Athiest Hindu Philosophical Schools

Is atheist Hindu an oxymoron? It is hard to say. Hinduism by itself started off as a culture and it had nothing to do with the belief in God. It is interesting to note that atheist or nAstic schools of philosophy flourished a thousands years ago along with the theistic schools of philosophy.

In this post, let us look at how atheistic schools were possible within Hinduism. Broadly, the Vedic philosophical schools of thought were broken down into the ones that took the Vedas as their basis and ones that didn't. The Vedic schools of thought were philosophies like Samkhya, Nyaya, Visheshika, Vedanta, etc.

However, along with these philosophies that believe in the existence of a God, there were many that didn't make this assumption. The most notable among them is the Charvaka school which took to skeptical materialism - a philosophical viewpoint that is today popular. It is really interesting to note that the Charvaka school had arguments very similar to the present philosophical viewpoints among philosophers. Unfortunately, as with everywhere else, it is the theists that survive and the knowledge and teachings of the Charvaka school have been lost.

Vedic Knowledge: What the Vedas Talk About

Veda comes from the Sanskrit for knowledge. Vedic knowledge is therefore a culmination of all that was known to a civilization at that time.

Vedic knowledge is not limited in scope. It is true that Vedas are a storehouse of wisdom and some of the most profound philosophical schools in ancient India have their origins in the Vedas. However, Vedic knowledge is also comprised of the everyday mundane. For example, a large part of the Vedas discuss matters like rituals. These were the rituals practiced in the Vedic period. In addition, Vedic knowledge also comprises of a lot of practical knowledge, like Ayurveda, Hatha Yoga, etc.

Vedas are a storehouse of knowledge and not just philosophies and spiritual knowledge. The vedas contain a huge variety of knowledge. This of course shouldn't really be surprising. In the Vedic culture, there was a thin line between philosophy, spirituality and ritual. Hinduism propounds that one can reach the Truth through a variety of methods (the famous example of many streams ultimately meeting the ocean).

Use of 'Gyan' in Vedas

This blog has the name "Vedic Gyan". For those who do not know, Gyan is a Sanskrit word for knowledge. However, as with any other word, there are diverse meanings and shades to this word. The word 'Gyan' has a very positive connotation. It usually means not just knowledge but wisdom as well.

For example, a 'Gyani' is a person who is not only knowledgeable but also wise.



I think that the word Gyan is a very appropriate one while referring to the Vedas. The Vedas are a storehouse of knowledge, but more importantly, of wisdom. The Vedas contain deep knowledge on various subjects known to civilization in those days, and you would be surprised by how much people knew then.

Aspects of Vedas like Ayurveda contains deep knowledge of various herbs found in nature and their uses in curing diseases and improving health in general. This is the knowledge aspect of it. There are also of course various hymns that describe history and geography as known at that time. This would also come under the knowledge aspect.

The wisdom aspect of the Vedas are mostly contained in the end parts, known as Vedanta. Most philosophical schools of thought in India had their origins in the Vedas. These were the Vedic schools and they accepted the wisdom of the Vedas. The diversity of these schools can be guessed from the fact that you had theistic, monoist and atheistic schools all originating their beliefs and arguments in the Vedas!

Vedic Gyan therefore contains not just knowledge but also wisdom. It would be wrong to think that we know everything today that was known then. There are many different types of knowledge and wisdom (I'll write a lot about these later). The truth is, we know so little.

Vedic aeroplanes: Aircrafts in ancient India, Vedic science, Vedic aeronautics

So you still think Wright brothers created the first flying machine? Think again!
The Western world is well known to be blind about the inventions and discoveries of ancient civilizations like India. Their view of history is blinded only by the Greek civilization and the Dark Ages of Europe with no scientific progress. However, that was not the whole world. While the Crusades wiped out indigenous cultures in Europe, a great civilization was already flouring elsewhere in the world - the Indian subcontinent.



The Vedas tell us about flying machines in great detail. Such is the detail that it is hard to argue it has been conjured up somehow. Great details of technical study have been provided.

Look at the drawing below, for example:

This is a reproduction in 1923 with the original idea taken from the Vedas. Vedic science has been at the forefront for thousands of years and thus should not be neglected. Granted, little is known about the mechanisms in detail, but surely the Vedas should get the credit for what they contain at least. This is an important first step.

I will be researching this area in detail and post more about it. For now, I wish to tell my readers that a great source of knowledge has existed for a long time now and it is only proper to unravel its mysteries. Vedic science has a lot of hidden marvels.

This should remind of you of Vedic mathematics and how one man's quest led to the discovery of astonishing levels of mathematics from the Vedic period. Vedas are a powerhouse of knowledge. With just a few lines of slokas, the whole foundation of 'quick math' was shaken and people began to realize the gold that lay beneath the dust. Such is the power of the Vedas. I feel that Vedic science is also something similar to Vedic mathematics - it is only waiting to be discovered.

I would love to have your comments on this topic.

Understanding Vedic Astrology

Vedic Astrology penetrates deep into the life of an individual. Vedic astrology or Jyotisa, is not unscientific, but one needs to depart from the commonly understood "scientific" methodologies. It is unlike something like say Physics, where laws are well defined within certain domains and no exceptions can occur. Thus if Newton's Laws of motion predict planetary orbits to be elliptical, it is highly unlikely that you will end up finding a square orbit!

Comparison with Social Sciences

The way Vedic Astrology works is not similar. Rather, think of it like the social sciences with non-rigid scientific methodologies that are open to interpretation. Thus one sociologist might look at French revolution and explain it in terms of agrarian agitation combined with structural transformations, wars, famine, etc. while someone else might try to give a totally unstructured view while few claim there was no French revolution at all! Each person has all the necessary information, yet each claim is different than the other. Each claim is scientific in itself and propagated by one of the greatest sociologists of our times.



In the same way, we need to understand Jyotisa or Vedic astrology as well. One should be open to different interpretations of the same phenomena. No two vedic astrologers will tell you the exact same thing. This is to be understood and appreciated.

Probabilistic Science

Vedic astrology should be looked upon as a probabilistic science. No one can say for sure that this will happen. However, it is all about relative probabilities.



For example, a vedic astrologer might tell you that your child has a strong inclination towards mathematics. This is all he can predict. He cannot tell whether the child will end up doing a PhD in Mathematics or if he will win the Fields medal. However, the very fact that your child is interested in mathematics should help you shape his future.

This is important if he actually isn't good with numbers, but rather with art. If the child's parents are mathematics professors, it is meaningless for them to try to make their child do the same. She is likely to follow what she is naturally inclined towards, which is art in this case.