Indra), are so advanced in spiritual life that when they come to visit this or similar other lower planetary systems, they keep their weightlessness. This means that they can stand without touching the ground. Lord Viṣṇu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but because He lives in one of the planetary systems within this universe, He sometimes plays as if one of the demigods of this universe. When He first appeared before Pṛthu Mahārāja, He was not touching the ground of this earth, but when He was fully satisfied with the behavior and character of Mahārāja Pṛthu, He immediately acted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead Nārāyaṇa from Vaikuṇṭha. Out of affection for Pṛthu Mahārāja, He touched the earth, but He rested the front of His hand on the raised shoulder of Garuḍa, His carrier, as if to prevent Himself from falling down, since the Lord is not accustomed to stand on earthly ground.

SB Canto 9

SB 9.10.16, Purport:

Great mountain peaks covered with trees and plants were thrown into the sea by the monkey soldiers and began to float by the supreme will of the Lord. By the supreme will of the Lord, many great planets float weightlessly in space like swabs of cotton. If this is possible, why should great mountain peaks not be able to float on water? This is the omnipotence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He can do anything and everything He likes, because He is not under the control of the material nature; indeed, material nature is controlled by Him. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sacarācaram: (BG 9.10) only under His direction does prakṛti, or material nature, work. Similar information is given in the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.52):

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Krsna Book 50:

It was certainly wonderful and was planned and constructed by Viśvakarmā. No ordinary architect could construct such a fort within the sea, but an architect like Viśvakarmā, who is considered to be the engineer among the demigods, can execute such wonderful craftsmanship anywhere in the universe. If huge planets can float in weightlessness in outer space by the arrangement of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, surely the architectural construction of a fort covering ninety-six square miles within the sea was not very wonderful.

It is stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that this new, well-constructed city, developed within the sea, had regular planned roads, streets and lanes. There were also well-planned parks and gardens filled with plants known as kalpa-vṛkṣas, or desire trees. These desire trees are not like the ordinary trees of the material world; the desire trees are found in the spiritual world. By Kṛṣṇa's supreme will, everything is possible, so such desire trees were planted in Dvārakā, the city constructed by Kṛṣṇa.

Krsna Book 87:

This is called mahimā-siddhi. Kṛṣṇa also has the perfection of laghimā: He can become the lightest. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā that it is because Kṛṣṇa enters within this universe and within the atoms that all the planets are floating in the air. That is the explanation of weightlessness. Kṛṣṇa also has the perfection of prāpti: He can get whatever He likes. Similarly, He has the facility of īśitā, controlling power. He is called the supreme controller, Parameśvara. In addition, Kṛṣṇa can bring anyone under His influence. This is called vaśitā.

In this way, Kṛṣṇa is endowed with all opulences, transcendental qualities and mystic powers. No ordinary living being can compare to Him. Therefore, the Māyāvādīs' theory that the Supersoul and the individual soul are equal is only a misconception.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.30 -- London, August 31, 1973:

So the matter is explained by Kṛṣṇa, apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parāṁ yayedaṁ dhāryate. Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). So spirit is bearing. Everything is explained in Bhagavad-gītā. The gigantic big, big planets, why it is floating weightless in the air? That is also explained. Gām āviśya aham ojasā dhārayāmi (BG 15.13). That, just try to understand. A big 747 airplane taking five hundred, six hundred passengers is floating, flying in the sky without any difficulty. Why? Because the pilot is there. Not the machine. Don't think that it is gigantic machine; therefore it is flying. No. The pilot is there. Machine is there also, but the floating is depending not on the mechanical arrangement, but on the pilot. Is there any disagreement? If the pilot is not there, the whole machine immediately will fall down. Immediately. Similarly, the statement in the Bhagavad-gītā, gām āviśya aham ojasā. Kṛṣṇa enters into the gigantic planet. He is within the...

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- San Francisco, September 11, 1968:

We have been discussing this verse, what is knowledge. Knowledge means how this universe is working, what is the working force, what is the energy. Just like scientists, they are searching out different energies. Just like this earth is floating on weightlessness. Such a huge mass of material body with so many mountains, so many seas, oceans, skyscraper houses, cities, towns, countries, it is floating just like a swab, cotton swab, in the air. So if one understands how it is floating, that is knowledge.

