Science

1
Science Technology in Ancient India and its
Relevance in the Knowledge Age
izKkua czEg
PROF. P.B. SHARMA Ph.D. (B'ham), FIE, FAeroS,
FWAPS Founder Vice Chancellor, RGTU, Bhopal,
India
RGTU Knowledge University of 3rd Millennium
Prof. P.B.Sharma, Vice-Chancellor, Rajiv Gandhi
Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya (University of
Technology of M.P.)
2
The wonder that was India

• Indias glorious past is embedded with a rich
  Scientific and Technological Heritage from the
  Vedic age and is an inspiration to create a
  scientifically advanced and spiritually
  enlightened human society in which peace,
  prosperity and happiness together create a haven
  on earth

3
The wonder that was India

• Peace loving people, people with scientific bent
  of mind having a profound understanding of the
  purpose and meaning of life, able to decode the
  secrete of creation and serve the creator through
  service of man and nature is what, the wonder
  that was India which glittered like gold and
  spread its enlightenment all around the world

4
The wonder that was India

• Prosperous India The Golden eagle of the world
• Enlightened India Its wisdom glowed the world
  over
• Scientifically Advanced India Spreading a
  culture of Science and Technology to create a
  happy and healthy living in harmony with nature
• Mighty India Making no invasion, harming no one
  yet influencing the whole world by its scientific
  traditions and spiritual wisdom

5
Indias Ancient Scientists

• Atreya, Agnivesa and Shushruta Medical
  Scientists 800 BC.
• Aryabhatta (BC.476550), Bhaskaracharya,
  Varahmihir, Bodhayan Ancient astronomers and
  mathematicians
• Kanva, Panini, Gargi,

6
Great Indian Mathematicians

• Yajnavalkya, the author of the altar mathematics
  of the Shatapatha Brahmana.
• Lagadha - Author of a 1350 BC text on Vedic
  astronomy
• Baudhayana, 800 BC
• Manava, 750 BC
• Apastamba, 700 BC
• Aksapada Gautama, 550 BC, Logician
• Katyayana, 400 BC
• Panini, 400 BC, Algebraic grammarian
• Pingala, 5th century BC
• Bharata Muni, 4th century BC, combinatorics in
  music

7
Great Indian Mathematicians

• Aryabhata - Astronomer who gave accurate
  calculations for astronomical constants, 476-520
• Varahamihira
• Bhaskara I, 620
• Brahmagupta - Helped bring the concept of zero
  into arithmetic
• Matanga Muni - Combinatorics in music
• Virahanka (8th century) - Described the Fibonacci
  series.
• Shridhara (between 650-850) - Gave a good rule
  for finding the volume of a sphere.
• Lalla, 720-790
• Govindsvamin (9th century)
• Virasena
• Mahavira (9th century)
• Jayadeva (9th century)
• Prithudaka, 9th century
• Halayudha, 10th century
• Aryabhata II, 920-1000
• Vateshvara (10th century)
• Manjula, 930

8
Some Facts

• The law of gravitation discovered by Brahmagupta
  598 A.D. anticipated after 1400 years by Newton
  declaring "all things fall to the earth by law of
  nature for it is the nature of the earth to
  attract and keep things."
• Pingala (3rd C AD), author of Chandasutra
  explored the relationship between combinatorics
  and musical theory anticipating Mersenne
  (1588-1648) author of a classic on musical theory

9
Some Facts

• The 'Pythagoras theorem' which stated in Sulva
  Sutras by Baudhayana's (6th century BC) "The
  diagonal of a rectangle produces both areas,
  which its length and breadth produce separately."
  
• Arya Bhatta discovered the method of finding out
  the areas of a triangle, a trapezium and a
  circle. The approximate value of an 'irrational
  number' i.e. 2 (dvikarani) (1.143256) and 3
  (1.7320513) can be obtained, Baudhayana and
  Apastamba.

10
Some Facts

• In the geometry of the circle, "Arybhatta- I"
  gave a value for pi (tyajya) which is correct to
  the four decimal places in a sloka (Sankara
  Varman's treatise on astronomy, Sadratnamala)
  theorems and their deductions"Lemma of
  Brahmagupta for integral solution or the
  indeterminate equation of second degree. John
  Pell (1611-1685) discovered this in the 17th
  century. Indians discovered it a 1,000 years
  earlier

11
Some Facts

• Zero, the most modest and most valuable of all
  numerals is one of the subtle gifts of India to
  mankind. The earliest use of the zero symbol, so
  far discovered, is in one of the scriptural books
  dated about 200 B.C. The zero, called shunya or
  nothing, was originally a dot and later it became
  a small circle. It was considered as a number
  like any other. Professor G. B. Halsted, in his
  book ' Mathematics for the Million' (London 1942)
  thus emphasizes the vital significance of this
  invention.

