Contributed papers presented at aq seminar organised under DRS-SAP UGC Program in the Dept. of Sanskrit, Dr. H.S. Gour University, Sagar on Oct. 17-18, 2000.

The idea that the universe was created by God often meets hostile opposition from proponents of rationality and science because unlike science that creates empirical laws, religious theories seem to make no verifiable predictions. But in Vedic Creationism, author Ashish K. Dalela shows that a personal theistic account of creation given in the Vedas has radical implications for the study of matter and questions of creation, including new verifiable predictions based upon a different conception of reality. An expansive examination of the meaning of the universe by comparing and contrasting varying philosophical vantages, Vedic Creationism covers the journey from Vedic notions on God's personality and conscious mind to the implication these ideas have for the origins of life and the attainment of quantum gravity. Dalela relates the ideas in Vedic philosophy with the current state of affairs in modern science including the mind-body problem, the unification of quantum and relativity theories, and the question of evolution and origins of life. Presenting new, forward-looking ideas, Vedic Creationism will help put the age-old wisdom of Vedas in a modern light and open new areas of dialogue.

Why the Observer Needs a Central Place in Science The dominantly materialist outlook of modern science leaves a lot unexplained. This includes the nature of sensation, concepts, beliefs and judgments, and an understanding of morality. Science was developed by evicting all aspects of the subject from its theories, and this has now become a hindrance in the scientific study of the observer. Does the eviction of subjective qualities only impact the understanding of the subject, or does it also affect the understanding of matter within science? The dominant belief today is that the current view of matter is nearly final and mind and consciousness will be soon explained based on it. Sankhya and Science argues to the contrary. The nature of material objects if they are created and perceived by conscious beings is different than if they are independent of consciousness. If objects are created and perceived by conscious beings, they should be described as symbols of meanings rather than as meaningless things. Questions Tackled in This Book First, the author discusses a wide variety of problems in modern science, including mathematics, computing, physics, chemistry, biology and neuroscience and how they cannot be solved in the materialistic view.Then, the author offers the alternative view of matter based on Sankhya philosophy--meanings in consciousness are reflected in matter to create symbols of meaning. Now, to know all aspects of matter we need to understand all aspects of the observer, otherwise the theory of matter is incomplete. Mind and Matter Integrated into a Semantic Science The book connects a semantic view of matter to the problems of indeterminism and uncertainty in quantum physics, the problem of meaning in computing theory, the nature of information in chemistry and biology, and the problem of sensation and cognition in psychology and neuroscience. Unlike in modern science, where meaning and information are emergent properties of physical objects, in Sankhya, objects are created when the mind transfers meanings into space-time. The reader will see how mind and matter can be integrated without stepping outside the rational-empirical approach to science. Moreover, this integration can engender new kinds of empirical theories, better able to explain phenomena currently lying outside the reach of science. This deeper understanding of mind and matter also builds up the conceptual framework for understanding other complex topics such as Vedic Cosmology, meditation, mantras, prana, reincarnation and karma. The book illustrates how the choices of consciousness are first converted into meanings in the mind, which are then converted into energy, which is then converted into material objects through incremental steps. By the end of the book, the author builds a new approach to doing science. This paradigm will be able to explain more phenomena than current theories, and will solve the problems of indeterminism, uncertainty and incompleteness which plague current sciences. How Is This book Different? Most people drawing parallels between science and Eastern philosophy end up claiming that the Eastern mystics knew thousands of years back what modern science discovered only recently. This conclusion may be satisfying as a bridge between religion and science, but it is ultimately futile--if the mystical viewpoint is similar to the materialist view then why we still need mysticism? Instead of parallels, this book offers a contrarian view of matter and science. It hopes to show that current science and mysticism are not convergent (although a new science and mysticism could be). The convergence requires not faith but an evolution of science itself. This approach is interesting because it tells us that the convergence will be rational rather than a matter of faith.

