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INDIAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENTIFIC HERITAGETrivandrum 695 018, India
(0471-2490149)
www.iish.org ,www.iishglobal.org
SCIENTIFICAND
TECHNOLOGICALHERITAGEOF
HINDUS
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Thisisonlyanoutlineonthe scientificandtechnologicalheritageofHindustobeselectedforthe
studybytheindividualsdependingontheirowninterestandspecialization. They maycollect as
many points askingthequestionswhy?how?when?where? what? andcomparingthe answer
withthe knowledge existinginotherpartsoftheworld, ineachtopic,sothat theycan learn
thoroughly and teach others. Letustry tobecomeanexpertinselected andspecialized areasof
Indianscientific
heritage.
The
syllabi
are
given
as
subject
wise.
Example:Ifinthesyllabus Ajantha isgiven, askthequestions whatarethenovelpointswithAjantha
cavetemple?when wasitconstructed? howit was constructed?whatarethesalientstructural
featuresofAjantha?How thepeople inotherpartsoftheworld wereliving,during whenthis Ajanta
cavetempleswereconstructed(BC50)?Whatwastheir capabilityinthis subjectareaofcavestructure
construction?..Askthesequestionsandfindouttheanswers. Repeatthe same for othersyllabus
points.
BIOLOGICALSCIENCES
Healthscience(Healthscience is apartofayurveda whichis anupavedaof Atharvaveda.Itis also
discussed
in
yoga
sastra
which
is
one
among
the
six
darsanas
of
the
Hindus.
The
subject
has
also
beendealtwithinpuranasanditihasas):TheIndianvisiononhealth asgiven byMaharshiSusrutha,
Charaka andVagbhatachaarya and manyothers. The approachtakenbyPatanjaliinYogasaastra, the
spiritual approachofbodyandmind,etcwillbethepartoftheIndianhealthscience. Aswinidevatha
conceptofhitha aayaasa andmithaaahaara(food&exercise),needof appropriateexercisebasedof
theagesexphysiologicalconditions,etc.Yogaasanas,sooryanamaskaara, effectof medicines,
identificationof diseases through saastrampramaanam/aaptavaakyampramaanam/prthyksham
pramaanam/anumaanampramanam/ methods. Useofdrugs, fastingsand pathyas and fastingasa
partofcustoms/rituals. Selectionof foodbasedonclimaticvariation/age/healthconditions/etcofthe
person/patient,physicalandmentalrest, upaasana andworshipasapartof daytodaylife,ethicsand
moralityinthecommonmanslife andalso fordoctors, causesof illness,pathogenicorganisms,
precautions
to
be
taken
for
good
health,
solar
therapy,
music
therapy,
Yoga
therapy,
Reiki,
energy
healing,watertherapy,asdescribedintheIndiansystem.The knowledgeonsurgery andplastic
surgery andsurgicalequipmentsknownsastras andyanthrasasdescribedinSusruthasamhitha,
practicingsurgeryasgivenby MaharshiSusrutha.Varietyofacharas/customsandritualsinfluencingthe
health.Importanceof vegetarianfoods. Indian traditional foods andtheir merits.Takingoilbath
duringselecteddays,hot/coldwaterbath.Allowing childrentoplayinthe soils after smearingtheoil.
Grandmaastechnologicalfoodsforbabies andbabyhealthcare systemexistedin ancientIndia.
MentalHealth/Psychology(thisagainisasubjectof ayurvedaandyoga/poorva
meemamsa/uttarameemamsa/vaiseshika/darsanasandUpanishads.Ithasbeendiscussedindetailin
Yogavasishta,Bhagavathgeetha,dharmasaastra andsoon): DescriptionofmindgiveninUpanishads,
mentalinfluenceonhealth,theinfluenceofyamaasandniyamaas:ahimsa satyam astheyam
brahmacharyaaparigraham
oucham
snthosha
thapa
swadhyayam
eeswara
pranidhaanam
etc.
Effectofstabilisedvisiononlife,controllingtheangr,fear,andattachment,mentalpreparations toface
upsanddowns/lossandprofit/success andfailures/animosityandfriendship/appreciationsand
criticisms asdescribedinIndian philosophicalbooks. Influence ofpuranic /epic relatedstoriesin
mind tofacethe realitiesofthelife.Influenceofpranayam/dhyaana/dharana etconthemental
development.Impactoffoodon mindas provedbythemodernscience,effectofsaatwic food,
dreams,effectofmanthrasonmind, customs influencingthe mentalhealth and familyrelations.
Analysesofthepurposeofliving,familysocialandnational goalstobe putforth for apurposefullife
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anditsimpactonmind. Spirituality andfaithinhealing.Effectofcurativechemicalonmindandbody.
Bhajans/keerthans/prayer/manthrasetconmind. Thepositive songsandimagesinfluencingthe
mind.Psychologicallyinfluencing acharas.
Foodscience(veryspecificexplanations aregiveninayurveda astolditis apartofatharvaveda.It
hasbeengivenindharmasaastra andgruhyasootrapartofkalpasastra andtosomeextentin
puraanaas):Variety
of
Indian
foods,
balanced
nutritious
foods,
natural
traditional
baby
foods,
the
medicinalcomponentsusuallyaddedinIndianfoods(likeasafoetida,turmeric,spices,mustard, etc),
pathyabased foodduringillness,specialized cooking,roasting,fermenting,processing,preserving, etc.
doneforvarietyof foodsandtheirscience.Generationofspecificflavorsinfoodsbysuitablymodifying
spices.Thescienceofalteringthefoodsduring fasting on specific dayslike ekaadasi/somavaar
vratha/karthikamonth/vaisaakhamonth/etc.Optingforintegratedbalancedfoodsthrough fasting
andvrathaas, importanceofselecting cookingvesselslikeceramics/iron/copper/brassvessels(for
getting micronutrientslike,iron,zinc,copper,silica,magnesium,sodium,potassiumetc),varietyof
vegetables and their significanceinbalancedhealthyfoods. Manymore significantscientific
observationscanbemade if astudent carefully examinestheIndianfoods,naturopathy,and
vegetarianfood.
Chemistry(Rasachikitsais apartof atharvavedabased ayurvedaprevalentinnorthIndia. Allthe
authors of Rasachikitsa were SiddhasorMaharshies. Thechemistrydescriptions,one cansee
sytematicallyintherasabooks): TheancientIndianchemistrybookslikerasarnava,rasaratna
samucchaya,rasendrachoodamany,rasarnavakalpa,rasachandrika,rasaratnakara,and hundredsof
rasabasedbooks.(Thesebooks are available inSanskrit withEnglishorHinditranslations.). The
knowledgeonchemicals,particularlyininorganicchemicals,like sulphides/sulphates/oxides/etc.
Sanskritnamesofchemicals, detaileddescriptiongivenforsettingupalaboratory,scientifictemper,
qualificationoflaboratoryassistants, researchscholarsasdescribedinRasaratnasamucchaya.
propertiesof inorganic chemicals andtheirusedescribedbyVagbhatacharya,centuriesago.Chemicals
usedfor variouspurposesasdescribedinBharadhvajainyantrasarvaswa,VarahamihirainBruhath
samhitaand alsobyothersinthe abovechemistrybooks.
Biopesticides(biopesticides are partof vrukshayurveda whichagainis apartofAyurveda or
Bhruhatsamhitha):Varietyofplantproducts, Neem,sweetneem,neemcake,mustardcake,tulasi,
clove, pepper,turmeric,tobacco, oilsfrom sesame,cottonseed, castor etc., usedas biopesticides
and as preservatives,traditionalmethodsofpestcontrollikefumigationwithneem/sulphur/
camphor/coconuthusk(sinceitcontains sulphur/coconutshell(raw forits phenoliccontent)/cow
dung(sinceitcontains ammonia).Theuseofpanchagavya/aqueouscowdungfiltrate/extractas
pesticide.Thetraditionalknowledge available from farmers.Detaileddescriptions forcontrollingthe
pests/microorganisms/etcgiveninVrukshaayurvedicbooks.
Plantdrugs/pharmacology(this is apartofthe atharvavedic ayurveda): Active plantbiochemicals
possessing medicinalplants,asdescribedinCharakasamhita,Ashtangahrudaya,ashtangasangraha,
sahasrayoga,etc.
comparative
studies
on
modern
and
traditional
knowledge
of
medicinal
plants.
The
student cantrytounderstandasmanyplants aspossiblewhichare good sourcesofthe bioactive
principles. Varietyof plants(herbs,shrubs,creepers,grass,trees etc.)usedfor curing diseases.The
plant leaves,buds,flowers,stems,roots,latex,etcusedfor treatingspecific diseases. Singledrug
treatment.
Medicinesandmedicinalpreparations/plantbiochemistry(Charakasamhitha and Susrutha
samhitha are written by Rishies ofthecaliberofthose ofvedicRishies, this alsoincludesageslike
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Chyavana/Brugu/Vagbhata/Agastyaandsoon): Thedescriptionsof inorganicchemicalsused as
medicinesinancientIndian Rasachikitsabooks,theirpreparations/processing and preservation. The
plant productsusedasdrugs,therawdrugs,their harvesting,drying,storage, mixing, drug
formulation, decoction preparation,etc. Varietyof Ayurvedicdrugformulationobtainedbymixing
manyrawdrugs.Knowledgeonthe possible chemicalchangestakingplaceinayurvedicdrug
preparationwhile
drying,
storing,
heating,
roasting,
boiling
with
water,
concentration,
etc
(all
ayurvedicpreparations).Herewehavetofocusonlyontheknowledgeexisted andtheir scientific
merits, intheareaof plantdrugs.Thescientific knowledgebehindkashaya/decoctionpreparation,
choorna,kwatha,lehya,arishta,ghrutha,thyla.etcreparations andtheir basicprinciplesof
applications.