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to have all kinds of knowledge. Not that we Kṛṣṇa conscious people are being carried away by some sentiment. No. We have got philosophy, science, theology, ethics, morality, everything—everything that is required to be known in human form of life. So Kṛṣṇa says that "I'll speak to you all about knowledge." So this is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on BG 7.7 -- Bombay, February 22, 1974:

In another place He says that "I am sustaining all these planets." Of course, we understand law of gravitation according to our theory, but actually, according to Vedic description, the Saṅkarṣaṇa is sustaining all these planets. So anyway, it is to be understood. Just like the, all the planets are floating in the air in weightlessness... How this weightlessness comes? That is explained here. Mayi, "It is resting on Me." Kṛṣṇa says. Mayi sarvam idaṁ protaṁ sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva.

So He is the ultimate cause, He is the cause of all causes. Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1). Parama īśvaraḥ, the supreme controller. In this way we have to understand Kṛṣṇa. Then our life will be successful. Because our, this human life is meant for understanding Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). This is the real knowledge. Unless you come to this real knowledge, your life is unsuccessful. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante: (BG 7.19)

Lecture on BG 9.2-5 -- New York, November 23, 1966:

One who believes Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Lord, then he'll believe. He says, mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni (BG 9.4). Just like in the sunshine many planets, they are resting. It is a scientific fact. The all the planets, they are rotating due to the sun heat. Here there is a machine... What is called? We have seen. As soon as there is heat, within the ball begins to rotate. So everything resting. The weightlessness is due to the sunshine, due to the sunshine. Similarly, everything—the sun, the universe—everything is resting on Kṛṣṇa-shine. Kṛṣṇa-shine. That is the answer how these, so many worlds are floating in the air, that because they are under the Kṛṣṇa's energy. They are floating in the Kṛṣṇa's energy.

Lecture on BG 9.4-7 -- New York, November 24, 1966:

So this verse we have discussed last day. The Lord says that "All the universal planets, they are resting on My energy." The weightlessness energy, according to the modern materialistic science, how it is possible? That weightlessness we cannot manufacture. It is by nature's law, or, of course, modern scientists, they take nature as the Supreme, but Bhagavad-gītā, or the persons who are theistic, they do not take nature as the Supreme. Supreme is the Lord. Behind the nature there is Lord. We'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā,

mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ

sūyate sa-carācaram

hetunānena kaunteya

jagad viparivartate

(BG 9.10)

The Lord says, mayādhyakṣeṇa. Mayādhyakṣeṇa means "under My superintendence. Under My superintendence." So material nature cannot play such wonderful things unless there is hand behind it, the Lord's hand. That is to be accepted. You cannot see. You cannot give an example where material things are automatically working. You have no such example in your experience.

Lecture on BG 9.7-10 -- New York, November 25, 1966:

Can you give us any solitary example that any wonderful thing has happened without a brain behind it? You cannot say. You cannot give even a single example within your experience. How we can say that this material nature, such wonderful things, manifestation... Thousands and millions of planets, they are floating in weightlessness in the air. There is no brain behind it? You throw one mechanical sputnik, and there are thousands of scientists working in the laboratory, electronics. They are pushing on the button, and everything is recorded. A plaything only. That sputnik is a plaything. If for such a plaything so many scientists, so many brain, are working, do you think such wonderful things are happening without any brain? This is called foolishness. Foolish people will say that they are taking (place) automatically. No. They are not taking place automatically.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 16, 1971:

Does a stone float over the ocean? Yes, it floats under the order of God. He can do it. The law of gravitation will not act there. He can change. You can see. Million tons heavy, this earth, so many hills, and Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean. It is floating in the air just like a swab of cotton. You are explaining "weightlessness," but that's all right. But you float such thing. You can say so many things.

Therefore we should accept knowledge from such person who is beyond these four defects of conditional life. What is that? Illusion, mistake, cheating, and imperfectness. So Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is that proof. As I told you, that 2,500 years ago, or 5,000 years ago Vyāsadeva wrote about Lord Buddha's appearance. Still, there is appearance of Kalki from this time, henceforward, after 400,000's of years Kalki will appear. And his name, his father's name, the place where he will appear, that is mentioned in the Bhāgavata. That means tri-kāla-jña. Mahā-muni, he is liberated.

