AN INTRODUCTION TO VEDANTA SOOTRAM.

AN INTRODUCTION TO VEDANTA SOOTRAM.

वेदान्तविज्ञानसुनिश्चितार्थाः संन्यासयोगाद्यतयः शुद्धसत्त्वाः │

ते ब्रह्मलोकेषु परान्तकाले परामृताः परिमुच्यंति सर्वे│

मुण्डकोपनिषद – 3-2-6

सर्वं हि विज्ञानमतो यथार्थकं श्रुतिस्मृतिभ्यो निखिलस्य वस्तुनः │

ब्रह्मात्मकत्वादिति वेदविन्मतं त्रिरूपतापि श्रुतिसूत्र-साधिता │

All scientific interpretations of the Vedas are valid - being universal.

श्री निम्बार्काचार्य in दशश्लोकी.

The term Vedanta (वेदान्त), also known as Uttara Mimaamsaa (उत्तर मिमांसा), is a combination of two words: veda and anta, which literally means, the ending chapters of Vedic literature. Etymologically Veda (वेद) has a composite meaning, which can be summarized as knowledge (विद ज्ञाने) obtained after deep analysis (विद विचारणे) of all aspects (विद चेतनाख्यान निवासेषु) of everything that exists (विद सत्तायाम) to reach the ultimate goal (विद्लृ लाभे). Anta (अन्त), which literally means end, here implies resolution of all contradictions. Vedic literature has four divisions: Samhitaa (संहिता) dealing primarily with Consciousness (ब्रह्म) and secondarily with the universe (विश्वम), Braahmana (ब्राह्मण) dealing with the same subject with emphasis reversed, Aaranyaka (आरण्यक) dealing with practical applications (उपासना) and Upanishad (उपनिषद), which are selected chapters of the other three. Some statements in these texts appear to be contradictory. The branch that resolves the apparent contradictions of Braahmanas dealing with the physical universe (विश्वम) is called Poorva Mimaamsaa (पूर्व मिमांसा). The branch that resolves the apparent contradictions of the last part of the Vedic literature, i.e., Upanishads dealing with Brahma is called Uttara Mimaamsaa or Vedanta. The books known as Brahma Sootram or Vedanta Sootram compiled by Vedavyasa (वेदव्यास) is the first authoritative text on Vedanta. Shrimat Bhaagavatam (श्रीमद भागवतम), also written by Vedavyasa, is treated as a commentary of Vedanta. Bhagavat Gitaa (भगवत गीता) is the essence of all Upanishads (सर्वोपनिषद सार). Thus, both complement each other.

Vedas classify everything into quadrilateral aspects (चतुष्ट्यम वा इदम सर्वम – कौषितकि ब्राह्मणम 2-1). These are also called the four faces of Brahmaa (चतुर्मुख ब्रह्मा). The four components for action are: desire for action due to realization of a deficiency (ज्ञान जन्य भवेत इछा), planning operation due to knowledge of the mechanism for its rectification (इछा जन्य कृति भवेत), actualization of the time variant process (कृति जन्य भवेत कार्य) and final result that is time invariant (तदेतत कृतमुच्यते). Thus, Brahma sootram has four sections dealing with these aspects leading step by step.

All Vedic discourses start with following four introductory conditions (अनुवन्ध चतुष्टयम):

1.      Precise consideration and naming of the subject (विषय or अभिधेय),

2.      Necessity of knowing that subject (प्रयोजन),

3.      Relationship of this knowledge to the need to be fulfilled (संबन्ध) and

4.      The rightful person who can benefit most from such study (अधिकारी).

The four sections of Brahma sootram deal with these four aspects. Shri Chaitanya Mahaaprabhu also accepts this classification (चैतन्य चरितामृत – मध्य – 20/124-126). He advocates total devotion to the Supreme Godhead as the only path to liberation (20/136, 139 ibid). Knowledge without devotion can be of no use (22/17, 18, 21 ibid). Devotion should be only for God (by implication, for no one else) and with a view to seek liberation only (22/35 ibid). Devotion has been defined by Roopa Goswaami as total surrender to Krishna, devoid of other desires and not subjected to knowledge, action, etc. This is also the view of Naarada etc., in the Bhakti Sootras.

There is one more view on the subject matter of the four chapters. What is commonly understood as ‘liberation’ (मोक्ष or मुक्ति) is freedom from the cycles of birth and death. There are two ways to approach it: Self-induced liberation (परामुक्ति) or Non-Self induced liberation (अपरा मुक्ति). The former follows the knowledge route (ज्ञानयोग or बुद्धियोग or सांख्ययोग), while the later follows devotional route (भक्ति योग or उपासना योग). Non-attachment (निष्कामकर्मयोग) is a part of the former, as it leads to detachment (कर्मसंन्यास) and then to knowledge. The Self-induced liberation (परामुक्ति) has two divisions: phased liberation (क्रममुक्ति) and instant liberation (सद्योमुक्ति). Phased liberation requires long practice. Instant liberation has two divisions: total renunciation (क्षिणोदर्क) and all embracing (भुमोदर्क). In the former, everything including food is given up while meditating on the Godhead and identifying the Self with Universal (कैवल्यमुक्ति – गीता–2/55-59). In the later case, total non-differentiation is practiced till death, so that there is no concept of “others” (विदेहमुक्ति– गीता – 2/61, 70-71). Such a person treats gold and stone equally like the legendary Trailanga Swami.

Liberation through devotion is Non-Self induced (accepting the duality of individual or जीव from the Universal ब्रह्म – and trying for unification - hence called so - अपरा मुक्ति). It has four divisions: attaining the same plane or sphere as the Universal (सालोक्य), attaining proximity to the Universal (सामीप्य), attaining same form as the Universal (सारूप्य), and total identification with the Universal (सायुज्य). The four sections of Brahma sootram deal respectively with these four aspects. The first section deals with the plane of the Universal (सालोक्य). The second section deals with attaining proximity to the Universal (सामीप्य) through synthesis of various apparently contradictory views. The third section deals with various mechanisms to approach the Universal (सारूप्य). The last section deals with the final result of total identification with the Universal (सायुज्य).

SUBJECT MATTER OF THE FOUR CHAPTERS:

The first chapter deals with precisely naming the subject (विषय). This is also harmonization (समन्वय or संबन्ध) between the Universe (विश्वम) and Brahma (ब्रह्म) described differently in various Upanishads to precisely define our need for God realization. This becomes clear from Brahma Sootram 1-1-2 – जन्माद्यस्य यतः. All commentators have interpreted the word अस्य to mean the Universe (विश्वम) because the word जन्म has been interpreted to mean something created from a cause (उत्पत्ति). However, the word जन्म also means appearance in a different form (प्रादुर्भाव) – an act of Brahma. All actions (क्रिया) need some operation (व्यापार), which reveals the transformation of one into various forms (स्फुरण) in a sequence (क्रम). Such transformations (स्फूरता) are of two types: as immutable Self (अहं in अध्यात्म) and as ever-mutating non-Self (अदस in अधिदैव and इदं in अधिभुत). Self (अहं) is conscious (चेतन) and related to Brahma (चिद्रुपं हि सदा सत्यं नाचिद्रुपं कदाचन) as all observations end with an unchanging (अक्रमदर्शी) universal self identification as “I know...” (अहं जानामि...) about different objects (वाक or अर्थ) and/or concepts (भाव). इदं is related to the Universe (विश्वं – जगन्न भावो नाभावो भावाभावो विलक्षण), and inert (जड) as it continuously evolves in time (क्रमदर्शी).

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says; the subject here is devotion (भक्ति), because only that can take our minds away from the worldly sufferings. Devotion, is defined by Narada as the love for another (सा तु परप्रेम रूपा). Available texts have published it wrongly [सा तस्मिन परमप्रेम रूपा or सा त्वस्मिन पर(म)प्रेम रूपा] possibly under the impression that the word ‘love for another’ may be confused with adultery (परकिया प्रेम). This contradicts the views of Narada, who in the 83^rd Sootra of his treatise on Bhakti declares himself as “fearless of the prattle of people” (जनजल्पनिर्भयाः). Brevity should not be compromised for dirty minds. Further, तस्मिन or अस्मिन does not make any sense, as it is incomplete without an anticipatory (साकांक्ष) complement (like यस्मिन or कस्मिन), whereas the word तु indicates specific determination (तु विनिश्चये). They interpret अस्मिन to mean “in This”, without referring to who or what is signified by it (पर). Similarly, they interpret तु as ‘but’ without reference to any context. Since by definition, a Sootra must be unambiguous (असंदिग्धं) and universal (विश्वतोमुखं), their interpretation cannot be correct. Devotion is not restricted only to God, but can equally apply to the Nation, father, mother, teacher, etc., or the 11 forms described by Naarada in his 82^nd Sootra. Thus “love for another” is the correct definition of devotion. Shaandilya also uses the word पर, though he supplements it with God (परानुरक्तिरीश्वरे), love for Whom is its extreme manifestation. If he meant devotion only for God, the word पर becomes superfluous, which is against the structure of a Sootra (स्वल्पाक्षरं). Here the text implies harmonization (समन्वय) between the devotee (part of विश्वम as जीव – Gita 7/4-5) and the Supreme Lover (ब्रह्म as कृष्ण). Thus, Mahaprabhu says, it is a book of devotion (भक्ति) for God realization.

The second chapter of Vedanta Sootram, according to सर्वदर्शन संग्रह of सायण माधव, deals with rationalization and synthesis (अविरोध) with other branches to determine the unified mechanism or process for God realization. Thus, this chapter discusses various other philosophies not to find fault in them, but to synthesize all views, though the commentators have tended to wrongly criticize other views because of sectarian consideration. This is against the Vedic dictum एकम सद्विप्रा वहुधा वदन्ति. Starting point and ending point of all branches of Vedic philosophy are different. This gives the appearance of contradiction like the description of the proverbial elephant by the six blind persons, who touched its different limbs and accurately described these differing from each other. Unless one has seen the elephant, he will find these statements as contradictory. But for one who has seen the elephant, there is no contradiction. Naarada also says the same thing (तस्मिंस्तज्जने भेदाभावात - Sootra 41).

