Hinduism: On Time Travel.
Mentions of Time Travel and Time Dilation in Hindu mythology.
Time dilation is a concept that stems from Einstein's Theory of Relativity.
Some of us have heard or know about it already, for those who haven't, here's what it means- due to differences in the gravitational field in different regions of the universe time tends to flow differently. It flows slower for regions of space having a strong gravitational field and faster in other places.
Just like in the movie Interstellar.
On Miller's Planet - Cooper, Brand and Doyle go in search for Dr. Miller and her probe and had to experience time dilation of a severe magnitude because of being in a very strong gravitational field, that of Gargantua, a super massive blackhole.
On Miller's Planet, one hour was shown to be equal to 7years.
A concept like that of Time dilation has been part of stories mentioned in the Hindu Puranas (epics) from about 2,400years ago.
One such story is as follows:
King Kakudmi - was a ruler of a vast Kingdom. He was a prominent and a powerful king.
He had only one child, his daughter- Revati.
Princess Revati was beautiful and talented and the king adored her dearly,
As princess Revati reached a marriageable age, King Kakudmi began to worry that he would never find a suitable husband for her all beautiful and talented daughter.
Consumed by the worries of her daughter's marriage. King Kakudmi took Revati with him to the home of Brahma (The God of creation) to ask for the his help in finding a suitor.
Upon reaching the Brahmlok, they patiently waited as Brahma was listening to a musical performance.
Finally when King Kakudmi got his chance, he bowed and made his request.
Brahma laughed at the King's ignorance and said:
"Oh king! The world that you knew from when you started your journey to meet me has long gone by. The people that you knew, the potential suitors that you had in your mind for your beloved daughter have all died and passed away and so have their son and grandsons and their grandsons too."
Brahma then goes on to explain:
"Time runs differently on different planes of existences. During the time the King and Revati had waited to see Brahma, 27 Chatur-Yugas (roughly 113 million years), had passed on Earth. Everything that Kakudmi had owned and known, including his family and treasures, have all vanished with time. The King and his daughter, who were now shocked and in sorrow, were then reassured by Brahma that they can go back to find Balarama - the brother of Krishna, as the suitor for Revati."
Back to Earth, the King and Revati find everything vastly different from when they had left. The landscapes, people and just about everything have changed.
The king and his daughter still managed to find Balarama and explained everything to him who later on accepted Revati as his wife.
Even to this I would like you to know that Revati, being of a much older time was taller and bulkier.
The story of King Kakudmi and princess Revati is mentioned in several of Indian Puranas and epics.
Some may say that the story is an imaginary one and they are probably correct but the fact that the Rishi Munis of that time knew about the idea of time travel and time dilation well before the modern day world is admirable to say the least.
ॐ असतो मा सद्गमय । तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय । मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय। ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
Translation:
Lead me from the darkness of ignorance to the light of supreme knowledge.
If you liked this story, chances are you’d like to read up on a little bit of philosophy about existentialism and mind — consciousness problem as well:
Why Free Will Might Be An Illusion By Utkarsh Singh.
