Sunday, September 15, 2013

Bhagavad Gita.......as an expression by a Foreigner


Julius Robert Oppenheimer (April 22, 1904 – February 18, 1967) was an American theoretical physicist and professor of physics at the University of California, Berkeley, he is often called the "father of the atomic bomb" for his role in the Manhattan Project, the World War II project that developed the first nuclear weapons. The first atomic bomb was detonated on July 16, 1945, in the Trinity test in New Mexico.

Oppenheimer is heading that project with four other scientists. On the day of the test atomic bomb was about to set for launch at 5:30 in the morning and at 5:10 the 20 minute count down began. Most top-level scientists and military officers were observing from a base camp ten miles (16 km) southwest of the test tower. Many other observers were around twenty miles (32 km) away, and some others were scattered at different distances, some in more informal situations. The final countdown was read by physicist Samuel K. Allison. The device exploded with an energy equivalent to around 20 kilotons of TNT. It left a crater of radioactive glass in the desert 10 feet (3 m) deep and 1,100 feet (330 m) wide. At the time of detonation, the surrounding mountains were illuminated "brighter than daytime" for one to two seconds, and the heat was reported as "being as hot as an oven" at the base camp. The observed colors of the illumination ranged from purple to green and eventually to white. The roar of the shock wave took 40 seconds to reach the observers. The shock wave was felt over 100 miles (160 km) away, and the mushroom cloud reached 7.5 miles (12 km) in height. After the initial euphoria of witnessing the explosion had passed, test director Kenneth Bainbridge commented to Los Alamos director J. Robert Oppenheimer, "Now we are all sons of bitches." Oppenheimer later stated that, while watching the test, he was reminded of a line from the Bhagavad Gita

divi surya-sahasrasya bhaved yugapad utthita
yadi bhah sadrsi sa syad bhasas tasya mahatmanah

When rest of the scientists asked Oppenheimer what is that mean he said that it is the only expression that I can give at this point of time to elucidate that scene which mean….

If hundreds of thousands of suns were to rise at once into the sky, their radiance might resemble the effulgence of the supreme person in that universal form.

It is an example that many great people of the world bathe their intellect in the stupendous and cosmogonal philosophy of the Bhagavad-Gita, in comparison with which our modern world and its literature seems puny and trivial.

Vasudheva Sutham Dhevam Kamsa Chaanoora Mardhanam
Dhevakee Paramaa Nandham Krishnam Vandhe Jagath Gurum


I salute the world teacher Krishna, who is the son of vasudeva
who killed kamsa and chanura, and the source of joy to Devaki.