IKS01 Foundations of the Indian Knowledge System: The Vedas

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Briefing Document: The Indian Knowledge System (IKS)

Dr Sudheendra S G summarizes key themes and important facts about the Indian Knowledge System (IKS), . The source presents IKS as a comprehensive, ancient learning system originating from India, emphasizing its historical significance and unique methodologies.

I. Core Identity and Historical Context of Vedas

• Vedas as the Foundation of Education: The source strongly asserts that "Vedas are the representation of Education or knowledge system in this world," not merely a religious text. It highlights them as "The world’s oldest available education system which is relevant even today."
• Misinterpretation of Vedas: The speaker addresses the common misconception that Vedas are "something related to the cast of Brahmins," stating this is "the most wrongly interpreted concept for vedas. Because Vedas are not about any Religion, God or Community."
• The "Veda Bhoomi": India is identified as "Veda Bhoomi, or in other words, Land of Vedas," emphasizing its historical role as a center of knowledge.
• Pre-1080 AD: The Golden Age: The period before 1080 AD is presented as a "golden age of the world knowledge system" for India, where the land was "at peace." After 1080 AD, due to invasions, the Vedic system was "diluted and got mixed with various ideologies of the invading entities," leading to changes like the "suppression of feminism."
• Historical Validation: The source cites historical accounts from Hsuan Tsang (Chinese Buddhist pilgrim, 587-617 AD) and Abu Rayhan Muhammad ibn Ahmad Al-biruni (Islamic scholar, author of "Tarikh al-hind," 1017 AD) to support its claims about India's educational prominence before 1080 AD. Al-biruni specifically states that around 900-1000 AD, "the center of world learning was our land, India."
• Gender Equality in Ancient Learning: Prior to invasions, "Gender never played any role in the learning capabilities of the students." Mythological figures like Kaikeyi, Droupadi, Ahalya, and Mandodari are cited as "vedic scholars and warriors," demonstrating female participation and prowess in learning.

II. Structure of the Ancient Indian Education System

The Ancient Indian Education System is broadly classified into six categories or domains:

1. Shruthi: (Currently discussed in detail)
2. Smruthi
3. Puranam
4. Itihihasam
5. Aagamanam
6. Siddantham

These categories encompassed "All the available domains of knowledge like mathematics, Physics, Biology, Philosophy, Astronomy, Health sciences, Linguistics."

III. Deep Dive into Shruthi: The Vedas

Shruthi consists of four Vedas, each with a specific focus:

• Rig Veda: "Rig means Appreciate," and it contains "10552 verses which explains the beauty of our nature and why we should be grateful to it." The source claims Finland's education system's emphasis on gratitude originated from Rig Veda.
• Yajur Veda: "Yajur means conserve or in other terms it is called as worship." It focuses on "how to conserve and keep our natural resources intact for our future generations," with "1975 verses."
• Saama Veda: "Saama means rhythm and it is all about music and chandas." This Veda is crucial for memorization, enabling learners to recall "20379 slokas" (sum of all Veda verses) by age 15. The rhythmic learning explained in Saama Veda "drew many persians, Europeans and Chinese to india to know exactly how this technique of memory works." Saama Veda is also credited as the origin of music: "The first ever song or the first ever music composer in human race was saama veda pandits of our Ancient Indian knowledge system."
• Atharva Veda: With "5977 verses," it "deals with human psychology" and provides guidance on "everyday habits’ human has to follow to be healthy, productive and contribute to a peaceful and progressive society."

IV. Interpreting Vedic Knowledge: Four Perspectives

Understanding the Veda slokas involves a "complicated process" designed to enhance problem-solving skills, utilizing four perspectives:

• Aranyaka: Provides a "simple meaningful explanation" of a Vedic verse, akin to defining terms in a formula (e.g., in e=mc², Aranyaka explains what e, m, and c stand for).
• Brahmana: Explains "how exactly this formulae needs to be implemented by a rocket scientist, by a batsman, by a body builder," demonstrating how to "adopt it to different scenarios in life."
• Samhitha: Reveals "the relationship between these three formulaes" (e.g., e=mc2, w=ma, KE = 1/2mV2), linking various concepts to solve a particular problem.
• Upanishads: Offers "practical scenarios of implementation of various concepts in vedas under different contexts," serving as real-life examples or problem sets. They are considered the "latest part of vedas" and were "said to be written by the maharshi vedavyasa."

V. Auxiliary Sciences: Six Vedangas

In addition to the four perspectives, six "external references" called Vedangas provide further understanding of the Vedas:

• Shiksha: Focuses on "the Sanskrit language used in Vedic slokas," including "alphabets and its pronounciations."
• Vyakarana: Deals with Sanskrit "grammar." Though original references were "destroyed or looted," Panini's Astadyayi (4th century BCE) documented this "vyakarana." Panini is lauded as "the father of linguistics or he is the father of all human languages and the first to format a language to be written and pronounced with proper form and rules."
• Chhandas: Pertains to "rhythm" and "intonation" in speech, specifically "where to pause and where to raise and where to lower the tone when we are speaking." It is crucial for memorizing Vedic verses, as "chhandas helps our brain to create the neural pathways to store that verse and recall it easily."
• Niruktha: Functions as a "glossary and index" for the Vedas, allowing learners to quickly find specific words or verses. Yaska (7th-5th century BCE) is credited with creating this Vedanga, making him "the first to find glossaries and made us find words in books easy."
• Jyothishya: Deals with "astronomy" and the influence of celestial bodies on life. It is "solely responsible to provide the world its first ever calander" and "The first ever measurement of time."
• Kalpa: Serves as a "simple actionable guide about how humans has to perform their everyday rituals" for those who find Vedas difficult to understand. It provides "standard set of rules for layman to follow to lead a healthy, and fruitful life."

VI. Practical Applications: Four Upavedas

Four Upavedas cover specialized fields of knowledge:

• Ayurveda: Focuses on "healing of physical pain and body irregularities," equivalent to "medicine" in modern science.
• Gaandarveda: Deals with "the study of art and dance and music," encompassing "entertainment and fun. Cinema, dramas, tv shows, music all are derived from this upaveda."
• Dhanurveda: Concerns "defence" and "weaponry," including "Fighter aircrafts, guns, missiles and everything used to defend a land."
• Arthashastra: Relates to "the study of business administration," covering "profit, loss, balance sheet, budgeting, estimates and everything related to business."

VII. Vedas as a Divine "User Manual"

The source posits a profound understanding of the Vedas:

• Divine Origin: Vedas "has no author or innovator. It is existing on this earth from time immemorial and hence it is believed to be written by God Brahma."
• User Manual for Life: Vedas are presented as "the rule book or the user manual for every human who is born in this planet." Just as a TV comes with a manual, humans need one "to know exactly how, why and where to use the different resources of this planet."
• Reason for India's Allure: This "excellent learning system was the very reason why so many invaders, rulers and warriors from all over the world wanted to reach India."

This briefing has only covered "the tip of the first section of our Indian Knowledge System," Shruthi, highlighting its foundational role and the elaborate system developed for its understanding and application.

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