Mahaprabhu says; Vedanta describes understanding about universal love (पुरुषार्थ शिरोमणि प्रेम महाधन) that is the necessity (प्रयोजन) for reading Vedanta. This statement may be questioned, as love is not one of the four essential goals of all living beings (पुरुषार्थ) described in scriptures:

1.      Synchronization with natural principles so that Nature is harmonized (धर्म),

2.      Generation and effective utilization of essentials and provision for emergencies (अर्थ),

3.      Procreation functions, and recreation and relational aspects (काम) and

4.      Liberation from worldly bondage (मोक्ष).

Definition of Love: To understand the views of Mahaprabhu, we have to understand what is love? Brahma, the Supreme Consciousness, is Omnipresent and Omniscient. Living beings also are a part of Brahma, but not omnipresent. This limitation, limits their knowledge. Whenever they cannot understand something due to such limitation, mind hangs at that point like a computer. Sometimes mind waver from object to object (क्षिप्त), at other times it hangs (मूढ), yet at other times, it may get a partial explanation and move to other subjects to hang again elsewhere (विक्षिप्त). [When such experience repeats for certain objects – repeatedly or sporadically - these create a bond (मोह) between person and the objects, which can be attractive (राग) or repulsive (द्वेष) based on whether the past experience was harmonious (सुख) or uncomfortable (दुःख). If it is harmonious, it generates attachment (अनुराग).] Sometimes we may prefer to think only about such harmonious objects or concepts (एकाग्र). Ultimately, we may be deeply immersed in it forgetting everything else (समाधि). These are the five mental states (चित्तवृत्ति) described by Patanjali in his Yoga Sootram 1-2. The mental states are regulated by the five fundamental interactions of nature (अंतर्याम, वहिर्याम, उपयाम, यातयाम, उद्याम) that generate five different states (नित्यगति, सम्प्रसाद गति, यज्ञ गति, साम्पराय गति, उरुगाय प्रतिष्ठा). These mental states are known in modern science as alpha, beta, theta, delta waves and gamma wave coupling which stabilizes memory (प्रतिष्ठित भवति).

When we perceive something which harmonizes favorably with our memory, it generates an inertia (संस्कार) drawing from related experiences, which continues thereafter till it is destroyed by pain (कष्ट), getting the object of desire (प्राप्ति) or knowing everything about the object of desire (ज्ञान). Continued attachment for something is called अनुराग, अनुरक्ति or प्रेम. When the attachment is for someone held in high esteem, it is called devotion (भक्ति). If the attachment is for someone held lower in order, it is called fondness (वात्सल्य). If the attachment is for someone considered equal, it is called friendship (मैत्री). All these are the attachment of one conscious being towards another conscious being. If such attachment is for some inert object including male/female body or gold, money, wine, etc, it is called lust (काम). If all these four types of continued attachments are concentrated in one place, it is called love (रति).

Love is possible only in two cases: with God or with own husband/wife. For this reason, Naarada describes love as immutable (अमृतस्वरूपा च). He goes on to declare that those who are in love do not have any desire for anything else: they are free from grief or hatred; they do not rejoice over or do they exert themselves for anything (यत प्राप्य न किंचित वाञ्छति न शोचति न द्वेष्टि न रमते नोत्साही भवति). Anything that has a physical form is mutable. Love being a mental construct, is unphysical – hence not mutable. Relation with other male/female does not fulfill the above criteria as neither all four conditions for love are satisfied nor the symptoms described by Naarada are seen in them - hence it is lust for the inert body only (जाराणामिव - according to Naarada – सूत्र 23). Further, Naarada adds; the primary devotee follows only one (भक्ता एकान्तिनो मुख्याः - 67 ibid). Hence Bhartrhhari says: choose any one God and between having one wife or no wife (एको देवो केशवो वा शिवो वा. एका नारी सुन्दरी वा दरी वा). Amaruka also says the same thing (कोयं काहमिति प्रवृत्तसूरता जानाति या नान्तरं. रन्तु सा रमणी स एव रमणः शेषौ तु जाया पति).  Jayadeva and Ramakrishna exemplified this when they saw God in their respective wives. Since love - being creative and anti-destructive - encompasses synchronization with natural principles to harmonize with Natural principles (धर्म), and leads to liberation from worldly bondage (मोक्ष) through taking mind away from other subjects, it combines two essential goals of all living beings (पुरुषार्थ) described in scriptures.

The third chapter of Vedanta Sootram deals with actualization (ब्रह्मविद्या साधन) process through both knowledge (विद्या) and devotion (भक्ति). Here the different commentators have approached it (संवन्ध) in different ways. All through our lives, we carry out many functions. But what is the end result? As Bhartrhhari says: we could not satisfy our desire but quest for it tired us; we could not excel through penance but are feeling guilty for our wrong actions; time did not end but our time is going to end; our desire has not weakened but we have become weak (भोगा न भुक्ता वयमेव भुक्ताः, तपो न तप्तं वयमेव तप्ताः, कालो न यातो वयमेव याताः, तृष्णा न जीर्णा वयमेव जीर्णाः). Mahaprabhu says; the topic (विषय or अभिधेय) here is the realization of Godhead through the processes described in texts like the Vedas and Shrimad Bhaagavatam because when we are immersed fully in the service of our loved one (कृष्णमाधुर्य सेवाप्राप्ति), we forget other worldly miseries and wither out our past actions without generating new inertial effect (संस्कारशुन्य).

Naarada also says spiritual realization is its own reward (Sootra 26 and 30). He goes on to add, after getting a big kingdom, or a palatial mansion, or excellent food, our quest for property or home or food does not end (31 to 33 ibid). But after getting love, we do not desire anything else, because all desires are centralized in one place (सा न कामयमाना निरोधरूपत्वात – 7 ibid). He clarifies that love does not deny anything, but only confines our mind by taking it away from worldly affairs, as well as knowledge and activities related to them (निरोधस्तु लोकवेदव्यापारन्यासः - 8 ibid). Here the commentators have defined the word न्यासः as consecration. But it requires someone else to do that and the texts do not refer to any such agency doing consecration. Hence the word न्यासः (नि पूर्वक अस धातु - अस गति दीप्ति आदानेषु) means negation of motion, expression or transfer.

In fact, the Vedanta Sootram at 3-2-24 clarifies it further (अपि संराधने प्रत्यक्षानुमानाभ्याम). However, starting from Shankara (संराधनं भक्तिर्ध्यानप्रणिधानानुष्ठानम) to Ramanuja (भक्तिरूपापन्नमेवोपासनं संराधनं तस्य प्रिणनमिति), Nimbarka, Bhaskara, Ballabhacharya, Baladev; all have interpreted this in a way (आराधन) that does not explain its total implication. The word राधन means all round accomplishment (संसिद्धि). The prefix आ makes it आराधन, which implies gradual progress towards total accomplishment. The prefix सं would imply total-total accomplishment (सं संसिद्धि), which is normally faulty being repetitive (पुनरावृत्ति दोष). Thus, it must have some other meaning. Such use can be explained only through instantaneous all round urge (वीप्सा), in which case, repetition is allowed. Thus, the word संराधने implies instantaneous all round urge for total accomplishment like that of Vilwamangal and not gradual accomplishment implied by the commentators.

Whatever mortal efforts we may take, it cannot reveal immortal Brahma (उपायजाल न शिवः प्रकाशयेत). Can we find the Sun by searching with a lamp (दीपेन किं भाति सहस्रदिधिती)? If one continues the quest for It intensely (विचिन्तयेत नित्यं उदार दर्शनं), Divine grace appears in a flash (स्वयंप्रकाशः शिवमाविशेत क्षणात). All of us have experienced it in a limited way. We may be thinking about something for a long time. Suddenly, the answer is revealed to us in a flash. It is instantaneous - not a continued process. Similarly, God’s grace is revealed in a flash, not in a continued process. Naarada also opines that we can reach the ultimate desirable state by the grace of Noble souls or a little Grace of God (मुख्यतस्तु महत्कृपयेव भगवत्कृपालेशाद वा – सूत्र 38).

Further, all commentators have interpreted प्रत्यक्षानुमानाभ्याम to imply the Shruti (Vedas) and the Smrhti (स्मृति) respectively, which is not correct. In all branches of Vedic philosophy, Vedic injunctions are treated as realization from authoritative sources (शव्द प्रमाण) and not by direct perception through external sense organs (प्रत्यक्ष). Vedas contain knowledge, which has to be realized by the intelligence due to blessings of God. Similarly, Smrhti (स्मृति) is the authoritative injunction by the sages (ऋषि) based on their experience and dictates what should or should not be done (इति कर्तव्यता). It is not inference (अनुमान), as inference is based on direct evidence through external sense organs. The words प्रत्यक्षानुमानाभ्याम implies, direct evidence and inference show that, if anyone having instantaneous all round urge for total accomplishment chooses the right path, she/he reaches her/his goal at an opportune time. This chapter discusses those paths.

The last chapter of Vedanta Sootram deals with the outcome (फल) – liberation or realization of Godhead (मोक्ष). This also describes the entitlement for practicing devotion (अधिकारी). Normally the question arises, how can we be sure that if we follow any or all of these paths, we will attain liberation? But before that, let us discuss why should we try anything at all? The answer is: no one wants to be unhappy. Everyone searches for happiness. But what is happiness?

Happiness is defined as a continued harmonious perception that is:

1.      Not disturbed by pain (यन्न दूःखेषु संभिन्न),

2.      Does not evaporate (न च ग्रस्तमनन्तरं), and

3.      Is related to an object of desire (अभिलषितमाप्नोति).

Such a state is impossible to be achieved. If you are happy eating some food or sleeping, after a limit, you must give up. If it is reading a book, the last page will invariably come. We want something, but get something else. Thus, the universe is full of sorrows. We can only try to minimize the sorrow. According to Kanaada, mind acts mechanically and thought (भावना) is the inertia (संस्कार) of mind (which, like mechanical inertia, is generated after some external impulse is received; by drawing related similar experiences from memory and getting modified in the process). Like the mechanical inertia stops with friction or gravitational pull, thought ceases:

1.      Due to intense pain (कष्ट) when the thought is diverted,

2.      After getting the object of desire (प्राप्ति) or

3.      After understanding the nature of the object of thought (ज्ञान). 

The last two conditions as getting everything one desires or having all knowledge about everything are almost impossible. Its partial attainment is not happiness as defined above, as the craving remains, which starts inertia of mind about not getting the desired object or knowledge leading to sorrow (अशान्तस्य कुतः सुखं – गीता 2/66). The first one – pain - frequently occurs and diverts our thought to start a different inertia to continue the chain and pain. Thus, one way out is to minimize our perception of different external objects by focusing on selected objects. This is the devotional aspect. Another way is the knowledge aspect – knowing about the nature of the physical world - unification of fundamental aspects of everything (ब्रह्मैवेदं सर्वं). The other aspect of getting the object of desire has to be abandoned, as desire leads to sorrow (Gita 2/62-63, 66).

