Sanskrit scholars for testing of ideas in ancient texts

Mumbai, Jan 5, 2015, DHNS:Tharoor backs Vardhan's 'credulous' claims
Sanskrit scholars on Sunday urged scientists to “explore and research” the ideas found in ancient texts rather than junking them indiscriminately while a section of the scientists said ancient Indian success in science should be included in school textbooks.
“We don't intend to tell mythological stories nor peddling pseudo-sciences. We propose inter-disciplinary research. Sanskrit texts have tremendous potential that needs to be explored and researched,” Gauri Mahulikar, head of the Department of Sanskrit, University of Mumbai, said in an Indian Science Congress session, titled Ancient Sciences Through Sanskrit.

While the session was attended by several religious saints, believers in right wing ideologies, disciples of spiritual organisation Brahma Kumari and a former pilot who made outlandish claims on flying in ancient India, most of the speakers said ideas and concepts found in ancient texts should be scientifically tested before they are outrightly rejected.

Mahulikar, for instance, gave several examples of mathematics like knowledge on Pi (a mathematical constant 3.1415926) and Pythagoras theorem, description of electric cells; distillation; architecture, botany, animal sciences and embryology. She, however, did not mention Indian origin of algebra.

A day before, Union Science Minister Harsh Vardhan had claimed that algebra and Pythagorus theorem were known to the Indian sages much before their known origin. A section of mathematicians, however, doubted Vardhan’s claims. But the Union minister found a supporter in Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who said “genuine accomplishments” of ancient Indian science should not be debunked due to “exaggerations of the Hindutva brigade”.

In a series of tweets on Sunday, Tharoor said “modernists sneering at Vardhan should know he was right”. “To mock the credulous exaggerations of the Hindutva brigade, you don’t need to debunk the genuine accomplishments of ancient Indian science,” he added.

“Why Indian contribution in science is not reflected in school textbooks. Why are we shy to celebrate our past. The study of science can also be done through history,” said Vijat Bhatkar, former director of Centre for Development in Advanced Computing, Pune, who lead the Indian effort to build Param series of super computers.

“Ancient Indian scientific theories, without much tools and machines, were based on minute understanding of observations of centuries and based on experience and logic. That wisdom must be recognised. That wisdom has a relevance now,” said Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar who spoke at the session.

Others, however, expressed caution for those who extol the virtues of ancient texts. “Don't assert without reading and experimenting,” said Rajan Welukar, Vice-Chancellor of Mumbai University.

“Science promotes free thinking; but don’t develop wrong notions about the past,” said S B Nimse, general president of the Science Congress and Vice Chancellor of the Lucknow University.

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