The mysteries of the fifth Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam have long puzzled students of Vedic cosmography and astronomy. Confronted with a description of the universe that seems much at variance with the information provided by our senses and standard astronomical calculations, foreign observers and even Indian commentators from the middle ages up to the present have concluded that the Bhagavatam`s account elaborated in other Puranas must be mythological. On the other hand the same persons have been much impressed with vedic astronomical treatises the jyotisasastras which provide remarkably accurate measurements of the solar system.

The ?igveda is the first book of humankind and the most sacred scripture of Hinduism. It also happens to be the most ill-understood book of our times. Despite the extensive study by academic and religious scholars, the purpose and meaning of the ?igveda and many ancient Hindu scriptures remain unclear. In this pathbreaking book, the discovery of the ?igveda as a book of ancient cosmology is described, and related to the seals of ancient Indus Valley Civilization, thereby challenging our perception of humanity."The Vedas have always been lauded as containing the secrets of cosmogenesis. Raja Roy in his remarkable book shows how this is true not only from the yogic vison but according to the latest insights of modern physics. The book takes the reader on a vast panoramic journey through the universe of matter, mind and human history as well."David Frawley (Vamadeva Shastri), Director, American Institute of Vedic Studies"Roy presents a new framework for the understanding of the Vedic hymns from the point of view of physics and then he draws parallels with recent theories on the nature of the universe. We celebrate the new path he has hewn through the bush of old scholarship."Professor Subhash Kak, Oklahoma State University

Evolution in general means a process of change or transformation. Evolution commonly used to refer to biological, genetic or organic evolution. Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generation. History of evolutionary theory refers to Overview, Renaissance, Before Darwin, Darwin, Origin of Species, Before synthesis, Modern synthesis, Molecular evolution, Evo-devo, Current research, History of speciation, History of paleontology, etc. Modern synthesis theory of evolution shed light on population genetics, genetic variation, natural selection, eclipse of Darwinism and non-Darwinian theories of evolution. Malthusian completion and variation lead to Natural selection.Mutation lead to Genetic variation and Mendelian inheritance. All these together ended in Modern synthesis. Vedic evolution refers to the philosophy and science of evolution according to Vedas. Hinduism sheds light of the Origin of life, creation and evolution based on Vedas, Brahmanas and Puranas. The Rigveda mentions the Hiranyagarbha (“golden embryo”) as the source of the Personal and Impersonal Universe, similar to the “world egg” motif found in the creation myths of many other civilizations. Hindus find support for evolution in scriptures. Dashavatara has similarities to Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. The Shatapatha Brahmana states that the current human generation descends from Manu, the only man who survived is comparable to the other flood legends, such as the story of the Noah’s Ark mentioned in the Bible and the Quran. Hindu Dharma believes in the evolution and involution of forms of lives according to Karma of individuals. In every form of species exists the soul that stands as eternal witness of thoughts of mind that becomes actions. Author of this book, exhibits his findings of serious research about “Evolution according to Vedas, in relation to that of contemporary modern synthesis theory of evolution, that the origin of man is time immemorial. The end of man is the climax of human evolution i.e., Suddha Prajne, i.e., Pure Consciousness, which is the embodiment of “Sat Chit Ananda i.e,. Eternal Truth – Eternal Knowledge – Eternal Bliss.” The book “Vedic Evolution : Its Philosophy and Science” may become a source book for finding solutions to Global Harmony, Happiness and Peace. Human life lead naturally leads to Pure Consciousness.Vedic Evolution is the evolution of human life from: “Falsity to Truth; from Ignorance to Wisdom; from Death to Immortality.” Vedic message to humanity is: “O Man, you have to live hundred years, evolving healthily-happily and spiritually, until you become one with THAT SUPREME PURE CONSCIOUSNESS WHICH IS ALL PERVASIVE, BOTH IN THE SEEN AND UNSEEN COSMIC EGG OR BRAHMANADA.”