MYSTERY: ANCIENT SCIENCE

Ancient Science

“Ptolemy created a universe that lasted a thousand years. Copernicus created a universe that lasted four hundred years. Einstein has created a universe, and I can’t tell you how long it will last.”

George Bernard Shaw

“Despite all the greed, hatred and materialistic hullabaloo, many of us are feeling a need for an inner quest: What are we here for? Why so much misery and pain in life? Can we rise above this and make our lives more meaningful… can we?”

Rakesh Maniktala

Introduction

Spiritualism, Modern Science and Ancient History

Spiritualism, Modern Science, Ancient History. These three words at one place might appear to many as highly unrelated – but they are as much related to each other as the three corners of an equilateral triangle. Without any one of the corners, the identity of the triangle itself (i.e. Humanity) would not be there.

Scientific advancement sans spirituality is like body without soul – the form of science we see today. It leads to a society with all the attributes of self-destruction: Greed, Selfishness, Intolerance and Bloated Egos. Today we have become slaves of the gadgets and scientific infrastructure we have put together for our service.

What humanity needs is a humane and progressive culture on Earth, where spiritualism and scientific development go hand in hand. A culture based on the principles of love, tolerance, brotherhood and a desire to grow, to move forward… And do we have any precedence for such a culture, such a society? That’s where ancient history comes into picture.

Human race on our planet Earth is very old, as discussed further in the “Beliefs” section. In ancient history, there have been times when our culture was highly advanced – scientifically as well as spiritually. The society was guided by highly evolved rishis (sages), master exponents of metaphysical skills who had conquered death through yoga and meditation. These sages, the great scientists, knew of environment friendly and unlimited resources of energy. People traveled to farthest stars and solar systems in sophisticated spacecraft, and by astral travelling. They had mastered anti-gravity, and had contacts with other advanced civilizations of the universe. But human culture and its development always follow a sine wave. People leave the middle path tilting more towards materialism, and knowledge decays. There were natural calamities due to toying with environment, and nuclear wars, resulting in total destruction. Radioactivity mutated human genes and so there were primitive Neanderthal men. And this has happened not once, but many a times in the past. Physical evidence for this might not be available today, but documentary information in symbolic or parable form is still available in some ancient Indian scriptures (Puranas), and in scriptures of other civilizations too.

Can We Revive Our Glorious Past?

To realize the dream of a spiritual-scientific culture on Earth, the spiritual level of the society has to go up. There must be a large number of people with high spiritual level to bring about a change at a very fast rate (referred to as a critical mass by some). This might sound difficult, but things are actually moving in a positive direction. Despite all the greed, hatred and materialistic hullabaloo, many of us are feeling a need for an inner quest: What are we here for? Why so much misery and pain in life? Can we rise above this and make our lives more meaningful… can we? This inner quest is actually helping us rise above the ordinary. And so the long queues at the doorsteps of Gurus and religious preachers.

But only the desire for an inner quest may not help much. To hasten the pace of this change, something more is required: dedicated and evolved groups of people, working specifically and steadfastly to bring about the change. And one of the paths for them is to look for scientific-spiritual advancements of the past.

To Find Scientific Advancements In Ancient History

A two pronged action plan is required for this:

One certain source of scientific knowledge is Vedas, the ancient Hindu scriptures, written in the ancient and sophisticated language of Sanskrit. Many other Sanskrit scriptures and ancient books from other parts of the world and in other languages may contain advanced scientific knowledge. Various research programs on Vedas are already in progress, here in India and abroad. Specific and coordinated research programs on such texts have to be initiated.
Scientific remains of certain ancient civilizations must still be hidden somewhere – beneath some ancient ruins, or pyramids, or in some caves/ highlands of Himalayas. Or there could be some ancient library, or manuscripts/ texts, which might have survived the ravages of Dark Age wars. These have to be traced - through dedication, meditation and intuition.

The aim of these words is to bring together all such like-minded people who resonate with these thoughts, to launch a concerted and dedicated effort in this direction (points 1 & 2 above).

