The Scientific Basis Of Hinduism Volume I

The doctrine of Sanatana Dharma acquired a tag, Hinduism during the passage of time, when or why, no one seems to be sure. The word Hinduism is a misnomer – the word Hindu is mentioned nowhere in the scriptures as is the term “Hindu mythology.” When comprehension became difficult, all that is inexplicable found refuge under the term mythology. Were the ascetics who lived in forests and mountains foolish enough to portray the picture of a God, who finds His perch on top of a serpent in an ocean of milk? Or a creator finding His work place atop a lotus that springs from the navel of Vishnu? Or that Lord Shiva should be polymorphic with the visage in one form, sporting all sorts of weird articles as ornaments, half feminine in another and a phallus in yet another form? If such descriptions defy comprehension, it only means the inability to understand allegory. The author has tried to unravel all these in layman’s logic and is not trying to masquerade in mysticism when confronted with the inexplicable. The book begins with the Pranava mantra and then it cruises through the Trimurthis, their significance, the mahavakyas and ends in the soul and the advaitha philosophy with an insight on how Science sees all these.

Sanatan Hindu Dharma is like a huge tree. Different kinds of assumptions have, merged into it from time immemorial. As human population grew and time changed, beliefs and faiths changed as a result of continuous thinking of scholars and growing maturity in their ideas. As a consequence,’ the branches and sub-branches of Hindu religion also grew. Is there any scientific basis of beliefs and faiths propagated in Hinduism? This question agitates the minds of intellectual readers again and again. Now, that time has come to an end, when you cited from the religious scriptures and said, “Baba vakya pramanam” (here is the statement from the author as evidence). Comprehensive thinking about religious beliefs has become the most essential call of the age today. First of all, the average reader has to understand what is science. The word ‘vigyan (science) is formed by prefixing ‘vi to ‘gyan’ (knowledge). ‘Vishishta gyanam iti vigyanam, ‘Vishesh gyanam iti vigyanam’, ‘Vishuddha gyanam iti vigyanam (Specific knowledge is science, Special knowledge is science, Pure knowledge is science), these definitions are clear in themselves. Science, in fact, is based upon cause and effect relationship. ‘Karya karan sarnbandh iti vigyanam’, ‘punah punah parikshanam prayoganch kritam’ (Science is cause and effect relationship. Experiment is made again and again). Where we come to know the cause and effect relationship, then that knowledge automatically passes into the category of science. True knowledge of an object, based on facts, is a part of science itself. ‘Punah punah nirikshit gyanam iti vigyanam,’ When the results are the same on repeated observations, then those facts become science. Ancient Rishis-Munis (seers and saints) formed some rules and principles under the cover of religion to civilize humanity. They offered the charms of heaven and fears of hell, so that, men adopted them in their conduct. Today, in the age of computer, no one accepts heaven or hell, piety or sin, religion or irreligion. It is a transition period. Innumerable questions are cropping up in the minds of the intellectuals. To clarify the scientific basis of Hindu beliefs has become a need of the day.

To understand modern science as a coherent story, it is essential to recognize the accomplishments of the ancient Hindus. They invented our base-ten number system and zero that are now used globally, carefully mapped the sky and assigned motion to the Earth in their astronomy, developed a sophisticated system of medicine with its mind-body approach known as Ayurveda, mastered metallurgical methods of extraction and purification of metals, including the so-called Damascus blade and the Iron Pillar of New Delhi, and developed the science of self-improvement that is popularly known as yoga. Their scientific contributions made impact on noted scholars globally: Aristotle, Megasthenes, and Apollonius of Tyana among the Greeks; Al-Biruni, Al-Khwarizmi, Ibn Labban, and Al-Uqlidisi, Al-Ja?iz among the Islamic scholars; Fa-Hien, Hiuen Tsang, and I-tsing among the Chinese; and Leonardo Fibbonacci, Pope Sylvester II, Roger Bacon, Voltaire and Copernicus from Europe. In the modern era, thinkers and scientists as diverse as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Johann Gottfried Herder, Carl Jung, Max Müller, Robert Oppenheimer, Erwin Schrödinger, Arthur Schopenhauer, and Henry David Thoreau have acknowledged their debt to ancient Hindu achievements in science, technology, and philosophy. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), one of the largest scientific organizations in the world, in 2000, published a timeline of 100 most important scientific finding in history to celebrate the new millennium. There were only two mentions from the non-Western world: (1) invention of zero and (2) the Hindu and Mayan skywatchers astronomical observations for agricultural and religious purposes. Both findings involved the works of the ancient Hindus. The Ancient Hindu Science is well documented with remarkable objectivity, proper citations, and a substantial bibliography. It highlights the achievements of this remarkable civilization through painstaking research of historical and scientific sources. The style of writing is lucid and elegant, making the book easy to read. This book is the perfect text for all students and others interested in the developments of science throughout history and among the ancient Hindus, in particular.