Lecture on SB 1.2.22 -- Los Angeles, August 25, 1972:

Kṛṣṇa said, "Yes, I am lifting this mountain. Let it become a big umbrella of the whole state, or whole village." The atheist will say these are all stories. No. They're not stories. Because God is supreme, He is supreme physist, He knows how to make this mountain weightless. He knows the art. Just like so many gigantic planets are floating in the sky. That is a fact. Now who is floating? You cannot float even a small thing in the air, but such gigantic... Not only one, millions and trillions, they are floating. Who has made it possible, floating? So, God can do that. Therefore He is called all-powerful, the great.

So if Kṛṣṇa is God, then floating or make this mountain weightless, is it very difficult task for Him? No. He entered the ocean. Unless He knows the physical laws how to enter the ocean... It is technique only. Modern scientists, they are also entering, by machine. They're floating by machine. That is also physical science.

Lecture on SB 1.3.22 -- Los Angeles, September 27, 1972:

Pradyumna: "He wanted a staircase to be built up directly reaching the heavenly planet so that people might not be required to undergo the routine of pious work necessary to enter that planet. He also wanted to perform other acts against the established rule of the Lord. He even challenged the authority of Śrī Rāma, the Personality of Godhead, and kidnapped His wife, Sītā. Of course, Lord Rāma came to chastise the atheists, answering the prayer and desire of the demigods. He therefore took up the challenge of Rāvaṇa, and the complete activity is the subject matter of the Rāmāyaṇa. Because Lord Rāmacandra was the Personality of Godhead, He exhibited superhuman activities which no human being, including the materially advanced Rāvaṇa, could perform. Lord Rāmacandra prepared a royal road on the Indian ocean with stones that floated on the water. The modern scientists have done research in the area of weightlessness, but it is not possible to bring in weightlessness anywhere and everywhere. But because weightlessness is the creation of the Lord by which He can make the gigantic planets fly and float in the air, He made the stones even within this earth to be weightless, and prepared a stone bridge on the sea without any supporting pillar. That is the display of the power of God."

Prabhupāda: So incarnation, in the śāstras... Here in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, some of the incarnations are described. But all incarnations are described in the śāstra. We should not be blind to accept any rascal and rogue as incarnation of God. Incarnation of God is not so cheap. That we should understand.

Lecture on SB 1.8.34 -- Los Angeles, April 26, 1973:

Yes. First of all, you have to consider how this planet is floating in the air. It is floating in the air as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, gām āviśya (BG 15.13). Because Kṛṣṇa enters within this... Kṛṣṇa. Just like He enters within the atom. So He's the spirit, Supreme Spirit. So because the Supreme Spirit is within, therefore it is floating. Not that weightlessness. Weight is there, very heavy weight. Just like you can test. This body will float in the water so long you are living. And as soon as the spirit soul goes, then immediately the body goes down. The law of gravity acts. The so-called law of gravity. This is an example. A child, so long it is living you can take in one hand. But as soon as the child is dead, it becomes heavier. That is natural.

So everything is lighter as soon as it is spiritually advanced or there is spirit. Similarly when we'll be spiritually advanced, then there will be no impediment. Now we cannot fly in the air, but when you are free from this body, your spirit soul, within a second you can go to the Vaikuṇṭhaloka. It is so light. Within a second.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.294-298 -- New York, December 19, 1966:

Everything is limited, and God is unlimited. That we do not understand. We try to understand God with our limited means. That is our folly. Therefore we don't believe. "Oh, God is doing like that? Oh, God is lifting hill? How it is possible? This is story." How? Why it is story? God is omnipotent, and God cannot lift a hill? He is floating so many planets in the air, weightlessness, and He cannot lift a hill? Because I do not believe He is God. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā: (BG 9.11) "Foolish rascals, they consider Me as ordinary man: 'Not Kṛṣṇa, but me. You offer your respect to me. I am God. I am competitor Kṛṣṇa.' " So these are foolishness. He is unlimited; His everything, He is unlimited.

General Lectures

Lecture -- Bombay, March 18, 1972:

"You cannot understand by your great brain." What brain you have got? Teeny brain. You cannot compare your brain with God's brain. You are very proud by flying a sputnik in the sky. That's all right. You have got good brain. But there is another personality who has got brain who is floating millions and trillions of planets as weightlessness in the sky. So you cannot compare your brain with that brain, but there is a brain. So nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhya. Simply by speculating, simply by concoction, you cannot understand. You have to understand God, or Kṛṣṇa, from Him. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau (Brs. 1.2.234). Just like you cannot see the sun at this time, when the night is dark. You cannot, ah, I mean to say, invent some searchlight and ask people, "Please come on the roof. I shall show you the sun by the searchlight." It is not possible. By your endeavor you cannot see the sun at night. But when the sun rises in the morning, you can see. That is the process. Similarly, you cannot understand God by your mental speculation. You have to submit yourself.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Prabhupāda: Yes. So the so-called scientists and philosophers who do not follow the system of (sic:) ascending knowledge, knowledge received from higher authorities, they are not perfect. They cannot have any perfect knowledge, either research work with the blunt imperfect senses. They will not... So whatever they say, we take it as imperfect-dream. And when Kṛṣṇa says that "I enter into the universes," viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam ekāṁśena sthito jagat (BG 10.42). Now the weightlessness of the planets, the scientists describe in so many ways, but that is not very perfect. What is the cause of weightlessness? I have, what is called, (indistinct).

Śyāmasundara: That because of the orbits, different orbits of the planets cause weightlessness.

Karandhara: Centrifugal force.

Prabhupāda: Centrifugal.

Śyāmasundara: When planets go around the sun they go in such a speed, that there is no mass.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- August 30, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: Because Kṛṣṇa is lifting the Govardhana Hill, they are thinking this is imagination. But if actually Kṛṣṇa is God, is it very difficult for Him to lift a mountain? He's floating so many heavy planets in the air, so, weightlessness. If Kṛṣṇa can make weightless so many heavy planets, is it very difficult for Him to make the Govardhana Hill weightless?

David Lawrence: Not at all.

Prabhupāda: So these things have to be understood.

David Lawrence: So once again you'd say that this was a...

Prabhupāda: Therefore, in the Bhagavad-gītā, it is clearly said bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Simply through devotional service one can understand Me. Others will misunderstand. (break)

David Lawrence: Yes, one doesn't become concerned with these what really are the superficials of an inner state. You accept and appreciate the validity of bhakti.

Prabhupāda: What is this?

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 8, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: It is in the Tenth Canto. Bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padam. Just like this ocean, if it becomes a small pit, then don't require a big ship to cross over. You just... Like this. It can be reduced. By Kṛṣṇa's desire, it can be done so. Just like at the present moment... Formerly, people used to go to London from India, from Bombay, at least, in fifteen days. Now it doesn't take even fifteen hours. It takes only nine hours. How it has been reduced? Because there is a process to reduce. Similarly, the supreme spiritual process is like that. It can be reduced to any quantity. Aṇi... This is called aṇimā-siddhi. It can be expanded also, to the greatest length. Mahimā-śakti. All-powerful means not that "I cannot do, I cannot, I can do this only." No, anything He can do. That is all powerful. Aṇimā, laghimā, mahimā. Just like all these big, big planets, they are floating in the sky. This is called laghimā, weightless, no weight. Those who are going to the moon planet, they are finding out weightlessness. How it has become weightless? Such a big, huge... Just this planet. With so many seas and mountains and cities and buildings. But it is floating. That's a fact. It is floating like a swab. How it is floating? You can say something nonsense, but the actual fact is this.

Morning Walk -- April 8, 1974, Bombay:

Mahāṁsa: ...impregnates...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Mahāṁsa: ...material nature, it can become weightless.

Prabhupāda: Yes. A dead body immediately goes down in the water, but a living body floats. So this is the example, that because viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam ekāṁśena sthita. Because Kṛṣṇa enters this material world as Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, as Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, therefore it floats. Just like this airplane. It is floating so long the pilot is there. If the pilot is not there, it will not float, however good machine it may be. It will not float; it will come down. These are the ex... (break) ...soul, the spiritual spark, even in minute quantity, it can float the heaviest matter. This is the conclusion. (break) ...so high and if the pilot is killed some way or other, no more floating, come down.

Mahāṁsa: So this laghimā siddhi is also being attained by the material scientists?

Prabhupāda: Huh?

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- May 19, 1975, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: That is everything. Everything, everything will fall down on the ground, but the controlling power is the air. If the air is adjusted, then it will not fall down.

Madhudviṣa: That's why when they go into outer space they become weightless, they can float without any airplane.

Prabhupāda: That, what they're doing (indistinct). But we see that if you can make adjustment in the air, just like we see the heavy cloud bearing many million tons of water, they do not fall down, they float. Where is the law of gravity?

Amogha: (laughs) Hare Kṛṣṇa. You also give that example of those big birds.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Big, big birds, they carry elephant.

Madhudviṣa: We have not seen such a bird. (devotees laugh)