India Post News Service

CHICAGO: The Medieval West persecuted scholars and intellectuals like Galileo, Bruno and Copernicus when they disagreed with the authority of the scriptures. It was different in India, where Non-conformists like Rishi Kanad and Rishi Charvaka were revered in no less degree than the great Rishis of Vedas, according to Ram Kumar, an engineer turned Vedic scholar who dedicated his life for the dissemination of India's contribution to the world of science and mathematics.

Ravi Kumar was in Chicago last and talked to Indian media on "Vedic Mathematics." He said that "India never condemned scholars or disparaged their pursuit of knowledge. On the contrary it wanted the knowledge to flow from all directions," he said.

Referring to Aryabhatta, Ravi Kumar observed that at least 1100 years before Galileo and Newton he understood the laws of gravity, the circumference of the earth, the distance between the planets and the Sun and also the revolutionary movement of the earth around the sun.

He maintained that earth revolves around the Sun, not the other way ound. It was interesting to hear Ravi Kumar speak of the significance Indians attach to number 108. He explained that they are simple mathematical equations, in that distance between the sun and earth divided by the diameter of the sun should equal 108.

He observed that our ancients followed the theorem, Sutras, enunciated in the Vedas and could solve many mathematical problems. He cited a few theorems and showed how to arrive at the sum of 25 x 25 as an example.

The total of 625 in a simple calculation according to the theory turned out to be mathematically accurate. He also explained the significance according to Indians the time frames of 12 years of 60 years. He said it simply means the duration taken by the planets to form a single line.

Sun, earth and Jupiter forms one line every 12 years, which according to astrology is auspicious with least ill effects of nature on human lives. Similarly Sun Moon, Earth and Jupiter form one line every 60 years and therefore the significance of many events Indians perform corroborating that moment of time. He highlighted the contributions of India to various fields of science and consequent human accomplishments.

Even today he said Yoga, meditation and Ayurveda are gaining popularity and increasing number of people around the world taking up study and practicing them. He said Hindus have much to offer and it is time for them to recognize them and come together as a strong, cohesive society using this knowledge for the benefit of the world.

Ravi Kumar is active in social life since 1964. He is currently international joint coordinator of HSS and tours the world conducting workshops on Vedic Astronomy, Hindu customs, rites, symbolism and other subjects.

Earlier, Dr Bimal Patel talked on integrative medical approach to address physical ailments and observed that Ayurveda looked at the person to be treated in his totality rather than only as "matter".

Ingestion of chemical drugs without looking into the mental, genetic and cosmic personality of the person could create sometimes more problem than resolving it. Meditation, Yoga and even Medical astrology are also a part of integrative treatment professed by Ayurveda, he observed and said that even Westerners are now appreciating this line for treating patients.

He said that Ayurveda lays equal emphasis on prevention rather than cure, and has its limitation in offering treatment to diseases like cancer or AIDS. Present at the media brief were Shridhar Damle, Vasant Pandav, Dr Bimal Shah Ravi Kumar and Digant Dash among others.