Our Heritage - Most Distorted and Unscientific Interpretations by Dr. N. Gopalakrishnan, CSIR. Same ideas are getting preached in Kerala through TV channels through fanciful structured dialogue decked with scientific terms and Sanskrit verses. Unless the dialogues are cut open and the poisonous contents is demonstrated, the dialogue shall remain like a sweet cake enticing saliva to all lovers of India and its true scientific heritage.
Our Heritage - Most Distorted and Unscientific Interpretations by Dr. N. Gopalakrishnan, CSIR. Same ideas are getting preached in Kerala through TV channels through fanciful structured dialogue decked with scientific terms and Sanskrit verses. Unless the dialogues are cut open and the poisonous contents is demonstrated, the dialogue shall remain like a sweet cake enticing saliva to all lovers of India and its true scientific heritage.
Our Heritage - Most Distorted and Unscientific Interpretations by Dr. N. Gopalakrishnan, CSIR. Same ideas are getting preached in Kerala through TV channels through fanciful structured dialogue decked with scientific terms and Sanskrit verses. Unless the dialogues are cut open and the poisonous contents is demonstrated, the dialogue shall remain like a sweet cake enticing saliva to all lovers of India and its true scientific heritage.
Our Heritage – Most Distorted and Unscientific community of Kerala and the indian communities abroad, the innocent
Interpretations by Dr. N. Gopalakrishnan, CSIR targets of Gopalakrishnan's heritage campaign.
K. Chandra Hari 2. Scientific Meaning of Ācārams
1. Introduction Reference is to a 94 minutes speech modeled in the form of a dialogue between Srī Kalyān Visvanathan and Dr. NGK, CSIR vide two audio Alarmed by the distortions and unscientific interpretations that Dr. N. files available on World Wide Web2 (www). Same ideas are getting Gopalakrishnan made in his presentation1 of Indian astronomy to the preached in Kerala through TV channels through fanciful structured public I felt a moral compulsion to look at his other communications, dialogue decked with scientific terms and Sanskrit verses. Unless the pamphlet and speeches to understand their standard. Two speeches he dialogues are cut open and the poisonous contents is demonstrated, the delivered in USA with audio made available on internet and the text of dialogue shall remain like a sweet cake enticing saliva to all lovers of which is available in his Malayalam and English pamphlets is being India and its true scientific heritage. Obviously the old generation and reviewed here in public interest. Camouflaged by his oratorical skill and the innocent students in their early stages of science education are the the scholastic chanting of a few verses, a most parochial and victims of the parochial campaign. unscientific campaign is taking place in Kerala, one of the most literate of all places in the world. What is happening to Keralites? What 51 Minutes Speech on Ācāras happened to our great reformist spirits and rationalism? What has Dialogues begin with a two stage 'orientation phase' required for a happened to our science educators and the scientific spirit? What has deceptive campaign: happened to our Universities and our professors? Where is the Sastrasahitya Parishat when Kerala is made into a victim of the (a) Introduction of the 'senior scientist of CSIR' to give authority for the pseudoscientific jargon under the address of a senior scientist of CSIR? uttered pseudoscientific jargon Can we allow the scientific spirit of Kerala be lulled into silence and (b) Ambiance of the hypnotic presence of a Sage (Rishi) is created with sleep by the chant of a few Sanskrit verses and the pseudoscientific some chant of verses and well known statistical accounts of the Vedic jargon of a Chemist who has not mastered any science well? literatures - number of Vedas, the word count, the syllable count and the number of Śākhas etc. I have no personal conflict here. If someone calls me a barking dog, yes (c) Spicy items like the names of illustrious men like Dr. APJ Abdul I am, I have decided to be a barking dog to awaken the scientific spirit Kalam, name of the illustrious Vedic scholars like Sri of Kerala – Uthisthathā, Jāgratā, Prāpyavarannibodhatah - let us Gopalaghanapadikal, Sri Ravi Sankar, Sri Satyasai Baba, Mata awake and arise rather than becoming meek victims to the concocted Amritanandamayi, a spate of names of US Universities, names of pseudoscientific jargon aimed at Brahministic indoctrination. I am to Kerala hospitals etc are inserted in between to maintain the (a) and (b) present below a refutation of the pseudoscientific jargon of Dr. N. ambiance. Gopalakrishnan and the same will be sent to well known professors and (d) Thus the stage is set for the 'Heritage Audio Circus' and the 'blessed scientists to judge the truth and for making it percolate down the student one' – senior scientist turned Vedic Scholar (who interprets his name as Veda-pāla Krishna by making the Go or Cow, the Vedas) starts illuminating the audience as may be summarized below: 1 Indian Scientific Heritage by Dr. N. Gopalakrishnan, published by IISH, Trivandrum 2.http://www.sanatanadharmafoundation.com/index.php?option=com_c ontent&task=view&id=47&Itemid=32. 