For centuries, the concept of parallel universes, time loops, and multidimensional realities has fascinated physicists and filmmakers alike. But what if these ideas are not just modern scientific theories or sci-fi tropes?
What if ancient Indian scriptures, written thousands of years ago, had already explored these mind-bending concepts?
Surprisingly, several Vedic texts hint at realities far beyond our current scientific understanding. Let us look at some of the most compelling examples that may suggest our ancestors had already cracked the cosmic code.
1. King Kakudmi and Time Dilation – A Time Travel Tale from the Mahabharata
In a fascinating episode from the Mahabharata, King Kakudmi travels to the divine realm of Brahma-loka with his daughter Revati to consult Lord Brahma about finding her a suitable groom. As they await their audience, Brahma is enjoying a celestial musical performance. When the meeting ends and they return to Earth, they are shocked, thousands of years have passed, and all of Revati’s potential suitors are long gone.
This story eerily mirrors Einstein’s theory of time dilation, the idea that time flows differently depending on your frame of reference. For Kakudmi, it was minutes. On Earth, millennia. A classic time travel paradox, but narrated in an ancient text.
2. Multiverse Clues in the Yoga Vashistha
The Yoga Vashistha, a philosophical text attributed to Sage Valmiki, contains jaw-dropping descriptions of multiple, co-existing universes. It speaks of countless creations, each with its own laws of nature, timelines, and realities.
Sage Vashistha tells Lord Rama that some universes contain beings entirely different from ours, while in others, time flows backward, or gods differ, or worlds collapse and re-form like dreams.
This aligns remarkably well with today’s multiverse theory, which suggests that there are infinite universes existing simultaneously, each with a unique configuration of reality.
3. The Bhagavata Purana’s Cosmic Egg Theory
In the Bhagavata Purana, the universe is described as a Brahmanda, a cosmic egg, floating in an infinite cosmic ocean called Kshira Sagara. But here’s the twist: there are countless Brahmandas, each containing a different universe.
Lord Vishnu rests in this cosmic ocean, and from his navel springs a lotus bearing Brahma, the creator of that particular universe.
This idea parallels the bubble universe theory in cosmology, which suggests that each universe is a "bubble" within a larger multiverse.
4. The Vishnu Purana and Cycles of Creation
According to the Vishnu Purana, the creation and destruction of the universe happen in repeating cycles called Kalpas. Each Kalpa spans billions of years and includes a repeating pattern of creation, preservation, and dissolution.
This idea is astonishingly similar to modern theories proposing a cyclic universe, where the cosmos expands and contracts through countless Big Bangs and Big Crunches.
Far from being linear, time in Hindu cosmology is circular and infinite, mirroring theories in quantum gravity and string cosmology.
5. Lord Krishna’s Vishvarupa - A Glimpse Into Infinite Realms
In the Bhagavad Gita, when Lord Krishna reveals his Vishvarupa (cosmic form) to Arjuna, it’s a staggering vision - countless faces, eyes, and universes all existing within him simultaneously. Arjuna sees birth, death, and time itself playing out in Krishna’s form.
It’s a vivid spiritual metaphor but also resonates with the idea that reality is layered, with parallel timelines and cosmic structures beyond what human senses can grasp.
So, did our ancestors know about the multiverse and time travel?
These are not just myths, they are philosophical insights, cosmic metaphors, and perhaps, even lost science cloaked in symbolism. Whether viewed spiritually, allegorically, or scientifically, the parallels between ancient Vedic cosmology and modern physics are striking.
Maybe we are not just discovering the secrets of the universe, we are rediscovering what the Rishis already knew thousands of years ago.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
Find the best of Al News in one place, specially curated for you every weekend.
Stay on top of the latest tech trends and biggest startup news.