There is another reason for seeking liberation. All actions can be divided into two categories:

1.      Perpetually evolutionary actions, which are deterministic (like chemical interactions or time evolution) and generate fixed or predictable inertia till entropy, where the participant does not act like a cat carrying the kitten holding it gently through the neck, and

2.      Conscious actions based on freewill, which leads to unpredictable inertia due to uncertainty inherent in the process and the effect like a small monkey clinging to its mother, as she jumps around. If the child gives up even slightly, it will fall and get injury.

The former is also like floating of a wooden log on the sea, which is effortless. The later is like swimming in the sea with effort - the moment you give up, you are drowned. The problem becomes compounded when the effects of freewill becomes non-linear directed-composite-actions. All actions involving freewill can be divided as follows:

1.      A sequence of initial preparatory phase (प्रक्रम – for example, collecting ingredients necessary for cooking).

2.      The components of a routine repetitive action (अभिक्रम – processing the ingredients for cooking). These two are collectively called subsidiary actions for a purpose (क्रत्वर्थकर्म – cooking itself).

3.      A combination of such subsidiary actions leads to an essential action (पुरुषार्थ कर्म – eating).

4.      A group of such essential actions (eating, working, sleeping, procreating, etc.) constitute a work unit (कर्मव्युह – living being) that can perform (through freewill) directed composite actions to achieve something other than a deterministic perpetual action.

The performers of such directed composite actions are bound by the induced reaction (वद्धजीव) till the inertia generated by their action ceases and they come over to the automated time evolution format (perpetual functioning of their systems that leads to अभ्युदय and ultimately to निःश्रेयस). Other free species (मुक्तजीव) are called perpetually evolutionary species (आश्वत्थिक जीव).

The perpetually evolutionary species (आश्वत्थिक जीव) have two divisions: fixed evolutionary (ब्रह्मआश्वत्थिक) and functional evolutionary (नियतकर्मआश्वत्थिक). The first category is inert like galaxy, Sun, Earth, Moon, atoms, etc, which have fixed orbital positions. Our body is constituted of these. The other category mimics sentiency (like इंद्र, which, according to शतपथब्राह्मण is मध्यप्राण – व्यान in our body or वरुण, कुवेर, etc). It does not have a fixed position and is in perpetual motion (quantum or देवाः). Thus, there is no fixed position in the quantum world (God’s feet does not touch earth – common saying). Our sensory agencies belong to this category. The first category can be perceived directly through sense organs (भावप्रत्यय). The second category is inferred from its effects (उपायप्रत्यय). It has another category called Nature’s components - प्रकृतिलयाः, which reflects immutable consciousness. Both categories are held together by energy (इंद्रप्राण) that arises from a base (आत्मा) to constitute body (पशु). The mechanism is described in शतपथ ब्राह्मणम 14-4-4-1. According to Kanaada, effect terminates action (कार्य नाशयति कर्म). Thus, the trick is not to generate any further inertia of mind and allow the present inertia to carry on till it is exhausted. Fixing our mind at a point through devotion is one of the best ways for this.

Mahaprabhu says; the essence of the fourth chapter is to teach methods of enjoying the nectar of universal love (कृष्णे सेवा करे कृष्णरस आस्वादन). Similar views have been expressed in Bhagavatam (श्रीमद भागवतम – 1-2-7) and Gita – 7-14, 8-14, 9-22, 14-26 and 18-35.

(to be completed)

THE SUB-CHAPTERS:

The four chapters of Vedanta Sootram have four subsections each. The first sub-section of the first section discusses    different aspects (अधिकरण)

The first sub-section of the fourth section discusses 13 different aspects of liberation (मोक्ष) in 19 sootras. The second sub-section of the fourth section discusses 10 aspects of after-life processes in 21 sootras. The third sub-section of the fourth section discusses the transit and nature of transition from 9 aspects in 16 sootras. The last sub-section of the fourth section discusses nature of liberation (मोक्ष) from 11 aspects in 22 sootras. Govinda Bhashya by Shrimad Baladev Vidyabhushan discusses these elaborately according to the doctrine of Shri Chaitanya Charitamrita. Since this is the final teaching of the Vedas, the subject is called Vedanta.

Vedantic literature enjoys great prestige and the five major schools of Vedanta have contributed their commentaries to explain its meaning. All five branches essentially talk about the same truth from different starting and end points – thus they only appear as different. While all agree that the final goal is avoidance of sorrow and attainment of permanent bliss; and renunciation from worldly affairs is the first step in this regard, the ways to attain this has been described differently. For example, regarding sadhana-tattwa (साधनतत्व), Shankara says, only knowledge of eternal Brahma can lead to liberation (मोक्ष). For this purpose, one must differentiate between permanent and impermanent aspects to attain renunciation of worldly comforts (वैराग्य) and practice servitude (उपासना). Ramanuja says, devotion is the best way for renunciation from worldly affairs. He is much more ritualistic and advocated a five-fold devotional practice – अभिगमन, उपादान, इज्या, स्वाधाय, भगवदनुसन्धान. This is a simple way of keeping the mind focused for common men, which is the first stage of progress. Thereafter, the devotion guides the mind. Madhwacharya has classified devotion into three branches: साधारणी भक्ति, परमा भक्ति, स्वरूप भक्ति. According to him, starting from devotion, one should progress through hearing, speaking and thinking only of Godhead, which will lift the soul towards getting indirect knowledge (अपरोक्ष ज्ञानबल), which will lead to परमा भक्ति and then to स्वरूप भक्ति.

Vishnuswamy follows a much more conceptual and unifying aspect of devotion by treating the object of devotion, mechanism of devotion and the devotee as eternal, exemplified by the devotion of Prahlad for Vishnu as Nrasimha. Nimvarka adds integrity (निष्ठा) to attachment (श्रद्धा) by following the Vedic dictums “श्रद्धा va aapah” and “aapo vai satyam”. Thus he advocates worshiping only one deity – Krishna. According to him, devotion can be of two types: i) apara bhakti; which are only 9 different means (navadhaa bhakti), towards reaching the goal; and ii) uttama bhakti, which is absolute ideal love (prema lakshana) for God through listening and recitation of the names of God. Ballabhacharya classified devotion into two different branches from the perspective of mechanism (sadhana roopa) and goal (sadhya roopa). The second one is absolute ideal love (prema lakshana) for God. Blessing of God is most essential in this process. Approach to devotion can be of two types: idealism (maryada) and fulfillment (pushti). The first is obtained by following scriptural injunctions. The second is obtained only through devotion for Krishna and His followers. He treats the last one (pushti marga) as the best way.

According to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, absolute devotion is the cause for liberation. Though devotion is the path to liberation, it has no specific cause (ahaituki). Only serving noble souls (sadhu seva) and the teacher (guru seva) can lead to devotion and ultimately to liberation. Thus, devotion should be the goal of all worldly affairs. This is blissful (hladini) and the essence of perceiving power (samvit shakti). Thus, by nature, devotion leads to knowledge and bliss (Chaitanya Charitamrita – Madhya - 22). Essentially, it is a simplified version of Yoga of Patanjali (Yoga Sootram 1-2). Similarly, other aspects of the different Vedantic concepts can be harmonized.

Epistemology

Epistemological treatment started with Nyaya Sootram of Gautama, which is the ancient research methodology. He classified the knowables into 16 different categories, the first of which is evidence (pramana), which is defined as the instrumentation of judging the time-invariant aspects of everything in the universe (prama karana) through observation and experiment. He divides evidence into four categories: i) direct evidence (pratyaksha), ii) indirect evidence (paroksha) or inference (anumana), iii) Similarity (upamana), which some treat as a part of ii), and iv) Self realization through some source (Shabda or aparoksha). Other branches extended these according to their requirement. Buddhists curtailed these. Vedanta also deals with it in its own way.

Vedanta recognizes five epistemological categories, viz., (i) Pratyaksha: here knowledge comes based upon faith on one’s own direct sensory capacity, (ii) Paroksha: here knowledge comes from inference coming from other’s sense observation. For example in science we rely on the data collected by others as well as certification of qualified scientists, (iii) Aparoksha: knowledge comes from self, (iv) Adhokshaja: knowledge coming from above the plane of self from the plane of Absolute Truth. It comes of its own accord. We can’t do anything to get it again after it withdraws by any of our own efforts, and (v) Aprakrita: Continuous life in the plane of transcendence. The Vedantic literatures therefore are in the plane of adhokshaja and they are not man made.

PRETYA BHAAVA – THE MECHANISM OF REBIRTH

PRETYA BHAAVA – THE MECHANISM OF REBIRTH.

INTRODUCTORY:

A scientist should not accept or reject anything without evidence. Even for denying, s/he must seek evidence for its non-existence. Non-availability of evidence is not the same as non-existence. Evidence is the instrumentation (observation/experiment) for/against generating identical result of measurement under similar conditions that is spatiotemporally invariant. Validity of evidence is judged by spatiotemporal invariance of such perception or measurement. Everything is interconnected and interdependent as described in Madhu Braahmanam. Nature is anything that exists, manifests itself through some intelligible effect directly or indirectly, and can be described in a formal language. Theory is a statement that explains the process at all times unambiguously and universally without contradictions.

In all perception by everyone, though the object of perception changes, the perception itself as:  “I know…(it is like that concept/information I perceived earlier; hence it is that)” remains invariant making it universal. It is not measurable, because measurement is a process of comparison between similars and there is nothing similar to consciousness to be treated as a unit to measure it. Hence we have to observe different aspects of life to know how consciousness reveals itself through inert objects to make it come ‘alive’. For searching answers to the question of life and rebirth, we should search clues from conscious beings. We will scientifically examine the descriptions of Gita, Shrimad Bhagavatam, the Vedas and other texts. Since freewill is associated with life and conscious actions, the perception of which is related to the uncertainty relation, causality (determinism) and according to some, retro-causality, let us discuss these first.

The left hand side of all equations or inequalities represents free-will, as we are free to choose (or vary within certain constraints) the individual parameters. The right hand side represents determinism, as the outcome is based on the input in predictable ways. The equality (or inequality) sign prescribes the special conditions to be observed or matched to achieve the desired result. Only conscious beings can have freewill, though it is not unrestricted.

