When swamis talk science

A curious little public event staged in Hyderabad last week may achieve a dramatic turnaround in the way practising Hindus look at their ‘ways of living’ and a new list of festival dates. The Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha, the apex body of Hindu swamis of the most revered mutts convened by Swami Dayananda Saraswati, has passed a set of resolutions at the conclusion of its three-day conference (January 9-11) that is sure to make you sit and wonder: Can science meet traditional beliefs?

To start with, some of the resolutions packed among the usual ones involving cows and conversion, are actually revolutionary in intent.  The swamis, about 100 of them covering the spectrum of the faith, have urged Hindus to abandon the cruel practices of caste, dowry, child marriage, child labour and harassment of widows. In fact, the wise ones have declared that “ill-treatment of women is against the shastras.”

But the conference also sought “the establishment of an Institute of Hindu Heritage Studies and Research… to produce research work and publications of high academic standard, to stand rigorous scrutiny.” And one of the significant projects the sabha has in mind is to recast the various Hindu calendars into a unified one: “A Rashtriya Jyotish Goshti may be planned at a suitable time to thoroughly consider panchangams with the help of the best available experts in astronomy, mathematics and astrology.”

But could astronomy reconcile with astrology? The swamis are preparing to explore the seemingly impossible, looking for science in the tradition, rather than belief. Swami Gangadharendra Saraswathi of Suvarnavalli Mutt in Sirsi is actually working on precisely such a project to reorient the Hindu calendars with astronomy and mathematics.

The research and rewriting is being coordinated by S Balachandra Rao, author of several books on astronomy and a retired professor of mathematics and former principal of National College, Basavanagudi.

What the professor wants is astonishingly simple and radical. He wants the first Hindu festival in the calendar, Sankranti or Pongal, to actually be the last in a year. He believes the original traditional texts of scholars like Aryabhatta and Varahamihira account for the precise shift in the earth’s axis, which shifts by one degree every 72 years, So, Sankranti needs to coincide with the scientific Winter Solstice on December 22.

Vijayalakshmi Vijayakumar, a passionate Hindu traditionalist, has been working with the swamis’ sabha to agree to this change. “When the date of Pongal is fixed wrongly, then all other Hindu festival dates are also wrongly fixed. Hence, the significance of celebrating the festival is lost.” She believes that this has led to wrong farm practices, since the faithful believe the panchangas — like sowing in the wrong season — resulting in low yields of crops.

Her belief flows from Prof Rao’s work. She quotes Prof Rao: “Over a long interval of five to 10 centuries, the governing parameters of the heavenly bodies like distances and angular velocities have changed… Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a uniform panchanga based on revised parameters and astronomical procedures.” He goes on the provide figures: “Due to the ‘precession of the equinox’ at about 50.25 seconds of arc per year, there is an accumulated amount of about 24 degrees. This means there is a difference of about 24 days… While Makara Sankranti is celebrated on January 14/15, the actual Uttarayana commences on December 22. Hence, farmers are sowing their seeds late, which is leading to a drop in the harvest.”

It is difficult to tell whether Hindu society, as it is now, will heed to the swamis’ advice to treat women and children well. But if the acharyas at the apex can actually print a new list of festival dates, it could really mean the start of something new, a real reform of tradition in rot and rut.

There are magnificent models to follow: Bangalore’s own Foundation for the Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT), under the chairmanship of Sam Pitroda, is doing globally-appreciated work in reviving Indian medical heritage, applying the rigorous standards of modern medical practice.
FRLHT has won awards and recognition all over the world and is recognised by the Union ministry of science and technology as a scientific and industrial research organisation and the ministry of environment and forests, and also the ministry of health as a National Center of Excellence for medicinal plants, traditional knowledge and Ayurvedic Geriatrics.

We will have to see whether the acharyas make the grade.