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भारत में विज्ञान की उज्ज्वल परंपरा
This book is an excellent collection of references from various ancient Indian literature. The author has done a very good job of portraying the glorious past India had in the field of Science. The book contains facts and citings which many of the Indians know already but the large part of the modern Indian society and world at large fail to acknowledge. At once Hitler was scavenging for ancient Indian literature for scientific references and harness for military advances. A must read for any Indian.
- GenresNonfiction
200 pages, Paperback
First published February 6, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 24, 2021
As the book says it is a bundle of knowledge about what our ancestors were able to do things which are simpler and more effective. I felt immensely proud and ashamed at the same due to the fact that we as Indians are looking for validation of west even after 70 years of independence. The other shame part is that we left our roots as indians and started everything from the things what british has left off. I'd highly recommend every student to go through this book before going through western literature for inspiration and motivation to accept the culture and traditions we follow instead of questioning them all along. Instead of pushing complex subjects india should keep these in the curriculum to engrave kids to show that they are the heirs of rich knowledge and most of the western theorems and education is mainly copied from indian subcontinent.
May 28, 2019
Very very spiritual and scientific, perhaps they have achieved the goal of perfection. No one stands before them. They are Rishi of modern India. They have collected every sphere of Indian culture from beginning to end.
September 20, 2020
World must know that knowledge seekers came to India, and learned all the known scientific principles. Every proud Indian must read it.
August 17, 2024
This tremendously well-researched book works out seven angles:
1) The enormous extent to which Ancient Indian science reached,
2) Why was it lost to time?
3) How can it be revived.
4) Are science and technology a gift of the west only or did India also have a tradition of its own?
5) In which spheres had science been developed in India?
6) Was there any scientific knowledge in India about the final purpose of science and technology? And if there was any, what was special about it?
7) Does Indian science vision have any solution to the various problems the world is facing, with regard to the development of science and technology?
India remained the Jagatguru and ‘The Golden Bird’ for years. The incessant barbarous invasions on it for 1500 years, some social defects, and the economic manipulation by the British in the 190 years rule, made the Golden Bird bankrupt. Indian agriculture, industry and trade were ruined.
The crafty Macaulay had executed the British system of education so that future generations do not feel any pride in their tradition, culture and history. Progressively, with the end of Sanskrit schools, English schools became obligatory. In the curriculum that was decided for these schools, no mention of any contribution by India in any field, especially in the field of science, was allowed in the textbooks.
Accordingly, in the course of time, the degree holders that graduated from these schools, were bereaved of any information of India’s contributions. This was their colonial agenda; therefore the British tried to cut education from our roots.
Yet, it was believed that after independence, India’s traditional contribution would be included in the education in order to arouse self-confidence. Nonetheless, awkwardly, even after independence, the same curriculum continued, which showed Europe as the main sponsor to scientific tradition.
Therefore, ancient India’s discoveries, works and results could not become a part of the education which has been continuing for the past 170 years. Studying this curriculum which is separated from Indianness, has had an ill-effect on the Indian psyche. It was believed that any contribution in the world from the point of view of development has been given by Europe.
Since ancient times, we in India have envisioned some questions:
What is the universe? How was it born? Why was it born?
Although answers to the above questions are available in the Vedas, the Brahmanas, the Upanishads, the Mahabharata, the Bhagwat etc., but from the point of view of nuclear science, an anlysis of the universe was first established in a formulated way by Sage Kanaad, thousands of years ago, in his Vaisheshik Darshan.
On some issues, Sage Kanaad’s philosophy goes much ahead of today’s science.
Kanaad says that if a matter is made smaller, a time will come when it can not be made any smaller because if this is done, it will lose its old characteristics. The second thing he says is that matter has two states – molecular and mammoth. The molecular state is the minutest and this huge universe is mammoth. Moreover, the state of matter does not remain the same.
Hence, Kanaad says:
Dharma vishesh prasudaat dravya gun karma saamaanya vishesh samavaayanaam
Padaarthaanaam sadharmya vaidhamryaabhyaam tatvagyaana nihshreyasam. —(Vaisheshik Darshan –4)
In Dharma, the salvation is achieved by the knowledge of the heterogeneity and the homogeinty of the collection of matter, properties, and work, ordinary and special.
What is matter? Sage Kanaad’s interpretation of this is very extensive and amazing. He says —
Prithivyaapastejovaayuraakaasham Kaalodigaatma mana iti dravyaani. —(Vaisheshik Darshan 1/5)
The earth, water, brilliance, air, sky, time, direction, living beings, the mind, etc. are all matter. Here some believe the earth, water, etc. to be our earth, water, etc. But it must, however, be kept in mind that these nine that have been named are the matter of the entire universe. Therefore, earth here does not mean the our world.
At the beginning of the 20th century itself, Acharya Prafulla Chandra Roy, Brajendra Nath Seel, Jagdish Chandra Basu, Rao Saheb Vaze, etc., to name a few intellectuals, proved through their studies that India was in the forefront, not only in the field of religious philosophies, but also in the field of science and technology.
Not just this, our ancestors had harmonised science and spirituality. It was through this that because of our scientific vision, science developed in accordance with and for the welfare of mankind and entire living beings in general. The modern world is feeling the significance of it today.
What the West learnt and propagated about science and technology, our ancestors had already discussed them in detail thousands of years prior. Hence, today’s scientist is compelled to use the same words that the Indian philosophers in the ancient times used for that ultimate truth. Oppenheimer said, “If anyone asks me if atoms of energy are stationary then I will say no. If anyone asks me if they are moving, I will say no. If anyone asks me if they are a form of particles, I will say no. If anyone asks me if they are waves, I will say no. If anyone says if they are neither this nor that, then what are they, then I will say it is just like that.”