KARMANYEVAADHIKAARASTE MAA PHALESHU KADAACHANA:

When Heisenberg proposed his conjecture in 1927, Earle Kennard independently derived a different formulation, which was later generalized by Howard Robertson as: σ(q)σ(p) ≥ h/4π. This inequality says that one cannot suppress quantum fluctuations of both position σ(q) and momentum σ(p) lower than a certain limit simultaneously. The fluctuation exists regardless of whether it is measured or not, implying the existence of a universal field. The inequality does not say anything about what happens when a measurement is performed. Kennard’s formulation is therefore totally different from Heisenberg’s. However, because of the similarities in format and terminology of the two inequalities, most physicists have assumed that both formulations describe virtually the same phenomenon. Modern physicists actually use Kennard’s formulation but mistakenly call it Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle. “Spontaneous” creation and annihilation of virtual particles in vacuum is possible only in Kennard’s formulation and not in Heisenberg’s formulation, as otherwise it would violate conservation laws. If it were violated experimentally, the whole of quantum mechanics would break down.

Our sense organs and measuring devices have limited capacity, so that they measure in phases (limited aspects in limited intervals) and then we generalize it. We see something when the radiation emitted by it interacts with that in our eyes. We touch mass that radiates light. Thus we do not touch what we see (radiation) and see what we touch (mass) – anavarne ime bhumih. Since time evolution is not uniform, but conditional on interactions, we do not see each step from flapping of the wings of the butterfly till it turns into tempest elsewhere. Creation is highly ordered and there is no randomness or chaos. Nature prohibits reductionism. Whole is a sum of its parts and more. We fault Nature to hide our inability to know everything fully. This inability introduces uncertainty in applying the result of past measurements to plan future actions.

The uncertainty relation was reformulated in terms of standard deviations, where the focus was exclusively on the indeterminacy of predictions, whereas the unavoidable disturbance (perturbations) during the processes of measurement was ignored. A formulation of the error–disturbance uncertainty relation, taking the perturbation into account, was essential for a deeper understanding of the phenomenon. Masanao Ozawa directly measured errors and disturbances in the observation of spin components. His inequality: ε(q)η(p) + σ(q)η(p) + σ(p)ε(q) ≥ h/4π suggests that suppression of fluctuations is not the only way to reduce error, but it can be achieved by allowing a system to have larger fluctuations. Nature Physics (2012 doi:10.1038/nphys2194) describes a neutron-optical experiment that records the error of a spin-component measurement as well as the disturbance caused on another spin-component. The results confirm that both error and disturbance obey the new relation but violate the old one in a wide range of experimental parameters. Even when either the source of error or disturbance is held to be nearly zero, the other remains finite. Thus, uncertainty is universal.

Gita says: you have control over your actions but not over other factors that influence the final outcome. Further, it warns: maa karmaphalaheturbhuh – do not think that if you do something in a particular way, you will definitely get the desired result – it can boomerang. You cannot exist without action (maa te sangastwakarmani), hence try to refine your skills. Result determined by natural principles (God’s Will?) will follow. Freewill can only respond to it – not prevent it. “Causa sui” (self-caused cause) also depends on degrees of freedom – hence not totally free. Quantum mechanics admits statistical cause. That only shows a band width and our inability to measure precisely. Atomic time is multiple readings of many clocks to find an average second because transition time between two energy levels of the cesium atom is not uniform. Yet, the numbers of transitions are still related to the old second - a fraction of the Earth’s rotation time.

Retro-causality in QM stems from Bell’s Theorem and the non-locality it seems to entail. Bell thought that “retro-causality” conflicts with freewill and certain basic assumptions of science, and the dilemma can be avoided if the properties of quantum systems are allowed to depend on what happens to them in both future and the past. But Past is not related to present in the same way as present is related to future. Space, Time and coordinates arise from our concept of sequence and interval. When it is related to objects, we call the interval space. When it is related to events, we call the interval time. When we describe inter-relationship of objects, we describe the interval by coordinates. Past, Present and future are segments of these sequences of intervals that are strictly ordered – all of future always follow present. The same sequence is not true for past, because any past event can be linked to the present bypassing the specific sequence of its occurrence but we cannot move from past to future or from present to distant future violating the sequence. Further, we can think of or use the information relating to past with certainty, but cannot do the same for future. This proves unidirectional time – hence strict causality.

Fantasies such as a traversable wormholes or the region near hypothetical cosmic strings have been used by some to claim that causality can be reversible – effect can sometimes precede cause. This is negated in Vaisheshika. Consider an example: A + B → C + D. Here a force makes A interact with B to produce C and D. The same force cannot act on C and D as they do not exist at that stage. If we change the direction of the initial forces, then B acts on A. Here only the direction of force and not the interval between the states before and after application of force (time) will change and the equation will be: B + A → C + D and not B + A ← C + D (C and D did not exist then). Hence it does not affect causality. There is no negative direction for time.

God is called Sat-chit-aananda.  Aanada shakti denotes absolute freedom (swaatantryam). When limited in individuals (Jiva), it becomes determinism (niyati). Chit shakti denotes omnipresence (nitya satta). When limited in individuals, it acquires six stages of time evolution (shadbhaava vikaaraah), which gives rise to time (kaala). These stages: being (situation leading to its creation), becoming (its creation itself), growth (due to addition of other molecules), transformation (as a result), transmutation (due to the same effect - incompatible addition), death (change of form as a consequence) are common to both living beings and inanimate objects. Sat is as defined in Chaandogya Upanishad: sa+ti+yam, which depict icchaa-gnyaanam-kriyaa. The icchaa shakti denotes eternal affluence (nitya praapti). When limited in individuals, it becomes craving (raaga). Gnyaanam shakti denotes omniscience (sarvagnyataa). Limited in individuals, it becomes knowledge/ignorance (vidyaa/avidyaa). The kriyaashakti denotes omnipotence (sarva kartrhtwa). When limited in individuals, it becomes part/limited exposition (kalaa).

If the impulse generated by the perception of something gives rise to craving (anuraaga) based on past experience, it generates thought, which is the inertia of mind that can stop only after getting the object of desire (praapti), or knowledge of the real nature of the object (gnyaanam) or sudden severe pain (kashta). Freewill for action is based on three factors:

1) Physical and genetic composition of the person that has its own interactive properties,

2) Sensory experiences of the past and the memory associated with it that leads to infatuation (raaga) or confusion (moha) or negative emotions (dwesha), and

3) Limited disturbance (depravity or affluence) to the ratio (both intra and inter) of fixed evolutionary (shareera) and functional evolutionary (indriya) components of the body.

These lead to diversity of response to the same situation. Diversity is a property of groups, which has many aspects across the social spectrum. Susceptibility to external conditions or emotions is an example of diversity of genetic composition. Our emotions are based on genetic imprint and past experiences. If we could map it properly, the chain of differential inertia can explain all behavior – the so-called freewill that is constrained (vaddha) by available choices.

DEFINING LIFE, BODY, SENSORY INSTRUMENTS, MIND AND INTELLECT.

Ayurveda says: breathing is the sign of life (praana dhaaranam jeevanam). Also possession of sensory instruments is the sign of life (sendriyam chetanadravyam neerindriyam achetanam). The Upanishads say: there are two causes of life: desire and breathing (hetu dwayoh hi chittasya vaasanaa cha sameerana). If either is detached, consciousness (Chitta) vanishes. The body is defined as the base for holding a compact lot of atoms (arthaashraya) that is guided by the sensory instruments (indriyaashraya), to initiate conscious actions (karmaashraya). Recently, a group of scientists at NASA, working on ice samples containing pyrimidine (a ring-shaped molecule made up of carbon and nitrogen) and exposing it to ultraviolet radiation under space-like conditions, have produced uracil, cytosine, and thymine - all three components of RNA and DNA, to show that these hereditary materials can be created non-biologically in a laboratory. Since these are a compact lot of atoms, according to the above definition of the body, these are body material. The researchers found that when pyrimidine is frozen in ice mostly consisting of water (also ammonia, methanol or methane), it is much less vulnerable to destruction by radiation than it would be if it were in gas phase in open space. Instead of being destroyed, many of the molecules took on new forms, such as RNA/DNA etc. Thus Aapomaya Parameshthee, who is called Chitta, Mahaan and Vaasudeva in Bhaagavatam is called the creator.

Gita (18-14/15) distinguishes mechanical motion from conscious speech, mental and physical actions. It says all these have five concurrent causes: 1) base or ground or physical body on which action takes place (adhisthaanam), 2) freewill or causal body (kartaa), 3) different sensory instruments (karanam), 4) energy that operates all systems (cheshtaa) and 5) external influences (daiva). Gita (18-16/17, also 13-27 to 32) declares that anyone, who thinks that the Self or Aatmaa does not induce, but does things; is misguided. While describing how a person after death acquires a new body; Gita 2-22 uses the word ‘dehee’ to indicate the causal body (linga shareera) – not Aatmaa. Let us discuss the sensory process, as it is a sign of life.

Much has been talked about sensory perception and memory consolidation as composed of an initial set of feature filters followed by a special class of mathematical transformations which represent the sensory inputs generating interacting wave-fronts over the entire sensory cortical area – the so-called holographic processes. It can explain the almost infinite memory. Since a hologram retains the complete details at every point of its image plane, even if a small portion of it is exposed for reconstruction, we get the entire scene, though the quality may be impaired. Yet, unlike an optical hologram, the neural hologram is formed by very low frequency post-synaptic potentials providing a low information processing capacity to the neural system. Further, the distributed memory mechanisms are not recorded randomly over the entire brain matter, as there are preferred locations in the brain for each type of sensory input.

The impulses from various sensory apparatus are carried upwards in the dorsal column or in the anterio-lateral spinothalamic tract to the thalamus, which relays it to the cerebral cortex for its perception. However, both for consolidation and retrieval of sensory information, holographic model requires a coherent source which literally ‘illuminates’ the object or the object-projected sensory information – grid cells and place cells - at the site of sensory repository. For retrieval of the previously consolidated information from memory, the same source again becomes necessary. Since the brain receives enormous information that is present for the whole life (subject to comorbidity related mental disorders), such source should always be illuminating the required area in the brain where the sensory information (memory) is stored. Even in dream state, this source must be active, as there also local memory retrieval and experience (without physical limitations) take place. This illuminating source (shuddha prakaasha maatra roopa) of the expressed consciousness is intelligence (vigyaanam).

