Glimpses  of Indian Scientific Heritage

                                                                        Puranas: An amalgam of science , spirituality and philosophy

The Puranas are the magnifying glasses of the Vedas as they enlarge small images of Vedic principles into big images. Vedic injunctions are often in the form of pithy statements. They are magnified or elaborated in the form of stories or anecdotes in the Puranas. When a brief exposition of an idea is presented as an interesting story or anecdote, it will make a lasting impact and stay in the mind. The Vedas merely say ‘ satyam vada’ that is speak the truth. When it is presented as a narration of the story of king Harischandra, the underlying glory of the Vedic injunction becomes clear and lasting. Thus the Vedic injunctions such as restraint, patience, compassion, charity etc. are illustrated through the life of men and women in Puranas.

Puranas are indeed history of ancient India. However, modern scholars do not accept anything as historical unless it happened after the advent of Christian era. Everything before that is mythology for them. Anything beyond the normal experience of the ordinary senses of the ordinary men is rejected as something outside the realm of truth.

Unlike modern history Puranas present only selected events in such a way to educate the people in right and wrong and make them follow the path of righteousness. Puranas also depict the theistic philosophy of ancient India and lead people to a religious life with devotion to the Almighty ( bhakti). They are also accounts of scientific and technological achievements of people of that time. Of course Puranas have resorted to fictional stories here and there. But they are not totally fictitious. They definitely take us nearer to god and bring peace of mind.

There are 18 Puranas and 18 sub-puranas. Each Purana keeps on a single deity as its main theme. Of these 18 mahapuranas  10 are said to be Saivite; rest of them extol Vishnu or Shakti.

By definition a Purana has to fulfil five requirements in the matter of what it should contain. They are: 1) Sarga, (original creation of the world); 2) Pratisarga ( the world after creation ): 3) Vamsa ( Genealogy, how the descendant came from one generation to the next); 4) Manvantara ( the history of 14 Manus from whom the mankind descended); 5) Vamsaanucharita ( the history of rulers of the country and dynastic details).

Thus it can be seen that Puranas are historical accounts of early human civilizations in ancient India. They abound with accounts of cosmology, evolution, human history, culture, religion, social sciences, secular sciences and theistic philosophy of Sanatana Dharma, the Vedic eternal religion.

 Science and Technology

Puranas as indicated earlier are compilations of ancient Indian history, social and political systems, philosophy of life and a host of other features of ancient Indian civilization. The entire Indian civilization is an edifice built on solid scientific foundations with bricks of ethical, moral and political norms, cemented by lofty spiritual ideals. Ancient Indian sages, unlike modern scientists, never differentiated or separated science from spirituality, philosophy and religion. Such compartmentalisation is a modern phenomenon started from the 16^th century C.E. All these disciplines were interwoven into a matrix of a way of life called Sanatana Dharma or eternal religion. Hence the modern investigator has to struggle hard to separate science and technology from highly symbolic mythology in the Puranas. Often one has to read in between the lines, go beyond imaginative discourses to understand the truth behind the symbolism as practised in the Puranas. One should have an unbiased and honest approach to unearth the truth.

The science and technology of the Puranas is an extension and elaboration of Vedic science, highly camouflaged in deep mythological and religious sentiments. Often one has to deduce meanings and motives from what is expressed in the stories of Puranas to understand the scientific principles which lie behind the mythology of the Puranas.

The Bhagavata Purana which is the most popular of all the Puranas is not only a Vaishnavite religious treatise but also a fundamental text of Vedantic philosophy, especially of the theistic Vedanta. It is also a goldmine for those who are searching for accounts of ancient Indian theories of cosmology and evolution. It also provides an insight into the Vedantic theories of the nature, origin, evolution and final destination of human life. This Purana contains valuable information that sheds light on the scientific bent of ancient Indian sages. This is true regarding most of other Puranas as well.