Word Of The Day: paataal

ਪਾਤਾਲ (paataal)
Meaning: noun: Nether worlds.

Quote:
ਪਾਤਾਲਾ ਪਾਤਾਲ ਲਖ ਆਗਾਸਾ ਆਗਾਸ॥
paataalaa paataal lakh aagaasaa aagaas.
There are hundreds of thousands of nether worlds and hundreds of thousands of skies.
– Guru Nanak Sahib, Guru Granth Sahib, Page 05

Message: In ancient times, some people believed there were three worlds (Earth, heaven and a nether region or hell), while others assumed there were fourteen – seven upwards (aakaash) and seven downwards (paataal). Yet others believed a different number.

However, Guru Nanak, being supremely wise and humble as he was, did not claim to know the exact number of worlds — a task he knew was practically impossible! Instead, he knew for sure that the Creator’s glory is endless. Thus he says that the Universe is infinite and beyond measure.

There are billions of stars and their revolving planets and moons. Our sun is but one of the billions of stars of our galaxy – the Milky Way. There are countless solar systems just like ours.

Only the Creator of the Universe would know the real number. This view of infiniteness is also held true by current available scientific information.

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Etymology: From Sanskrit paataal (hole in the earth, one of the seven sub-terranean regions) → Pali paataal (cliff, abyss) → Prakrit paayaal (under-ground world, the lower world).