The sensory agencies are different from sense organs. Eye is not ocular sensor (darshanendriya). But it is the power operating there that makes the eyes see things. Thus, when one dies, the eyes cannot see. The sensory agencies are called “indriyam” to indicate that functionally they belong to Indra, which, according to Shatapatha Braahmanam (6-1-2), is the central equilibrium point, which resolves into two equal and oppositely directed forces to initiate motion (sa yoayam madhyepraanah esha evendrah). Hence Indra has been described as the universal form of force (valasya nikhilaakrhtih). The sense organs function in that way (paraanchikhaani vyatrhnat swayambhuh) – they move out from their base in the body (like eyes etc) to interact with their respective objects and back so that we see proper pictures unlike inverted pictures in earlier cameras. These are sent to the brain through neurons with the help of mind for processing.

When we write on a computer, it had to move a collective of 0’s and 1’s - the machine representation of a Word document - from a temporary memory area (RAM) and send it to the CPU, through a bunch of wires. The CPU transforms the data into letters that we see on the screen. To keep that particular sentence from vanishing once we turned our computer off, the data representing it had to travel back along that bunch of wires to a more stable memory area such as a hard drive. Our mind and sense organs function like that.

At any moment, our sense organs are bombarded by a multitude of stimuli. But only one of them is given a clear channel at a time to go up to the thalamus and then to the cerebral cortex, so that like photographic frames, we perceive one discrete frame at every instant, but due to the high speed of their reception (manojavittwa), mix it up - so that it appears as continuous. Unlike the sensory agencies that are subject specific (eyes can only receive electromagnetic radiation, ears only sound, etc.); the transport system within the body functions for all types of sensory impulses. This occurs against concentration gradients with the input energy like the sodium-potassium pump in our body, which moves the two ions in opposite directions across the plasma membrane through break down of Adenosine triphosphate (ATP). When sodium interacts with the surrounding water, reaction starts in less than a millisecond. After 0.4 ms, ‘spikes’ of metal shoot out from the droplet, too fast to be expelled by heating. Each of the atoms at the surface of the cluster loses an electron in picoseconds (10^–12 s), and the electrons shoot into the surrounding water, where they are solvated (surrounded by water molecules) giving a deep blue color (pataro viklidhah pingah etat Varuna lakshyanam).

In the sodium-potassium pump, concentrations of the two ions on both sides of the cell membrane are interdependent, suggesting that the same carrier transports both ions. Similarly, the same carrier (called ubhayandriya manah) energizing inter-neurons, transports the external stimuli from sensory agencies (sensory neurons and gnyanendriya) to the cerebral cortex and back (through motor neurons and karmendriya) as a command. These carriers are the “indriyam”. Gita (3-42) indicates this sequence. Mind cannot be perceived, but is inferred from the knowledge or lack of external stimuli. Only if the mind transports different external impulses to the brain for mixing and comparison with the stored data, we (Self) know about that (for first time impulse received about something, there is no definite ‘knowledge’).

Mathematics is the science of accumulation and reduction of numbers. It is deterministic, hence, a mechanical function. Numbers are the perception of differentiation between similars. If there are no similars, it is one. If there are similars, it is many, which, based on sequential perception, can be 2, 3….n. Two (dwi) is so called because its perception is very fast (drhtataraa samkhyaa). Three (tri) is so called because its perception is also similar (tirnatamaa). It is established that these numbers can be perceived even by children and animals. However, the perceptions of higher numbers are difficult. Hence four (chatwaara) is the next number (chalitasamaa). Etc. A computer does not count “objects”. It only records the sequence of impulses. It cannot distinguish between three apples and three birds unless explicitly programmed for that.

Compared to a computer, in perception, data are the response of our sensory agencies to individual external stimuli. Text is the excitation of the neural network in specific regions of the brain. Spreadsheets are the memories of earlier perception. Pictures are the inertia of motion generated in memory (thought) after a fresh impulse linking related past experiences. Voice is the disturbance created due to the disharmony between the present thought and the stored image (this or that, yes or no). Video is the net thought that emerges out of such interaction. Software is the memory. Hardware includes the neural network. Bytes and bits are the changing interactions of the sense organs (including sound that produces words - string) with respective fields generated by objects evolving in time.

It requires an agent to mix the signals brought in by mind and convert them to electro-chemical information and submit to a conscious agent (operator) to cognize them. In perception, these tasks are done by a transitory neural activity in brain powered by intellect (buddhi). Though, it is not directly perceptible, it is inferred from its actions - firing of positrons in specific areas of brain during perception. Hence even after the breath stops, a person may not be brain dead as the intellect (and not the mind) may still be functional. While time independent mind facilitates the transport of various external impulses, the interpretation after mixing of the state of superposition of various thoughts/inputs in memory (vikalpa), is done by the transitory intellect. The conscious self that cognizes the information is different from all these and referred to by Gita (3-42) as He (Sah) to distinguish it from Ultimate Consciousness (which is referred to as Aham or Ayam – as in Gita 2-24). This conscious self is the base for the sensory instruments – hence called causal body (linga sharira), as it fulfills the definition of body described earlier.

What we call action can be divided into two categories: a sequence of initial preparatory phase (prakrama) – the components of a routine repetitive action (abhikrama). These are called subsidiary actions (kratwartha karma). A combination of such subsidiary actions leads to an essential action (purushaartha karma). A group of such essential actions make a stable structure (karma vyuha) that can perform directed composite actions. The performers of such actions are bound by the induced reaction (vaddha jeeva) till this inertia ceases and they come over to the automated time evolution format (perpetual functioning of their systems – abhyudaya and ultimately nihshreyasa). All other (free) species (mukta jeeva) are called perpetually evolutionary species (aashwatthika jeeva). They have two divisions: fixed evolutionary (Brahma aashwatthika) and functional evolutionary (niyata karma aashwatthika). The first category is inert like galaxy, Sun, Earth, Moon, atoms, etc, which have fixed orbital positions. Our body is constituted of these. The other category mimics sentiency. It does not have a fixed position and is in perpetual motion (quantum or devaah). Thus, there is no fixed position in the quantum world. Our sensory agencies belong to this category. The first category can be perceived directly (bhaava pratyaya). The second category is inferred from its effects (upaaya pratyaya). It has another category called prakrhti layaah, which reflects consciousness. Both categories are held together by energy (praana) that arises from a base (Aatmaa) to constitute body (pashu). The mechanism is described in Shatapatha Braahmanam 14-4-4-1.

Once the heart starts beating in the embryo, it beats perpetually. This sustains life and its cessation is termed death. The energy that powers this perpetual action (cheshtaa) is called Praana. Praana is the kinetic state (kurvadroopaavasthaa) of force (vala), which is the potential state (suptaavasthaa). Its effect is action (kriyaa). Depending upon the nature of interactions, it can be of five types. The proximity-proximity variable (antaryaama) is called strong interaction, which determines nucleic composition (gandha – gandh ardane, ard himsaayaam) and generates smell. The proximity-distance variable (vahiryaama) is called weak interaction, which determines weak coupling like the n-p chain (rasa – ras gatou) that determines the chemical composition and generates taste. The distance-proximity variable (upayaama) is electromagnetic interaction that generates form (roopa – roop vimohane). The distance-distance variable (yaatayaama) is called beta decay that generates touch (sparsha – sprhsh samsparshane). We can feel touch only when something moves past us. These are intra-body functions. The inter-body functions are called gravitational interaction (udyaama), which is perceived through the intervening space as vibrating sound (shabdah – shapam dadaati iti). Hence Prashnopanishad (2-3 and 3-12) describes the same Praana functioning in five ways.

The difference between neurons in eye and the sensory instrument for ocular perception (darshanendriya) is that, while the former is a huge collection (bhoota from bhoomaa) of minimum units of form (roopa tanmaatraa) that radiates electromagnetic energy, the later is a derivative (vishesha) of reflected consciousness (asmitaa). Like the image of the Sun reflected in water (hence paraanchikhaani) appears disturbed (chidaabhaasa) when water is disturbed, but the real Sun remains unaffected, similarly Conscious self, which reflects Ultimate Consciousness, is involved in actions, while the Ultimate Consciousness remains unattached (Saankhya, Yoga and Brahma Sootras) and only appears to act from a distance (aaraadupakaaraka). One example given in the texts is that of a crystal placed near a red flower.

Praana, when moves objects from center to periphery, i.e., vertically is called Agni. When confined, these are the 8 types of Vasu, which are the gluons (paavaka). When loosely propagating, it is called electricity (Vidyut or pavamaana). When moving out fully, it is called radiation (Sooryah - sooyate iti or Shoochi). The opposite (periphery to center) consolidating or magnetic effect is called cool Ap.  When confined, it is called Aapah. When loosely propagating, it is called Yama (Yamo vai avasaane isti) as it collectively transforms one system to create another system (it is different from death - mrhtyuh, which is related to individuals and not to systems. Hence after death, the body becomes cold). When loosely propagating, it is called Soma (sru gatou). Praana, when moves objects horizontally, is called Vaayu. It has many functional categories (5, 7, 11, 122), but two main functions (vaa gati gandhanayoh): displacement (prerana) and structure formation (vyuhana). The creation depends on Agni and Soma aided by Vaayu. The Vaayu responsible for structure formation is called Maatarishwaa.

MECHANISM OF BIRTH.

Just before and after death, the only difference is the stoppage of heart-beat and it’s after effect of gradual stoppage of all types of circulation (and about 20g weight loss). This must be related to consciousness and life. But what starts the initial breathing? It cannot be fertilization of egg by the sperm, as action can produce only similar chain reactions due to inertia. Fertilization is transformative, whereas heart beat is perpetually repetitive. If we do not accept rebirth, we must admit that death is the end. In that case what is beginning and what is the mechanism of birth?

According to Shrauta Sootras, Agni is generated due to friction (gharshana) and Soma due to pressure (abhishava) between two bodies as in magnetism (which presses iron to magnets). According to chemical laws, rate of reaction rises as temperature goes up. Thus, Rhk Veda (5-44-14/15) says; when genital temperature rises (female is cool soumyaa externally, but its secretion - also electron charge - is hot aagneya) during fertility cycle; the not-so-hot (male is aagneya externally, but its secretion - also positive charge - is soumya) components seek mutual company. Copulation is friction, which raises temperature leading to pressing and ejaculation. This is called fertilization of egg by sperm (charge interaction in atoms). The proto-cells do not have a nucleus, but contain lipids that form membranes as described in Rhk Veda (1-164-4).

Females do not conceive every time they copulate. This is because Maatarishwaa Vaayu moves the fertilized egg sideways (vibrational bonding, which slows down reaction as temperature rises) to be confined in a process like magnetospheric reconnection that creates hydrothermal vents with pockets of warm water (Aapah) in the womb, a condition, which is believed by scientists to have created life on Earth (Lost City expedition). RNA chains get longer, evolving complex life forms like amoebas, worms, and eventually humans, though shorter RNA molecules reproduce faster. Longer RNA chains hide near hydrothermal ocean vents, where unique temperature conditions helped these complex organisms evolve. The mechanism of transformation of salty and alkaline fluid is described in Gopatha Braahmanam. The sideways motion by Maatarishwaa Vaayu (as udaana) creates a reaction couple (apaana-samaana) due to inertia of restoration. This starts heart beat perpetually (vyaana) in the new life form. This local perpetual motion is like functioning of mind (hrhdayaakhya manah. In the case of universe, it is called Swavashyas Manah) that created three different streams of motions, habitats and structures, as described in Rhk Veda 6-69-8 and Aitareya Aaranyaka. While Maatarishwaa Vaayu functions from the heart, mind functions from the brain. For this reason, Ayurveda describes its location in the brain above the palate. Hence Prashnopanishad describes that the new life form is due to the causal body (formed by Rayi-Praana that constitute linga shareera) brought in through the mind (manokrhtenaayaatyasminsharire). This proves the role of mind as explained earlier in the process of reproduction. But this cannot explain life. Conception is subject to uncertainty. Hence even during IVF births, multiple trials are required (God’s will?).

A recent report in The Journal of Neuroscience Volume 35 Number 10 reveals that not only brain cells communicate via electrical missives, created by ions as they travel across the membranes of those cells, but altering the electrical properties of these cells during the process leading to brain forming in an embryo or fetus can dramatically change how the ensuing brain develops. Before the development of a normal brain, the cells lining the neural tube, a structure that eventually becomes the brain and spinal cord, have extreme differences in ionic charge within and outside the membrane that houses the cells. In other words, these cells are extremely polarized (Praana-Apaana). Even the patterns of electrical potential in cells away from neural tube were crucial to normal growth. In ancient times, priests could ensure the birth of a boy through ‘pumsavanam’ without testing the sex of the fetus. Researchers also identified the molecular mechanisms - particularly the role of signals from calcium ions - involved in this effect. This mechanism-level understanding helps clarify ongoing questions about electricity’s (Aindra vidyut) part in shaping the brain. From gene-editing, researchers are moving to genome alteration techniques called germline modification.

PNA, tPNA, RNA, DNA, TNA, PAH, proteins, amino acid, etc., can be likened to accessories (for example: like electric wires, switches, bulbs, etc), but they are not the energy (electricity) that powers the system to make them functional. Atoms also are able to reproduce (so-called decay to other atoms or isotopes or isomers), able to grow (similarly as stated) and able to respond to stimuli (charge interaction). Since according to modern science these are features of life, atoms also can be described as having a life (scientists frequently use the term half-life). However, they are not sentient (prasupta spandana). Plants and animals have limited intelligence (savaasanaavilaa). Human beings exhibit increased intelligence (pravrhddha spandana). There are higher forms (prakshipta spandana) also.

Information encoding that passes from a cell to its descendants can go in many directions. RNAs can be written back into DNAs or a DNA strand can be reoriented by a protein, thereby changing the genetic program. Information polymers are molecules, which themselves are broken apart in water. In replication, cells create copies of themselves using enzymes, which are the proteins that underpin complex reactions, such as digestion. One property that distinguishes living beings from inert objects is their freewill - capacity to initiate action (pravrhti saamarthya). Inert objects cannot do this – they only respond to stimuli. The effect (phala) of Freewill is either harmonious to our genetic composition (sukha) or not (duhkha) based on release of free radicals or not. This determines our response to subsequence impulses making everything deterministic. Freewill of living beings can be physical, mental or through speech form. While the first two are similar to mechanical functioning, inert objects cannot initiate these functions. The third function has two divisions (Saraswati Vaak – a derivative of Bhrhgu and Ambhrhni Vaak – a derivative of Angiraa, both derivatives of Parameshthee Prajaapati). While the later is mechanical and related to functioning of the physical world (as explained in Rhk Veda 10-125), it requires a conscious agent to program or initiate it (Aham Rudrobhih…). The former is a fully conscious process and though some machines or computers can mimic human speech, they cannot interpret the meaning according to the context. Writing through computers we find proof for this. If you type deer in place of dear, it accepts without question. As a lady complained, when she types her name Dipti, it suggests modifications including dirty.

All life forms evolve inside the analog Conscious Sea that pervades everything, like the natural sea pervades coral, sea weed and fish. Structures form and perish - the sea is unaffected. Since it is analog like space and time and contains everything, it is called Brahman (Brhhattwaat and Brhhanattwaat) and Mahaan. Since it is present in the smallest of particles, it is called Anu. We are inside the sea, but being ignorant, are searching for the sea.

PROOF OF REBIRTH:

Due to perception of determinism, sequence, classification, universality of physical laws and causality, rebirth can be proved. The living organisms as well as inert objects are made out of the same constituent material in specific combinations. But there is a universal law that restricts groupings of the body matter of living beings to organic category. Thus, though scientists are searching for the role of signals from calcium ions in development of the brain, it can only be meaningful as an organic compound and not as inorganic calcium. There is a universal rule of causality that everything cannot produce everything. Thus, the birth of a baby cannot be random interaction of atoms, but has to be only by conscious beings after the causal body of sense organs and mind, with their ability to perceive happiness/pain, are acquired by the physical body (sambandhastu dehendriyabuddhivedanaabhih). But can we link the causal body (linga shareera) including mind of the new born to that of a previous birth?

While the cause and effect sequence have been established earlier and the effect of all actions are deterministic, freewill can change the projected outcome generating not only uncertainty, but also deterministic variety subject to universality of physical laws, which can be classified into different groups. But who determines the universal laws? If there is such an Agency (God?) and if causality operates universally, then what is the effect of death? Every action has invariably a determinate reaction that may materialize immediately (eating satisfies hunger) or after certain interval, when suitable conditions appear or reactions take place (taking medicine cures later). Though the reactions take place in the physical body, they are cognized by the causal body. Cognition can initiate reaction in physical body. If we see a snake and become afraid, the cause of fear (snake) is away from us, but the adrenalin flow shoots up within our body. The causal body is unable to initiate action without a physical body. Hence what does the causal body do when physical body is destroyed? There is no proof that it also is destroyed. Thus, it must seek a new physical body. In that case, the new body must exhibit symptoms of prior knowledge.

A new born child has to start learning everything starting with a blank slate. How do all new born babies know that if they cry, someone will look after their needs? How does it learn to suckle when the mother brings her breast near its mouth? Other children also show some intriguing behavior. For example, a rhino mother faints after giving birth. The new born child moves far away from the mother before she regains consciousness. The child returns only after its skin hardened just like hens laying eggs sitting on walls are not broken, as it is spongy at the beginning, which hardens immediately thereafter. Surprisingly, both the mother and the child rhinos recognize each other. This is done because the soft skin of the new born cannot tolerate the affectionate licking of the mother’s thorny tongue. How does the new born rhino know to move away immediately after birth? Since this identical perception is generated every time we look at a new born baby, it proves some prior to birth connection.

If deeds of past birth are like punishing one person for the sins of another, as some opine, what explains differential behavior among twins born to the same parents? Effect is always spatially related to the cause. Since causal body is the initiator and enjoyer of the result of actions; and since the effect cannot cease without being channelized, the causal body cannot be destroyed before such exhaustion (krhtahaanimakrhtaabhyagamashcha). The only conclusion is rebirth is real. There are much more, which will require a separate book. 

Hari Aum.

KNOWLEDGE DRIVEN TECHNOLOGY & MANAGEMENT

THE PROBLEM:

Technology is the application of knowledge for practical purposes. Hence it should be guided by theory. But the technological advancements in various sectors has led to data-driven discoveries in the belief that if enough data is gathered, one can achieve a “God’s eye view”. Data is not synonymous with knowledge. By combining lots of data, we generate something big and different, but unless we have knowledge about the mixing procedure to generate the desired effect, it may create the Frankenstein’s monster - a tale of unintended consequences. Already physics is struggling with misguided concepts like extra-dimensions that are yet to be discovered even after a century. Weirdness of the concepts of  superposition and entanglement are increasingly being questioned with macro examples. The LHC experiment has finally ruled out super-symmetry. Demand for downgrading the status of the Heisenberg’s uncertainty postulate is gaining momentum. Yet, fantasies like dark energy or vacuum energy, where theory and observation differ by a factor of 10⁵⁷ to 10¹²⁰, get Nobel Prize! Theoreticians are vanishing. Technologists are being called scientists. Increase of trial and error based technology that lack the benefit of foresight, are leading to more nonlinearly non-green technology necessitating Minamata Mercury Convention (for reducing Mercury poisoning) type conferences to prescribe do’s and don’ts for some industries. Technology has become the biggest polluter.

With increasing broadband access, wireless connectivity and content, dependence on gadgets like smart phones, tablets, etc, is growing. Apart from its impact on vegetation (browning), birds, and the ecosystem in general, the impact this human–machine bond will have on our lives is yet to be fully assessed. The current trend is to create a product out of an idea (not necessity), for which technology is invented later. The necessary recommendation algorithms are compartmentalized in different branches of science. For example, to find the accelerating expansion of the universe and define the nature of dark energy, researchers used baryon acoustic oscillations as the yardstick. It was created from sound waves that rippled through the universe when it was young and hot and became imprinted in the distribution of galaxies as it cooled. In sync with the idea, Google+ and Apple’s Siri came up with learning algorithms that respond to one’s voice. Apple’s new iPhone fingerprint sensor is directed at the machine knowing our bodies. Such devices start by recognizing one’s thumb or voice; then other’s voices, the way they move, etc. If such devices put such information together with information about one’s location and his engagement calendar, it will be an integral part of our life. Social media is changing the kinship diagram through emotionless physical relationships. Network Administrators and algorithms regulate ‘date’ vetting. Human beings are increasingly submitting themselves to machines and becoming mechanized.

