Pøedmìt: [world-vedic] Scientific basis and curative aspects of Hindu traditions Od: Vrndavan Parker Datum: Sat, 15 Mar 2008 02:21:26 +0100 (CET) Komu: vediculture@yahoogroups.com, hinducivilization@yahoogroups.com, usbrahmins@yahoogroups.com, fhrs_usa@yahoogroups.com, indicjournalists@yahoogroups.com, sanatanadharmaofdallas@yahoogroups.com Do you dismiss Hindu rituals are mere silly superstitions? They have a scientific basis, says Rohon Roy and explains some of them Hinduism is said to be one of the oldest religions in the world. And in the early and later Vedic Age it reached the pinnacle of advancement in science. Hindu traditions have a scientific basis and here are some of their examples with explanations. A large part of Hinduism is devoted to the worship of ‘Prajapati Rishi’ or Brahma, Creator of the universe, in the form of fire. He is worshipped through the various yajnas, but you may be surprised to know that it is a healthy practice. The fumes developed from ghee, wood and the bel leaves drive away the insects from a house thus making the place safe from pests. Burning coconut fibre and ‘dhuno’ during a puja have the same explanation. They act as mosquito and insect repellents, thus keeping diseases at arms’ length from us. You must have noticed that ‘tulsi’ leaves are kept over the fruits and food offered to God. If you want an explanation, here is one. Tulsi, as we all know is medicinal plant and clears the surroundings of any disease-causing germs and other micro-organisms which may spoil the food. Hence they are spread on the ‘bhog’ so that the food remains fresh for a longer time. Similarly, tulsi trees are worshipped and grown in houses so that being a mosquito repellent, it stops the entry of mosquitoes and harmful micro-organisms. A ritual observed before the wedding ceremony for Hindus is that the bride and bridegroom are given a special turmeric bath before their marriage. This too can be interpreted scientifically. Turmeric has medicinal properties. It can effectively cure skin infections and wounds and make the skin feel soft and add a golden glow to it. Floors are decorated with dry rice powder in myriads of colours and designs — we call this ‘alpana’ and ‘rangoli’. Apart from adding to the decoration of the house, they are drawn to feed the ants! That’s why they are made of rice paste or powder. The Hindu custom followed after death is that person must be cremated so that Prajapati can transport him to the high heavens. But actually this is done so that if the dead person had any contaminable disease these would get incinerated along with the body. For the same purpose the clothes which the dead person was wearing, and all bed linen etc on which he died have to be destroyed, for the same reason. Sandalwood paste has the medicinal property of relieving one of headache. Hinduism says that one who is a ‘Vaishnavait’ or devotee of Lord Krishna must apply sandalwood paste on his forehead. Every year during Holi we enjoy ourselves by playing with ‘abir’, or ‘gulal’ as it is called in Hindi. But have you ever paused to think how it is beneficial to you? Well, if you haven’t, here it is. Holi or Dol-jatra is celebrated in spring, a time when chicken pox is more common. ‘Gulal’ is a substance which is a good repellent of chicken pox germs. Therefore, applying it on our skin will keep us away from chicken pox germs. By now you must be convinced that all traditions are not useless or just a form of superstition. They have some values, that too scientific ones. The great learned sages of the Vedic ages had knowledge of these facts and to make the people follow them incorporated them into the daily life rituals. So, the next time there is a puja in your house, or one that you attend, don’t look at these rituals as just mere formalities or silly superstitions, respect them for the benefit is yours! Coordinator, Class VIII, St Joseph’s College, Kolkata http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=18&theme=&usrsess=1&id=194904