The evidence for many of the ideas mentioned above might not be forthcoming, and so may appear to some of us as hypothetical, and based on wild imagination and faith. But imagination and faith are amongst the strongest forces of nature capable of doing many a miracles in life. So if we have faith in our imaginations and in our inner quests, we surely can do some miracles. Let’s come together.

God

There is one Supreme being, called by the names of GOD, the Parmatma (the soul of universe), the Almighty Lord. God is sat (truth), chitta (intelligence) and ananda (happiness). He is absolutely holy and wise. He is omnipresent, incorporeal, unborn, immense, omniscient, omnipotent, merciful and just. He is the creator, protector and destroyer of the worlds. He is the lord of the universe.1

There are three distinct eternal identities: (1) God, (2) Souls, (3) Prakriti – the material cause of the universe. All three have the attributes of eternal existence in common. But they differ in other respects. Matter is inanimate and inert while God is all-life and all-power. The soul is limited in its intelligence and powers, while god is unlimited. The soul is confined in a body – God pervades all space. The former is finite – the latter infinite.2

The Universe

In the early part of this century, two opposing theories about the origin of the universe were postulated. (1) The Steady State theory, which says the universe is never born, never dies, and is always like what it is. (2) The Big bang theory, which says the universe began with a point of energy exploding in a “big-bang”. All the matter came into being from energy continuously expanding and changing form. Ultimately the expansion will stop and it will start contracting, ending into nothingness with a “big-crunch”. What is before big-bang or after big crunch, the theory doesn’t know.

In reality, both the theories are correct. The universe begins from a point with a bang and ends in a point with a crunch. This duration we call one Kalpa (cosmos) or Brahma Diwas (eternal day). It is preceded and succeeded by an equal period during which matter lies in a dormant, inert state and that is called a Brahma Ratri i.e. a divine night (for the nature that sleeps as it were). All the souls also remain in a dormant state, a sort of hibernation, during this period. The evolution of cosmos from dormant state may be called a ‘creation’ or ‘srishti’, and its involution back into inert state is called dissolution (pralaya). As days and nights succeed each other, so do cosmos and divine nights in this eternal sinusoidal cycle of evolutions and involutions 3 (Figure 1).

All matter, i.e. nature, has three basic attributes/forces – satva, rajasa and tamasa. During brahma ratri, these forces remain in a balanced state. After the big bang, the three forces get realigned to form elementary particles called Mahat or Aapah, which combine further to form other basic particles, atoms and so on. 4

Figure 1

A – “Big Bang”

B – “Big Crunch”

A to B – One “Kalpa”

Age of the Universe

The age of each Kalpa (eternal day) is 4.32 billion years (4,320,000,000 years). According to Hindu scriptures this is further subdivided as below:

1 Kalpa	=	1000 Chaturyugis
	=	14 Manvantars + Buffer Periods of 6 Chaturyugis
1 Manvantar	=	71 Chaturyugis
1 Chaturyugi	=	4,320,000 years

Of the 14 manvantars, the universe expands for the first seven, and contracts for the next seven.

Each chaturyugi is subdivided into four Yugas:

Krit yuga = 1,728,000 years
Treta yuga = 1,296,000 years
Dwapar yuga = 864,000 years
Kali yuga = 432,000 years

At present, kaliyuga of the 28th chaturyugi of the 7th manvantar is in progress. According to this calculation, 1,972,949,100 years have elapsed since the evolution of present cosmos began, and it has 2,347,050,900 years still to go before the “big-crunch”. 5

The Earth

All planets prior to their formation are part of their parent stars, like the nine planets of our solar system were part of the Sun. After parting from the Sun, it took millions of years for our Earth to cool and become solid. The Earth is hollow inside, with a tiny white-dwarf “sun” at its center. Most of the other planets in this universe are hollow inside. And most of the planets are inhabited too, because the basic purpose of planets is to support life – as that of stars is to support planets. On a planet, both the outside surface and the inside surface, or any one of them, could be suitable for life. For our Earth, both the surfaces support life – in fact, the “inside world” (referred to as Pataal Loka in Hindu scriptures) is more suitable for life as is protected from outside natural calamities. 6