Basicplantsciences/botany:Detaileddescriptiongiven inVrukshayurvedabyRishieslike
Saarngadhara,Katyayana,Varahamihira,Parasara,andothers.Plant growth,grafting,irrigation,useof
manure,seedspreservation, phototropism,agriculturalpracticesbothbasicandapplied.Seasonsof
sowing/planting/biodynamicsofagriculturalpractice,etc.,Varietyofthetraditionalknowledgestill
practicedinvillages,intheproductionofagriculturecommodities.
Fermentation
technology.
The
knowledge
of
microorganisms
existed
in
India
as
described
in
ayurvedicbooks.Fermentationofmilktocurdandyoghurt, fruitjuicefermentationtovines, medicinal
preparationof arishtas,etc.Fermentationproceduresfollowedin four major typesliquorsmentioned
inChanakyasArthasaastra(Arthasastrais anupavedaof Rigveda),thesourceofmicroorganisms,
cultures, fermentationproductsmentionedinthe ayurvedic andvrukshayurvedicbooks.Fermented
ricebased commonsolidfoodslikepancake,fermentationof traditionalliquorsfromcoconut and
palm products.
TECHNOLOGICALSCIENCES
AncientIndianmines: KnowledgeontheancientIndian mines whichwereactive duringthelast three
ormoremillenia, theores/minerals ofcopper,gold,zinc,lead,silver, distributedthroughout
Rajasthan,Haryana,
Bihar,
Bengal,
Gujarath
,Karnataka,
Uttar
Pradesh,
Madhya
Pradesh,
etc.
The
technologyadoptedfordigging,mining,transportation, processing and refiningtheaboveorepriorto
metallurgicalprocessing, provisionsgivenfor aeration andlightinginmines,etc. the presentday
scenesof ancient metallurgicalsites.
AncientIndianknowledgeinMetallurgy(metallurgyis apartoflohathanthrawhichagain is
becomingapartofRasachikitsa/saastra): Theproduction andpurificationofmetals,theuseofflux
andslag, temperatureattained, technology fortheproductionandpurificationof metals like tin,
copper,iron, silver,gold,zinc,lead. Anunderstandingofthe chemicalreactions accomplishedlike,
oxidation,reduction,.slagformation,distillation oflowboiling metals,etc. Thefine technologyused
for thelargescaleproductionof bronze, brass,panchaloha,bellmetal,coinmakingmetals andmany
alloysmentioned
in
chemistry
books
and
also
in
the
books
like
Chanakyas
Arthasaastra.
Impressive
metallicalloypreparationtechniquesmentionedin theRasabooks,rasopanishadandBharadvaajaas
writings.Thekilnsandmooshasusedforthe metallurgicalapplications.Specialmethodsadopted for
thepreparationofzincand lead. Preparationofthepurestformofcopper and alphaandbeta brass.
Identificationof alphaandbeta tin and descriptionsofthephysicalcharacteristicsofthesemetals.
Themetalingots,sheets,platesetc ofzinc/lead/iron/brass/bronze/copper/gold/silver/ofancient
Indianorigin excavatedfrom othercountrieslikeAthens, Babylonia,Rome, Egypt,..
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AncientIndian Iron makingtechnology.Productionof pigiron,castiron andwroughtiron,Delhi and
Dharironpillar,forgewelding,lamination,paintcoatingfor preventingtherusting,.Makingtheswords,
theBanaras and Kodumanalswords,carburizationinironinstruments usedinagriculture and surgery.
Rustfreepreservation techniques adoptedforiron,woortzsteel. Largescaleproductionofironalloys,
exportofironto European/middleeast countries.TheirontechnologyexistedinNorth
Kerala/Andra/Nasic/Gujarath/Bengal/Varanasi/etc.
the
Damascus
sword
from
India.
CeramicsscienceandtechnologyinancientIndia(detaileddescriptionofthe mooshaisgivenin Rasa
based books) : The topqualityceramics vessels,tiles,glazed vessels, beads, bricks etc.producedin
Harappa,Mohanjodaro,Lothal,Varanasi,Thakshasila,Kalibhangan, Hastinapura, andmanyother
NorthandsouthIndian archeologicalsites. Varietyof coloringmaterialsused fortheceramicsvessels
anddecorationceramics articleswhichwerealsousedintheglassmaking.ThegreatbathofMohenjo
dara,thelostcityofCambay,Dwaraka,Hastinapura,etc
IndustrialandinstrumentalglasstechnologyexistedinIndia: Varietyof multicolored glasses with
different size,shape, appearanceand capacity produced inIndia. Theglassbeads,ornaments,
plates,vessels,
made
using
variety
of
inorganic
coloring
materials
like
the
oxides,
carbonates,
sulfates,
phosphates,etcofchromium, lead,copper, iron,nickel,calcium,sodium. The nonmetallic
compoundsused as coloringmaterials. Technology introducingthe golden/silver leaf/plates in
glasses.
GeneralInstrumentsusedinancientIndia: Descriptionof avarietyof instruments givenin
Bharadvajasyanthrasarvaswa (Bharadwajaisnow aclanordered afterthegreat Vedicsageof
Bharadwaja.Heis known asMaharshiBharadwaja.Onlyapartofhisbook Yantrasarvaswa/
amsubhodini isnowavailable) theVaimanikasaastra,dvaanthapramapakayantra,etc.Thenumbering
systemswithserialnumbersofthecomponentsofinstruments, alloypreparations,qualityofglass
lenses,prisms,glassplates,varietyofKrithakaloha,(artificialmetallicalloyshaving nonmetallic
compoundsalso)diesusedformoldingthe instrument parts/components, inrequiredsizeandshape.
Theinstrumentsusedinastronomicalcalculations knownunderthetitlejyothiryantra.
Musicalinstruments(Music is Gandharvaveda whichisanupavedaof Saamaveda.Music/dance/
drama/musicalinstrument are alloriginated fromSaamagaana):Varietyof stringinstrumentsfor
music/danceperformances,themetallicalloysusedforthepreparationof strings,wind instruments,
theknowledgeof soundwaves,themembraneinstruments,preparation/processing ofthe
membranes for these musicalinstruments. The basic knowledgeofsound in music. Thegranite
music pillars knownassangeethamandapa seen in ancientsouthIndiantemples. Traditional Indian
musicalinstrumentslikeflute,idakka,mrudanga,chenda,thaala,naadaswara, veena,violin,
harmonium, andsoon.Thebasicprinciples adoptedintheirmakinganduse.
Surgicalinstruments(detailed descrtiptionofthese instruments andtheir pictures are giveninthe
bookswrittenbyMaharshiSusrutha as apartof Salyachikitsawhichagain is apartof ayurveda/
upavedaofatharvaveda): The surgical instruments known as sastrasand yanthras numbering
morethanahundred,asmentionedin Susruthasamhitha,themetalsusedformakingthese
instruments.Theirsize,shapeandcomparison withthemoderninstrumentsusedforthepurpose.
Descriptionof plasticsurgerytechniques. Theinstrumentsforkidneystoneremoval,stitching,cutting
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open,etc. allthese instrumentsusedinthe modernsurgerytables maybecompared withthose
available thousands ofyears ago,inIndia.
Laboratoryequipments(thisdescrtiptioniscomingaspartof rasa books): Morethan 35typesof
ceramics,glassandmetallic equipmentsmentioned inRasaratnasamucchaya fortheuse inchemical
laboratoriesfortheprocesseslike,distillation,sublimation,extraction,drying,heating,roasting,mixing,
decanting,etc.
generally
known
under
the
name
yanthras
made
using
specific
quality
clays.
Many
varietiesofmooshaas,putyantras werealsoused here forprocessingthemetals andother
compounds.
Kilns/furnaces,mushas &Putasusedformetallurgy. Varietyof furnaces and kilns,crucibles usedfor
theproductionof variousmetals andalloys.The temperature attained for oxidation,reduction,slag
preparation and distillation ofvarietyof metalsand correspondinglysuitableselectionof
putas/furnaces. Heatingmaterials andtheirproportions,heatingtime,fluxused forremovingthe
impurities inthe metalprocessing.descriptionof mahagajaputa, gajaputa,kukkuta puta,kapotha
puta etc andtheirpreparations.
PaintingTechnology/organicand inorganiccolorants(this subjectcomingaspartofsthaapathya
veda/architecture
which
is
an
upaveda
of
Rigveda
sometimes
it
is
also
said
as
the
upaveda
of
atharvaveda). The chemistryofthe paintsusedinAjantha,Ellora,andothercavetemple paintings,
muralpaintings,theinorganic colors and plantproducts usedfor paintings,theirpreparation,mixing,
applyingonthe preprocessedsurfaces.Selecting andprocessingplant products usedas paints. The
preparationofinks,forvarietyofapplications.Muralpaintings,oilpaintings, preparationofpainting
beds/walls/canvass,etc asdoneincavetemplesandwalls.
Textilestechnology ( detailed dscrtiptioncanbe seenindharmasaastra andalsoarthasaastra part
of eitherkalpasastraorupaveda):AncientIndiantextile industryasmentionedinChanakyasArtha
saastra, textilesproduced using cotton,silk,wool,jute, andalsoincorporationof gold,silverandlead
metallic threads asboardersforthetextiles. Thefamous Kancheepuram,Banaras,..sarees/textiles.
the dyingtechnologyand coloringmaterials used. Thetextiledyes,leathercolors, varietyofcoloring
materialsproducedindifferentpartsofIndia andmethodof application ofthedyes.