12
Indias Decimal System

• The decimal system was known to Aryabhatta and
  Brahmagupta long before its appearance in the
  writings of the Arabs and the Syrians it was
  adopted by China from Buddhist missionaries and
  Muhammad Ibn Musa al-Khwarazni, the greatest
  mathematician of his age (ca 850 A.D.), seems to
  have introduced it into Baghdad

13
Indias Decimal System

• Indias system of Decimal counting goes back to
  the days of Ramayana (around 5000 BC) and
  Mahabharata (3067 BC)
• In Ramayana, the Ramas army was described by
  Ravanas missionary as having 18x1018 ( 18
  Padams, 1012 millions )

14
Indias Decimal System

• In Mahabharata, in the Shanti Parva the Bhishmas
  passing away is described in true decimal system
  - 10 Days of Mahabharata war and their after 58
  nights till the sun of thousands rays turned to
  Uttarayana

15
Bhisma Pitamahas Nirvana

• Parivrtto hi Bhagavan sahasransur Divakarah
• Astapancasatam ratryah sayanasyadya me gatah
  Saresu nisitagresu yatha varsasatam tatha.
• Maghoyam samanuprapto masah saumyo Yudhisthira
• Tribhagasesah paksoyam suklo bhavitum arhati.
• 
  (XIII.153,26-28)

16
Brahmaguptas Rules

• A debt minus zero is a debt.A fortune minus zero
  is a fortune.Zero (shunya) minus zero is
  nothing. (kha).A debt subtracted from zero is a
  fortune.So a fortune subtracted from zero is a
  debt.The product of zero multiplied by a debt or
  fortune is zero.The product of zero multiplied
  by itself is nothing.The product or the quotient
  of two fortunes is one fortune.The product or
  the quotient of two debts is one debt.The
  product or the quotient of a debt multiplied by a
  fortune is a debt.The product or the quotient of
  a fortune multiplied by a debt is a debt.

17
Metallurgy

• Iron Pillar at Delhi - The Rust less Wonder and a
  Unique Scientific Phenomenon from Ancient India,
  The pillar is said to be over 2000 years old
• As early as the second century B.C. Nagarjuna
  devoted an entire volume to mercury
• The Konasamudram region in Andhra Pradesh was
  famous for producing the world renowned Wootz
  steel - the raw material for King Saladin's
  fabled Damascus Sword. The tempering of steel was
  brought in ancient India to a perfection unknown
  in Europe till our own times. King Porus is said
  to have selected, as special valuable gift for
  Alexander, not gold or silver, but thirty pounds
  of steel.

18
Physics

• Kanaada, 600 B. C the founder of the Vaisesika
  system of philosophy, expounded that the entire
  matter in this world consists of atoms as many in
  kind as the various elements. He also claimed
  that elements could not be destroyed
• Artharveda says that there are seven types of
  sun's rays, sapta surayasya rasmayah, signifying
  seven colors of light
• Umasvati, first century A.D. suggested that
  atoms of opposite qualities alone combined and
  the atoms attracted or repelled as they were
  heterogeneous or homogenous

19
Shipbuilding and Navigation

• The art of Navigation was born in the river Sindh
  6000 years ago
• There is overwhelming evidence that Indian
  civilization traded with the Egyptians using
  ships.
• Rig Veda makes several references to ships used
  to cross the "Samudra."

20
Shipbuilding and Navigation

• History records that Indian ships traded with
  countries as far as Java and Sumatra, they were
  also trading with other countries in the Pacific
  and Indian Oceans.
• Chandragupta Maurya established an Admiralty
  Division under a Superintendent of Ships as part
  of his war office, with a charter including
  responsibility for navigation on the seas,
  oceans, lakes and rivers

21
Shipbuilding and Navigation

• King Hiram of Tyre (Phoenicia) in 975 B.C. traded
  with India through the port of Ophir (Supara)
  near modern Bombay. Harappan seals discovered at
  several Mesopotamia sites have been dated to
  about 2400 B.C. 
• Yukti Kalpa Taru, explains how to build ships,
  ship types, sizes and materials, including
  suitability of different types of wood
• Bhoja has advised the builders of the sea-faring
  ships not to join the plants with iron, as, in
  the case, the magnetic iron in sea water could
  expose the ship to danger

