Scientific Aspects of Vedic Knowledge

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'Scientific Aspects of Vedic Knowledge', as the name of the volume, is an effort to highlight and concisely present the ancient knowledge related to science, and its various dimensions. Vedas are traditionally considered as the origin of all disciplines of learning. Comprehensive knowledge of universe propounded through Vedas is primarily in abstract or symbolic form. Therefore, intense study is essential for understanding the Vedic concepts.

International conference 'WAVES 2016' held at BVB, New Delhi witnessed presentation of papers from prominent scholars of the world, on diverse subjects including Consciousness, Creation, Philosophy, Spirituality, Ayurveda, Yoga, Indian Epics, Religious studies, Customs, Rituals, Ancient Sciences, and more. In this edited volume, a selective 42 papers are being published, which are written in three languages-English(32), Hindi(8) and Sanskrit(2). These papers are divided into nine sections on the basis of theme.

Dr. Koenraad Elst, Belgium; Prof. Narayanan M. Komerath, USA; Prof. Bal Ram Singh, USA; Prof. Kumar S. Sharma, USA; Prof. S.R. Bhatt, Delhi; Dr. M.V. jagannadham, Hyderabad; Dr. Bhakti Niskama Shanta, Bangalore; Dr. Bhakti Vijnana Muni, Bangalore; Prof. Ram Sewak Dubey, Allahabad; Dr. Saroj Bala, Gurgaon; Dr. S. Ram Mohan, Chennai; Prof. K. Srinivas, Puduicherry; Dr. Shakuntala, Assam; and Prof. R.P. Singh, Delhi are some of the distinguished contributors. The volume also consists of Foreword and Preface authored by Mr. Sashi Kejriwal, President, and Mr. Dhirendra A. Shah, Treasurer of WAVES International, USA respectively.

This volume is WAVES International's sixth publication, which just like previous volumes is dedicated to learning Vedic knowledge in the right perspective.

Prof. Shashi Tiwari, Recipient of 'Certificate of Honour', 2015, from the President of India, is a well-known Vedic and Sanskrit scholar. She is engaged in Sanskrit studies and Vedic research for the last forty five years, and has worked as a teaching and research faculty in the Department of Sanskrit, Maitreyi College, University of Delhi. She has been honoured with more than twenty two academic awards from various academic institutions of India including the prestigious 'Sanskrit Sahitya Seva Sammana', 2006, Delhi Sanskrit Academy, Delhi; 'Vishist Purskar' 2007 and 'Maharshi Vyas Samman' 2014 from Uttar Pradesh Sanskrit Sansthan, Lucknow; and 'Sanskrit-Shri Award' 2015 from Akhil Bhartiya Sanskrit Sahitya Sammelan, New Delhi. She has thirty two published books to her credit on Vedic and Sanskrit subjects.

Prof. Tiwari has participated in several International and National Conferences in India and abroad including in USA, Italy, Canada, Korea, and Nepal; and has also organized many national symposiums, and twenty one national conferences, on themes related to Vedas and ancient literary heritage as the General Secretary / Presiden t of the WAVES (India). She has edited WAVES's seven Indian publications based on national conferences, namely:

1. Contemporary World Order: A Vedic Perspective
2. Harappan Civilization and Vedic Culture
3. Creation and Existence in Indian Tradition
4. Bhartiya Parampara me Sristi avam Sthiti
5. Health and Happiness in Indian Perspective
6. Science and Spirituality in Vedic Tradition
7. Vaidik Parampara me Vijyana aur Adhyatma

I am happy to have been a part of yet another successful WAVES 2016 conference, held in India's capital city of Delhi. While WAVES International has already conducted 11 major bi-annual conferences (in addition to a special conference on Jaati/Varna), this 12th International conference was our first one to have been held on Indian soil. I had always hoped for a WAVES conference on Indian soil, as I believed that it would be more relevant and special to our initiative. I am proud to say this was the case. As evidenced by the diverse lineup of papers, talks, participants, and activities, this conference was indeed unique and special in many ways.

The main theme of this conference Scientific Aspects of Vedic Knowledge' was also very appropriate once it is believed by many scholars that due credit has not been given to the source of many original scientific inventions and discoveries that took place in the region inhabited by Vedic practitioners. At WAVES 2016, we witnessed presentation of papers from prominent scholars across diverse subject matters including Consciousness, Creation, Philosophy and Spirituality, Ayurveda, Yoga, Indian Epics, Religious studies and youth, Customs and Rituals, Ancient Sciences, and more. Eminent Sanskrit scholars hailing from across India and beyond, actively participated with presentations and live discussions. As is the case with all WAVES conferences, scholars from many countries made the journey to share one roof for three days. Among various papers presented in the conference, a selected forty two papers are published in this volume of the proceedings. On behalf of the Board of Directors of WAVES, I express our gratitude for Dr. Shashi Tiwari for under taking the challenging task of editing these papers, and getting the volume published in time.

