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.

Vedic Astrology: An Introduction

Vedic Astrology has been around for at least a few millenia. The reason why it is so difficult to predict the exact age of Vedic astrology is because it is so old. The science of the Vedas extends to a period before writing, which means the wisdom and knowledge were around much before what is officially quoted as the "age" of the Vedas. It should always be kept in mind that the Vedas have been "Shruti" for a very long time, which mean "Oral transmission of knowledge" and were written down only much later. This makes it difficult to date Vedic Astrology, which is quite an integral part of the Vedas.

Vedic astrology permeates many aspects of Hindu life and tradition - whether knowingly or unknowingly. Astrology tends to have a highly negative prejudice especially among the Westerners and people inclined to think in those terms.

To clear initial misconceptions, Vedic Astrology -

• Has NOTHING to do with your newspaper astrology columns.
• Is quite different from Linda Goodman's sun signs.
  
• Follows the Sidereal zodiac, not the Tropical zodiac.
  
• Takes many more planetary and star positions than Western astrology.
  
• Is NOT fatalistic.
  
• Is NOT unscientific - in fact can be more scientific than psychoanalysis!
  
• Is an integral part of the Vedas
• Is as old as the Vedas, with some elements perhaps even older.
• Has many different aspects but they DO NOT contradict.
  

I will write more about Vedic Astrology in my subsequent posts. Suffice it to say for now that Vedic Astrology can be profoundly insightful into the lives people live and can help you lead a happier, more fulfilling life.