Life on Earth

Presently, the twenty eighth chaturyugi of the seventh manvantar is in its last phase. The Earth was formed in the second manvantar, while the Moon was formed in the third. Continents came out of the oceans in the fourth manvantar. Vegetation was born in the fifth, animals in sixth and humans at the beginning of the current seventh. So, human life on Earth is roughly 120 million years old.7

At first the humans were born by asexual means – in fully grown-up and knowledgeable state – in the Meru Parvat region in Himalayas (Tibet). They further carried on the chain of life through sexual means.8

At the birth of every cosmos the complete knowledge of God is transmitted in wave-form and spreads out with the expanding universe. This knowledge was received by the foremost of the earliest humans – the four rishis (sages) – through meditation, and given to the humankind in the form of the four Vedas. 9

Population increased, Vedic knowledge spread, and human society flourished. Since the very beginning, humanity has taken two paths, the Devas and the Asurs, the believers in God and the worshippers of nature, the good and the evil. The society got divided along these two paths. The Deva or Aryan culture believes in scientific development supported by equal spiritual enlightenment for the ultimate betterment of humanity. On the other hand, the Asur culture believes in extreme materialism and considers the nature to be all powerful, leading to usage of science for destructive purposes.10

The fight for supremacy between the two cultures, between good and bad, follows a sinusoidal path, and so do peace and wars, and the scientific and spiritual development of humanity. Today it’s the asur culture that is on top, but the fight is still on.

Human Body: Birth to Rebirth

What we call human body actually is a combination of three bodies

The Physical body (Sthula sharira), one which we ‘see’ and ‘feel’ with our senses.
The Astral body (Sukshma sharira), our higher dimension body, and connected with our physical body by means of an infinitely extensible ‘silver cord’ at the naval.
The Cause body (Karana sharira), much subtler than the astral body, plus the wave form record of all our Karma and desires (vasana), good or bad.

This “combination” human body is the carrier, the vehicle of our “Atma”, the Spirit, the actual “me”. During our sleep – unconsciously, and during meditation – consciously, our astral body can leave the physical body. For astral body being at a much higher vibration level, physical things are no barrier to it. When we “die”, only our physical body is destroyed. We, the “spirit” along with the astral body and cause body are born again in another physical body, as directed by our Karmic record. In between the death and rebirth, the spirit, along with the astral body goes to a particular astral plane depending on its level of evolution. There it experiences a detailed review of its latest life before being born again in another life. And this cycle of birth & death continues. The process of rebirth causes a memory loss, and we humans forget the real purpose of our lives. The aim of human life is to remember who we are, and to work towards the goal of evolution and the ultimate “moksha” (freedom from the cycle of birth and death). 11

The Law of Karma

All human actions/deeds, performed voluntarily or involuntarily, are termed as Karma. Broadly, karma are divided in two categories.

Nishkama Karma – performed as a duty, without expecting any “karma-phal” (result/ benefit) out of it. Karma of highly evolved yogis fall into this category.
Sakama Karma – where the performer wishes a particular result out of the karma. Karma of most humans falls into this category only. It can be good, bad or mixed type of sakama karma.

Hindu scriptures consider nishkama karma to be the highest form of karma that leads the soul towards salvation. 12

Categorizing as per mode, human beings perform three types of karma

“manasa” – by thought
“vacha” – by speech
“karmana” – by actions

All three have different karma-phal, and based on it a spirit’s next incarnation is decided. Three attributes of the next life are decided by karma-phal

“yoni” – Species (human/ animal/ plant)
“aayu” – Age
“bhoga” – Comforts

Only human form is the one where a spirit is free to do karma. In rest all life forms – all animal and vegetation species – spirit is not free to do karma, only to endure the results of previous karma.

Apart from the above classification, the karma is also classified in two types

Personal Karma, a persons individual karma which effect him alone
Societal Karma, the karma of individuals of a society counted together, whose reward/ punishment has to be borne by every individual of the society, in addition to the effect of the personal karma.

Knowledge is Eternal

The knowledge of God is eternal, and is present everywhere around us in energy form. So are the past and prospective futures. These can be “tapped in” by sufficiently spiritually advanced individuals. Without the spiritual development, knowledge and science always decay.

