Contributions Made by Maharishi Ved Vyas, the Author of the Epic 'Mahabharata'

By Geetima Baruah Sarma  

Immense contributions were made by the great gurus of India during ancient times. Maharishi Ved Vyas is well known for protecting the Vedas and preserving knowledge.

Krishna Dwaipayan, popularly known as Ved Vyas, was born in Kalpi Island of the Yamuna River on the full moon day in the month of 'Ashadh' (June-July). His father was Sage Parashar, the grandson of Sage Vasishtha and his mother was Matsyagandha, a fisher girl whose original name was Satyawati. When Sage Parashar died, Satyawati got married to Shantanu, the king of Hastinapur.

Ved Vyas composed the great epic 'Mahabharata' which is read worldwide even today. He recorded all the history for the future generations and rendered 'Gita' as a part of the epic, which still serves as an ideal guide to every human being for positive actions and living a purposeful life.

Vyas made great efforts in preserving the voluminous store of Vedic knowledge. At first when he doubted that the Vedas might get extinct, he protected them by compilation and organised them into four parts. He then laid stress on handing over the knowledge from one generation to the other. This was done by a guru to his disciple and by a father to his son.

Besides these, he allotted the various branches of knowledge to several communities. The different branches were Ayurveda (medical science including surgery), Sthapatya Veda (sculpture related to metals, mortars, stones and wood), Gandharva Veda (vocal and instrumental music, dance, art etc.) and Dhanur Veda (skills of military warfare).

Ved Vyas also composed Puranas so that the common people could understand all about the Vedic principles and sincerely follow them in their lives. According to him, religion was not just belief in facts heard or told, but being a part, by realizing truths and developing them and carrying them out in actions.

The Guru-Shishya tradition for protection of Indian culture was established by Ved Vyas. He assigned each of the four Vedas to different disciples who were competent for propagation of knowledge. He gave Rig Veda to Bhaskala, Yajur Veda to Vaishampayana, Sam Veda to Jaimini and Atharva Veda to Aruni. The main goal of this tradition was to establish an ideal social order.

The Gurukul system of education in India thus gradually developed from the Guru-Shishya tradition. The sons of both the kings and the common men came from far off places to stay with the guru in his 'ashram'. All lived together and the children were treated as part of the guru's family. They served their guru and respected him as a deity. The disciples learned not only what they were taught but also learnt how to live with humility and dignity. The disciples attained knowledge by observing the life of their guru and experiencing truth.

Ved Vyas shall always be remembered for his sincere efforts of preserving Vedic knowledge. Hence, his birth anniversary is celebrated every year as Guru Purnima.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Geetima_Baruah_Sarma/1595559

Vedanta, Science and Religion

By Bhaskar Banerjee 

By the word Vedānta is meant the end of all knowledge. The Sanskrit word Vedānta breaks in two: Veda, the knowable; and anta, the end. Vedānta recognizes two worlds of human investigation - the external and the internal. The external world is what is revealed to us by the five senses.

Today, biologists tell us that we still do not know enough of the human body. However, in the Indian tradition, adhyātma vidyā, or the science of spirituality proclaims that behind the body-mind complex there is a vast, infinite reservoir of energy which you can unfold and manifest. Religion has another aspect too - the scientific.

Vedānta unifies external and internal knowledge. The Upanishads say that there are five sheaths or coverings that surround the infinite ātman. They said: Study the human system in depth. The human being is essentially divine. This is a great truth discovered and re-authenticated, and meant to be realized by every human being. You have the capacity to realize your own true nature. Behind this tiny ego under the control of the genetic system is an infinite dimension of awareness, the self, which makes you spiritually one with all.

Yoga is the science and technique of realizing the truth: "I am not this tiny organic system. I am not a creature of the world outside. I am free. I am free". The focus of that freedom is not in the genetic system, but in the infinite ātman. That is my true nature. Despite modern advances in the physical sciences, most are unhappy. What is wrong? Science alone is not enough.

Einstein said: "Science can denature plutonium, but it cannot denature evil in the heart of man." So there must be another dimension to science and truth-seeking: something experiential. Vedānta says that in the inner world, when you try to know your own nature, you realize that you are that. In the external world, it is never so. When you study a star, you don't become a star, but when you study yourself in depth, you become that. Tat tvam asi, That art thou. A wonderful change comes upon you.