22
Medical Science

• Susruta Samhita, (600 B.C.) the Hindu medical
  chronicle said about plastic surgery in India
• Caraka Samhita, (300 BC) Sutra Sthana Nidan
  Sthana (8 chapters)
• Viman Sthana (8 chapters)
• Sharir Sthana (8 chapters)
• Indriya Sthana (12 chapters)
• Chikitsa Sthana (30 chapters)
• Kalpa Sthana (12 chapters)
• Siddhi Sthana (12 chapters)

23
Aviation

• Acharya Bharadwaj (800BC) authored the "Yantra
  Sarvasva" which includes astonishing and
  outstanding discoveries in aviation science,
  space science and flying machines. He has
  described three categories of flying machines
• 1.) One that flies on earth from one place to
  another.
• 2.) One that travels from one planet to another.
• 3.) And One that travels from one universe to
  another.

24
Aviation

• Bharadwajs designs and descriptions are
• Profound Secret The technique to make a flying
  machine invisible through the application of
  sunlight and wind force.
• Living Secret The technique to make an invisible
  space machine visible through the application of
  electrical force.
• Secret of Eavesdropping The technique to listen
  to a conversation in another plane.
• Visual Secrets The technique to see what's
  happening inside another plane.Through his
  innovative and brilliant discoveries, Acharya
  Bharadwaj has been recognized as the pioneer of
  aviation technology

25
Chemistry

• In ancient India, chemistry was called Rasayan
  Shastra, Rasa-Vidya, Rasatantra and Rasakriya
• Chemistry being the basic Science of Nature was
  pursued by ancient Inidas Scientists to create
  Colours, Chemicals, Fertilizers, Warhead
  materials, food preservatives, spices and above
  all Gems and Crystals. Purification of Silver,
  Gold and other precious metals.
• Medicinal Chemistry of Plants and Herbs. Bio
  Chemistry of Natural Fertilizers all point
  towards a rich foundation of Chemistry in India
  from ancient times

26
Chemistry in India

• The Famous Indian ink to date is the testimony of
  Indias profound knowledge of Chemistry
• 24 Ct Gold and Silver and Gold plated ornaments
  so well exhibited in Indias images to date are
  the basis for Chemistry of Metal processing
• Cave paintings (Bhim Betika near Bhopal, Ajanta
  in Maharastra) by Natural Colours and Colourful
  textile and embroidery marks Indias mastery over
  Chemistry

27
Chemistry in India

• Colourful potteries, Gold Plated Potteries,
  Golden and Silver Studded Carvings on Metals,
  Glass and Textile further give the glimpses of
  Indias profound knowledge of Chemistry
• Use of Colours and Chemicals mostly Natural in
  Indian Temple forts and Palaces further reinforce
  the Indian Chemistry Knowledge.
• Swarna Bhasma (Gold ash), Rajat Bhasma (Silver
  Ash) and Shankha Bhasma (Bone Ash) are the
  ultimate of Indian Chemistry.

28
Relevance to the Modern Age

• We are returning to the nature, Natural
  medicines, natural fertilizers, natural fuels (
  Bio Fuels) , Natural food, natural preservatives
  and natural water harvesting and purification
  systems
• We are today in a knowledge age where the wisdom
  of antiquity can be synthesised with the most
  modern science and technology

29
Relevance to the Modern Age

• Ancient ( Vedic) mathematics to high speed
  computing
• Ancient astronomy and knowledge of the universal
  system giving foundation for a larger universal
  system beyond the solar system
• Ancient chemistry leading to natural and
  environmentally benign paints and chemicals,
  Drugs and Fertilizers
• Growth with sustainability and prosperity with
  happiness

30
Scientific and religious paths are like two
streams of the creative human mind. The
scientific path tries to explain the nature of
reality within rationality, whereas the religious
or spiritual path does so within and beyond
rationality.
Dr. T. D. Singh
(His Holiness Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami)
Director, Bhaktivedanta InstitutePresident,
Vedanta and Science Educational Research
Foundation
31
Jnana Vijnana

• Jnana, the fire of knowledge destroys the
  attachment to the karmas, actions
• The jnana and vijnana together are known to a
  soul which liberates from the world of misery.

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foKkulfgra TKkRok ekslskqHkkr Hkxor xhrk
32
Jnana, Vijnana Karma

• Jnana, the knowledge the vijnana the knoledge
  used with the application of mind the karma, the
  actions perfomed by a man of knowledge in this
  material world lead to salvation, encounter with
  divinity within.

