Page 32 - Scientech 2014-15
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THE SAGA OF MANGALAYAAN
ndia’s spacecraft which is orbiting Mars, researching these ancient works convinces
Ithe Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) or me that there are livings beings on other
Mangalyaan has been on a successful path planets, and that they visited earth as far
since 24 September 2014. Launched on 5 back as 4,000 B.C…There is a just a mass
November 2013 by Indian Space Research of fascinating information about flying
Organization (ISRO), MOM no doubt owes its machines, even fantastic science fiction
success to our esteemed space researchers, weapons, that can be found in translations
their hard work and deliberation. But of the Vedas (scriptures), Indian epics, and
wouldn’t it be worth pondering over a other ancient Sanskrit text.”
legacy that has actually brought the nation
to witness this landmark achievement? The very first recorded, extensive, ancient
Going back to Vedic Bharat, when sages of and authoritative study on space travel can
yore spoke of space missions, it was not be attributed to Maharishi Bharadvaja’s
a tale woven out of mere fantasy. Specific Vaimanika Shastra. It bears considerable
narrations with scientific calculations salience with the theories put forth by
meant that every technical description was later astronauts. In fact the treatise even
true and accurate. And so when Bharat met describes a Shaktyudgama Yantra, which
with success in its venture of Mangalyaan, can safeguard Vimanas (air and space
shouldn’t it be seen as the fruition of result ships) during their space voyages.
of Vedic scientific wisdom?
Vaimanika Shastra also describes
Ramachandran Dikshitar, Oxford scholar the sequence in making use of metals
once remarked, “There are numerous required for the construction of aircrafts-
illustrations in our vast and epic literature Saumaka (thermal), Soundalika (acidic)
to show how well and wonderfully the and Maurtvika (matter relating to shape).
ancient Indians conquered the air”. For Modern aircraft technologists have chanced
India, knowledge from ancient times stands upon a discovery of “16 varieties of heat-
a reverential collection. Seers, scientists conducting metals coming into being, with
and astronomers of yore have bequeathed an amalgam of these 3 combinations”.
to us treasuries of unparalleled wisdom
regarding planetary and extra-terrestrial Later works like Samarangana Sutradhara,
life. Looking at the most important King Bhoja’s encyclopedic work on classical
historical documents, the lofty epics of Indian architecture, also provides detailed
Ramayana and Mahabharata, space sagas scientific accounts of Vimana manufacture.
been successfully executed in immaculately Going by these ancient scientific scriptures,
constructed space ships. Vedic science one gets to know of space voyages maneuvered
even had manuals that elaborate on flight by human beings and extraterrestrial beings
safety, along with details on conducting alike. (A plausible connection for this is given
aerial military maneuvers. by numerous temple tops having a Vimana
like structure at the apex. The best example
In the words of Dr. V Raghavan, retired probably can be seen at Mukteswar Temple
head of Sanskrit Department, University Bhubaneswar.)
of Madras, space voyages were an intrinsic Mars and ancient Indian science has
part of Vedic culture. “Fifty years of a unique link. Mars or Mangal, as it is
30 Scientech 2014-15 www.sifbahrain.com