Sanatan Hindu Dharma (Perennial Hindu Religion) is like a huge banyan tree. Different kinds of faiths and beliefs have merged into it from time immemorial. As a consequence, the branches and sub-branches of Hindu religion also grew. Is there any scientific basis of the faith and values propagated in Hinduism? A very large section of people with faith in Hindu Sanatan Dharma wants that every faith and belief of this religion should not be subjected to scientific test. A man of faith is theist, while a scientific mind is atheist in nature. A harmony between the two may indicate a state of dilemma. Therefore, more discussion should take place on religious basis of beliefs prevalent in society so that we can know better the origin and religious thinking behind our beliefs. Internationally acclaimed Vaastu-shastri and Jyotishacharya, Dr. Bhojraj Dwivedi, is a rare signature of invincilbe time. More than 258 books on Astrology, Vaastu-shastra, Cheiromancy, Numerology, Figure Science, Yantra-Tantra-Mantra Science, Karmakand and priesthood written by Dr. Bhojraj Dwivedi, the founder of the International Vaastu Association, are read in many languages in India and abroad.

The ?igveda is the first book of humankind and the most sacred scripture of Hinduism. It also happens to be the most ill-understood book of our times. Despite the extensive study by academic and religious scholars, the purpose and meaning of the ?igveda and many ancient Hindu scriptures remain unclear. In this pathbreaking book, the discovery of the ?igveda as a book of ancient cosmology is described, and related to the seals of ancient Indus Valley Civilization, thereby challenging our perception of humanity."The Vedas have always been lauded as containing the secrets of cosmogenesis. Raja Roy in his remarkable book shows how this is true not only from the yogic vison but according to the latest insights of modern physics. The book takes the reader on a vast panoramic journey through the universe of matter, mind and human history as well."David Frawley (Vamadeva Shastri), Director, American Institute of Vedic Studies"Roy presents a new framework for the understanding of the Vedic hymns from the point of view of physics and then he draws parallels with recent theories on the nature of the universe. We celebrate the new path he has hewn through the bush of old scholarship."Professor Subhash Kak, Oklahoma State University

Kandiah Sivaloganathan's A Brief Introduction to Hinduism, is a handy tool for all those who yearn to understand the philosophy behind one of the world's oldest religions - Hinduism. Also known as Sanatana Dharma (or the eternal law), Hinduism took birth in the Indian subcontinent thousands of years ago and is still followed by more than a billion followers worldwide. However, in today's busy world, it's nearly impossible to gain an in-depth understanding of one's faith and pass it on to the next generation. That's exactly the issue Sivaloganathan tries to address in his book, with regards to Hinduism. It's a go-to book for all your queries regarding the Hindu faith. The author tries to bring together the various aspects of Hinduism - from its myriad deities, saints, sages, rituals, prayers, scriptures, to modern science and its association with the principles of this ancient religion. This Book attempts to provide answers to: What is Hinduism? Why do Hindus pray to different deities What is the power of prayer and mantras? What does Hindus mean by karma, creation and reincarnation? How is Hinduism connected to nature and science? In today's world, when everyone is too busy to read and understand their religion, this book provides a basis, a simple reference, to understand Hinduism. It is written in simple, readable language.

Some postcolonial theorists argue that the idea of a single system of belief known as "Hinduism" is a creation of nineteenth-century British imperialists. Andrew J. Nicholson introduces another perspective: although a unified Hindu identity is not as ancient as some Hindus claim, it has its roots in innovations within South Asian philosophy from the fourteenth to seventeenth centuries. During this time, thinkers treated the philosophies of Vedanta, Samkhya, and Yoga, along with the worshippers of Visnu, Siva, and Sakti, as belonging to a single system of belief and practice. Instead of seeing such groups as separate and contradictory, they re-envisioned them as separate rivers leading to the ocean of Brahman, the ultimate reality. Drawing on the writings of philosophers from late medieval and early modern traditions, including Vijnanabhiksu, Madhava, and Madhusudana Sarasvati, Nicholson shows how influential thinkers portrayed Vedanta philosophy as the ultimate unifier of diverse belief systems. This project paved the way for the work of later Hindu reformers, such as Vivekananda, Radhakrishnan, and Gandhi, whose teachings promoted the notion that all world religions belong to a single spiritual unity. In his study, Nicholson also critiques the way in which Eurocentric concepts—like monism and dualism, idealism and realism, theism and atheism, and orthodoxy and heterodoxy—have come to dominate modern discourses on Indian philosophy.