Vedas - the ancient treasures of India, are researched through out the world these days. Not only because of the rich spiritual concepts but also for the astonishing scientific facts hidden in them. It is generally said that Vedas need to be interpreted properly to get a better understandng. Reason being, one cannot get the in depth meaning by just reading the verse or hymn. Only a spiritual master, guru or a sanskrit pundit can pass the knowledge of light along with the wisdom. Remember, knowledge without wisdom will aid only in destruction rather than construction. Our ancestors understood this completely and that's the reason why they had maintained these resources with great care and passed the knowledge only to those who truly deserve and have obtained enough mind maturity to use the ideas for constructive purposes only. We are here to discuss one such hymn of the Rig Veda which talks about the speed of light. Astonishing, isn't it??? After reading this article, you will realize the above fact that Vedas need to be interpreted correctly in order to obtain the detailed hidden meaning. Let us proceed now....
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| A sample page from the Rig Veda See page for author [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons |
The Verse - (Rigveda 1;50-4) :
तरणिर्विश्वदर्शतो जयोतिष्क्र्दसि सूर्य |
विश्वमा भासिरोचनम ||
TaraNir vishvadarshato jyotishkrdasi surya |
Vishvamaa bhaasirochanam ||
Simple Meaning :
Ralph T.H.Griffith, translated Vedas in the English language. His interpretation of the above verse is given here :
"Swift and all beautiful art thou, O Sūrya, maker of the light,
Illuming all the radiant realm."
Detailed Interpretation :
Sayanacharya (1315-1387) , was a minister who flourished under king Bukka I and his successor Harihara II, in the court of Vijayanagar Empire in South India. He was an important commentator of the Vedas. More than 100 works are attributed to him including these commentaries. In his commentary about the Rig Veda verse 1;50-4 (given above) , he mentions the following phrase.
"Tatha cha smaryate yojananam. sahasre dve dve sate dve cha yojane
Ekena nimishardhena kramaman namostuthe"
which means.....
"Accordingly, it is remembered/declared here that it (sunlight) traverses 2202 yojanas in half a nimisha (in half a twinkling of eyes). Oh Sun, I bow to you."
Calculations :
Vishnu purana describes units of time as follows :
1 Nimesha = 1 blink of an eye (0.213 seconds approx)
1 Kastha = 15 nimesha (3.19 seconds)
1 Kala = 30 kastha (95.85 seconds)
1 Muhurtha = 30 kala (2875.5 seconds = 47.92 minutes)
1 Ahoratra = 30 muhurtha (1437.75 minutes = 23.96 hours)
Hence half a nimesha is 0.213/2 = 0.1065 seconds
Yojana - the unit of distance as described in Vishnu purana :
8 Yava = 1 angula
12 Angulas = 1 vitasti
2 Vitastis = 1 aratni
4 Aratnis = 1 danda/danu
2000 Danus = 1 Krosha
4 Kroshas = 1 Yojana (approximately 9 miles)
SPEED OF LIGHT :
According to Syana, light traverses at 2202 yojanas in half a nimesha. Which is calculated as follows:
2202 * 9 (miles)
-------------------- = 186084 miles per second
0.1065 (seconds)
Also take a look at this video. Details about Sayana comes in the end...
Speed of Light in Modern Astronomy :
Ole Romer, in 1676, first demonstrated that light travels at a finite speed by studying the apparant motion of Jupiter's moon. He estimated the speed as 220000 kilometers per second (136701 miles) which is about 26% lower than the true value. The estimated speed of light according to modern astronomy now is 186000 miles per second.
Coincidence or True knowledge ?
So modern astronomy states the speed of light as 186000 miles per second while Syana's calculations come to 186084 miles per second (roughly). Isn't it astonishing to see how close the values are? Can it be just a coincidence? or is it true knowledge which we are slowly losing? It is time to think, realize and take steps to protect our ancient treasures and pass the knowledge to the future generations. As already told in the introduction, this knowledge sharing has to be done with proper care, along with teaching moral and ethical values, so that they are judiciously used. It is sad to note that we no more value our scriptures, traditions and rituals and started adapting western practices. On the other hand, please take a look at what they (westerners) feel and say about our knowledge and wisdom.....
I conclude this post by stating............
"IT IS TIME TO REALIZE AND VALUE THE VISION OF OUR ANCIENT SEERS"
Thank you all for reading. Please share your thoughts.
References :
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