As has been the dream of WAVES organizers, we noticed an uptick in the number of youth scholars that took part in WAVES 2016. Furthermore, the location of WAVES 2016 was unique in and of itself, WAVES 2016 was held at Bharitiya Vidya Bhavan (BVB) , a historically significant location. BVB is an establishment that was founded in 1938 by K. M. Munshi (a well-known name in Indian literature) and Gandhi himself. Much like WAVES does, BVB "fills a growing vacuum in modern life" as proclaimed by Jawaharlal Nehru.

This conference was also unique in the way that various groups of students took part in various performances, songs and dances, beautifully displaying the vibrancy of Vedic culture at its epicenter - namely in the historical city of Delhi. The Haryana Government arranged a tour of the 'found' Sarasvati River. A discovery of the waters of the Sarasvati River at Yamunanagar, and a historical water release at the original Sarasvati water bed at Uncha Chandana, were explained, accompanied by a full tour that was arranged by the Haryana Irrigation Department.

I am pleased to welcome you all to WAVES 2018 that will be held in Dallas, Texas in August of 2018. Every WAVES Conference has made significant strides in global academic recognition, and this conference will be no exception. Our WAVES 2018 team has established a stricter and formal peer review process for its accepted papers. In addition, we have initiated efforts to achieve higher fundraising targets in order to financially sponsor the growing number of scholars that attend our conferences. See you all in the great state of Texas in August 2018.

WAVES organized its 12th International Conference in association with 20th India Conference at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, New Delhi, India on the theme 'Scientific Aspects of Vedic Knowledge' in December 15-18, 2016 ; which was well-attended by a number of academics, scholars, intellectuals, and research students from many countries including USA, Europe, and India. During conference, deliberations were held in different sessions by delegates on the multi-disciplinary aspects of Vedic knowledge with special emphasis on its scientific achievements achieved by our ancient Indian thinkers. While Swamy Bhakti Niskama Shanta dwelt at length on the relationship between consciousness and cosmos, Swamy Bhaktivijnana Muni talked about the Vedic scientific knowledge according to which 'Life comes from life; and Matter comes from life' which the modern science has failed so far to comprehend it. Other Vedic topics discussed were philosophy and spirituality, Ayurveda and Yoga, Epics and Knowledge, Religious Studies and Youth, Indian Customs and rituals, and Ancient Sciences and Management.

One of the heartening features of the conference was the large participation of youths who are now increasingly getting aware of their roots and the scientific achievements of the ancient Vedic civilization. One of the main objectives of WAVES, USA and India is to correct the distorted history of India as currently taught in schools and colleges all over the world and create awareness about the rich heritage and contributions made by our Vedic seers. Ancient knowledge of our ancestors should not be a subject of history, but must be studied regularly to improve ourselves in current times. The publication of the proceedings of this conference will help in spreading the Vedic scientific knowledge for the benefit of all citizens of the world. The conference was very well organized and managed by the dedicated team of volunteers lead by Dr. Shashi Tiwari, current President of WAVES India. The 20 16 WAVES conference will go down in the history as one of the most successful events in the Indian academia. WAVES USA and India would like to express their thanks and gratitude to the management of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, New Delhi for hosting and actively participating in the conference.

Twelfth International conference of World Association for Vedic Studies (WAVES) was jointly organized alongside the twentieth India Conference of WAVES, at the campus of Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan, New Delhi, from 15th to 18th December 2016. The overarching goals were to deliberate upon the various scientific underpinnings and ancient intellectual traditions prevalent in Vedas. This knowledge base is especially significant for the contemporaneous civilization, as it highlights the profound understanding our ancient seers had about mankind, nature, and the interactions amongst the two. This publication is an outcome of that intellectual meet and reflects on the great literary heritage that has been bestowed upon us, and which we must nurture, savior, and then pass on to the next generations.