At the end of every chaturyugi, there is always a pralaya – mass destruction in the form of natural or man-made cataclysms – in which most of the knowledge in physical form is destroyed. But humanity survives in the form of a few human beings to carry forward the human race into next chaturyugi, like “Manu” (Noah) did at the end of last chaturyugi 3,893,100 years ago. Scientific remains of ancient, advanced civilizations of present chaturyugi may still be present and could be discovered by evolved and dedicated groups of people.13

Vedic Physics

4. The Expanding Egg

Sanskrit is a beautiful language. Each word in Sanskrit tells its meaning itself. Each word has been thought carefully. Sanskrit is not a product of evolution from an earlier language. It has been designed to be what it is. When Vedic sages coded the knowledge of particle physics and cosmology, they were well aware of the possibility that one day the code may be lost due to the decline of their civilization. Therefore they chose the words very carefully to provide vital clues about the code. In this book we will dissect each word, go to its roots, and discover the lost Vedic science.

4.1: The Expanding Universe

The word for universe in Sanskrit is “Brahmanda”, which is made by joining of words “Brahma” and “Anda”. Brahma is derived from root “Briha” meaning to expand and “Anda” means egg. Thus “Brahmanda” means expanding egg. Concept of the universe as an egg is found in nearly all ancient civilizations, the source of which is obviously the Rigveda. The concept of Martanda discussed later in this chapter is related to the egg-shaped universe. The universe is described as an egg in most post-vedic scriptures.

“Apah were indeed Salila earlier. Desire arose in it. They labored. From that heat arose. From heat golden egg was born. Golden egg was swimming in that for a year.” Shatapatha Brahmana 11.1.6.1

“Whole universe including moon, sun, galaxies and planets was inside the egg. Egg was surrounded by ten qualities from outside.” Vayu Purana 4.72-73

“At the end of thousand years Egg was divided in two by Vayu.” Vayu Purana 24.73

“From that golden egg earth and heaven were made.” Manusmriti 1.13

In Matsya Purana 2.25-30 following story is told about creation. After Mahapralaya, dissolution of the universe, there was darkness everywhere. Everything was like in a state of sleep. There was nothing, either moving or unmoving. Then Svayambhu, self-being, manifested, which is the form beyond senses. He created water first and established the seed of creation into it. That seed turned into a golden egg. Then Svayambhu entered in the egg, and he is called Visnu because of entering. The concept of the universe as an egg is based on sound scientific reasoning. We will discuss the scientific basis of this shape later in this book during the discussion of Vedic cosmology.

4.2: Birth of Gods

What happened during the initial moments of creation? The Big Bang cosmology gives a very dramatic account of first few moments. The universe was extremely hot and it went through a very rapid expansion stage initially called inflation. The Vedic viewpoint differs from this view. The initial moments of creation are described in the following hymn from the Rigveda: Rigveda 10.72 Sage: Laukya Brihaspati or Brihaspati Angirasa or Dakshayani Aditi; Deity: Gods; Metre: Anustupa

1. We speak about the birth of Gods clearly. Who says the praises, will see them in later ages. 2. Brahmanaspati created these (everything in the universe) like an artisan. In the earlier age of gods manifest was born from unmanifest. 3. In the first age of gods, manifest was born from unmanifest. Then quarters of the heaven (asha) were born, after that one whose legs are extended. 4. From the one whose legs are extended, was born Bhu, and from Bhu were born quarters of the heaven (asha). From Aditi Daksha was born, and from Daksha Aditi was born. 5. Daksha, your daughter Aditi gave birth. Gracious, immortal bonded gods were born from her. 6. When gods were sitting in this Salila firmly established, from their dance penetrating dust came up. 7. When gods pervaded whole universe, then in ocean sun was brought near. 8. Those eight sons born to Aditi, with seven she went to gods, and left Martanda away. 9. With seven sons Aditi went to earlier age. For the birth and death of people, (she) accepted Martanda again.

