Hinduism is one of the oldest and the third largest followed religions, on the other hand, science is an extremely new concept that showed a lot of development and progress in recent centuries. So you might wonder what are the similarities between them. Well, the intersection of science and Hinduism is a great as well as interesting topic to study about.
Understanding Hinduism
Hinduism is a fusion and blend of various beliefs and practices that got its influence from many religions and traditions moreover it has no specific founder.
It is a religion based on rich ideologies and beliefs and it teaches that the entire universe is interconnected and the ultimate goal of anyone’s life is to achieve spiritual enlightenment from the cycle of rebirth
Hindus believe in the philosophy of ‘Dharma’ which emphasizes the fact of our duties in our life this concept is somewhat related to science because teaches about the importance of our role in society and the world.
History of Science in Hinduism
Hindu scholars had great knowledge and even at that time with no such proper scientific development, they made significant contributions to fields such as medicine, mathematics, astronomy, and metallurgy.
Rigveda contains many references to astronomy. Hindu scholars analyzed the position of the sun, moon, and stars.
Around a century BCE, Panini, an ancient Hindu scholar, did research and wrote Ashtadhyayi, which was the first scientific linguist analysis ever made.
A Hindu scholar named Aryabhatta was known for his remarkable groundbreaking contributions to Astronomy around the 6th century CE.
Another notable Hindu scholar, Sushruta, wrote the Sushruta Samhita, This text was regarding ayurvedic medicine, and Bhramagupta wrote on astronomy and mathematics.
Hindu scholars had a great knowledge that people of this modern age can’t even predict. Indian mathematician Bhaskara II wrote the Siddhanta Shiromani, which led to important discoveries like algebra, trigonometry, and calculus.
All these discoveries led to modern advancements like computer science and biotechnology. These scholars had a great curiosity for scientific exploration but also they were masters in the field of religious and spiritual knowledge.
Hinduism VS Science
No doubt, Hinduism contributed a lot to the development of modern scientific theories but these two areas have always been a lot conflicting.
| Basis | Hinduism | Science |
| Methodology | Spiritual practices like meditation to gain insight into reality. | A scientific method to test hypotheses and theories to understand the natural world in a systematic manner. |
| Assumptions | It emphasizes the existence of spiritual reality is beyond the physical world. | It emphasizes that the natural world can be understood through observation and experimentation |
| Scope | It seeks to understand nature as a whole | It focuses to understand the physical world with the laws governing it. |
| Approach to Knowledge | Hinduism uses direct experiences of the divine as sources of knowledge and understanding. | Science uses empirical evidence to understand the natural world. |
Both of them have unique perspectives, but they can complement each other in knowledge and understanding.