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bRqPrs ksxh leyks"VªkedkPu AA Hkxor xhrk
33
Pre-log

• Mankind from the early dawns of civilization
  has ventured into the understanding the world
  around and thus discover the harmony between man
  and nature.
• Was realized that man does not exist in
  isolation.
• Was also realized that our survival, more so
  our happiness and our success to lead a healthy
  life is deeply dependent upon the survival and
  sustenance of a healthy atmosphere around us.
• During the Vedic times, the Vedic Rishies have
  discovered this secret of harmony between man
  and nature.

Prof. P.B.Sharma, Vice-Chancellor, Rajiv Gandhi
Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya (University of
Technology of M.P.)
34
Vedic Concept of Eternity

• Vedas clearly emphasize on the eternal aspect of
  creation
• Om purnamada purnamidam purnatpurna mudatchayte,
  Purnase purn mevaya purnemeva vasishyate
  (Ishopnishad 1.1).
• Human beings, having scientific bent of mind and
  the sensitivity, they posses, to the world
  around them and empowered with the power of
  intellect and intuition, have always been in
  search of truth that unveils the secrete of
  creation, purpose of life, and ultimately
  leading to a clear understanding of secret of
  Life and Death.

35
Purity of Mind a must for pursuit of Truth

• In Kathopanishad, we find that the learned
  Yamraja, who possessed the secret of life and
  death counsels Nachiketa
• Yastu Vijyanban bhabhatu, mansa sada suchi
• i.e. let you adore science, but remember that
  purity of mind is maintained, meaning therein
  that purity of manas, i.e the purity of mind,
  purity of heart and in turn the purity of whole
  body is always maintained.

36
Purity of Mind a must for pursuit of Truth
Purity of mind, heart and body can only enable
a person to pursue scientific inquiry which
leads to the discovery of the truth. The truth
so realized unveils the secret of the universe
and bridges the gap between man and the Divine,
the gap between body and soul, the gap between
matter and energy and the gap between our own
existence with the large universal system around
us.
37
Jyana, Vijyana Prajyana

• In the Indian Vedic system, Jyana the knowledge
  and Vijyana, the science both have been
  recognized as means and mechanisms to perform the
  work activity, the karma, to attain enlightenment
  and ultimately to attain fame, prosperity and
  salvation from the endless sufferings encountered
  during earthly existence.
• The Bhagbhat Gita clearly states Jyanagni
  sarva karmani bhasmat kurute thata ie. the fire
  of knowledge destroys all the fruits of our
  actions, which otherwise shall make us bind with
  the Karma, our actions(Bhagvatgita 4.37).

38
Jyana, Vijyana Prajyana

• Remember that the Bhavabat Gita also says
  Jyana vijyana traptatma kutastho vijayate
  indriah ie knowledge of Sciece and Knowledge of
  the self, the jnana together enables us to win
  over the senses which in fact enjoy the fruits of
  our actions(Bhagvat Gita 6.8).
• Further the Lord Krishna states in Bhagbatgita
  Jnanam vijnanaa sahitam yat jyatva mokshyase
  ashubhata ie the scientific knowledge and the
  knowledge of the self together enables us to win
  over the world of misery, the world in which we
  live and the world from where we wish to liberate
  ourselves( Bhagvat Gita, 9.1)

39
The point I am trying to drive is that the
knowledge jyana, and the science vijyana, both
are considered to be highly useful not only to
attain prosperity and happiness on mother earth
but also to acquire immense capability to enable
the entire society, the humankind the world over,
to elevate itself to the level of godliness. We
must clearly understand, however, that a polluted
mind, a mind devoid of orientation to serve the
society and a heart full of revenge and hatred
cannot attain the levels of existence where in a
man could come face to face with reality, face to
face with the divinity and proclaim Aham Barhma
asmi, I am God, the proclamation made by the
Vedic seers.
40
Why we need Spirituality?

• The question often being asked as to why should
  we be spiritual, why cant I do without
  spirituality?
• The answer is that even if we wish to be devoid
  of spirituality we can not as be Gods
  intelligent design which is also fine turned to
  create individuals, the divinity with in shall
  make regular efforts to surface itself often in
  the workplace, in the places of worship and also
  at the time of deep sorrow or immense happiness.
  

41
Why we need Spirituality?

• The divinity with in, if truly experienced,
  enables man to rise to the level of Godliness.
  We need spirituality to create and utilize the
  immense wealth of knowledge and the power of
  mind, the power of working in and for divine
  and thus in turn benefit mankind by our work and
  noble deeds. Spirituality gives us the much
  needed orientation to serve the society with
  fullest of our abilities and to serve God
  through the service of man.