On this, we are reminded of the Eishawaasya Upanishad in which the sage says:
Tadejati tannejati tad doore tadwantike
Tadantarasya sarvaswa tadu sarvasyasya baahyatah ishavaasya –5
It means: It moves, it does not move, it is far, it is near, it is within everyone, it is outside everyone….
This book is a call for getting back to our glorious roots and reconnect.
A must-read. Highly recommended.
1) The enormous extent to which Ancient Indian science reached,
2) Why was it lost to time?
3) How can it be revived.
4) Are science and technology a gift of the west only or did India also have a tradition of its own?
5) In which spheres had science been developed in India?
6) Was there any scientific knowledge in India about the final purpose of science and technology? And if there was any, what was special about it?
7) Does Indian science vision have any solution to the various problems the world is facing, with regard to the development of science and technology?
India remained the Jagatguru and ‘The Golden Bird’ for years. The incessant barbarous invasions on it for 1500 years, some social defects, and the economic manipulation by the British in the 190 years rule, made the Golden Bird bankrupt. Indian agriculture, industry and trade were ruined.
The crafty Macaulay had executed the British system of education so that future generations do not feel any pride in their tradition, culture and history. Progressively, with the end of Sanskrit schools, English schools became obligatory. In the curriculum that was decided for these schools, no mention of any contribution by India in any field, especially in the field of science, was allowed in the textbooks.
Accordingly, in the course of time, the degree holders that graduated from these schools, were bereaved of any information of India’s contributions. This was their colonial agenda; therefore the British tried to cut education from our roots.
Yet, it was believed that after independence, India’s traditional contribution would be included in the education in order to arouse self-confidence. Nonetheless, awkwardly, even after independence, the same curriculum continued, which showed Europe as the main sponsor to scientific tradition.
Therefore, ancient India’s discoveries, works and results could not become a part of the education which has been continuing for the past 170 years. Studying this curriculum which is separated from Indianness, has had an ill-effect on the Indian psyche. It was believed that any contribution in the world from the point of view of development has been given by Europe.
Since ancient times, we in India have envisioned some questions:
What is the universe? How was it born? Why was it born?
Although answers to the above questions are available in the Vedas, the Brahmanas, the Upanishads, the Mahabharata, the Bhagwat etc., but from the point of view of nuclear science, an anlysis of the universe was first established in a formulated way by Sage Kanaad, thousands of years ago, in his Vaisheshik Darshan.
On some issues, Sage Kanaad’s philosophy goes much ahead of today’s science.
Kanaad says that if a matter is made smaller, a time will come when it can not be made any smaller because if this is done, it will lose its old characteristics. The second thing he says is that matter has two states – molecular and mammoth. The molecular state is the minutest and this huge universe is mammoth. Moreover, the state of matter does not remain the same.
Hence, Kanaad says:
Dharma vishesh prasudaat dravya gun karma saamaanya vishesh samavaayanaam
Padaarthaanaam sadharmya vaidhamryaabhyaam tatvagyaana nihshreyasam. —(Vaisheshik Darshan –4)
In Dharma, the salvation is achieved by the knowledge of the heterogeneity and the homogeinty of the collection of matter, properties, and work, ordinary and special.
What is matter? Sage Kanaad’s interpretation of this is very extensive and amazing. He says —
Prithivyaapastejovaayuraakaasham Kaalodigaatma mana iti dravyaani. —(Vaisheshik Darshan 1/5)
The earth, water, brilliance, air, sky, time, direction, living beings, the mind, etc. are all matter. Here some believe the earth, water, etc. to be our earth, water, etc. But it must, however, be kept in mind that these nine that have been named are the matter of the entire universe. Therefore, earth here does not mean the our world.
At the beginning of the 20th century itself, Acharya Prafulla Chandra Roy, Brajendra Nath Seel, Jagdish Chandra Basu, Rao Saheb Vaze, etc., to name a few intellectuals, proved through their studies that India was in the forefront, not only in the field of religious philosophies, but also in the field of science and technology.
Not just this, our ancestors had harmonised science and spirituality. It was through this that because of our scientific vision, science developed in accordance with and for the welfare of mankind and entire living beings in general. The modern world is feeling the significance of it today.
What the West learnt and propagated about science and technology, our ancestors had already discussed them in detail thousands of years prior. Hence, today’s scientist is compelled to use the same words that the Indian philosophers in the ancient times used for that ultimate truth. Oppenheimer said, “If anyone asks me if atoms of energy are stationary then I will say no. If anyone asks me if they are moving, I will say no. If anyone asks me if they are a form of particles, I will say no. If anyone asks me if they are waves, I will say no. If anyone says if they are neither this nor that, then what are they, then I will say it is just like that.”
On this, we are reminded of the Eishawaasya Upanishad in which the sage says:
Tadejati tannejati tad doore tadwantike
Tadantarasya sarvaswa tadu sarvasyasya baahyatah ishavaasya –5
It means: It moves, it does not move, it is far, it is near, it is within everyone, it is outside everyone….
This book is a call for getting back to our glorious roots and reconnect.
A must-read. Highly recommended.
March 20, 2022
An eye opening book. There are so may things that I was not knowing because of my ignorance. We are so much influenced by western ideas that we are unaware of the availability of rich knowledge in Bharat. So glad I chose to read this, the author has done a great work in writing this book and putting it out in the world. The information is logically curated and compiled. Must read.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews