Indian Knowledge Systems

ॐ असतो मा सद्गमय । तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय । मृत्योर्मामृतं गमय ।।

Lead me from ignorance to Truth, from darkness to Light, from death to Immortality.

-Brhadaranyaka Upaniśad

The greatest contribution of India to the world is Her material and spiritual sciences. No other civilization has attained the level of sophistication in unravelling and documenting the mysteries of the cosmos as did the great sages and mystics of India. India's knowledge systems encoded as Dhārmic wisdom underwent thousands of years of unhindered evolution through scientific inquiry and creative expression.

The pursuit of Knowledge is the supreme goal of Dharma. Indian rishis were sages as well as scientists; they had a deep understanding of the principles of cosmic creation and dissolution, space-time relativity and natural evolution. However their knowledge extended beyond the realms of objective science and mathematics into the world of the Divine. The world's earliest university was established in Takshila in 700 BCE where over 10,000 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 400 BCE was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.

Spirituality is the master key of the Indian mind. It is this dominant inclination of India which gives character to all the expressions of her culture. - Sri Aurobindo

The primary distinction between Indian and western epistemology lies in the use of the intuitive dimension of the human mind - an area left unexplored by modern science and medicine. Since Indian seers were well established in the eternal laws of the universe, practical implementation of their ideas seldom required trial and error. This is what makes all applications of ancient Indian knowledge - be it Āyurvedic healthcare, Yoga, Samkhyā physics, Vāstu architecture, Tantra and Chakra systems, Nātya based dances and theatre and traditional agriculture - universal, environmentally friendly, sustainable, and holistic.

Unfortunately, due to western knowledge imperialism, destruction of ancient Indian texts and libraries by foreign invaders, and the colonial educational system practiced today, precious traditional knowledge has all but vanished from national consciousness. Indian discoveries such as those of calculus by Mādhavan, the decimal place value number system, calculation of the circumference of the earth by Āryabhata, methods of extraction of Zinc, invention of Wootz steel, invention of wireless radio by J.C.Bose and several others have either been ignored by historians or inaccurately credited to other civilizations.

Civilizations that lack a spiritual foundation often experiment with modern ideas that eventually give rise to disharmony and threaten our very existence. In contrast, the Indian civilization and its vast wealth of knowledge have withstood the test of time and the rigours of scientific validation.

In a world of ever-growing political turmoil, socio-economic uncertainity, and environmental destruction, it is our highest obligation to look back at time-tested alternatives rooted in India's own history for the peaceful and sustainable evolution of humanity. Communities such as Bhaarat.org and others are an attempt to rekindle the light of ancient India and share its glow with the world.