As the available resources get depleted and demand for more intelligent solutions and services using nano-technology increases, there is pressure for more re-generative and ‘intelligent’ – GREEN and SMART– technologies emphasizing the need for knowledge collaboration in engineering. Green technology encompasses a continuously evolving group of methods and materials, from techniques for generating non-exhausting energy sources like solar or wind or tidal power to non-toxic clean products (based on their production process or supply chain) that are environmental-friendly and biodegradable. It involves energy efficiency, recycling, safety and health concerns, renewable resources, etc. Yet, it has to fight the ever increasing greed for easy money. For example; as the world gold prices surges, small-scale ‘artisanal’ gold mining has become the world’s leading source of mercury pollution. Miners use mercury to separate flecks of gold from rocks, sediment and slurry and then dump or burn the excess. It exposes ground water and air to mercury poisoning. But to motivate the miners to adopt green alternatives is nearly impossible. Recycling without the knowledge of its adverse side-effects is causing more pollution world wide. But the greed for higher Return on Investment is eulogized as prosperity and advancement.

“SMART” stands for “Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology”. It gets input from somewhere, applies some ‘intelligence’ or ‘brainpower’ to it and the result is innovative. For example, regular glasses used in spectacles are shaped in such a way as to bend light for correct vision - to make the world appear sharper and clearer. Photo-chromatic lenses contain molecules that react to certain kinds of light and change tint in sunshine. Though it seems intelligent, these are just physical reactions. By adding a camera and a computer to a pair of glasses, many innovations can be made. A video camera at the corners of the spectacles that feed into a tiny pocket computer that light up parts of an LED array in the lenses can enable the wearer to see objects in greater detail. It could include optical character recognition for reading newspaper headlines. The glasses use cameras and some software to interpret the data and put zoomed in images on a screen in front of the wearer’s eyes. This is only exemplary.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the current buzz word. AI is of two types called narrow (ANI) and general (AGI) artificial intelligence. ANI is the intelligent function at one narrow task like playing a chess game or searching the web and is increasingly ubiquitous in our world. ANI may outsmart humans only in the area in which it is specialized - hence not a big transformative concern. But AGI, which is potentially intelligent across a broad range of domains, is cause for concern. We mix the different sensory inputs by our intelligence and apply our freewill to determine net response, but an AGI would probably think or mix differently in unexpected ways. If we command a super-intelligent robot to make us happy, it might cram electrodes into the pleasure centers of our brains. If we command it to win at chess, it may calculate all possible moves endlessly. This absurd logic holds because AI lacks our instincts and the notions of absurdity and justification of mixing inputs. It does what we program it to do, but without freewill. Once the embryo starts breathing, it breathes perpetually till death, but the child also has limited free-will and uses his instincts. After being switched on, computers obey commands, but have no free-will or instincts. Since these cannot be preprogrammed, AI can never be conscious.

Knowledge is not data, but the ‘awareness’ of exposure/result of measurement associated with any object, energy or interaction stored in memory as an invariant concept that can be retrieved even in the absence of fresh inputs or impulses. It describes through a language the defining characteristics of some previously known thing – physical properties and chemical interactions - by giving it a name that remain the same as a concept at all times – thus immune to spatiotemporal variations - till it is modified by fresh inputs. The variations of the object, energy or interaction under different specific circumstances and the predetermined result thereof form part of knowledge. In a mathematical format, it depicts the right hand side of each equation or inequality representing determinism. Once the parameters represented by the left hand side are chosen and the special conditions represented by the equality sign are met, the right hand side becomes deterministic. In ancient times, it was technically covered under the term Aanwikshiki, which literally means describable facts about the invariant nature of everything.

Engineering and Management which deal with the efficient use of objects or persons; are related to left hand side of an equation – free-will; which presupposes knowledge of the deterministic behavior of objects or humans that can be chosen or effectively directed to create something or function in a desired manner in a maximally economic and regenerative way. This was called Trayi – literally the three aspects of behavior of mass, energy and radiation in their three states of solid, fluid and plasma in all combinations – physical and chemical properties (protestation, loyalty and expectation for humans). The responsive mechanism was called Danda Neeti – principles of inducement through reward and punishment (essentially material addition or reduction). The regenerative mechanism was called Vaartaa – problem solving. These four basic tenets, equally valid for both technology and management, are also immutable - invariant in time, space and culture leading to deterministic consequences. Lack of knowledge of the deterministic behavior to guide choice of the freewill components has led engineering and management astray. The fast changing technology and management principles point to their inherent deficiencies that need immediate remedy. Knowledge guidance is the only way out.

There is a pressing need for knowledge to take the lead for greener technology keeping in view sustainability, cradle-to-cradle design, source reduction, viability, innovation, etc. Hence it is necessary that pure science guide technology in the right direction in ALL sectors. Till date all efforts in this regard have been sector specific such as energy, chemicals, medical, real estate, hardware, etc. As a result, green and smart technology has been reduced to transferring problems in a discrete manner – they solve problem in one area (for example by recycling something) ignoring the effect of the new process or its by-products on other areas. It is high time to discuss a global strategy to meet the new challenges.

THE PARADIGM SHIFT:

Earlier, some individual scientists with their over-towering genius developed a postulate and took the lead in Universities or Research Institutions to develop suitable experimental setups to test those. These days, individual scientists have to network and collaborate across State and National boundaries to take advantage of State and International funding. They generate incredibly massive data without any postulate. Communication technology has made the efforts of individual researchers coalesce into a seamless whole merging identities of who contributed what. The 2013 Nobel Prize in physics was the result of many ideas that were floated around in early 1960’s by at least six scientists. During that time lots of new particles were being discovered and it was a fair bet that some particle would be discovered in the vacant 124-126 GeV range. Hence it was proposed as a gamble. The model tested at the LHC was not that of Higgs and Englert, who got the prize, but one for which Weinberg and Salam had already won a Nobel! The general mechanism was first postulated by Philip Anderson a couple years before Higgs and Englert. Already there are protests against the decision.

As individual efforts became obscured and team efforts took-over, more and more data are accumulated making their storage and analysis a big problem. When subatomic particles are smashed together at the LHC, they create showers of both known and unknown new particles whose signatures are recorded by four detectors. The LHC captures 5 trillion bits of data (more information than all of the world’s libraries combined) every second. After the application of filtering algorithms, more than 99 percent of those data are discarded, but still the four detectors produce 25 petabytes (25×10¹⁵ bytes) of data per year that must be stored and analyzed. These are processed on a vast computing grid of 160 data centers around the world, a distributed network that is capable of transferring as much as 10 gigabytes per second at peak performance. Are these data really necessary? Can we be sure that useful data are not being discarded while filtering, particularly when do not know what we are searching for or are searching selectively? Is there no other way to formulate theory?  Is the outcome cost-effective?

The unstructured streams of digital potpourri are no longer stored in a single computer - it is distributed across multiple computers in large data centers or even in the “cloud”. It demands developing rigorous scientific methodologies and different data-processing requirements - not only flexible databases, massive computing power and sophisticated algorithms, but also a holistic (not reductionist) approach to get any meaningful information. One possible solution to this dilemma is to embrace a new paradigm. In addition to distributed storage, why not analyze the data in a distributed manner as well! Each unit (or node) in a network of computers perform a small piece of the computation! Each partial solution is then integrated to find the full result. For example, at LHC, one complete copy of the raw data (after filtering) is stored at the CERN in Switzerland. A second copy is divided into batches that are then distributed to data centers around the world. Each center analyzes a chunk of data and transmits the results to regional computers before moving on to the next batch. But this lacks the holistic approach. The reports of the six blind men about the body parts of the elephant are individually correct. But unless someone has seen an elephant, he cannot make any sense out of it.

THE BIG-DATA CHALLENGE:

The demand for ever-faster processors, while important, is not the primary focus anymore. Processing speed has become completely irrelevant now. The challenge is not how to solve problems with a single, ultra-fast processor, but how to solve them with a large number of slower processors. Yet, many problems in big-data cannot be adequately addressed by adding more parallel processing. These problems are more sequential, where each step depends on the outcome of the preceding step. Sometimes the work can be split-up among a bunch of processors, but that is not easy always. Time taken to complete one task is not always inversely proportional to the number of persons. Often the software is not written to take full advantage of the extra processors. Failure of Just-in-time and super-efficiency in management has led to world-wide economic crisis. We may be approaching a similar crisis in the scientific and technological field. The Y2K problem was a precursor to what could happen.

Addressing the storage-capacity challenges of big-data involves building more memory and managing fast movement of data. Identifying correlated dimensions is exponentially more difficult than looking for a needle in a haystack. When one does not know the correlations one is looking for, one must compare each of the ‘n’ pieces of data with every other piece, which takes n-squared operations. The amount of data is roughly doubling every year (Moore’s Law). If in our algorithm, for each doubling of data, we have to do two-squared times computing, then in the following year, we have to do 16 times (four squared) as much computing. By next year, our computers will only be twice as fast and in two years our computers will only be four times as fast. Thus, we are exponentially falling behind in our ability to store and analyze the collected data. There are non-technical problems also. The analytical tools of the future require not only the right mix of physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, statistics, computer science, etc., but also the team leader to take a holistic approach – free of reductionism. In the big-data scenario, mathematicians and statisticians should normally become intellectual leaders. But mathematics is more focused on abstract work and do not encourage people to develop leadership skills – it tends to rank people linearly to determine an individual pecking order introducing bias. Engineers are used to working on teams focused on solving problems, but they cannot visualize new theories.

Although smaller studies via distributed processing provide depth and detail at a local level, they are also limited to a specific set of queries and reflect the particular methodology of the investigator, which makes the results more difficult to reproduce or reconcile with broader models. The big impacts on the ecosystem including effects of global warming cannot be studied with short-term, smaller studies. But in the big-data age of distributed computing; the most important decision to be taken is: how to conduct distributed science across a network of researchers - not merely “interdisciplinary research”, but a state of “trans-disciplinary research” - free from the reductionist approach? Machines are not going to organize data-science research. Researchers have to turn petabytes of data into scientific knowledge. But who is leading data-science right now? There is a leadership crisis! There is a conceptual crisis!

Today’s big data is noisy, unstructured, and dynamic rather than static. It may also be corrupted or incomplete. Many important data are not shared till its theoretical, economical or intellectual property right aspects are fully exploited. Sometimes data is fudged. Data should comprise of vectors – a string of numbers and coordinates. But now researchers need new mathematical tools, such as text recognition, or data compression by selecting key words and their synonyms, etc., in order to glean useful information from and intelligently curate the data-sets. For this either we need a more sophisticated way to translate it into vectors, or we need to come up with a more generalized way of analyzing it. Several promising mathematical tools are being developed to handle this new world of big, multimodal data.

