10 Facts that prove ANCIENT INDIAN SCIENCE was “impeccably Advanced”
The credit for almost all the great inventions and discoveries so far has always been given to the Western World. We have read about them in School Text Books, heard about them on television or in movies and talked about it our entire life. Sadly, it’s the knowledge and teaching of our ancient science that has taken a beating.
“Just because their achievements were well-documented, it doesn’t mean that they were the first ones to do that.”
Through this article, I want to give 10 facts, as found in our written and oral literature, about the supremely advanced Ancient Indian science that you were never taught in school or college.
1. SUSHRUTA SAMHITA
- Sushruta Samhita is the Oldest Medical & Surgical Encyclopedia known to Mankind.
Written during the 6th century BC, the Sushruta Samhita contains 184 chapters with descriptions of 1,120 illnesses, 700 medicinal plants, 64 preparations from mineral sources and 57 preparations based on animal sources.
- Its author “Sushruta” is also considered to be the first ever human to perform medical surgeries on humans.
- The book also has vast details on embryology, human anatomy, along with instructions for venesection, the positioning of the patient for each vein, and the protection of vital structures (marma).
- The oldest documented evidence (9000 years) for the drilling of human teeth of a living person was found in Mehrgarh along with the evidences of orthopedic surgeries.
2. CENTRAL PLACEMENT OF SUN & OTHER PLANETS ORBITING IT IN SOLAR SYSTEM
- While history credits Copernicus for proposing heliocentric model of our solar system, it was Rig Veda that first notes the central placement of the SUN & other planets orbiting it in the SOLAR SYSTEM.
“Sun moves in its orbit which itself is moving. Earth and other bodies move around sun due to force of attraction, because sun is heavier than them.” (Rig Veda 1.164.13)
- Rig Veda also mentions the concept of SUPERPOSITION PRINCIPLE of FORCES i.e. why Gravity doesn’t cause Planets and other stuffs to collide? The answer is given right below :
“The sun moves in its own orbit but holding earth and other heavenly bodies in a manner that they do not collide with each other through force of attraction.” (Rig Veda 1.35.9)
3. CONCEPT OF CLONING, TEST TUBE BABIES & SURROGATE MOTHERS
- The fact that in the Mahabharata, Gandhari had 100 sons is pretty well known. But what’s unknown is the scientific explanation behind her giving birth to a 100 kids.
“Each ‘Kaurava’ was created by splitting the single embryo into 100 parts and growing each part in a separate kund (container). This is identical to the cloning process today.”
- The birth of Karan, who was born from the “characteristics adopted from men of her choice” also has striking resemblance to the present-day test tube baby concept.
4. INCREDIBLE “HANUMAN CHALISA”
- HANUMAN CHALISA was written by 16th century poet TULSIDAS, a devotional hymn dedicated to LORD HANUMAN.
- This is a very well known fact. Let’s see an excerpt from Hanuman Chalisa:
“Yug sahasra yojana par bhanu,
leelyo taahi madhura phal jaanu” (excerpt from Hanuman Chalisa)
- English Translation : ‘[When] Hanuman travelled thousands of kilometers to swallow it thinking of it as a fruit’.
- The word-to-word translation of the same excerpt reveals the distance that Hanuman travelled.
1 Yuga = 12000 years
1 Sahasra = 1000 years
1 Yojan = 8 miles
- Hence, “Yug Sahsra Yojana”, the first 3 words mean 12000*1000*8 = 96000000 miles or 153,600,000 kilometers.
- Interestingly, the actual distance from earth to sun is 152,000,000 kilometers. Bafflingly, there’s error of just around 1%. (Actual distance : 150.67 million km)
5. CONCEPT OF GRAVITY
- As we know today, Issac Newton explained Gravity BUT ancient INDIAN scholars had already figured out how it worked.
“This earth is devoid of hands and legs, yet it moves ahead. All the objects over the earth also move with it. It moves around the sun.” (Rig Veda 10.22.14)
6. CALCULATION OF SPEED OF LIGHT
- Sayana, a vedic scholar from the 14th century once said:
“With deep respect, I bow to the sun, who travels 2,202 yojanas in half a nimesha.”
1 yojan = 8miles
1 nimesha = 16/75 seconds
2202 yojans * 8 miles * 75/8 nimesha = 165150 miles per second or 265783.162 kms per second
Note : Value of 1 yojan is ambiguous and generally taken in range 12km to 15km
- That’s astonishingly close to the real ‘scientifically-proven’ 3,00,000 kilometers per second. It’s often believed that his source was none other than the Vedas.
7. SCIENCE BEHIND ECLIPSES
- As we all know, World once feared of eclipses and associated all types of paranormal occurrences with this phenomenon, Vedas already had a very proper and scientific explanation.
- The below excerpt is also proof that they knew that the moon wasn’t self illuminated.
“O Sun! When you are blocked by the one whom you gifted your own light (moon), then earth gets scared by sudden darkness.” (Rig Veda 5.40.5)
8. EXACT LENGTH OF A YEAR
- Ancient Indians used 4 ways to measure the length of a year namely ‘Nakshatra’, ‘Savana’, ‘Lunar’ and ‘Saura’.
- Saura was one method based on the tropical zodiac that defines the seasons: equinoxes, solstices, year-halves, and months in relation to the (six) seasons.
As unbelievable as it sounds, Saura estimates the length of a year to be exactly 365 days, 6 hours 12 minutes and 30 seconds. (Calculations are pretty hectic and hence not shown here)
9. ARYABHATTA’S DEDUCTION OF value of PI
- Researchers still researching about his & comprehensive contributions to Mathematics & Physics.
- According to documented history, the irrationality of pi was proved in Europe only in 1761 by Lambert. (as given in Wikipedia)
- The great Indian mathematician Aryabhata worked on the approximation of the value of pi , and concluded that is irrational and its value is approximately 3.1416.
“He did this in 499 Common Era at the age of 23.”
10. FIRST ONE TO FIND THE CIRCUMFERENCE (PERIMETER) OF EARTH
- The Greeks enjoy the credit for this discovery while it was actually Aryabhata, who deduced a formulation proving that the Earth is rotating on an axis.
- Then, by estimating the value of pi to be 3.1416, he concluded that the circumference of Earth was approximately 39736 kilometers.
(Actual Circumference as deduced by Scientists = 40075 kilometers).
CONCLUSION (What I have to say about it?)
Now-a-days most of the youth of INDIA consider Ancient India to be full of superstitious things(only because of their Lack of Knowledge) but the reality is exactly opposite. There is a good probability based on the data we have at present, that our far past may be technologically & scientifically more advanced than today’s world. Our Ancestors were undoubtedly intellectually more smart than our today’s world scientists, based on data available in Vedas & Upanishads. Today we are living in an Information Era, being informed makes us intellectually smart & confident.
NOTE: Ancient INDIA’s geographical coverage was way more than today’s INDIA.
“Being aware & spreading awareness is the responsibility of all.”
Through this article, I just wanted to spread awareness regarding the RICH ANCIENT SCIENTIFIC HISTORY OF INDIA.
SOURCES OF DATA GIVEN ABOVE: Wikipedia, News Articles, Blogs & YouTube Videos
I want readers of this article to feel “PROUD OF BEING BHARTIYA” after being aware of the great legacy of BHARAT & significant contributions of BHARATIYA to Science & Humanity.
Let’s end this article with a quote from Albert Einstein.
KEEP LEARNING, KEEP WINNING