1 2 3. Distortion of facts and pseudoscientific jargon Chromosomal theory that explains the sex of a child is wrong? Is it the mother or the father who decides the sex of the child? How (a) Grhysūtras as the 'reference manual' of our Ācāras. many could have gained male children by following Dr. Show under reference begins with a reference to Kalpasūtras and the Gopalakrishan's heritage science in Grhysutras? subsidiary texts of the Vedas in general to present the Grhysūtras as the Is this the science under which our heritage has taken shape? Does 'reference manual' of our Ācāras. How true is this statement? not the modern society condemn such precepts as here for selection Within the harmless facade of the 'Indian Scientific Heritage' here we even in principle and then what is the relevance of the Grhysutras see the Smrtikāraka3 awakening with his true colors. Let us see the getting eulogized? implications of the above teaching - Heritage audio circus had the beginning with the invocation Our Ācāras and heritage is based on the Vedic Grhysūtras? If yes "Mātrdevobhava, Pitrdevobhava...."- great old precept for creating where to the Vedic Gods and Agni disappear? the ambiance. Then a number of modern disciplines of study are Can the prescriptions in the Grhysūtras be treated as complete mentioned rhythmically to convey that the scientific basis of Ācāras without the associated Vedic rituals? has been discovered by researches in modern Medicine, Sociology, Psychology, Anthropology, Biochemistry etc. How the Ācāra is scientific when it is adhered to namesake even by Brahmins and when the rituals and Gods have gone into oblivion? 5. Science of the 16 Samskaras How scientific is Dr. N. Gopalakrishnan's understanding of the He claims that the 16 Samskāras convert the born animal Grhysūtras, given the ludicrous claims he is making? 'scientifically' into a cultured human being. We must note here that See an item of the Grhyasūtras below to illustrate its scientific the so called Shodaśa-samskaras are Brahmnical in character and content about which Dr. Gopalakrishan is silent. Jaimini even today the Tantris are making their claims of superiority on the Grhysūtram4 1.5 gives the technique to secure the birth of a male basis that they are 'divine' because of the 16 kriyas denied to others. child. The so-called Pumsavanam had been there for the 10,000 Such customs more or less existed in all civilizations and had been years of antiquity claimed and the Vedic Brahmins were thus monopoly of the priestly class whom Dr. Gopalakrishnan obtaining 'graceful' male kids? represents. Now in 21st century he is trying to market the same to In this modern world, any modern medical men think that the sex of indirectly convey the Brahmnical supremacy. an embryo is decided in the 3rd month of pregnancy? His teaching as above leads to obvious conclusions like – without Further, the ritual is scientifically so ridiculous because the priesthood of Brahmins there are no human beings, only animals scriptures say that if the woman has another child, the ceremony has live in Indian society. to be in the 4th month of pregnancy. Is it a part of Indian scientific heritage? Which University has Can we see any scientific heritage here? studied their efficacy? In which Journals the studies got published? He always talks hi-fi language but always without proper reference 3 Authors of Smrtis like those of Manu, Yājnavalkya, Śankara and lot of except in the case of Delhi Iron Pillar and NG Dogre's paper on a so other Brāhmana-priests who wrote texts as to how to maintain called Spectrometer which in all probability is a manipulation Varnāshrama Dharma (Casteism), i.e Brahmin supremacy according to Sanskrit scholars. If it is a genuine piece of research, 4 Jaimini Grhysutram, I.5. p.10. Motilal Banarssidas, Delhi 3 4 why such an advanced Spectrometer has not reached the market so They never discriminated between human being by their caste, creed or far? sex and the efficacy of their science can be seen in their conduct and the way they spread the message of Universal love. On the contrary the men Last, but not the least, how the Brahmins born of 16 samskaras of Gāyatrī had condemned human beings in the most parochial manner came to loose their Gods and rituals and the Agni itself and what and developed priesthood to parasitic proportions upon the Indian 'divine' could be seen in their despising of humans in terms of caste society and paved the way for its degenerations. and karma? What kind of human sentiments did they harbor till the geniuses born in lower castes stormed and destroyed their feudal Pseudoscience and Terminology used establishments? We need to have a close look at his preaching of scientific explanations. (b) Heavenly Life on the surface of the Globe Speaking on mantras he classifies the effects as – Heavenly life is given a description in Sanskrit – Ācārāt labhate 1. Neuro-linguistic effect arising from tunes, intonation is claimed to Āyuh, Ācārāt dhanam aksayam, Ācārāt labhate suprajāh – and then release 2 dozens of hormones in the brain. No knowledge about the IISH-Guru says that the scientific basis of the Ācāras are discussed meaning of the mantras is required. in IISH classifying them under 5 categories of benefits: His cleverness is evident here – he had to surmount the 'meaning' 1. Psychological barrier as no body really knows what meaning the humbug 2. Physiological compilations have got. And about hormones in the brain he knows 3. Family bondage that none in the audience may have the knowledge to contest his 4. Social bondage nonsense claim. 5. National integration For modern biologists, still the brain remains like a black-box. These terms are all aimed to cast a spell on the audience so that Researches are taking place and they are just in the process of trying people are prevented from employing their reason in understanding to know about the brain's functioning. No study has ever come out the jargon he speaks. which state that any mantra produces 24 hormones or even a single (c) Discussion on Ācāras hormone in the brain. Dr. N. Gopalakrishnan is speaking imagined, concocted nonsense in the lingo of science to fool the public with 1. Chanting of Mantras is spoken of as an Ācāram parochial claims.5 Is this a Vedic Ācāram? Did the smrtis that shaped Vedic heritage allow Going by Indian wisdom, mantras produce their effects in the realm chanting of mantras by non-Brahmins? Why the science under which of Prāna and modern medicine is yet to discover the same. non-Brahmins were treated as animals is not getting explained by Dr. N. Gopalakrishnan? What was the science under which the prescription was 5 Dr. N. Gopalakrishnan, never gives any reference of modern Journals given to pour molted lead into the ears of non-Brahmins who happened to subtantiate his claims. He throws the names of a few US to hear the Śrutis? Universities where some related research may be taking place or even Mantras have beneficial effects and the tradition existed in India may not be. No body in the audience can check the veracity of his thousands of years before the nomadic Aryans invaded India from the claims. Given the dishonesty he has shown in articulating his pseudo- ice-cold regions of Russia and Mangolia. And the greatest mantra is claims on Indian astronomy as I exposed in my earlier paper, none of Pancāksari Śivāya namah with which great Śaiva siddhas were born. his statements can be taken on its face value. 5 6 2. Pyscho-linguistic effect is the second NGK term to fool the public. about any WHO study and the details that Gopalakrishnan gives are Here he says the meaning play a role. He places Kīrtanams and the rubbish: epics like Rāmāyana, Bhāgavata etc in this category. (a) Medical literature says that the attack is due to natural biological He is simply borrowing modern terms like 'Neuro' and 'Psyhe' to give rhythm inspired dip in the size of the blood vessels while Dr.NGK the air that the nonsense he is talking about is a part of modern medical says that the early morning heart attacks are because the people science. suddenly get up. He adds that the WHO is instructing people to wait 30 seconds on bed – a lie concocted to create pseudoscientific 3. He claims that the chanting of mantras can immediately lower the explanation for 'Prātasmarana' in the morning – and his Adrenalin, cholesterol and hypertension levels to normal levels. explanation goes further ridiculous where he says that the chant and Some studies have taken place and medical men are still trying to the touching of the earth with hand is for rendering earth to the bio- ascertain the quantum of benefit possible with such exercises. static electricity. Scientific community is yet to take a united or uniform view – most of the claims may be from Gopalakrishan types in some US (b) How ridiculous is the use of 'biostatic' term? laboratories. The foul game he is into in the name of science becomes evident A doubt creeps in as to which Śruti the chanting of which made him from his use of the term biostatic electricity. The word 'biostatic' in speak so dishonestly despite his claims of being a modern scientist? scientific literature means biocidal i.e. killing bacteria. Copper is a biostatic material means bacteria cannot grow on it. Dr. N. 4. Example 2 of health benefit that is early rise at 0530, 0430 Gopalakrishnan is imagining that in sleep human body is becoming increasing benefit due to brain's efficiency. Everyone knows it – like electrically charged clouds and so man needs an earthing in the even birds and animals know this fact. The Cock and other birds morning for the biostatic electricity to protect the heart. This is a sing in early morning inspired by some scientific heritage? There classic example of the fraudulent terms he has created to make out are flowers which open in the early morning and they do it by some his pseudoscientific explanations. A search in the google on the heritage science? There are migratory birds having more wisdom than any human society in respect of their knowledge of seasons and term 'biostatic electricity' instantly brought out his websites at the their flight directions? top www.iish.org/sanatananews_details.asp?id=13-15k and www. iish.org/ sanatananews_details.asp?id=7 - 36k. Dubious invention is 5. WHO study on Heart Attacks and Discovery of Bio-static also part of Dr. N. Gopalakrishnan's Thursday message dated 10 Electricity? August 2006. I doubt whether WHO made any such study. He is quoting WHO to 6. Chanting mantra before taking food (Pre-food-chants) make his statements appear more credible. Early morning heart attack is a statistically observed phenomenon and daily dip in blood Here too pseudoscience is created that the chant generates saliva and so vessel expansions6 due to natural body rhythms is an explanation the ancient practice. It is natural for every creature on earth that its that finally came up. In the Google search nothing could be found saliva glands get activated on seeing the food and as it is put into the mouth. What is the need of chanting? If chanting the mantras generated saliva, all the Rishis may have been 6 1 June 2004, Journal of the American Heart Association, see also: doing their Yajnas with mouth full of saliva? What about the mantra http://www.scienceblog.com/community/older/2004/5/20044980.shtml prescribed at the time of having sex? What does that mantra generate? 7 8 CSIR can direct Dr. N. Gopalakrishnan to have some research in these over that. Here the mean mental activity has arisen because one fields. man has set out with the hidden agenda... 7. Head towards North is prohibited? Earth's Magnetic Meridian 8. "Happy Birth Day to You" in Grhysutras? North-South direction is getting prohibited for all creatures. The IISH classification, the 3rd item is Ācārams that create family bonding. pseudoscientific explanation that is being carved out is that the blood Ācāram that he quotes as an example is birthday celebrations. He is has 9-14 gms of iron vis-a-vis haemoglobin and so the impact of the speaking as if the happy birth day of modern times is prescribed in the earth's magnetic meridian shall impair the pumping pressure of the Grhyasutras. Then the scholar goes on saying that children get a feeling heart. How much truth or science is there in this explanation? of oneness and inspires them to take care of old parents. What does the (a) Is the geographical North and magnetic North are the same? Indian heritage say about old people? Should the old people stick to the children or should they retire to forests? What example is seen in the (b) How the ancient wisdom accounted for the magnetic declination epic Mahābhārata? How the kids so well brought up as per Ārsa and inclination? wisdom doomed them by infighting? Grhysutras did not help even the (c) It is easy for anyone who cares for science to read now on the Yādava clan to survive? internet all the details like – "The positions of the Earth's magnetic poles are not well defined on the globe; they are spread over an area. The axis What the readers feel? When the Grhyasutras failed so dismally what of Earth's magnet and the geographical axis do no coincide. The axis of the science may be there inside? Earth's magnetic field is inclined horizontally at an angle of about 150 with the geographical axis and vertically by an amount that varies from place to When Dr. N. Gopalakrishnan did not learn to speak with honesty how place" credible is the Dharma he speaks? A man who mastered Rgveda from (d) If Gopalakrishnan is correct and science was underlying the the Govindaghanapadikal has distorted every teaching he had whether it Arsha wisdom, then Rishis may have been keeping a freely be Vedas, Indian astronomy, Yoga or modern sciences – that is what we suspended magnet to understand the local magnetic dip and see in his writings and speeches. His whole wisdom has gone into declination. darkness except for the barking dog he is able to see! (e) Does the magnetic meridian means an impact on the 9. Kumbhamela in the Vedas – Social Bondage haemoglobin only when a man lies north-south or vice versa? In Prayāga mela is the example cited for Ācāras that contributes to social the human body all haemoglobin is moving in N-S axis to be bondage. Is this celebration as per Grhyasūtras? Sāmūhya Dharma like affected when a man lies N-S? What about the 900 components Matrdharma, Pitr, Putra Dharma etc. In which part of the