It is customary to write a preface to a book. It serves as a medium to explain why the writer is prompted to write a book and also what makes him to choose a subject on which to write. It is with this understanding that I have preferred to add this brief preface.
In 2003, I had written a book under the title Dusk to Dawn. In this book I had recorded speculative thoughts about life hereafter. It was in the nature of conversation with self. The title Dusk to Dawn suggests that it describes journey towards dawn (awareness) after overcoming darkness (ignorance). In expanding my thoughts, I was inspired by Vedic prayer तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय meaning 'lead me to light from darkness".
Dealing with the subject, I had referred to concept of God, the Creator, the creation, evolution, etc. In doing so, I had described the journey of modern science in the quest of mystery of the universe as well as Vedantic thought of the East. I had dedicated the book to young generation who has inquisitiveness to seek new answers to old questions. In response to the book. I received suggestions that I should elaborate on science and metaphysics of the West and scientific concepts in Vedic literature of ancient India so that connection between the two can be clearly understood.
The young generation, born in the scientific age and brought up in Western culture has a vague notion that Vedas are merely religious scriptures. They wanted to understand whether there can be any relation between science on one hand and religion and spirituality on the other hand. This prompted me to write on the subject of science and spirituality. I attempted to write a small booklet in hyku style to compile a few basic scientific concepts. Against each hyku (couplet), I gave an equivalent translation in English. While writing this, a consistent picture arose in my mind about Brahma, the Creator who created the universe and also how the universe is functioning and the underlying forces.
On deeper thought, I decided to write on a subject of science in Vedic literature of ancient India. Earlier idea of writing something under the title 'Science and Spirituality would not have appealed to younger generation which believes that science and spirituality are subjects poles asunder. Any attempt to establish link. between science of the West and philosophy and religion of Vedic literature, I thought it must be based on sound scientific concepts which may appeal to a rational mind. It is with this thought in mind that I have produced this book. I hope this explains the circumstances which prompted me to write this book as well as the choice of the book under the present title.
I hope the book will not only be informative but also provocative to the young mind. I also hope that both the modern scientists and the scholars of Vedic literature will find some common concepts on which co-ordinated efforts for further research be made. With this pious hope, I dedicate this book to scientists, philosophers and religious leaders of the world, in whose hands, material and spiritual well-being of mankind rests.
I have great pleasure to write foreword for the book Science in Vedic Literature of Ancient India written by a great scholar and thinker Dr. V. R. Mehta I.A.S. (Retd.), former Vice Chancellor and express my opinion thereon. As the author mentions, this book is a follow-up study of his earlier publication Dusk to Dawn (From Darkness to Light). This shows that this book contains well-thought ideas on the subject. It deals with science, religion and philosophy. In my opinion these are inseparable. The journey is right from microcosm to macrocosm with dimension 104 to 1027 m. If one ponders over, one can see that there is one to one correspondence between an atom and the universe. pinde to brahmande. As the author writes, the book reveals the ancient wisdom which scientists, philosophers and theologians all alike may like to place before the common man. I entirely agree with the author.
It is very delightful to hard-core scientist like me to note that young members of author's family posed a question to him whether there is any connection between modern science and Vedantic thoughts and if so, can such connection be established by facts which may ap-peal to scientific and rational mind. To me this shows awakening and enlightened mind of our young generation towards our heritage, culture, tradition and the modern science and technology. I was, indeed very happy to read this. This shows that the future of India is very bright, though we presently see darkness everywhere.
This book has emerged from a question of young mind, which is much more interesting to me.
The author was student of science, he has inquisitive mind towards all kinds of knowledge and weighs every concept in the background of science, and with scientific angle. This is where science comes in and makes its mark.
This book has come into being as a result of synthesis. of science and Vedic literature; Vedas, Vedanta, Upanishads and Bhagwad Geeta. Author's revelation is that in understanding the Nature, its Creator and the entire creation, our ancient seers have revealed wonderful knowledge about the universe and the material world. In Vedas there are embedded seeds of various sciences like physics, astronomy, physiology, anatomy, agriculture, etc. This book has tried to bring these out. The author has traced and collected from Vedic literature seers such knowledge which corroborates with modern scientific knowledge. We should appreciate author's painstaking efforts.
The book is very well written with crystal clear concepts and reasoning and lucid language and style and therefore it is readable by any layperson.
Vedas contain knowledge revealed to our sages more than 5,000 years ago. Vedas are compilations of knowledge generated over 5,000 years of early civilization of India. They contain explicitly and extensively what is known and what is knowable. Author has tried and succeeded to shatter the belief that Vedic knowledge is primitive as was generated by primitive society.
In his book the author rightly points out that Vedas have been comprehensive and far-reaching to find the ultimate truth and reality. Aim of our sages was not to evolve theories and the laws governing the universe but to discover the universal laws and to know how the universe functions.
Vedas (1232)
Upanishads (517)
Puranas (637)
Ramayana (769)
Mahabharata (381)
Dharmasastras (171)
Goddess (534)
Bhakti (253)
Saints (1640)
Gods (1319)
Shiva (409)
Journal (176)
Fiction (66)
Vedanta (386)
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