Civilengineering andarchitecture(ThesubjectmatterisdealtwithsystematicallyinSthapathyaveda
whichis upavedaasmentionedabove.Detaileddescrtiptionis alsoavailable inarthasasstra
books) :Thecivilengineeringskilldemonstrated inthefamoussouthIndiantemples constructedby
thekingsofthe Chola,Chera,Pandya,Hoysaalsa,Kakateeya,Vijayanagaraperiods. The hugeandtall
entrances/gopurams ofthese temples. Themortars/cements usedfortheconstructionofthese
temples. Theinstrumentsusedformeasuring/maintaining thegeometryofthesestructures.The
granite/marble/lateritestonecuttingandpolishingequipment/devises existedduringthen. The
transportationtechniquesadopted forthehugegranitepieces.Construction ofmarble temples,
palaces andlakepalacesinRajasthan.ThetemplesofKancheepuram,Rameswaram,Chidambaram,
Kumbhakonam,Thiruvannamali,
Sucheendram,
Trivandrum,
Konark
and
Khajuraho,.
The
music
pillars andmusicmandapas,theknowledgeonthe soundwavesproduced bythese granitepillarsand
granite stone carvings(thickthin pointedandsoon) Thecarvingundertaken withtopprecision,inall
theabovestructures.
Theconstructionof cavetemples,ofAjanta,Ellora,Elephanta,knowledge ongeologicalaspectsof
rocksinwhichtheChaityaasandViharas werecarvedout. Hugepalacesconstructed particularlylike
Jaisalamarpalace,palacesinthepinkcityRajasthan,Gwalior,Mysore,Hyderabad,etc the air
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conditioning/temperaturemaintainingmechanismsadopted,glazedandnonglazed tiles/glasses used
forflooring/windows. The pondsandwaterreservoirs made thousandsofyearsago.(learnasmany
structuresconstructedaspossibleandtheirtechnologies)
Thecivilengineering sciencesandtechnologiesofforts andwalls,channels, riversetc. the
archeologicallyimportant sitesofMohanjodaro,Lothal,Harappa,Dwaraka,thelostcityofCambay etc
BASICSCIENCES:
Basicprinciplesof physics(for thesebasic principlesonehastosearch verymanybooks; examples
aresited against eachsubject) thevelocityof light(SayanaBhashyaforVedas),wave natureof
sound (MaharshiGouthamasnyaayasaastra),sevencolorsof light(Rigveda), Heisenbergsuncertainty
principlesPatanjalisyogasastra),definitionandexplanationofatoms,gravitationalforces(siddhanta
siromanyofBhaskaracharyaII), differenttypesof rays(UV,IR,Heatrays,visible rays asexplainedby
Bharadvaja) lenses, prisms,magneticmaterialslike ironandvarietyofmagnets,time, weightsand
measures,linearparameters. Modernscientificprinciple equivalent ancient observations.
Explanations giveninyantrasarvasarvawaofBharadwaja,thevaimanikasaastra,dwanthapramapaka
yantra/spectrophotometer,etcthescaleusedinmeasuringthetemperature,the serializationof
instrumentparts
commonly
used.,
graduation
method
adopted,
metallic
alloys
used
in
measuring
the
lightwaves,etc(allyantrasarvaswaofMaharshiBhardvaja)
AncientIndianMathematics &Astronomy(Mathematics and astronomyarethefifthvedangaof
vedicliteraturekown asJyothisha. Thereare fourvedangajyothis connected withRigveda archa
jyothisha YajurvedaYajushajyothisha,Samaveda samjyothisha and Atharvaveda Atharva
jyothisha). Thelater developmentofthsubjectmatter aredirectly connectedwith thesejyothisha
books): Detailedknowledge aregiveninthebookswrittenby Aryabhatta (I&II),Bhaskara (I&II),
Vateswara,Manjula,Lalla,Varahamihira,Parameswara,Sankaranarayana,andmanyother
mathematicians.Thefournumbersystems,(Sanskritnumber,Aryabhattanumber,Bhoothasankyaand
Katapayaadinumber)arithmeticandgeometricalprogressions andtheir varietyof applications,
interestcalculations,movingbodies,forwardandbackwardmotions,linear and angular
measurements, numbertheories,square/cuberootsandpowerseries,determinations,
degree/minutes/seconds/microsecondsbothfor timeand angularmeasurements, various
geometricalfigures bothinscribedoneanother andindependentfigures,parameters connectedwith
area,perimeter,volume of squares,triangles,circles,trapeziums,spheres,cones,cyclicquadrilaterals,
polygonals, detailedalgebra, quadraticequations,monomialand binomialtheorems,etc.Hundredsof
theorems developedbyAryabhatta,BhaskaraI & II,Sankaranarayana,Sangamagrama
Madhavacharya,PuthumanaSomayaji,Vateswarana,AryabhattaII,SankaraVarman,
Paramewaracharyathe applicationof katapayaadi number andbhoothasankhyasystemsmade
bytheabovemathematicians.
Determinationof Sine,cosine andtangent,Rsinevaluestheir squares,squareroots, additionsand
subtractions,determination
at
degree/minute/second
levels.
and
their
tables,
as
explained
in
detailed
byVarahmihira/Vateswara/AryabhataII/PuthumanaSomayaji/Parameswaracharya/Nilakanta/
Sankaranrayana/Achuta/jayadeva/Manulacharya/andsoon,methodof determining thesevalues,
anglesindegreesandradians,calculationsandtheorems connectedwiththese values.Relationamong
radius arcchordcircumference sine cosine tangentangles.Indiantheorems knowninforeign
scientists namessuchas:Newtonstheorems,Gregorystheorems,Kelvinstheorem,Lhulerstheorem,
Lebnitzsseries,Taylorseries,TychoBraheequations,etc.
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Astronomicalparameters(Asmentionedabove;Jyothisaastra isappliedganithasaatra accordindto
the fifthvedangaknown asjyothisha): Variousastronomicalandgeographicalparametersmentioned
intheabovebooks: The sphericalshape,size,diameter, circumference,gravity,declination, rotation
speed,revolution,celestial/terestriallatitudeandlongitude, parallaxinlatitudeandlongitude,
earthsine,etcofearth. Manymoreastronomicalparameters describedwithdefinitionby
Vatewaracharya,like
co
latitude,
prime
meridian,
and
its
relation
with
time,
sun
rise
and
sun
set,
eight
typeof revolutionsofplanets, visibilityofplanets,declination, precisionequinox, alphaAeriespoint,
apogee,perigee, solarandlunareclipse,calculationof eclipse,diameterofshadow and movementof
shadow,instruments usedfortimecalculationandalsoforthecalculationofvariousastronomical
parameters known as yanthras.
Hundredsofparameters described systematically and calculated mathematically on solar andlunar
eclipses, changes inthesigns,latitude/longitude, time variations,eastwestlines,avantilinesof
internationalimportance, theinferiorplantsandsuperiorplanets, occultingofplanetsandstars, the
starconstellations, thecomets, andtheirappearance,etc.,etc
Indian Managementscience(AllIndianmanagementbooks aredirectlyconnectedwithItihasa(
epics)puranas,
subhashitas):
Thousands
of
modern
and
relevant
management
principles
explained
by Chanakya in(Chanakya)neetisara alsoknown as Chanakyaupadesa,, BharthruHariin upadesa
sathaka inhundred points,,VidurainViduraneetisara as aquestionanswer methodofpresentation
toDhrutharashtra andVidura,BhishmainBhishmopadesa tothequestions askedbyDharmaputra,,
andalsobookslike YogaVaasishtaasgiven byMahrshiVasishta,Bhagavathgeethaadvisegivento
ArjunabyLordKrishna,Sukraneetisara bySukramuni and manysubhashtaas(advises) mentionedin
Panchathantra,Ramayana,Mahabharata,Thirukkural andsoon. Theyare allapplicable even for the
managementinthe 21stcentury.
Ancient Indian knowledgeinEconomics(Thissubject is theupavedaof Rigveda): The bookon
arthasaastra writtenbyChanakyaknownasKoutlileeyam,manycrossreferencebooksarealso
mentioned
in
arthasaastra,
books
of
dharma
sastras/
smruthies
dealing
with
this
subject
The
detailed
explanationsaboutmoney,budget,banking,interest,loans,compoundinterest,penalinterest, surety,
witness,documentspreparationsforloans, pledgingofmaterials,leasing,etc.thedetailedmethodof
implementing salestax,agriculturaltax, propertytax,gifttax,landtax,housetax, customsduty and
penaltaxes, etc. (asdescribedindharmasaastra)canbe seenin manybookswritten during BC500
andbefore.
IndianPhilosophy (Philosophies eitherpartofUpanishads whichareknown asvedantas or aspart
of shaddarsanas: Thephilosophicalcompilationsknown asdarsanasbyVyasa,Jaiminee, Patanjali,
Gouthama, Kapila and Kanaada poorva&uttarameemamsa,yoga,nyaaya, vaiseshikaa, arethe
mostimportantbooksknown asshaddarsanas. Manyfundamental principlesofphysics,chemistry,
biology, etcarementionedin theabovedarsanaas. SankarasAdwaitha and Madhvasdwaitha. The
bookof
Charvaka
known
as
Charvaka
samhita
of
atheism.
Other
than
the
specific
philosophical
compilations, the philosophydescribed inupanishad,Bhagavathgeetha,Yogavasishta,etc. Thus the
knowledgeofHindus didnotrestrictuponmerespiritualityand achaarasbut alsofocusedonevery
branchofmodernscienceandtechnology.Thatisthereasonwhymanyofthese knowledge,the
western scientists arepatentingnow.
Modern IndiasAchievements (ThemodernIndian achievementsineveryfieldis acontinuation of
theancient Indian blood andachievements): Since largeamountof data areavailableinthis
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subject,thereader/studentcanselect/collectasmuchdetails aspossible forcontinuouslearningof
thegreatscientistsofmodernIndia and our achievementinspacescience, harnessing atomicenergy
, technologyofexploding atombombs, Antarcticaexpedition, thegreenrevolution,the blue
revolution, white revolution,chemistry and achievementsinthe area of biotechnology, in
telecommunication, roads and transportation, educationatlower andhigherlevels, professional
education,information
technology
and
computer
science
and
super
computer
technology,
revolutionsin printandelectronic media. Thestudentcanadd muchmorethanthis,asthe
specialization has achievedinIndia, in almost all subjectareas.