42
Science, Technology and Spirituality
Science, Technology and Spirituality all go
together as those who adore science and also have
a spiritual bent of mind would always be
employing their fullest capabilities and
knowledge for the betterment of the society while
at the same time constantly engaging themselves
in search of truth through the service of man,
through the pursuit of the work activity with
fullest of devotion through their understanding
of the world around them. Science without
spirituality leads to prosperity without
happiness. Science and spirituality together
create prosperity with eternal happiness.
43
Science, Technology and Spirituality
Prof. Charles Townes, the noble laureate in
physics in conversation with Swami Dr. T.D.
Singh, Founder Director of the Bhakti Vedanta
Institute, Kolkatta, India has opined that it is
not practical to keep scientific and spiritual
cultures separate. The people who study science
are often at the same time thoughtful about the
meaning of life and values (Seven Nobel
Laureates on Science Spirituality, Dr. T.D.
Singh (Ed), 2004). Science and spirituality both
are to be practiced and adored to create a civic
society tuned to attaining the destined goal of
human existence living and working in the company
of God.
44
The dream of a civic and just society, realizing
the infinite power of divinity, elevating man to
the level of God head, people living in perfect
harmony with nature, fulfilling the aim and
realizing the meaning of life is achievable with
the progress of science in the realm of
spirituality. The journey on the pat of jyanam,
the knowledge, associated and enabled by vijanam,
the science, would then lead us to the horizons
of Pragyanam, the horizon form where we are in
a position to proclaim as the Vedic scientists
did several thousand years ago, namely, Prajyanam
Bhrama, that is Prajyanam is visualizing and
realizing our existence in God.
45
In the knowledge age driven by the power of the
mind and propelled by the capabilities and
maturity of people, it has become absolutely
essential that science, technology and
spirituality co-exist everywhere, more so in the
universities and in the institutions and
organizations cultivating knowledge, imparting
knowledge, using knowledge to create wealth and
prosperity while at the same time ensuring that
the journey of mankind on the path of prosperity
and happiness is assured by a firm commitment and
resolve to discover better and better ways of
maintaining harmony with nature and thus assuring
continued sustenance of human life on mother
planet earth.
46
We need more and more of scientism to foster
scientific explorations into hitherto unexplored
vistas of human endeavour. We also need more and
more people of scientific bent of mind turning to
spirituality to discover the rich wealth of
science of soul, the secret of the creation. In
fact we need a new mantra for the new knowledge
age and this new mantra must prepare the human
society to rise to newer heights of glory in
respect of peace, prosperity and happiness with a
firm commitment to sustain a clean environment,
maintain earths ecological balance and serve God,
the creator, through the service of man and
mother nature. This new mantra is based on the
fusion of science and spiritual values to build a
new global order. Vashdaev kutumbkam the
concept of the world family would then be truly
nurtured by people around the globe adoring
Scientopirituality
47
The journey of mankind on the path of knowledge
shall then continue to the horizons of
enlightenment and shall lead to wisdom manifold.
The man shall then realize his fullest
potentialities of eternal strength and shall
witness the meeting point of mortal with the
eternal, the natural destination of a
spirituality enlightened scientific civic
society. A Vedic seer of modern India has so
beautifully put it in his proclamation of the
mankind of future Frontiers of ignorance shall
recede More and more soul shall attain
divine. The summit of life with divine Is bound
to happen in ones own lifetime
48
May be the prophecy of this great Vedic seer of
the modern age is bound to come true in the near
future given the accelerated pace of science and
interest in spirituality by the scientific world.
A developed prosperous India habited by peace
loving people, a society tuned to the objective
of living in and working with and for Divine,
creating a haven on earth, realizing the purpose
of life, decoding the secret of life and death
and together as a human society attaining an
existence with lord and on successful culmination
of life activity returning to Godhead is
attainable only if Science and Spirituality
together are adored by the people of the world in
the new knowledge age. Prosperity and happiness
together then descend on the human society
creating smiles in plenty and fair prosperous
days providing multifaceted peace. We then enjoy
the wisdom of the ancient in the modern times of
Science and Technology.
49
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50
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51
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52
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53
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54
Let us pledge to create such a better tomorrow
and elevate man to the level of God and create
goodness in plenty around the world.
Hare Krishna, Hare Rama
The Author is a former Professor of IIT Delhi and
currently Vice Chancellor of University of
Technology of Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal, India. Can
be reached at pbsharma48_at_yahoo.co.in and
www.rgtu.net
55
izKkua czEg
THANK YOU
Prof. P.B.Sharma, Vice-Chancellor, Rajiv Gandhi
Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya (University of
Technology of M.P.)