Vedic Science- A Brief Insight

Scientific Facts in Vedas

Since our childhood, we have learnt that science is a practical activity involved in a systematic study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment. From the definition itself, we come to know that science is that field of knowledge, which is based on facts and evidences. The journey of attaining scientific knowledge or discovery starts from a hypothesis and ends in a fact-sheet supported by series of research activities including experiments, derivations and inferences.

Vedas – the oldest scriptures focuses on multiple dimensions of life. According to the Indian Vedic Science News, starting from the basic moral and values of leading a meaningful life up to medical and complex calculations, the Vedas have it all. Many controversial discussions often come to the forefront related to the technological achievements during the Vedic era. Some claims that Vedic sages were scientists; some claims that Vedas hold credits of making scientific and technological discoveries much before than our modern era. These claims and arguments can be true or may not match the expectations of the debaters.

At the most basic level, we must know that both Vedas and Science are forms of knowledge enhancing source. Both are based on deep dedication and observation. Both are based on Scientific Facts in Vedas. Hence, without making the two entities distant from each other, we can classify the contents to be Vedic Science and Modern Science. Ever since the discovery of Vedic literature sometime around 1500 BCE by group of Indo-European speaking people, the scriptures have casted a religious image in the hearts of its readers and followers.

The Vedas are composition of rhymes and hymns mostly dedicated to Gods and Goddesses. That is the religious perspective. If we try to derive practical inference and associate the logic with our modern facts, we can get the meaningful spiritual yet material meaning of the same.

The comparison of one Vedic and one equivalent scientific concept can enlighten the fact that if we focus on the material meaning of Vedic shlokas, it is similar to our scientific laws. Saguna means with form whereas Nirguna without form. If we change our perspective a bit more, then we can reach to another conclusion of the same phrase. Shakti means energy. We all know that energy is intangible. It can only be felt and hence, its property of being Nirguna is satisfied. On the other hand, energy has various forms like thermal energy, gravitational energy, mechanical energy, kinetic energy and so on. This categorisation of energy gives it specific forms. Hence, the Saguna aspect of the Vedic phrase in relation to Shakti or energy is satisfied.

There are various such shlokas, which if perceived in quantitative and material vision can very satisfyingly encompass our modern scientific theories and findings. There are various words used in the Vedas, which highlights the knowledge of the dwellers of that era related to mathematical and scientific concepts. Few of the concepts shared in the Vedas are –

The above Vedic shloka dedicates the adoration of follower towards Sun God. It gives a factual description of distance and time. Sun God is told to be traversing 2202 Yojana in a Nimisha. 1 Yojana is equivalent to 14.484 km (SI metrics) and 1 Nimisha equals 106.7 milliseconds. Taking these distance and time figures into consideration, we can obtain speed of 298910665.42 meter per second. Speed of light known to us is 299792458 meter per second, which is approximately, assumed 300000000 meter per second or 3 x 10⁸ meter per second. Thus, centuries earlier the speed of light was calculated. Now without much referral elaboration let us have look at few more such illustrations of Vedas.

There are various terms which are used frequently in the Vedas like “Anu” (atom), “Paramanu” (nucleus), “Vritt” (circle), “Yantra” (machine), “Vimana” (flying machines or aircrafts) etc. which significantly proclaims the association of the Vedas with medical and technological science at that time.

As I have discussed in my previous articles that Vedas is not work of any single individual and still the person who initiated this pattern of knowledge-bank preparation process is not known. If we look into the history, we get many references by which it becomes quite evident that the level evolution of knowledge and education cited in the Vedas is at par with the chronological timeline we follow. Whether Vedic Science can be understood on the perspectives of our Modern Science or not, whether Vedic Science is logical or not or whether debating on these topics sounds practical or not – these are useless controversial queries. If we believe in the basic principles and ethics of a civilised life, we must respect these scriptures as masterpiece created by our ancestors and if we are focused on its scientific relativity, then we must take a dip in the vast ocean of knowledge and information stored in the Vedas. In both cases, we are bowing down to the greatness and inevitably extraordinary compilation of knowledge, information and wisdom – the Vedas.