About eight years ago, there was a news on the national paper with Jairam Ramesh, then Minister of State for Environment and Forests, stating, “India is losing at least 2000 patents every year on traditional formulations as the knowledge on these has never been documented.”
The question is, “Do they really know if the ancient tradition is documented and what these documents contain?”. A gap between English-speaking academics in India and the Vedic pundits exists. Most often, the former think that they represent the country’s intelligentsia. But the latter remains behind as there is large untapped knowledge in their camps. It hasn’t been noted in the society that the latter’s knowledge is even more crucial for harmonious society.
The problem is these two extremes haven’t found the right midpoint to meet as they find difficulty in understanding each other. But, if there is even a slightest of possibility that these two ends meet, then India will certainly be advancing scientific innovations, philosophies, conscious researchers.
For instance, if the matter of Vedas that Parabrahman desired to transform into many, and that the Brahman is awareness, could have led to discovering that matter is just an energy, way before Einstein even could.
It is unfortunate that this was neglected in the independent India. The ones who were representing and fostering the country’s driving force were brainwashed by the British education. Many of them are from the left shouting “saffronisation”, and yeah, they shout too loud. It is not to say that they don’t have their freedom of expression, but the problem is that their voices are heard all around the world.
The Vedic pandits’ voices are unfairly dubbed as “the backward voices of the country”, and the world too.
This biasedness is difficult to grasp because if any of the scientists looks at the knowledge the Vedic Rishis possessed, then it is fascinating and so logical. If any other country had that vastness of knowledge in the bank, then they would be showing it off to the world and stressing it to platforms wherever possible. Yet, the knowledge is still ignored and professors, academics and scientists easily consider just hypothesis from the left.
To prove that, just take Darwin’s evolutionary theory. This is highly probable, but it is not necessary to consider this as the ultimate fact because there are plenty of evidence in Indian scriptures that have proved the cycles from Satya-yuga to Kali Yuga.
Read – 10 Vishnu avatars and their parallels in scientific world of evolution and civilization
Only a few attempts have been made to uncover the knowledge bank, the treasure of India. Some universities have courses on Indian psychology that have roots in the ancient scriptures and Sri Aurobindo’s deliberations in the topic. And this was only possible because some western universities had added a new stream of western psychology based on Vedic insights. However, the “transpersonal psychology” is still not acknowledged.
The sorry fact is that the ancient India was far ahead of the modern west, but now, things have turned. Today, the modern west are taking “consciousness studies” to next level, while Indian psychology students are being taught the theories of western Pavlov and Skinner.
Moreover, Ayurveda, which was developed way back in the ancient times, is finally being accepted, mainly because of contributions of Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna. The knowledge about what constitutes health, how to remain healthy and how to regain health, is included in the comprehensive treatise of the Charaka Samhita, which is about 2500 years old. Another treatise Sushruta Samhita is also available. Like these, there are many other treatises which are yet to be tested in the modern world.
The Ayurveda, the Yoga, and the Indian psychology are only some part of a large whole of ancient Indian knowledge. There are far more things to exploit to reap out greater benefits.
Many scientific concepts of the Indian Vedas have been proven to be correct. While some other still remain questionable, they haven’t been proven to be wrong. Even with such a ground, Indian scholars neglect the Indian background of scientific knowledge.
Just to make it clear, there are concepts that must be attributed to Vedic Rishis and not the western scientists. For instance, the concept that the earth revolves around the sun should be given to them, and not Copernicus. Vedic Rishis had discovered that thousands of years ago. Or the credit of the solar spectrum of colors and cosmic Ress should not have been attributed to Newton and Hess.
Here are some samples of translations of Vedic Pundits:
- Earth goes around the sun – Rg Veda 10. 22. 14. and Yajur Veda 3. 6.
- Sun neither rises nor sets – Atraya Brahman 3’44 and Gopatha Brahman 2’4’10.
- Sun and the whole universe are round – Yajur Veda 20. 23
- Moon is enlightened by the sun – Yajur Veda 18, 20.
- There are many suns – Rg Veda 9. 114. 3.
- Seven colors in the sun – Atharva Veda 7. 107. 1.
- The electromagnetic field, conversion of mass and energy – Rg 10. 72.
On these issues, the Vedic Rishis were on target. There are many such other issues, which may well be correct or at least worthy of being taken seriously.
Let’s take our attention to China. They don’t hesitate to extract and implement what their ancient knowledge had in store. Look where that is today. Look where Feng Shui and Acupuncture is going and how much of money that is generating worldwide. One report states that India is only getting 2% of the huge Yoga market around the globe.
It is definitely the time that Indians wake up to the treasure that their scriptures left out. Just some time back, to claim that “the world is Maya” was ridiculed, but today, nobody does so. And that claim was first stated by the Vedas. To add, the scholars of Christian belief thought that the earth was created only 6000 years back, but the Rishis always thought big and their estimate were closer to the scientific calculation today.
The greatest wisdom that Veda possesses is the knowledge that human being is – in the true self – not a separate being. Everyone is connected to the one Brahman, and his essence is pure and infinite consciousness. The only way to achieve this is to practice dharmic life and sadhana. When one does so, then true inspiration and inspiration arises, that gives way to true happiness.
The world is going bonkers over one issue these days: “How to drop thoughts?” If one reads the texts of Kashmir Shaivism, in the Vijnanabhairava, 112 methods are described. And they are way superior to what western practices are. The ironic thing about it is that the westerns have patented it and these foreigners are charging hefty fees in India to conduct seminars.
But there is still hope. The tradition has not died yet. It is still alive among the non-English-speaking natives who have been practicing it in their daily life. They are the ones who were not brainwashed by the western education system. For instance, they know the value of saffron as an auspicious color that signifies desires and attachment which are burnt in the fire of renunciation. Or that they are living the sattva life to heart. They don’t require any sort of psychological workshops, and the knowledge is passed from generations to generations. They do know that “Ishwar or Brahman is everywhere, and harming others will harm them in turn.” They do know an incredibly huge number of shlokas by heart. The problem is with media who are trying to blacken their images.
The only way to go forward is if the Indian establishment respect and spread the insights of the Vedic rishis and Sanskrit pandits. As in the earlier times, the great Vedic knowledge could flow out to the entire humanity, and everyone can take the benefit from it.