4.3: The Dead Egg

The last two verses tell us about Martanda, and here lies the seed of a gigantic misconception that man was created in the beginning of the universe. Martanda means dead egg. Egg is the universe itself, so dead egg means a universe that had no life. The formation of the universe was not a spontaneous process. The universe had to expand in order to exist, but forces of expansion and contraction were in a delicate balance in the beginning. The universe did not keep on expanding continuously is the Vedic viewpoint. After an initial expansion, the universe started to contract. This is the meaning of Aditi going to earlier age.

Related Books

	Vedic Physicsby Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Ph.D.
Book Description Rigveda was written about five thousand years ago. We do not know much about the scientific achievements of our ancestors. Is it possible that there were highly advanced civilizations in past, whose technological achievements have been completely forgotten? Now there can be an objective verification, because Rigveda has been remarkably well preserved. Ancient Indians went to extreme lengths to preserve the Vedas. They are in the same form today, that they have been several thousand years earlier. The question is why? Why did generations of Indians go through so much trouble to preserve the Vedas, while the apparent meaning seems to be so mundane. The reason is that Vedas are coded, and once you understand that code, it has such a powerful message that is going to transform your perception of humanity. This book describes the scientific meaning of Vedas and other Hindu scriptures and compares them with currently accepted scientific wisdom. From the Author I have always been fascinated by Hindu mythology. At the same time I have always wondered about the scientific information behind the stories found in our scriptures. While reading Rigveda it became clear to me that there is a code behind the apparent meaning of Rigveda. Rigveda is full of verses that seem like puzzles. Simply put, they do not make sense at all. It describes cows as having eight ears, horses as having horns, and so on. With my background of modern science I was able to get a glimpse of what Vedas are really about. After several years of painstaking research, I have compiled the proof to show that Rigveda is in fact a book of long forgotten book of science, a science so advanced that it is going to mesmerize you. From the Back Cover The Rigveda is the first book of humankind and the most sacred scripture of Hinduism. It also happens to be the most ill-understood book of our times. Despite the extensive study by academic and religious scholars, the purpose and meaning of the Rigveda and many ancient Hindu scriptures remain unclear. In this pathbreaking book, the discovery of Rigveda as a book of ancient cosmology is described, and related to the seals of ancient Indus Valley Civilization, thereby challenging our perception of humanity. “The Vedas have always been lauded as containing the secrets of cosmogenesis. Raja Roy in his remarkable book shows how this is true not only from the yogic vision but according to the latest insights of modern physics. The book takes the reader on a vast panoramic journey through the universe of matter, mind and human history as well.” David Frawley (Vamadeva Shastri) Director, American Institute of Vedic Studies “Roy presents a new framework for the understanding of the Vedic hymns from the point of view of physics and then he draws parallels with recent theories on the nature of the universe. We celebrate the new path he has hewn through the bush of old scholarship.” Professor Subhash Kak Louisiana State University About the Author Raja R. Roy was born in India and studied at Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur for his undergraduate degree. He continued his study at The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio for his M.S. and Ph.D. degree in Materials Sc. and Engineering. Currently he is working as a research scientist. A Reader’s Review: A Masterpiece! I profusely thank the author for giving the true interpretation of the oldest scripture, The Rig-Veda, exactly as the Sages had intended. This book should inspire every Indian scientist to study and investigate the Vedas, every Vedic scholar to understand their real intent and every social scientist to understand their noble, universal spirit. This book should also serve to remove the misconception of caste system, and the myth of Aryan invasion, which was the fabrication of Western scholars to divide the country and discredit it’s great culture. I recommend this book to every person who is interested in Science and Vedic Religion. Don’t miss this path-breaking, trend-setting book, which I’m sure will redefine cosmological, particle and quantum theories in the years to come. I wish that Dr. Roy would bring out more such invaluable works, in his quest for truth, to enlighten us on Science and Spirituality.
