AUSTRALIA AND ASTRALAYA The term "Astralaya" in the context of the Mahabharata refers to a theory that Australia was once called this, meaning "home of weapons," and served as a storage place for the divine weapons (astras) used in the epic. This idea has been popularized by figures like Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and is considered a myth by fact-checkers, who state that Australia's name comes from Latin, meaning "southern land".
The theory Meaning: The name "Astralaya" is claimed to be a Sanskrit term combining "astra" (weapon) and "alaya" (home or abode). Proponents of this theory assert that Australia was used as a storage site for the powerful astras during the Mahabharata period. The idea has been promoted through social media posts and videos from various individuals, including a viral video of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. The reality Fact-checkers' conclusion: This theory is false. The name "Australia" is of Latin origin, derived from the term "australis," meaning "southern". There is no evidence in official Australian government records or historical sources to support the claim that it was ever called Astralaya. The myth persists due to its repetition on social media and by some spiritual or public figures. 2 Hyderabad: It is being claimed that Australia and many of its cities have derived their names from the Indian language. Users on social media claim that Australia was called "Asthralaya," derived from the root word "asthras" (atom bombs). They also claim that bombs and weapons were stored in Australia during the times of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. According to one Facebook post, "The real name of Australia is "Asthralaya" i.e. Asthra + aalaya. It got its name because asthras (atom bombs) were stored here during the times of Ramayana and Mahabharata. Now let's see some of the names of cities in Australia: A lot of Pretas used to live in that city so it's called preta - preth - Perth, Siddhidhanapuram - siddhinam - siddhini - Sydney, Melivarnapuram - Melibarnam - Melbourne, the place where Sage Kanva is enlightened - Kanvaramu - Canberra, Rasavanam - Rasvan - Brasvan - Brisbane." https://youtu.be/I3_A3Acu5Zg Ravi shankar face used Fact Check NewsMeter ran a keyword search and found an article by the National Library of Australia titled "How was Australia named?" According to the article, the southern hemisphere was an unknown land for many years and was called "Terra Australis Incognita" by the Europeans. An article on the origin of Australia explains that Australis in Latins means 'southern', derived from the Latin word "auster" (southern wind). Mathew Flinders, an English explorer, was the first who circumnavigated the Australian continent in 1803. In a hand-drawn map in 1804, he was also the first to use the name Australia. In his book 'A Voyage to Terra Australis', Flinders wrote, "Had I permitted myself any innovation upon the original term, it would have been to convert it into Australia; as being more agreeable to the ear, and as an assimilation to the names of the other great portions of the earth." The chart accompanying the book was titled "General Chart of Terra Australis or Australia." Governor Macquarie of New South Wales started using "Australia" in his official correspondence after he received a copy of Flinder's book in 1817, and by the end of the 1820s, "Australia" was commonly used as the continent's name. We did not find any evidence that confirms the theory floated by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Also, there is enough evidence available on the official website of Australia which confirms that the name Australia is derived from the Latin word Australis. Hence, the claim is false. K Rajaram IRS 291025 NB Suppose this is published as a no degree or exam but for fun, will it be so? False inf would have spread and be spread On Wed, 29 Oct 2025 at 09:00, Markendeya Yeddanapudi < [email protected]> wrote: > Is the root or original word of Australia,Astralaya,where armaments are > stored? > YMS > > > -- > *Mar* > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Thatha_Patty" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CACDCHC%2BcMHhQpSnLz%2BcCFfQ2%3DWS7aAR7uvHNAtgAWGDqi8E3qw%40mail.gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CACDCHC%2BcMHhQpSnLz%2BcCFfQ2%3DWS7aAR7uvHNAtgAWGDqi8E3qw%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CAL5XZoo%2BME4rdcnFhEzpbsrRk24vhbcgPYHfhP7Hk%2B28QTZ6PQ%40mail.gmail.com.