Human problems cannot be solved by mere intellectual energy. Some of the cleverest criminals are intellectuals. If I have a confused mind, complex and ambitious, which takes me beyond other peoples' purview, then I become a nuisance. Can I not become a centre of infinite peace and compassion and wish Godspeed to everybody else?

Vivekananda summarizes the Vedānta philosophy: Each one is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this divinity within by controlling nature, external and internal. Knowledge must rise in wisdom. When one evolves spiritually, an ever-present truth becomes clear: We are spiritually one; we are not separate from one another.

According to Vedānta, the three streams of energy - the physical science, the science of values, and the science of spirituality - must get synergized for human fulfilment. Vedānta considers the science of values as the link between the physical science and the science of spirituality. The end is fully to unfold the divine principle within us.

Bhaskar Banerjee is deeply involved in the quest for unraveling that fountain of strength contained within us all. His diverse inspirational awareness programs, talks, sharing of various articles, newsletters, have helped many take a glimpse into the joy of their being. Currently associated with an affiliate website 24-7 for high demand products, you may like to click below to have a look that could be of interest and value for you.http://www.bluehost.com/track/Bhaskar/text1

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Bhaskar_Banerjee/38162

Did They Have Airplanes In Ancient India?

By A Karmakar 

Flying in the air has been the dream of mankind ever since they saw birds flying in the sky. But according to scripted history, it was in the 1780s that two Frenchmen created lighter-then-air flight. But this lead to the dream of heavier-than-air flight which was finally a reality with Leonardo da Vinci designing the first winged aircraft and the Wright brothers making their first successful flights in 1903. This is widely accepted history. But certain researches and studies have pointed to the use of flights in ancient world as well. Certain writings and temple carvings have suggested the use of flying machines in the ancient world.

The use of flights in ancient India

Huge number of ancient sources has pointed to the use of flying vehicles in the ancient times. Ancient Indian epics, translated in English from Sanskrit have huge number of mentions of flying vehicles or Vimanas. Some Sanskrit documents discovered by the Chinese in Lhasa (capital of Tibet) some years ago, points to the building of interstellar spaceships.

The ancient epic describes the flying vehicles or Vimana as circular, double-decked aircraft with dome and portholes, just like flying saucers. The Vedas which are considered to be the oldest of all Indian texts describes the flying vehicles in different sizes and shapes like the "Ahnihotra-Vimana" that has two engines, the "Elephant-Vimana" with more engines as well as other types that are named after ibis, kingfisher and other animals. But the Vimanas were ultimately used in warfare.

In a contribution by John Burrows named "Ancient Vimana Aircraft," there are references full of Hindu gods who used Vimanas to fight battles in the sky. These Vimanas were well equipped with weapons as advanced as we can think in the present times.

A text written by Bharadvajy the Wise named the "Vaimanika Shastra" which is a complete study with eight chapters and diagrams describing three types of aircraft and detailed information on precautions for long flights, steering, protecting the vehicle form lightening and storm and ways to switch the drive to "solar energy" from free energy.

Certain references have also pointed out to the fact that Vimanas were kept in Vimana-Griha which was like a hanger and were propelled by yellowish-white liquid which sounds like gasoline.

Flying references in 19th century India

A man named Shivkur Bapuji Talpade in the early 19th century, created an unmanned aircraft that flew up to a height of 1500 feet before it crashed down. According to the famous scholar of Indology, Stephen-Knapp, there are references to mercury engines in the ancient Vedic text, "Samaranga Sutradhara." This text has 230 verses containing the use of flying machines in war and peace. Although, Talpade was stopped in his efforts to make the Vedic Shastras accessible to all, but he earned the title of 'Vidya Prakash Pra-deep' by many Indian scholars.

As the world celebrates the creation of Wright Brothers and honors them for their achievements, we should not forget about the Vedic texts and the great minds of Talpade who actually utilized the knowledge provided in ancient texts to create a flying machine, some eight years prior to what his foreign counterparts have done.

A. Karmakar is a successful writer and runs a Content Development Company with a worldwide clientele. You can visit Content Writers Organization to know more.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/A_Karmakar/53579