THE NEW APPROACH:

One solution suggested is based on consensus algorithms. It’s a mathematical optimization system. Algorithms with past data are useful for creating an effective SPAM filter on a single computer, with all the data in one place. But when the problem becomes too large for a single computer, a consensus optimization approach works better. In this process, the data-set is chopped into bits and distributed across several “agents” each of which analyze their bit and produce a model based on the data they have processed - something similar in concept to the Amazon’s Mechanical Turk crowd-sourcing methodology. The program learns from the feedback, aggregating the individual responses into its working model to make better predictions in the future. In this system, the process is iterative, creating a feedback loop. Although each agent’s model can be different, all the models must agree in the end - hence “consensus algorithms”. The initial consensus is shared with all agents, which update their models and reach a second consensus, and so on. The process repeats until all the agents agree.

Another prospect is quantum computing, which is fundamentally different from parallel processing. A classical computer stores information as bits that can be either 0s or 1s. A quantum computer could exploit a weird property called superposition of states. If we flip a regular coin, it will land on heads or tails. There is zero probability that it will be both heads and tails. But if it is a quantum coin, it is said to exist in an indeterminate state of both heads and tails until we look to see the outcome. Thereafter, it collapses - assumes a fixed value. This is a wrong description of reality. The result of measurement is always related to a time t, and is frozen for use at later times t₁, t₂, etc, when the object has evolved further and the result of measurement does not depict its true state. Thus, we can only know the value that existed at the moment of observation or measurement. Scientists impose their ignorance of the true state of the system at any moment on the object or the system and describe the combined unknown states together as superposition of all possible states. It is physically unachievable.

The quantum computers, if built, will be best suited to simulate quantum mechanical systems or to factor large numbers to break codes in classical cryptography. Quantum computing might be able to assist big-data by searching very large, unsorted data-sets in a fraction of the time for parallel processors. However, to really make it work, we would need a quantum memory that can be accessed while in a quantum superposition, but the very act of accessing the memory would collapse or destroy the superposition. Some claim to have developed a conceptual prototype of quantum RAM (Q-RAM), along with an accompanying program called Q-App (pronounced “quapp”) targeted to machine learning. The system could find patterns within data without actually looking at any individual records, thereby preserving the quantum superposition (questionable idea). One is supposed to access the common features of billions of items in his database at the same time, without individually accessing them. With the cost of sequencing human genomes (where a single genome is equivalent to 6 billion bits) dropping, and commercial genotyping services rising, there is a great push to create such a database. But knowing about malaria without knowing who is having it, is useless for treatment purposes.

Another approach is integrating across very different data sets. No matter how much we speed up the computers or computers together, the real issues are at the data level. For example, a raw data-set could include thousands of different tables scattered around the Web, each one listing similar data, but each using different terminology and column headers, known as “schema”. The problem can be overcome with a header to describe the state. We must understand the relationship between the schemas before the data in all those tables can be integrated. That, in turn, requires breakthroughs in techniques to analyze the semantics of natural language. What if our algorithm needs to understand only enough of the surrounding text to determine whether, for example, a table includes specific data so that it can then integrate the table with other, similar tables into one common data set? It is one of the toughest problems in AI. But Panini has already done it with the Pratyaahaara style of the 14 Maheshwari Sootras.

One widely used approach is the topological data analysis (TDA), which is an outgrowth of machine learning - a way of getting structured data out of unstructured data so that machine-learning algorithms can act directly on it. It is a mathematical version of Occam’s razor: While there may be millions of possible reconstructions for a fuzzy, ill-defined image, the sparsest (simplest) version is probably the best fit. Compressed sensing was born out of this serendipitous discovery. With compressed sensing, one can determine which bits are significant without first having to collect and store them all. This allows us to acquire medical images faster, make better radar systems, or even take pictures with single pixel cameras. The idea was there since Euler, who puzzled over a conundrum: is it possible to walk across seven bridges connecting four geographical regions, crossing each bridge just once, and yet end up at one’s original starting point?  The relevant issue was the number of bridges and how they were connected. Euler reduced the four land regions to nodes connected by the bridges represented by lines. To cross all the bridges only once, each land region would need an even number of bridges. Since that was not the case, such a journey was impossible. A similar story is told in B-Schools. If 32 teams play a knock-out tournament, how many games will be played totally? One reasoned that in every game, one team will be defeated. Only one team will remain undefeated till the end. Thus, the total number of games is 31. This is the essence of compressed sensing. Using compressed sensing algorithms, it is possible to sample only 100 out of 1000 pixels in an image, and still be able to reconstruct it in full resolution - provided the key elements of sparsity (which usually denotes an image’s complexity or lack thereof) and grouping (or holistic measurements) are present.

Taking these ideas, mathematicians are representing big data-sets as a network of nodes and edges, creating an intuitive map of data based solely on the similarity of data points. This uses distance as an input that translates into a topological shape or network. The more similar the data points are, the closer they will be to each other on the resulting map. The more different they are, the further apart they will be on the map. This is the essence of TDA. Many of the methods in machine learning are most effective when working with data matrices, like an Excel spreadsheet, but what if our data set does not fit that framework?

TDA is all about the connections. In a social network, relationships between people can be mapped: with clusters of names as nodes and connections as edges illustrating how they are connected. There will be clusters relating to family, friends, colleagues, etc. But it is not always discernible. From friendship to love is not a linear relationship. It is possible to extend the TDA approach to other kinds of data-sets, such as genomic sequences. One can lay the sequences out next to each other and count the number of places where they differ. That number becomes a measure of how similar or dissimilar they are and one can encode that as a distance function. This is supposed to reveal the underlying shape of the data. A shape is a collection of points and distances between those points in a fixed order. But such a map will not accurately represent the defining features. If we represent a circle by a hexagon with six nodes and six edges, it may be recognizable as a circular shape, but we have to sacrifice roundness. A child grows with age, but the rate of growth is not uniform in every part of the body. Some features develop only after certain stage. If the set at lower representations has topological features in it, that is not a sure indication that there are features in the original data also. The visual representation of the flat surface of Earth does not belie its curvature. Topological methods are also a lot like casting a two-dimensional shadow of a three-dimensional object on the wall: they enable us to visualize a large, high-dimensional data set by projecting it down into a lower dimension. The danger is that, as with the illusions created by shadow puppets, one might be seeing patterns and images that are not really there. There is a joke that topologists can not tell the difference between their rear end and a coffee cup because the two are topologically equivalent.

Some researchers emphasize the need to develop a broad spectrum of flexible tools that can deal with many different kinds of data. For example, many users are shifting from traditional highly structured relational databases, broadly known as SQL, which represent data in a conventional tabular format, to a more flexible format dubbed NoSQL. It can be as structured or unstructured as we need it to be, depending on the application. Another method favored by many is the maximal information coefficient (MIC), which is a measure of two-variable dependence designed specifically for rapid exploration of many-dimensional data-sets. It was claimed that MIC possesses a desirable mathematical property called equitability that mutual information lacks. It has been disputed that MIC does not address the issues of equitability, but rather focuses on the statistical power. MIC is said to be less powerful than a recently developed statistic called distance correlation (dCor) and a different statistic, HHG, both of which have their own problems and are not satisfactory either.

            In all these, we are missing the woods for the trees. We do not need massive data – we need theories out of the data. Higgs boson is said to validate Standard Model, which does not include gravity – hence incomplete. The graviton, also predicted by SM but described differently in string theory, is yet to be discovered. That the same experiment disproves Super symmetry (SUSY), which united gravity with SM, questions it and points to science beyond SM.

A report published in July, 2013 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, shows that to make healthy sperm, mice must have genes that enable the sense of taste. Sperm have been shown to host bitter-taste receptors and smell receptors, which most likely sense chemicals released by the egg. But the idea that such proteins might function in sperm development is new. Elsewhere researchers have found taste and smell receptors in the body that help to sense toxins, pick up messages from gut bacteria or foil pathogens. This opens up a whole world of alternative uses of these genes. When we assign functions to genes, it is a very narrow view of biology. Probably for every molecule that we assign a specific function to, it is doing other things in other contexts. If anyone bothered to read the ancient system of Medicine Ayurveda or properly interpret Mundaka Upanishadic dictums “annaat praano”, they will be surprised to rediscover the science that is indicated through the latest data. We are not discussing it here due to space constraint. There are many such examples. Instead of looking outward to data, let us look inward and study the objects and develop the theories (many of which have become obsolete) afresh based on currently available data. The mind-less data-chase must stop.

THE WAY AHEAD:

            Theory without technology is lame. Technology without theory is blind. Both need each other. But theory must guide technology and not the opposite. Nature provides everything for our sustenance. We should try to understand Nature and harmonize our actions to natural laws. While going for green technology, we must focus on the product that we use, than on the packaging that we discard. As per a recent study, in London people waste 60% of the food they buy to eat while others go hungry. Necessity and not idea should lead to creation of a product. Minimizing waste is also green. Only products that are really not essential for our living need advertisement. The concept of every business is show business must change. Product liability laws should be strengthened; specifically in FMCG sector. But what is the way out when economic and military considerations drive research? We propose an approach as follows:

·                     The cult of incomprehensibility and reductionism that rules science must end and trans-disciplinary research values inculcated. Theory must get primacy over technology. There should be more seminars to discuss theory with feedback from technology. Most of the data collected at enormous cost are neither necessary nor cost effective. This methodology must change.

·                     The superstitious belief in ‘established theories’ must end and truth should replace fantasy. We have given alternative explanations of ten-dimensions, time dilation, wave-particle duality, superposition, entanglement, dark-energy, dark matter, inflation, etc, before international scientific forums with macro-examples without cumbersome mathematics, while pointing out the deficiencies in many ‘established theories’. Those views have not yet been contradicted.

·                     To overcome economic and military pressure, International Conventions on important areas like the Minamata Mercury Convention should be held regularly for other problem areas under the aegis of UNESCO or similar International bodies.

·                     There is no need to go high-tech in all fields. We should think out of box. Traditional knowledge is a very good source of information (most herbal product companies use it successfully). If we analyze these scientifically without any bias, we can get lot of useful inputs.

·                     General educational syllabus must seek to address day-to-day problems of the common man. Higher education should briefly integrate other related branches while focusing on specialization.

·                     Technologist is a honorable term. But stop calling them scientists.

N.B.: Here we have used ancient concepts with modern data.