THESCIENCEOF CUSTOMSANDRITUALSIN
HINDUDHARMA
WhatisthedefinitionofaHindu?:Aasindho:sinduparyanthamyasyabhaarathabhoomikaamaathru
bhoo:pithrubhoo(punya)schaivasavaiHinduitismruthaa: whomsoever,isconsideringtheland
betweenthe saptasindu (Indusvalleyriver) uptoIndianocean asthe motherland/fatherland and
holyland,isknown as Hindu. Thislandisknown asHindustanam whichisdefinedasfollows:
Himaalayamsamaarabhyayaavathhindusarovaramthamdevanirmithamdesamhindustaanam
prachakshate.Theland createdbygodhimself and whichislyingbetween Himalayas andIndian
ocean is known asHindustanam.
Unlikeother religions,Hindudharma has many specialties. This isnotknownasareligion,itis
known asthedharma. Either Hindudharma or sanaathanadharama. Sanathana means according
tobhagavathgeetha,whichcannotbedestroyedbyfire,weapons,water,air, andwhichispresentin
alllivingand nonliving being. Dharma means,the wayof life which is the totalof allaachaaraas
orcustomsandrituals. The aachaaraaswhicharetobeperformedbythemotherisknown asmathru
dharma,thoseof fatherisknown aspitrudharma. Similarly there areputradharma(dharmaof son)
aachaarya dharma(dharmaof teacher), asacontinuationwecansaybhraathru(brother)dharma,
bhagini(sister)dharma,poura(citizen)dharma, raja(king)dharma andsoon. Allthese dharmas
havebeendescribedindetailgivingthespecificimportanceinthe dharmasaastra andsmruthies.
Thereis
no
specific
English
word
for
dharma,
but
it
is
the
sum
of
the
duties
+responsibilities
+
privilegesofthat individual. Thenwhatisthesanathana/Hindudharma? Itisthe totalof mathru
dharma +pitrudharma+putradharma +putreedharma+acharyadharma +pouradharma+
+etc. Hencewesay Hinduismisnot areligionbut the wayoflife.
Oneshould always remember thatineachandevery aachaaraas/dharmathere willbe acomponent
ofspiritualityinit. Without spirituality,nothingexistsinHindudharma. Almosteveryone carries a
wrongimpressionthat thisspiritualityis religion. No!spirituality isdifferent inHindudharma, where
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the question areligiondoesnotexistatall,because Hindudharmawasnotcreated byone
individual/prophet/incarnation/. Henceitisnot areligion.Spiritualityis apartofeveryHindu
custom.
Whataretherulestobefollowedwhile practicing the Hinducustoms andrituals(aachaaraas)?. This
questionhastobescientificallyanalyzed. Whatevermaytheaachaaraas wearepracticinginourlife,it
hasbeentoldthat saakshaathanubhavairdhrushtonasruthonagurudarsitha lokaanaam
upakaaraayaethathsarvampradarsitham. Aachaaraasaretobefollowedbasedontheirmerits
availablefromtheself experience,oneneednotblindlyfollowateacherorsomeonewhogives advise
withoutreasoning. Allthese aachaaraas arementionedfor theprosperityofthehumanbeingsandit
shouldbetheprimefocusforpracticing the Hindu aachaaraas.
Achaaryaathpaadamaadatthepaadamsishyaswamedhayaapaadamsabrahmachaaribhyasesham
kaalakramenacha isanotherimportantadvicegiveninsmruthies.Itmeans onecangetonequarterof
theknowledge fromtheteacher,onequarter byanalyzing oneself,onequarter bydiscussingwith
others andthe last quarter onecanget duringtheprocessofliving bythemethodaddition,deletion,
correctionand
modification
of
already
known
aachaaraas/
new
aachaaraas.
Itismentionedthat wehavetotakeonequarterfromtheteacher/guru. Now,whatisthe definition
ofa guruorteacher.Aachinothichasaastraarthaansishyaansaadhayatesudheeswayamaacharti
chaivasaaacharyaitismruthaa: whoisknowingthescientific meaningofthepurposeofthe
aachaaraas,whocanteachthestudent verysystematically and whois following (allwhatistaughtto
thestudents)inonesownlife, thatpersonis fittobecalledastheteacher/guru.Here,one cansee
thequalificationofateacher who candefine andexplain about the aachaaraas.
Canwepracticetheaachaaraasatalltimes withthesamelevelofdevotion?Thisisacommonquestion
asked.Theanswerisalsogiveninoursmruthies.Swagraamepoornamaaachaaraasasmanyagraame
thadardhakampattane
tu
thath
paadam
yaatre
baalaad
aaachaaraasastheth.
In
ones
own
village,
practicealltheaachaaraas, inothervillages(whiletravellingorstaying) practiceonehalfofthe
aachaaraas, inthecities/townsfollowatleasta minimumofonequarterofthem andwhile traveling,
likeachildoneneednotpracticeanyoftheaachaaraas.
Shouldwepracticetheaachaaraasblindlysayingthatthoseaachaaraas were followedbymyfather or
forefathers.? Thaathasyakoopoyamitibruvaanakaapurushakshaarajalampibathi. Sayingthat this
wellwasdug bymyfather(andforshowing respecttohim)oneneednot drink thesaltwater(ifitis
present) inthewell.
Aachaaraas neednotbethesame inKerala andKashmir, similarlyfor aHinduthe same customs
cannot
be
practiced
in
America
and
Rajastan
desert.
Hence
depending
upon
the
place
,
time,
season,
age, availabilityofthematerials, financialpositionofthe individuals, the aachaaraas canbeduly
modified.
Thesameprinciple onecanseeinbhagavathgeetha also.LordKrishnatold Arjunaintheendof
Bhagavathgeetha,thatvimrusyaethathaseshenayathaaicchasithathaakuru:HeyArjuna allthose
whateverIhavetold you,criticallyanalyze,and theoption for accepting or rejecting is yours.
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Thesearetherulesoneshould followwhile analyzing andpracticingtheaachaaraasinHindudharma.
There are manywordsofguidance given indharmasaastra book. Saastrampramaanam:scientific
resultsare thefirstbasis,aaptavaakyampramaanam:guidancetobetakenfromthescholars isthe
(next)basis,prathyakshampramaanam:thedirect experience isthenextbasis, anumaanam
pramanam guessingtheconsequences/results, if noneofthe aboveparametersisavailable.These
arethe
steps
one
should
select
for
the
analyses
of
the
aachaaraas.
Whatarethepurposesofpracticingtheaachaaraas ? Ithasbeen describedinthesmruthies (which
arealsoknown asdharmasaastras) :aachaaraathlabhathehyaayu: aachaaraathdhanamakshayam
achaaraathlabhathe suprajaa aachaaroahanthyalakshanam . By followingthe aachaaraas one
gets health andlongevity, itleadstoprosperity, it givessocial relations and friends, and the
followers ofachaaras areconsidered as theembodimentof nobility. Aachaaraheenam na
punanthuvedaa: Theperson whodoesnothavethehabitof practicingthegoodachaaraas, cannot
evenbepurifiedbyVedas.
Whatarethe achaaraas? those customs andrituals which are irrelevantinthemodern times are
knownas
anaachaaraas,
those
which
lead
to
negatives/
deleterious
results
are
known
as
duraachaaraas andthose achaaraas which give verypositive andusefulresults areknown are
sadaachaaraas orgenerally known as aachaaraas.
The sadaachaaraas arefollowed for, anyoneormoreofthefollowingpurposes intheHindudharma.
The aachaaraas arethose give psychological.physiological, familyrelationandbondage, social
relationsandbondage and nationalintegration based positiveresults. Focusingonthe above five
points one cananalyzeverysystematicallyall theseaachaaraas.
Psychologicallybeneficial aachaaraas/customs andrituals: Fewexamples are selectedforexplaining
thesetypeofaachaaraas The morning andeveningprayer, the positive songs andkeerthans,the
Vedicmantras
which
produce
psycho
linguistic
and
neuro
linguistic
effects,
etc
are
psychologically
usefulaachaaraas.Theygive extremely good response inthebrain cells bywayof producing
curativehormones. Theblessingsoftheelders andparents, theencouragement given tothechildren
and also tothosewho are desperatelystrugglinginthelife, thewordsofconsolation,theblessings
likevijayeebhava,the aachaaraasin socialgathering andfamily functions,etc give psychologically
positiveresults.(Allthese aachaaraasarealsospiritually connected,istheHinduway)
Moreexamples:Reading apuraana gives themessagesof ups anddowns/failures andsuccess/
pains andpleasures inthelife. ThestoriesofSriRamainRamayana andthatofPandavasin
Mahabharatha inform usthat there aresufferingsinthelife andeveryone shouldfacethemboldly.
ReadingBhagavathgeethaisfor mentallypreparing toface anytypeofconsequences andwithout
failurepracticing
the
swadharama
(ones
own
duty).
Through
puranic
story
telling
for
the
children
,
valuebasedmessages aregiven intheformof storycapsulestoremaininthe memory for many
years and togetthereminderwhenevertheabnormalpathwayisoptedtointheirlife.Visiting elders
onfestiveoccasionsisforgetting valueandexperience based advise fromtheir life. Respecting
teachers andelders,isfor keepingthe valuesinoneslife andinsocietyforthelearnedpeople who
continuetoguidethesociety. Auspicioustime selection forvisits and performing ceremonies,isto
take extramentalprecautiontoseethat everythingis carefully/systematicallyprogrammed and
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planned.Consultingagood astrologer istoseethat things aremeticulouslyplanned andthe
blessingsof the Vedicdevathaas are assuredforanoptimisminonesendeavor(howeverthis should
notgotothelevelofsuperstition andshouldbecarefullymonitored).Performingpooja ismainlyto
seethatgoodwillcome ifgood ispracticed.Andtogivethefeeling thatrestis left tothedivine
mercy/blessings. This blessing is directlyassured(atleastwefeelso) by conductingpoojasin
presenceof
family
and
relatives
(hence
gives
an
opportunity
for
the
family
members
to
come
together
also).Worshiping theidols/imageshavingsmiling faces(prasannavadanam)gives apsychological
positivefeelingofconfidence(avoid theworshipofweeping/bleeding/ cruel imagesasitgivesa
negativeinfluenceinthemind). Chantpositive manthra/keerthan/bhajanforpositiveeffect
(neurolinguisticandpsycholinguistic)andneverchantcrying orweeping songs whichalsoinfluence
themindnegatively
Physiologicallybeneficial customs andrituals.Youcanalsoanalyze these customs andrituals
yourself onthe scientific base. Thesooryanamaskaara/sunsalutation performedinthemorning is
acombinationof 7yogaasaanaaspracticedintensteps,which givesmoothexercisefor allthe
movable
skeletal
joints
in
the
body
and
hence
this
is
also
known
as
the
king
of
the
exercises.
Morningprayer karaagrevasathelakshmikaramadhyesaraswathikaramoole sthithaagouri
prabhaathe karadarsanam:Sittinginthe samebed where yousleepeveryday,withoutcleaningthe
teethfacebody, whythismanthra ischanted,because thebodywas horizontal forthewholenight
while sleeping anditisgoingto become vertical(suddenly)whenyougetup. In the verticalposition
ofthebody the force exertedbytheheart forpumpingthebloodis more,hence thechangeof
positionofthebody fromhorizontaltoverticallevel shouldbe slow and steady.Hence weare
instructedto sitonthebed forfewseconds (ithasbeen statisticallyestimatedthat 23%oftheheart
attackdeaths takeplace intheheartpatients whentheysuddenlygetup andstand/walkfromthe
lyingposition). Similarly with amantra we touchthefloor samudravasanedeviparvathasthana
mandaleVishnu
patnee
namasthubhyam
paada
sparsam
kshamaswa
me.
The
bio
static
electricity
in
thebody getsearthedthroughthe fingers insteadofthe feet,reducingthe chanceof arthritis and
manyother nervousbased disorders. Beforetakingthe food,fewsecondprayer is aHindu
aachaaraas.duringthisprayertimeandwhilelookingtothefoodtheflowof salivainthemouthtakes
place andthis liquid activatesthegenerationof otherdigestive enzymesalso,thus activatingthe
processofdigestion( alayerof saliva and digestiveenzymes inthebottom ofthestomachbefore
thefoodcomestothe stomach isabiochemistry).Fasting leadstocleaningofthe intestine, certain
fasting(partial) inwhich changeoffood is instructedinthecustom,whichleadstogettingvarietyof
micronutrients fromdifferenttypesoffoodsources. Choodaakarna theceremonyconnectedwith
wearingofthe earringisjustlikegivingthe firstvaccination and annapraasana thefirstfoodgiving
ceremonyis
like
the
first
inoculation
to
the
baby
through
the
hands
of
different
people
(the
ear
ring
intheformer and foodinthelattercarries littledirt/germs whichleadsto augmentingtheimmunity
inthebodyofthebaby). These areonlyveryfewamongthousandsofaachaaraas practiced by
Hindus,forphysiological benefit
More examples: Donot keepthedirectionofthe headtowardsnorthbecausethe magneticmeridian
oftheearthretards theblood flowthroughbraincapillaries andaffect thefunctioningof braincells.
Avoidtaking bedcoffeetoprevent the obnoxious decomposedmaterialsgenerated by
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microorganisminthemouth(inthenight) goingtothestomachtoavoidthechanceof stomach
cancer.Wakeup earlymorning,because thebrain is perfectlyactive duringthattime.Take abathin
themorningitselfsothat allthe decomposedproducts/salts/urea etcpresentonthesurface ofthe
body gets cleaned whichpreventstheskindiseasessignificantly.Thecoldwater/hotwater bath
activates the biologicalprocessofthebodycellstomaintainthe bodytemperature when cold/hot
waterbath
is
taken.
Dhyaana
/meditation
activates
brain
cells.
Praanaayaama
activates
the
lungs
cells andfunctioning.Takingthulasiwater/theertha givesthe medicinalpropertyoftheplantinit.
Usingsandalwoodpasteintheforehead givesthechanceofabsorbingthe medicinalcomponentsin
thechandanthroughthe most sensitivepartofthebody.Visiting atemple(inHinduworship,the
temples are notmerelyprayerhalls, theyare quantumhealing centers) gives energytothebodyif
panchasuddheeismaintained. Doingpradakshinato aswatha gives anatmosphere/airthroughwhich
tracesofozoneproducedbythetreegoestothelungsandpurifies the lungs.Attending and
participating templefestivals give theopportunityforleadershipqualities,socialgathering,
entertainment andhence varietyofmeritsincludingspiritual benefits.
Customs
and
rituals
beneficial
for
strengthening
the
family
bondage:
When
we
look
for
integrated
developmentofthesociety,the familyrelationbecomesthefirststepinthe sociallife.There are
hundredsof aachaaraasasasintheHindu life which are exclusivelyaimed atstrengthening the
familyrelations andbondage. Everyspiritual andfamilybased customs aretobepracticed bythe
wifeandhusbandtogether, This strengthenthe familyrelationship.The message that maathru
devobhava,pitrudevobhava:Letthe mother andfather be divinetome(godstome) convey a
strong relationthread betweenthechildren andparents.The death anniversaryfunctionsknownas
sraardha aremainly performed to givethedemonstrationofthe relationship betweenthe parents
and children.Thedemonstrationfromgeneration after generations.
Inalltherituals,theindividualis expectedto tell the gotra(clan)andsootra(threadofconnection)
whichagain
show
the
connection
with
the
forefathers.
During
festivals,
the
parents
were
saluted/prostrated as mathru/pithrunamaskaara,togetthefeelingforthe children that(whatever
maybetheirage) their relationship,withtheparents isnotmerely thatofpeoplelivingtogether ina
house.Thisgivesthemessagethatinyoungerdays childrenwerelookedafterbytheparents andin
theold age, theparentsshouldbelookedafter bythe childrenwithdue respect and care. Similarly
the relationship betweenthewifeandhusbandisnot merelythe relationfor sex,butfor building a
familywithculture and valuesinthelife.Through 16sacraments known as samskaaraas(samskaara
means refiningorpurification) thelifeofthebabyis getting enrichedbythevaluesofthelife.During
theconstructionofthehousethe groundbreaking,stonelaying,thedoorfixing andhousewarming
ceremonies areallconnectedwiththe starofbirthofthewife,thusgivingimportancetothewifein
thefamily.
Without
the
husband
or
wife,
the
other
(among
the
couple)
alone
cannot
perform
any
of
the householdachaaras,which againmakesitcompulsorytobuildthe strong familybondage.The
marriageisperformed bytyingthethread puttingthegarland holdingtherightpalm(paanigrahana)
presentationoftheclothsorexchanging therings andbysirodhaara,thesefive rituals inpresenceof
hundredsofinvitedguests/andagni/fire givethefeelingof strong wifehusbandbondage.Itis said
that themarriageis conducted asagnisaakshi.Thusone cananalyzethe customs tounderstand the
impactofthefamilyrelations.
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Moreexamples:Ifproperlyperformed matching ahoroscopebeforemarriage gives anopportunity
forunderstandingthepersonalityofthe individualswhoaregettingmarriedandsuitable corrective
measurescanbeadopted. Inviting relatives andguestsformarriage gives anopportunity toshare
thejoyamong relatives and socialandfamilyrelationsgetstrengthened. After marriageceremonies
are aimedat getting ahealthybaby andgivingthe feelingoflove andaffection amongthecouples.
Thejaatja
karma
of
the
baby
is
performed
to
record
scientifically
the
position
of
the
celestial
body
whenthebabywas born.Itistheboundprivilegeoftheparents togivethe name fortheirbaby and
hence thenameoftheirchoicethrough naamakarana,isgivenasapartofthesamskaaraas.
Dhampatipooja/couplepooja isperformed byother familymembers to remindtheir respectand
appreciationonstrengtheningthebondagebetweenthecouples.Birthdaycelebrations areconducted
toinform thedutyandresponsibilityoftheindividuals whentheygrow andtoremindthem thatthe
societyandrelatives arewiththemfor undertakingtheresponsibility. Celebrationofthe 60th birth
anniversary(shashtipoorti),toremindthetime for doing moregood forthesociety usingthe
experience gained forthe last60yearsoflife, whentheperiod ofreststarts.
Customsandrituals beneficialforthe socialbondage: Invitingguests for family functions like
birthday,marriage,
during
the
death
and
after
death
rituals,
getting
together
during
the
festival
seasons likeholideepavalikrishnaashtamairamanavami celebrations etc. templefestivals, village
festivals, areall aimed atbuilding social bondage. Throughthese socialrelationbuilding
mechanismstheculturalrelationship amongIndians was builtup forthelastmanymillennia. Many
spiritualandreligious activities assamoohapooja,samoohabhajan, mantraaalapanetc are alldone
ingroups withtheleadership ofthecommonHindus themselves, not throughappointed priests,
whichleadtothe culturalintegration ofthesocialbondage intheHindusociety.
