Vedas Offer Universal Facts, Need to Link These with Modern Science: TTD EO

Tirupati: Asserting that the “Vedas present universal truths,” Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Executive Officer AV Dharma Reddy has called for attempts to combine Vedic knowledge with modern sciences.

“This would help the humanity explore new sustainable methodologies,” he said in his inaugural address of the four-day "Vishwa Vaidika Vignana Sammelanam" (world Vedic science conference) being held here under the joint aegis of Sri Venkateswara (SV) Vedic University and the Indian Knowledge Systems Division of the Union Ministry of Education.

He cited the successful opening of the Vaikunta Dwaram at the Tirumala temple for ten days by combining scientific and dharmic approaches to enable nearly 7 to 8 lakh devotees to have darshan.

"Besides protection, preservation and propagation of Vedic dharma, the aim of TTD in establishing SV Vedic University in Tirupati is to bring together both Vedic and modern sciences for establishing a new sustainable methodology that is useful for mankind’s future generations", he asserted.

Prof Shrinivasa Varakhedi, vice-chancellor of Central Sanskrit University, New Delhi, said Vedic sciences aimed at sustainable development and "Akhanda Vidya" is possible only through "Veda Vidya".

Renowned Sanskrit scholar Prof Kutumba Sastri of Chandrasekhara Saraswathi Viswa Maha Vidyalaya said all scientific rituals are performed on the basis of Vedic "Yagna Karmas."

IIT Tirupati Director Prof KN Satyanarayana announced IIT’s collaboration with SV Vedic University to disseminate Vedic knowledge through the Universal Vedic Science Association. “Veda signifies knowledge,” he said and added that this knowledge would contribute to the development of Visva-Bharati.

The four-day conference aims to explore the seeds of "Vignana" hidden in Vedic dharma. About 90 speakers were participating in 26 technical sessions on topics like Earth and Space Sciences in Vedas, botanical sciences from the Atharva Veda and more.

The ultimate goal is to prepare a "knowledge bank" for the sake of future generations by establishing linkages between Vedic and modern scientific knowledge systems, according to SV University vice-chancellor Prof Rani Sadasivamurty.