The theme of the conference' Scientific aspects of Vedic knowledge' , indicates that advancement of science, and the transcendent thought of Vedas are complimentary to each other. Our hearts desire newness and appreciate modern technology, while our brains feel enormous pride when acquainted with traditional values. We accept as true that Vedas are the sources of all knowledge- 'Sarvam Vedat prasidhyati'. Vedic seers were great thinkers as they could envisage the cause and nature of life and creation. Scientific spirit refers to the desire to unfold the secrets of nature. It also implies that nothing should be accepted as truth unless it has been thoroughly tested and verified. Only that is reliable knowledge which correctly explains things as they actually happen in nature and thereby enables us to bring about the desirable end or prevent the undesirable ones. If we try to explore 'science' in Vedas and related treatises, we find that basis of attitude towards describing world and its objects was scientific. This attitude applies on the area of understanding of all sorts of issues related to man and nature. Although, there are no scientific methods or rules announced to study these concepts, the narratives of ancient scriptures seem to be well designed with the provision of different dimensions to interpret them.

Vedic seers either say clearly or mention symbolically, and indicate briefly, about various concepts that may sound highly mysterious. They claim to have experiences in realms that are not accessible to us. They could have had knowledge that we, despite our proud technological progress and centuries of philosophical speculation cannot attain. Therefore they could state simply, after crystallizing their observance of a succession of instances, of how the many relate to or arise from one, and that the One has become all (and everything).

Eka evagnir bahudha samiddha ekah, suryo vinsvam anu prabhutah / Ekaivosah, sarvamidam vibhatyekam va idam vi babhuva sarvam/ / -RV8.58.2

'Being one, Agni (fire) is kindled variously in-many-places; the sun being one has prevailed over all; being one, indeed, the Dawn illumines this all (creation); the One has variously become all this and everything'.

Here, the poet states that the entire creation has evolved out of the One, an unidentified original Power, and illustrates this with instances of common experience. Vedic seers are very sure about their statements and observations. They never doubt what they say or experience, because they are experiencing truths' during meditation through higher state of consciousness. They did not learn science in laboratories by doing research. A careful examination of the Vedas shows that Vedic poet-seers' declarations about creation, destruction, life, cosmos etc. are their experiences and not mere speculations. Similarly, secrete; of human life and after life were also revealed to them, which are presented in the mantras, directly or indirectly.

Science is defined as a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe and beings. Vedic life style, guidance, strategies, observations, and rituals all have been found to be fully validated by modem science. The observations made by Vedic Rsis, the seers, are thus convincing enough to confirm that they were indeed great 'Scientists'. When we talk about science in Vedas, we should not expect Vedas to constitute a text book or handbook of science as understood in modem education, but should appreciate the scientific approach and higher vision put in there.

The WAVES conference of2016 at New Delhi was attended by a number of renowned scholars from USA, France, Israel, Belgium, Canada, and from all parte; of India, in various capacities. Around 121 papers were presented by delegates. In this publication, a selective 42 papers are being published, which are written in three languages -English, Hindi and Sanskrit. Published papers are divided into nine sections on the basis of their main subject. Dr. Koenraad Elst, Mortsel, Belgium; Prof. Narayanan M. Komerath, Atlanta, USA; Prof. Bal Ram Singh, Dartmouth, USA; Prof. Kumar S. Sharma, Newton, MA, USA; and Mrs Madhu Vedak Sharma, Durham, NC, USA are few important oversea" delegates whose papers are published in this volume. Among eminent National Scholars Prof. S.R. Bhatt, Delhi; Dr. M.V.Jagannadham, Hyderabad; Dr. Bhakti Niskama Shanta, Bangalore; Dr. Bhakti Vijnana Muni, Bangalore; Dr. Shilpi Saxena, Delhi; Dr. Asha Rani Tripathi, Lucknow; Prof. Ram Sewak Dubey, Allahabad; Dr. Radhey Shyam Kaushal, Delhi; Dr. Saroj Bala, Gurgaon; Dr. Shakuntala, Assam; Dr.Soma Basu, Kolkata; and Prof. R.P. Singh,JNU, Delhi are some of the distinguished contributors. All papers are edited, and formatted with the cooperation of authors, for that I sincerely thank all learned contributors. In the initial stage of editing process, Dr. Aparna Dhir, Secretary, WAVES-India assisted me. For her time and dedication, I thankfully remember her and wish her all the best in her effort". This special volume based on the joint conferences organized by both the WAVES International and WAVES India, is blessed by the appropriate Foreword written by Shri Sashi Kejriwal, President, WAVES International; and an apt Preface written by Shri Dhirendra A. Shah, Treasurer, WAVES International. I sincerely express my gratefulness to both of them for all the support and encouragement in bringing out this volume.

From the Editorial desk, I finally convey my sincere gratitude to all the delegates of the conference, and members of WAVES. I am confident that through this publication, readers will well recognize that Vedic statements encompass sutras of ancient physical and spiritual sciences, which are in sync with modern scientific explorations.