Scientific Relevance of Vedas in Modern Society
Let’s begin with an example — of you. Are you a student, a teacher, a doctor, a scientist, a fashion designer, a video editor, a home maker or any other professional? As a homemaker, you are structuring your home and setting some principles such that it brings certain order. As a student, you are organizing your homework or preparing for exams in a structured manner.
Similarly, in all other professions, there is a sense of order and structure.
This order implies that there is someone or something behind it, someone who has established this structure, right?
We can relate to the goals of the homemaker, student, or any other professional. But how do we know what God’s intentions are with creation and His goals for the entire universe? Wouldn’t it be wise to understand His vision and mission so we can align with it? By doing so, we make it simpler for both sides — ourselves and the Lord. Otherwise, we are in a strange position, aren’t we? Like a person who lives in a house but does not follow the rules of the house — causing chaos to the rest of the people in the house and to the home owner.
There is a grand manual to help us with the understanding of why, how, what, when, etc — the Vedas. As Sri Krushna says in the Bhagavad Gita
If you understand the vastness of Vedic knowledge, with which the entire universe is created, you can try to imagine the immense power of the Vedas. Now, do we still need to discuss the scientific relevance of the Vedas in modern society?
Here are a couple of examples to help us understand the scope of knowledge Vedas have. These examples will not only demonstrate its relevance but will also show that the Vedas are the foundation of all knowledge.
Anatomy
In the 9th century, there were some attempts to dissect a body to understand its functioning. However, these efforts faced resistance from both kings and society, and the studies didn’t progress. Later, in the 17th century, the medical fraternity made progress in studying human anatomy.
Topography
To understand the topography of a location, we need technology that captures images from above at sufficient heights to measure angles, distances, and other aspects. This technology was only developed in the 1950s with the advent of rocket science.
Thus, let us not limit our thought around scientific relevance of Vedas in Modern society. Understand the scope and breadth of Vedas and we will never need to question it’s relevance in any specific aspect or for any specific type of society or culture.
Ever cheerful, ceaselessly active, unmindful of His bodily comforts but always concerned about others welfare, Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji radiates hope and joy where ever He goes. HH Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji, India’s enlightened spiritual and humanitarian leader, incessantly strives hard to promote world peace and harmony through propagation of Vedic wisdom, spiritual practices, religious tolerance, non-violence, joy of sharing, and mutual respect for all living beings.