world did the of the field in the E-W direction? tribes did not meet? Evolutionary scientists have credited the survival of (f) How do the whales or elephants sleep? Every creature adapts to the Homosapiens to the socializing nature that the species had. It has the environment automatically and no specific Indian heritage nothing to any special Indian scientific heritage. wisdom is required for that. Had there been any universal effect of the magnetic meridian on the blood circulation of human 10. Mātrdharma from Grhysūtras – Blessings at the Gate? beings it would have got discovered universally by human Dr. NGK gives no reference when he brings out such Ārsa precepts. beings. Even the Eskimos and tribes all over the world have How he is taking the Indian communities abroad for a ride may be their scientific heritage but they don't try to create ludicrous understood from this example he quotes as example of Mātrdharma. He scientific explanations because they don't want to play politics says when children goes to the school Mother must accompany to the 9 10 gate and bless them – wonderful idea had the modern mothers been (b) Ganapati homam gives immunity for pathogenetic bacteria for sitting at home. Bhāryādharmam – she should serve food to her husband one year – learned scholar stops there without quoting Manu's more advanced (c) Purānas had their origin 1000 years of back science – "Na Stree Svātantraym arhati" – Women do not deserve (d) River names chanted brings in national integration freedom. How ludicrous are these claims based on rituals may be understood 11. Advanced science of 5 Kinds of Marriage from the fact that Brahmins in this country perpetrated casteism and How Sri Kalyan Visvanthan who heard him tolerated this nonsense is most inhuman treatment to his brethrens with the Upanishadic chant of surprising – a statement is given that the Agnisāksi marriage creates 'Aham Brahmasmi' and Advaita darsanam in his lips. What was some special bond. What is the science in that social custom and how it happening in the 1000 years that followed the great proponent of is better science than marriages in other societies? What was the Advaita science, Ādi Śaňkarācārya? scientific precept under which poor Gāndhāri was given in marriage to Brahmnical conviction on Advaitam was only to the extent of Dr. N. the blind Dhrtarāshtra? What had happened to the Agni-sāksi marriage Gopalakrishnan's conviction on 'Satyameva jayate'. of Indra when he crept into Gautama's ashram? Divorce is less in India because the marriages are scientific – that is what the CSIR scientist 14. Conclusions says. In fact in the Vedic heart land Agni is nowadays getting used more for scientifically burning the brides. This account must be an eye-opener to the intellectuals of Kerala. I am to specially request the scientists of CSIR and the academicians to 12. Sāmbaar and National Integration Kerala, University Professors and Teachers to come out openly to save How stupid a man can be when he sets out with hidden political and the children of Kerala from the pseudoscience campaign going on in the personal agenda to preach about the wisdom he does not have gets best name of Indian Scientific Heritage. India's scientific heritage never had illustration in Sāmbār. He says in US that 'Sambar' is an Ācāram that such dip as we see now with the distorted campaign of Dr. N. creates national integration. Romans have been using Indian spices Gopalakrishnan. He is making bogus claims about many hospitals, centuries before Christ. Trade relations between Kerala and Arab are psychologists etc and if it is true there is urgent need for effective steps well known since prehistoric times. Even now lakhs of Malayalis serve to prevent innocent people from becoming victims of the fraudulent in the gulf and our motor vehicles are running on imported crude. Our campaign. Shodasa (16) samskaras needed to 'convert an animal born Cars are from Japan and batteries are from Bankok ... all these trade creature into an adjustable, accomodatable, cultured human being' is not relations and products using imported goods mean Universal either Indian heritage or Kerala heritage. It is Gopalakrishnan's Integration? Mansingh had given his sister in marriage to Akbar and Brahmnical heritage and he is trying to sell Brahmnism through his did it convey national integration to Rana Pratap? If not then what is the pseduoscience. national integration from Sāmbār? As with the Nazi hero Hitler, those who criticize Dr. N. Gopalakrishan 13. Other Bogus Claims are dogs barking at bullock carts proceeding to the market. Yes, Keralites must take pride in becoming barking dogs if someone is He is making a number of other bogus claims that are illustrative of his proceeding to sell falsehood worse than Chikenguniya into the mind agenda, like – and brains of the innocent population. (a) There was no Āryan invasion, chandra_hari18@yahoo.com. 11 12