More examples:Familyvisits during happy andunhappyoccasion byrelativesandfriends (even
withouttakingappointments) istoconfirm thefamilymembers that during happy andunhappy
incidents inoneslife we,therelatives andfriends willbewiththem. Gettogether during festival
occasions isfor strengthening socialbondageamongthesocietymembers.Kumbhamela,vaisaaki,
andmanyother festival is forsharingthejoy andforgettingthenegativesofthepast andtobuild
betterrelationsshipamongthemembersinthesociety.Grouppilgrimagetolong distance istoshare
thejoy and difficulties together inthespiritualwaytostrengthensocialbondage
Customs andrituals beneficial fornationalintegration: There are manycustoms whichare
followed exclusively for gettingthefeelingofpatriotism among the Indians. Themorning prayer (
praathasmarana) wechantthenamesofsevenholyriversfrom Indian continentgangechayamune
chaivaandsevenmountains.. mahendromalayasahyo the great womenofIndiaahalya
droupadiseethathe greatmen aswathaamabalivyaaso.SevenmajorcitiesofIndia ayodhya
mathuraamaaya.andsoon. Thesestanzas were writtenthreeorfourthousand years ago.This
informs andremindsusthat India wasculturallyone forthe lastmanythousandyearsThepilgrimage
tonorth
India
by
the
south
Indians
and
to
south
India
by
the
north
Indians
are
fine
example
of
nationalintegration. The customs followedintheimmersionofthe ashes(obtained aftercremation)
inkaasi/varanaasitrivenisangambythesouthIndians and inkanyakumari trivenisangam bythe
northIndians leadtothisnationalintegrationthroughvisits and experiencesofdirectcontactamong
southandnorthIndians (where the languages/food/dressing/ culturaltraits etc differ).
Itisalsoimportanttonoteaveryinterestingfact,that for making anycurries(fooditems)insouth
India,northIndian spices arerequired andfor northIndiancurries,southIndians spicesare
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inevitable.Thusevenin kitchen ofHindufamily,thenationalintegrationcanbe seen. Learningof
Sanskritlanguage, chantingofVedas andrelatedliterature,thestoryof Ramayanaand
Mahabharatha are allfinallyaims atintegratingthepeopleof India andgive themessageofunityin
diversity.
More examples: Adeepanalyses oftheholyplaces,rivers,mountains andasramas given in
Ramayanaand
Mahabharatha
when
Sri
Rama
(in
Ramayana)
and
Pandavas
(in
Mahabharata)
visited
during vanavaasa,give familiarity ofthenation throughitihasas andpuraanaas.Puranic storiesdo
influence thenationalintegration.Pilgrimage toAsrams,Gangotri,Haridwaar,Kailash,Kanyakumari,
etc integrates themind ofallIndians towardsthenation. Theconceptof athithidevobhava toserve
the peoplewhovisits ourhomewithouttakingappointment gives theopportunity toknow andhelp
others. Duringthe ageoldcustoms anyonewho is onpilgrimage hastodepend forthefood and
shelter upontheunknown people.Peopletravelingfromnorthtosouth andsouthto northofIndia,
forthepilgrimage couldtaketheshelterinthe athithidevobhavaconcept.Bharathmaatha(mother
Bharath)conceptofthenationgives the relationamong Indians asthechildrenofthecountry.In
mahasankalpa namesof different kshetrainIndiaaregiven(asparasuramakshetra(Keralam) Sri
Ramakshetra
(Tamil
Nadu)
Sreenivasa
kshetra
(Andra)
Jagannatha
kshetra
(Orrissa)
Bhaskara
kshetra (Karnataka) andsoon,whichinforms usthatwe arepartofthegreat nationBharath.Like
thisthere arehundredsoftheaachaaraas aimedatnationalintegration.
Thus theaachaaraas aredirectly connectedwiththe daytodaylife ofHindus.Eventhe spiritual
rituals also compelsustopraysahanaa vavathu,sahanowbhunakthu sahaveeryamkaravaavahe
thejaswinaavadheethamstumaavidvishavahai aanobhadraa. Letusexisttogether, sharetheresults
ofthe worktogether,worktogether, thoroughthatpathwayletusenlightenourselves, letusnot
havehatredtowardsanyone,letnoblethoughtscomefromall overtheworld. Hindus alwaysprayed
lokaa:samasthaa:sukhinobhavanthu.leteveryonebecome happy.Hindusneverprayed haindavaa:
samasthaa:sukhino
bhavathu
Let
(only)
Hindus
become
happy.
Hindus
never
said
their
pathway
is
theonlycorrectonefor attaininggod.They always allowedotherthoughts alsoto
penetrate/integrateintothemindsofthepeople, ifthosepathways canalsofetchgoodresults.
Hindus aretheonlypeoplewhoprayed sarvebhavanthusukhina:sarvesanthuniraamaya sarve
bhdraanipasyanthumaakaschit dukhabaagbhveth. Let sarve allbecomehappy and glorious, free
frompains andsorrow. Here tooHindus never saidonlyletHindusgetallthebenefit
Saythat allIndians areproudHindus whether they followlord Siva,Krishna,JesusChristor
ProphetMohammed,iftheir bloodisHindubloodthentheyareHindus.In India there areonlytwo
categoriesofpeople whoare Hindus and whowereHindus.Those, who arefollowingthe
sanathanadharama, eventhoughbornandbroughtupunderdifferentcultureanywhereinthe
world,are
also
Hindus
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THESCIENCEOFHINDUSPIRITUALITYHindu/sanaathanadharmahasits foundation onscientificspirituality. AncientRishies
are
the
authors
of
the
Vedas,
puranaas
,
itihaasaas
and
smruthies
which
are
known
as
Hindureligious/spiritualbooks. Thoserishiesthemselves wrote thebookson
economicsarthasaastra,musicanddancegaandharvaVeda,scienceofheathand
food ayurveda,civilengineering and sculpturesthaapathyaveda,etcwhich are
thewellknown scientificbooks. Inalltheancient Hinduliterature onecanseethat
science and spirituality areintegrated. Itis mentionedinthe 40thchapterofthe
Yajurvedaknown asEesaavaasyaUpanishadthat usethescientificknowledge for
solvingtheproblemsinour life and usethespiritualknowledgeforattaining
immortality throughphilosophical outlook. Avidyayaamruthyumtheerthwaa
vidyayaaamruthamasnuthe.Adetailed descriptionon the scientific and
technologicalheritage ofHindudharmahasbeenseparatelygiven andhence itisnot
includedinthistext. Hereonlythe scienceofspirituality isdescribed forgiving aclear
understandingontheHinduway of looking intothe different order/levelof spiritual
science.
Atalllevels inother religions thereexist onlyonegod/divinepower. Andthatis the
one andonlyone,without even asecond onthepathwaytoattainthat one. In
Hindudharmaalsothereexiststheultimateoneandonlyonegod.But toattainthat
one,you
can
have
different
pathways
and
worship
of
different
deities.
For
reaching
NewDelhi,thecapitalofIndia, there canbemanypathways/roads,butNewDelhi
remainsthe (same)onelocation. Someofthese roads maybeshortcuts,some may
be smooth andsomeothermay nothave street lights,etc.Thus theroads and
natureof roadsvary but theultimategoalremainsthe same.
TheoneHindugod andits scientificexplanation :Thereexistsonly one god anditis
reiterated throughoutthe Upanishads and Vedas. Ekamsathvipraa:bahudaa
vadanthi.Theultimatetruthis one andonlyone,butsomescholars maytellthatitis
manyfold
.ekam
eva
na
dvitheeyam.
The
only
one
without
the
second.
Further
you
canseethewordsofRigveda:dyaavaapruthvijanayandevaeka: thegod,whocreated
the celestialbodiesandthis earth,isoneandonlyone.Ekaevahibhoothaatmaa
bhoothebhoothe vyavasthithaaekathaabhahudaachaivadrusyathejalachandravath.
Theultimate divinepowerisoneandonlyone whichisexisting ineachandevery
living being. Itmaybesaidbysome asone andsomeothersmaysay itasmany, but
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thetruthislikethis; thereisonlyone moon and it isreflected indifferentwaters(of
river,well,acupofwater,seaorocean).Justlikethereflectionoftheonemoonisseen
inall,the samedivine power ismanifestedinalllivingbeing. Eventhe whole
philosophyoftheadvaitha isbasedonthenondualityofthedivinepower(advaitha
theone
without
asecond)
Thenameofthatone inHindudharmais BrahmanorBrahmam.Hindusdohave
differentlevelsof upaasana/worship. Buttheultimatepointwhere allthe pathways
arriveatisthispointofBrahman (donot pronounce Braahman).TheVedassay
Brahmasathyamjagathmithya. Theultimate essenceofeverythingis thisBrahman
andeverythinginthe universeisthemanifestationofthatultimate truth (whichis the
Brahmam).JeevoBrahmaivanaaparaa: Eventhelifeforce/soul itselfis thesame
Brahaman andnothingelse.TheBrahmamispresent ineverything,inthesmallerthan
thesmallest
(in
atoms)
and
bigger
than
the
biggest
(in
the
universe)
and
also
present
asthejeevaathmainalllivingbeings:Anoraneeyaan mahatomaheeyaanaatma
guhaayaamnihithosyajantho: says MahanaraayanaUpanishad.Onecanseepure
scienceinthisexplanation: The revolutionof electrons andthespinningofthe nuclei
inatoms,therotation andrevolutionofearth,thesolarsystem,thegalaxy,andsoon
areallguidedfromwithinthesystemand thisforce which givestheenergyand
guidancefortheirmovementisknown asBrahman. Itisthissame energy manifested
asjeevaathmainthe livingbeing whichcontrols theheart,lungs,theliver,theblood
circulation,thesensoryorgans,thefunctionalorgans, etc.inanimals. Inthe
mahaasankalapa,itis thus explained achinthyayaaaparimithayaasakthyaa
briyamaanasya anekakotibrahmandaanaammadhye; the billionsandbillionsof
galaxieswhicharerevolving/rotating underthe torrentialforcewhichisbeyondthe
levelofimaginationandlimitless this force isfromwithin thesystemanditisthe
onewhichguidestherotation andrevolution.Hence the ancient IndianRishies said
that Brahmanis theultimate force/energy. Upanishad saysthat theBrahmanisthe
onewhichcannotbeseenthrougheyes,heardbyears, analyzedbymind but the
energywhich isresponsiblefor theproperfunctioningofthe eyes,ears andmind.Is
Brahman.yath
chakshushaa
na
pasyathi
yena
chakshoomshi
pasyathi,
yath
srothrenanasrunothi yenasrothramithamsrutham.,yath manasaanamanuthe
yenaahurmanomatham.. thadevaBrahmathwamviddhiyadidamnaidam
upaasathe. istheBrahman and worshipthat Brahman. Inother Upanishadsitis
explainedthat thefire andair(prathyakshamBrahma),thesound(sabdaBrahman),
theSun,thelight (chaakshuBrahman), andsoonareallthe manifestationofthis
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Brahman. Thisgives aclear definitionfor Brahmanthat itis theenergyand
manifestationof apower
Brahman isalsopresent asjeevathma/soulinme henceIsayahamBrahmaasmi(I
amthedivinepower) Itispresent inyouhencethaththwamasi(youarealsothe
samedivine
power)
It
is
present
as
life
force
hence
ayam
athma
Brahma
(this
life
force/energyisthe Brahman)anditis manifested astheinherentintrinsic
consciousnessand awareness,henceprajnaanamBrahma(thatgloriousknowledgeis
Brahman).Thesefoursetsofwords correspondsto Yajurveda,Saamaveda,
Atharvaveda andRigvedarespectively,are known as fourMahaavaakyaas). Theyogi
whocouldget the experienceof the realizationof theBrhamanisknown asBrahma
jnaani andtheprocessofrealizationisknown as Brahmasaakshaathkaaram. That
stateof Brahmajnaaniisalsoknown askaivalyastate, thestateinwhichoneknows
thatonlyoneisexisting(kevalammeans onlyone).AksharamBrahmaparamam
means theBrahmanisnondestructiblefor ever.Brahmakshrasamudhbhavam
Brahmanarose fromthenondestructible. There are fewvedicandpuranicwords
connectedwithBrahman,theyare Brahmaandam(theuniversaleggastate before
thebigbang) Lord Brahma (thecreatorofthisuniverseandeverythingpresenthere
fromenergy) Brahmavaivartham(themanipulation andmanifestationofthe
universalforce/energy). Nowtheword Brahman maybeclearlydefined basedon
the aboveexplanationsusingmodernscience asfollows: theintrinsic,inherent, self
guiding,selfmotivating,selfawarenessand selfconsciouspresent from eachand
everyatomtotheuniverseitself,istheBrahman,theultimate godofHindu!
Itis saidthat there aretwostatesofBrahaman. The extremelyactive state in
observationknown
as
saguna
Brahman
and
the
inactive
state
in
observation
known
asnirgunaBrahman. These two states arecomplimentary andnever contradictory
(asfewscholars maysay). (saguna and nirgunamaybeoppositewordsjustlike
lower andupperare opposite words.But lowerprimary andupper primary arenot
opposites,theyare complimentary). Inanatom,theelectronsarerevolvingat a
fantasticspeed/velocity (sagunathwam)butthe materialswhicharecomposedbythe
atomsare seeninnirgunastate (withoutrotating andspinning). The earthrotates
andrevolves athighspeed(sagunastate)butthepeople livingontheglobeearthdo
notfeelthespeed(nirgunastateinobservation).Ourheart/liver/lungs/eachandevery
tissuefunctions
/works
for
all
the
24
hrs
(in
saguna
state),
but
the
body
does
not
feel
that(particularlywhensleeping) suchaseriesofbiochemicalprocessesaregoingon
inside(nirgunastate). Thusthereare observationallytwostatesfortheBrahman one
sagunastate and othernirgunastate.Sometimes sagunaupaasana/worship also
means theworshipinforms and images andnirguna upaasana/worshipmeans
worshipwithoutkeepingtheimages.
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Fromtheupanishadic explanationthattheuniverse isfilledwiththe Brahma
chaithanyam(the intrinsicawarenessandconsciousness)itmaybedifficultfor for a
commonmantounderstandthis concept.Fortheunderstandingat alowerlevel and
for giving abetterperception for commonman,theBrahman hasbeensymbolically
presentedasapersonifiedformofprapanchapurushaorviswaroopa(prapancha
univers;purushahumanformviswaunivers,roopasizeandshape).Thisisa
concept andsymbolicallypresented,hence itis welldefinedasprapanchapurusha
sankalpa(sankalpaconcept).Itis narrated asviswaakaramgaganasadrusammegha
varnamhavingthesize andshapeoftheuniverse,similarinareatothe skyitself
andcolourthatofclouds.Itis describedinVedas as viswathaschakshurutha
vishwathomukhoviswathobaahuruthaviswathaspaathits face,brain,handsandlegs
havespreadovertheuniverseandeverything intheuniverseworksunderhisguidance
andcontrol. Bhagavathgeetha gives the powerofviswaroopam likedivisoorya
sahasrasya bhavethyugapathutthithaaitlooks asthough thousandsof Suns are
blazing.The
size
of
the
prapancha
purusha
has
been
explained
na
antham
na
madhyamnapunasthavaadim:therearenobeginning,middle andendforthatviswa
roopa. LordKrishna himselftellsinBhagavathgeetha forseeingtheuniversalperson/
viswaroopa,one needsthedivine eyes(divyachakshu).Vedasdescribeitthrough
purushasooktha.
This viswaroopa/prapanchapurusha is knowninpuranas and otherliterature
(some times inVedas too) asMahavishnu/ Vishnu andNaraayana. Puranasgive
detailednarrationforNaraayana
At furtherlower level thereexists atrinityconcept in Hindudharma. Thetrinity
conceptof
Hindus
is
different
from
that
of
other
religions.
Here
the
controllers
of
birth,existence/growth and death are symbolicallypresented in humanforms as
Brahma VishnuMaheswaratrimoorthysankalpainwhichtheuniversal lawsof life
cyclearesymbolicallypresented. Mahavishnu isthebaseforthetrinityconcept.
ExplanationforMahavishnu: Thebluecolourof Vishnu denotes the colourofthesky
andoceanwhichmeansthe infinity/limitless. TheserpentonwhichVishnuislying
denotes thecoiledstructureof galaxy. Thenameofthe serpent ananthameans
limitless(infinity) theksheerasaagaram(oceanofmilk)onwhich Vishnuispictured
showsmilkywaygalaxy.Ananthasayana represent thesilent universe/galaxies.
SymbolicallyMahalakshmi
(meaning
of
this
word
is
prosperity)
has
been
attributed
the
positionof thewifeofMahavishnushowingthatanysystemcansmoothlyexistonly
withprosperity.
FromMahavishnucomesoutthrough aLotus (symbolically)thecreatorLordBrahma.
Thissymbolicallypresents aconnectionofLord Brahma withtheprapanchapurhsa
similartotheconnectionofthebabyinthewombofthemother. The babytakes the
energy andnutritionforgrowing/cellproductionfromthemother.SimilarlyLord
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Brahma takes energy andmaterialfromforcreationintheworld. Thefour headsof
Lord Brahma represent thefour axes requiredfor anycreation: x,y,zandtime
axes. TheVedas(theworditselfmeans knowledge)inthehandsofLordBrahma and
thepositionof Saraswathy(deityofknowledge)asthewifeofthecreator symbolically
present that foreverycreationknowledge/vidya isrequired. Theknowledge and
creation (knowledgeforcreation)areinseparable components.Lord Sivais thedeity
symbolicallypresents thecontrollerofdeath/destruction(thedestructionis for
further construction). Mahavishnu andLord Siva are saidtobe connectedthrough
hearts(whichonlymeans inseparable) Vishnoasyahrudayamsiva:Sivosyahrudayam
vishnosaysUpanishads andYajurveda. SymbolicallyLordSivahas powerfulfirein
thethirdeye,powerful water and torrential air symbolically tiedinthetuft andthe
snake aroundtheneck(symbolofinternationalmedicalassociation) andthrisoolin
hand.Allthe five respectivelypresentdestructionthroughfire,water(flood,etc)air(
cyclone/tempest,etc) diseases and using weapons. Parvathy (means
energy/force/sakti)is
symbolically
presented
as
the
wife
of
Lord
Siva
.Through
this
combinationofLordSivaand Parvathy,itisshownthatthedestructionforconstruction
cantake place withpowerfulapplicationofanyoneormoreoftheabove five.
(powerfulfire,air,water,diseasesand weapononlyhavethedestructioncapacity).
Thus theybecomeinseparablehence theconceptofArdhanaareeswara comesup. In
fact the BrahmaVishnuMaheswara sankalpa andthe Lakshmi Parvathy Sarswathi
sankalpa arethe symbolicpresentationofthe lifecycleatspiritual social andphysical
levelwhenscientificallyexplained. Always theHindus consider theknowledge,
prosperityand sakthi/power infeminine gender. These explanations(ofthegods)
are theconnecting layersof Vedic andpuranic conceptsofgods.
Furthergoing atcommonmanslevel,theabove six deities canbeseenindifferent
roles ofpuranicstories toconveythemessageof whattheyrepresentsymbolicallyin.
However these storiesaremainly forconveyingthevalues anduniversaltruths inour
life. And theyaremeantfor theunderstandingfor lesseducatedcommonmanwho
maynotbein apositiontounderstandtheBrahmanorprapanchapurushaconcept,or
thesymbolicmessageof Hindutrinityconcept,etc.
