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| EDITORIAL |
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| Year : 2013 | Volume
: 1
| Issue : 2 | Page : 63-64 |
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A Glimpse on Traditional Knowledge Sources
Ramachandra G Bhat
Department of Yoga and Spirituality, Vice-Chancellor, S-VYASA University, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| Date of Web Publication | 29-May-2015 |
Correspondence Address:
Dr. Ramachandra G Bhat
Vice-Chancellor, S-VYASA University, Bengaluru, Karnataka
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/2347-5633.157885
How to cite this article:
Bhat RG. A Glimpse on Traditional Knowledge Sources. Int J Yoga - Philosop Psychol Parapsychol 2013;1:63-4 |
In many of our university campus, we see three different subject domains such as science, humanities, and commerce. In sixties and seventies of the last century, the department called humanities used to provide instructions in languages such as Sanskrit, English, etc. Further arts subjects such as history, archeology, philosophy, anthropology, indology etc., could also occupy their due place under the same umbrella.
As time passed, science was dominated by technology, art subjects were branded as subject areas without scientific basis and language study merely confined to poetics and lyrics without any research and novelty. In contrast to the above said confinements, Indian tradition classified all those cognitive domains under Vedas and Vedangas. The Vedas could cover all those domains related to spiritual and celestial sciences. Adhidaivika and Adhyatmika are the words given to these domains by the great etymologist Yaskacharya.
For the Vedic rishis this world is spiritual and celestial in its manifested form. Because of this comprehension, rishis of yore could see spiritual oneness on one side and on the other side they could see 33 celestial centers in the cosmos. There are eight vasus like earth-fire, air-atmosphere, the sun-the solar region, the moon (soma) and the stars. These eight items make one unit of the celestial body. They accommodate the whole cosmic bodies such as milky way, stars and galaxies.
According to Vedic science, another category is called Adityas. They are 12 in number. Their names are given below. Viñëuù Çakraù Aryamä Dhätä Tvañöä Püñä Vivasvän Savitä Mitraù Varuëaù Aàçaù Bhagaù. These names are the indicators of different solar bodies in the whole cosmos. Ancient rishis were aware of innumerable solar bodies existing in the cosmos. The above said names are also indicators of a cluster of solar bodies in different spheres.
Vasus and Adityas collectively project the whole Brahmanda whereas the Rudras are indicators of individual entity called Pindanda. The Rudras are 11 in number. They comprise 5 sense organs such as eye, ear, skin, nose and tongue, 5 Karmendriyas (limbs and organs) like speech, hand, leg, excretory and genetal organs. Mind is the presiding entity which organizes all sensory functions. This unit is called Ekadasha rudra.
The remaining two celestial bodies are called Indra and Prajapati. Indra stands here for cosmic lunar body which is otherwise called Soma. It maintains eco-balance in collaboration with solar cosmic energy. According to the Vedic insight, a special combination between Soma and Surya (lunar and solar energies respectively) holds the whole cosmic web together.
The final and important cosmic body is called Prajapati. This is the cosmic creative energy which includes individual souls in four different categories as follows:
- Andaja, who takes a birth from the egg
- Swedaja, creatures who come out of different chemical reactions
- Udbhijja, plants, herbs, etc., who break earth and come out of the earth, and
- Jarayuja, human species that takes birth from the womb covered by a special skin bag which is called Jarayu.
The Vedic insight gives all these bio-related guidance. Physical and biological diversities are very well projected in the entire gamut of Vedic literature. Having explored and explained all the diversities, ancient rishis peep into inside and find out unifying oneness called Brahman. This spiritual understanding is called Adhyatma.
When we come to the next domain called Vedangas, they mainly deal with Adhi Yajnika and Adhi Bhautika layer of this world. Adhi Yajnika mainly includes all those auspicious activities - eco-friendly and eco-enriching activities - popularly known as Yajna, Yaga, Puja etc.
Vedangas is 14 in number given below.
The three subject domains like Philosophy, Psychology and Parapsychology (PPP) originated from the traditional knowledge sources like Vedanta = Spiritual science, Yoga = Eco-friendly life science, Jyotishya = Celestial science and Dharmashastra = Legal and social ethics and conducts.
At present, scientific arena started to think "out of box" thereby accommodating social sciences also at par with other so-called branches of science. Wherever probing and proving activity takes place that the subject area comes under Science. This is the high time for all academicians to think "out of box" and broaden their views for inter-cosmos highway driving.
For this, the real sources are the Vedas and the Vedangas. Gone are those days where these traditional sources are branded as ritualistic, orthodoxical and superstitious etc. A new dawn at the eastern horizon spreads the golden rays of spiritual science to every sphere of science and humanities.
Our PPP paves the way for this comprehensive insight. Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana University intends to hormonize both ancient roots and modern fruits. Hitherto normally academic world has been misled by many misconcepts about ancient sciences. The recent studies and researches around the world prove unambiguously that strength of proving and probing in the Vedic era was more scientific and logically based. The Rishis of yore used to their own Panchakosha as their lab for experimentation.
These three steps for innovation were inbuilt in the traditional research activities. This very insight inspires us to march ahead in the PPP domains.
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