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Our understanding of ancient science is transformed thanks to the pioneering work of Neugebauer and Kak. Neugebauer, by decoding the Mesopotamian tablets, showed how much of mathematics and astronomy Mesopotamians knew. Kak has pulled off an equally impressive scholarly feat by disovering a long-forgotten astronomy and mathematics of the early Indians of the 2nd millennium BC. Kak’s work is a veritable tour de force since no one had suspected what he found in the Indic texts; his work explains many gaps in the earlier accounts of Indian civilization. The best introduction to Kak’s work is THE ASTRONOMICAL CODE OF THE RGVEDA, which is an excellent guide to the more technical scholarly papers on the subject. This is a book that should be compulsory for all students of Indian history. It opens new pathways in the labyrinth of Indian culture and provides concepts that help us see the Vedic world on its own terms.
	The Celestial Key to the Vedas: Discovering the Origins of the World’s Oldest Civilization by B. G. Sidharth
Book Description A leading astronomer proves that India had a thriving civilization capable of sophisticated astronomy long before Greece, Egypt, or any other world culture. Provides conclusive evidence that the Rig Veda is 12,000 years old. Establishes actual dates and places for many of the events in the Hindu epics. For more than a century scholars have debated the antiquity of the Vedas and their related literature, the Brahmanas and Puranas. Relying upon a host of assumptions from linguistic theory, anthropology, and archaeology, they have agreed upon 1500 b.c. as the earliest possible date for the Rig Veda, itself the oldest extant example of Indo-European literature. But in this groundbreaking book, astronomer B. G. Sidharth proves conclusively that the earliest portions of the Rig Veda can be dated as far back as 10,000 b.c. By deciphering the astronomical events and alignments contained in mythical and symbolic form in these ancient texts, Sidharth calls into question many if not all of the assumptions governing Indo-European prehistory. He explores such subjects as the astronomical significance of many Hindu deities and myths, the system of lunar asterisms used to mark time, the identity of the Asvins, and the sophisticated calendar of the ancients that harmonized solar and lunar cycles. Sidharth provides incontrovertible evidence that such “advanced” astronomical concepts as precession, heliocentrism, and the eclipse cycle are encoded in these ancient texts, passages of which make perfect sense only if these astronomical keys are known. Based on internal evidence in the Mahabharata and Ramayana, he also becomes the first to establish likely dates–and even places–for the events described in these famous epics. The Celestial Key to the Vedas is sure to astonish anyone concerned with astronomy, India, or the roots of civilization. About the Author Dr. B. G. Sidharth is director of India’s B. M. Birla Science Center. He has over 30 years of experience in astronomy and science education and is a frequent consultant to astronomy journals and science centers around the globe. He lives in Hyderabad, India.
	The Rig Veda: An Anthology: One Hundred and Eight Hymns, Selected, Translated and Annotated (Classic) by Wendy Doniger (Editor), Thomas Wyatt, Wendy D. O’Flaherty (Editor
Comments Wendy Doniger’s translation of the Rig Veda is nothing less than spectacular. She manages to take this most ancient of texts and render it in a way that at once retains its voice from the very distant past, while still speaking with lively language that sounds completely fresh and startling. Contained herein are the elemental questions of mankind, contemplating the meaning of existence. Highly recommended for anyone who ponders these same questions!
	The Field: The Quest for the Secret Force of the Universeby Lynne McTaggart; Hardcover
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	The Secret Teachings of All Ages: An Encyclopedic Outline of Masonic, Hermetic, Qabbalistic & Rosicrucian Symbolical Philosophy – Reduced Size Color by Manly Palmer Hall, J. Augustus Knapp (Illustrator) (Paperback – December 1994)
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Book Description This book provides evidence which makes it clear that most religious history is not what we think it is. It lets you see the true heritage that has been suppressed for centuries. It shows that there was once a greatly advanced and ancient culture that was a global society. That was the Vedic civilization. Even today we can see its influence in any part of the world, which makes it obvious that before the world became full of distinct and separate cultures, religions, and countries, it was once united in a common brotherhood of Vedic culture, with common standards, ideals, language, and representations of God. No matter what we may be in regard to our present religion, society, or country, we are all descendants of that ancient, global civilization. The Vedic tradition of India is the parent of humanity and the original ancestor of all religions.
	The Secret Teachings of the Vedas: The Eastern Answers to the Mysteries of Life by Stephen Knapp
Book Description A very readable explanation of the Vedic philosophical view of life, the world, God, etc. Must reading for anyone interested in philosophy or religion. courtesy:worldmysteries.com