Aboutotherdeities:Inpuranas one canreadthestoriesofVigneswarahaving the
shapeofthecrosssectionofhumanbrain,worshippedastheLord whoremoves/
protectsfrom thehurdlesinthelife.Hurdlescanbeashugeaselephantsanditcan
comefromanywherejustlike arat(mooshikavaahana)comes. Students wholearn
thesixbranchesof Vedicsubjects Siksha nirukta vyaakarana chandassastra
kalpasaastra andJyothisha, worship Subrahmanya/Muruka, Subrahmanya is given
theLordshipof six subjects. Hence sixheads onefor eachsubject.Incidentally,Ifeel
itisworthexplainingherethatRavana issaidtohave tenheads. Itis becauseRavana
hasthe capacityoftenheads (hehaslearned thefourVedas and sixVedangas and
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even hehad tried tomasterthe 11thsubject,the Ayurvedatoo). Yamadharma raja
orKaala isthecontrollerof death Yaama andKaala(yaamasyaapathyampumaan
yama: andkaalasyaapathyampumankaala)bothmeans thecontrolleroftime.Hence
thenamesclearlygivethe scientific truththat the deathisconnectedwiththetime.
Kaalais symbolicallypresentedcoming onahe buffalo (hebuffalo is saidtobe the
mostsenselessanimal,hence thetimeof deatharrivestous senselesslyandtakes
ourbreath withoutlookingtheage,religion,sexor anyotherparameters ofthe
individual wesaypeoplediejustlikethat)
Lord Krishna andLord Rama andmanyheroes ofthepuranas andepicsgiveusthe
message forelevatingourselvesfromtheordinaryhumanlevelto thelevelof
incarnation/avatharalevel. Their message enrich ourlife.Theystand as rolemodels
inourlife.Hencethey areworshippedandcelebrated asavatharas.InHindudharma
none isasinner. Hence everyonehastheopportunitytoelevate/risehimselftothe
levelof god.Wesaykrinvanthoviswamaaryam;(Godwillnotgetjelousofyouifyou
aregetting
the
level
of
god
himself,
in
Hinduism).
Let
us
convert
the
world
into
a
greatmensabode. Humanbeingisconsidered asthe childrenofimmortal
..amruthasyaputraa: EverydeityinHindudharmahas aconnectedanimal,bird,tree,
flower,celestialbodyorplanet(asadhidevathaorpathyadhidevatha),colour, metal,
medicine, manthra,gayathri, letter,dhyaanamanthra,moolamanthra,etc. This
gives anexcellentmessage that these aretobeprotected. InHindudharma there
are 33crore(koti)devaas!Themeaningofthisstatementis verysimple but wrongly
understood. Koti means part(not tenmillion)andhere 33parts devaas(people
withdivinequalities)33parts asuraas(peoplewithdemonic qualities) and33parts
maanavas
(
people
with
ordinary
human
qualities)
it
is
just
like
we
say
1/3
of
the
human beingshavedivine,demonic andordinaryhuman qualities each. It issaid
thatHindus worshipeverything!Trueineverything wecanseethedivinepower and
thatdivinitycouldbefelt whenweelevateourselves intothat level. Evenastone/
wood/photo/image becomesanidolarchakasyaprabhavenasilabhavathisankara (
bytheproper methodofworshipby a priest/devoteeevenastonecanbe converted
intoLordSiva/Sankara/vigraha/idol.Archakasya aprabhavena sivabhavatisila,bythe
improper outlook/methodofworshipeventhegoditself willbecomeastone.
Hindus worshipintemples. Thetemples arenot merelyprayerhallsforHindus,they
are the quantumhealingcenters(kshayaaththraaytheitikshetra). Intemples the
light,heat,sound andchemical energies are filledthrough lightingthelamp,
camphor, keepingmirrors,etc.Thesound energythroughmanthra,ringingofthebells,
musicalinstruments, bhajans etc. Thechemicalenergyisfrom bathies, aromatic
flowers andleavesetc. Thus thetemples areenergizationcentres inHindu wayof
worship. Adevoteehasto stand forfewminutes inthetempleenvironmentinfront
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ofthevigraha/idolwith sareera(body),mana(mind), aahaara(food), vaak (words/
talking) andkarma(deeds) suddhee(purity)forenergisation.
Hindusnever allowthecremationorburialof humanbodyinthetemplepremises
Hindus alwayskeeptheidolsorimageshavingsmilingfaces(Prasannavadanam
dhyaayethmeditate
on
the
god
having
smiling
face).
Hindus
never
place
the
sad/
crying facesorbleedingbodiesforworship. Theofferings ofthegods,fromthetemple
are taken assharedprasadams not as body orbloodofthe gods. Hindusnever pray
for unloading/transferring theirsinstothegodorrepresentativesof godorsaints.
Usingtheconcept,thatthesinsare transferable tosomeonewhoisarepresentativeof
god andpunishing himforour sins isnot existinginHindudharma. But Hindus pray
for guidingthrough correctanddharmicpathway sothatonecan preventcommitting
thesins(thamasomaajyothirgmaya,.etc) Hindusnever praytogod through
intermediatesaints,theysubmitdirectlytheirprayer.Thepeoplewhofoughtfor
spreadingthe
religion
using
swords
and
bloodshed
and
denigrated
other
religions
are
never elevatedtothelevelofsaints.Theofferinggiventotemples arenotthebribesto
gods but forpancha yajna theofferingforgodsDevayajna, Rishiyajnaforsages,
Pithruyajna forforefathers,bhoothayajna for allotherlivingbeingsandManushya
yajna forfeedingthepoorpeople.Theidol andtempleare comparedwithhuman
body(idamsareeramkountheya kshetramithyabhidheeyate) andhumandwellings.
Hencewhatever are requiredfor humanbodyare performedthroughthaanthric way
to theidols also. Inoldendays the temples were thecapitalsofthevillages, through
themthefoodsupply,education, helpforthesociety,legal consolation,counseling,
marriages,etc
were
given/
performed.
The
priest
hood
of
Hindu
dharma
and
that
of
otherreligion areentirelydifferent. Theroleofthepriestswasnotpoliticalatallbut
toadviseondharmicandspiritual way. Hindus arenevergodfearing,they have only
devotiontogod notfear(daivabhakti andnot daivabhaya).There arefivebhavas
forthebhaktisaanthabhaava,daasyabhaava,sakhyabhaava,vaalsalyabhaava and
maadhuryabhava. Inallthesethequestionoffeardoesnotarise
Additionalpointstoremember: Hindus worshipthefire, air,theSun,thecelestial
bodies,etc becausethey areallthepartsoftheprapanchapurusha. Thesame
reasoningis givenfortheworshipofmountains,earth, rivers,etc.Hindusworship
animalsand
plants
and
in
fact
every
deity
has
aplant
and
animal
associated
with
them,because allofthemhavejeevaathma/lifeforceinit. Hence theyare
considered asdivine innature(jeevaathmais apartofparamaathma). TheVedic
way ofworship is throughhavans/offeringthrough the fire.Thepuranicwayof
worshipis thetemples andidolsand images. Everytemple has aspecific vaastu
connectedwithit andthatvaasturesembles the yaagasaala/ houseofyaagaas and
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firealtars. Hindus sayVedas areholybecauseit gives absolutely(nostories)the
universallawsandtruths. Anyone canlearnVedas andtheredidnotexist arule that
peoplebelongingtoonlyone caste canlearnVedas.Forkeepingthe seriousnessand
forstrictlyfollowingtherules, the scholars definedthat whohasBrahminicalqualities
onlycan
learn
Vedas,
which
can
be
acquired
and
not
obtained
by
birth
alone.
All
the
RishieswhocomposedVedicmanthras werenotBrahmins,SriKrishnaorSriRama
were notBrahmins.ManyancientRishies andmanyof thoseRishieswhoare living
evennow arenot Brahmins.
Hindus worshipbooks/letters/ because itisthebaseforknowledge. Hindus worship
the tools andinstrumentsduringaayudhapooja,byperformingpoojaoncein anyear
because tools arethelivelyhood forhumanbeings.Hindushavegiventhestatusof
divinepowertomanyphenomenalike:theSun,becauseitgiveslight andheat for all
livingbeings; theair,becausealllivingbeingsaresurvivingbecauseofit;thewater,
because
without
which
life
is
impossible;
the
earth,
because
it
is
where
all
the
life
is
surviving(notonlythattheyareallpartsofprapanchapurusha);ourparents,because
they gavebirthforus andtheyareourcreators; plantsandtrees, becausethey
provideusfood, andsoon.
TheHinduwayoflife is differentfrom thatof thefollowersofotherreligions.
Learning andpracticingHindudharma shouldbedone directly and itis an
experience. Allthe Hindu wayoflifeisthroughcustomsandrituals. Itisalways
advisedto follow therelevant and scientificcustoms andrituals whichare beneficial
psychologically,physiologically,familybasedrelationandsocialrelationsstrengthening
andalsofornationalintegration. Allthis customs andrituals put together isknown
assanaathana dharma henceitissaid Hinduism is not areligionbut awayoflife.
Hindudharma get refinedcontinuouslybythe Rishies,hence anysuperstition comes
intotheHindudharma, Rishies likeLordBudha,Jain,Sankara,Madhwa,.They
refine andmake itmorepowerful
ThussaysLordKrishnainBhagavathGeetha:Wheneverthedharma comesdown and
adharma takes anupperhand, thegodhimselfwilldotheneedful fortheupliftof
Hindu dharma.Hewillprotectthe nobles,punishthe badpeople andprotectthe
dharma. Perhapsthatisthereasonwhyevenafter morethanonethousandyears of
foreigninvasion,massacre,destruction,plunderingandlootingbythe foreigners, this
dharmadid
not
perish.
It
is
fast
spreading
through
out
the
world
particularly
in
the
developedworld.Letusalllearnthebasicprinciplesandapplicationofthosefromthe
Hindu dharmascientificallyeither for practicingit orfor challengingit.
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