Term Paper

ARE VEDAS MYTHOLOGY?

The term mythology refers to the study of myths or a body or collection of myths. Vedic mythology refers to the mythological aspects of historical Vedic religion. When we write "mythology " on Google search bar, we can see some initial search results like 'mythology', 'mythology quiz', mythology meaning', 'mythology of India', etc.. The word which is shocking is 'mythology of India'!, why India only?. Vedic mythology is just treated as 'collection of stories' created by man to propagate the Vedic religion. someone has said that if you want to dictate a region or country, destroy its culture, power of arms can provide temporary dictatorship but if one can have direct attack on the culture of that region which binds its people strongly , one can have control over it. Many foreigners attacked India with the power of arms and army but none of them was able to make significant change in the Indian society, they came, they ruled and they leave the country, but britishers were somewhat more minded rulers, they came to India and found out that the Vedic culture is the real strength of the Indians, so to rule this country they needed to destroy this Vedic religion by proving it a 'myth' and they were enough successful in their plans of destroying the culture as we can see its impact today also on our Indian society. The Indian Vedic culture is like an ocean of knowledge. It is best in the world. Present condition Most of the indologists, historians and archaeologists in modern universities agree that there was no civilization in Ganges basin of India 5000 years ago. The civilization in which those pastimes are said to have occurred simply did not exist(as in Bhagvatam, Mahabharata, Ramayana). They say that the stories of that civilization are mythological, and they were gradually invented over a period of centuries. Bentely and pioneer indologists such as Sir William Jones and Max Muller worked hard to show that the shastras are nothing but a mixture of fables and fiction, and they were quite successful. How it Got Started? Careful beginning after 1757 victory, one tea-dealer Mr. Twinning put it"As long as we continue to govern India in the mild, tolerant spirit of Christianity, we may govern it with ease; but if ever the fatal day should arrive, when religion innovation shall set her foot in that country, indignation will spread from one end of the Hindustan to the other, and the arms of 50 millions of people will drive us from the portion of the globe, with as much ease as the sand of the desert is scattered by the wind." Another point of view in support of that policy was by Mont Gomery"Christianity had nothing to teach Hinduism, and no missionary ever made a really good christian convert in India". [Christianity in India: a historical narrative by Sir John William Kaye]. Upon his arrival in 1810, the governor general Marquis of Hastings wrote:

".....the hindoo appears being merely limited to mere animal functions, and even in them indifferent...with no higher intellect than a dog..". [readings in Vedic literature, a book by Satsvarupa goswami] Seeing India as an unlimited field of missionary activity, and insisting that it was part of a Christian government's duty to promote this, Christian missionaries came to India without any government approval. Another preacher, William Archer, wrote in his book, India and the Future"The plain truth concerning the mass of the Indian population-the poor classes alone-is that they are not civilized people." In 1790, Dr. Claudius Bucchman, a missionary attached to the East India Company, arrived in Bengal. Not long ago after his arrival , the good Doctor stated"Neither truth, nor honesty, honor, gratitude, nor charity, is to be found in the breast of a hindoo." George Gogerly went on to write"The whole history of this famous God(Krishna) is one of lust, robbery, deceit and murder...the history of the whole hierarchy of Hinduism is one of shameful iniquity, too vile to be described." In a letter to his father in 1836, Macaulay exclaimed"...It is my belief that if our plans of education are followed up, there will not be a single idolater among the respectable classes in Bengal thirty years hence. And this will be effected without the smallest interference with religion liberty, by natural operation of knowledge and reflection. I heartily rejoice in the project." Scientific Verification Of Vedic Knowledge Lord Rama's Setu found in Indian Ocean-[NASA shuttle images of a mysterious ancient bridge between INDIA and SRILANKA], courtesy : NASA digital , The recently discovered bridge currently named as Adam's bridge made of chain of shoals, (30km)long, in the palk strait between India & Srilanka, reveals a mystery behind it. This information is a crucial aspect for an insight into the mysterious legend called Ramayana, which was supposed to have taken place in tretha yuga.(more than 17,00,000 years ago). SARASVATI RIVER BED- BBC news: Saturday, 29 June 2002, 13:28 GMT 14:28 UK.....'India's miracle river'. Through satellite photography, scientists have mapped the course of an enormous river that once flowed through the north western region of India. The images show that it was 8km wide in places and that it dried up 4000 years ago. The evidences which prove that this river existed proves the that the Aryan invasion theory is a fake story. There was never a tribe like Aryans.

REMAINS OF DWARKA CITY---Marine archaeology has also been utilized in India off coast of the ancient port city of Dwarka in Gujarat, uncovering further evidence in support of statements in the Vedic scriptures. An entire submerged city at Dwarka, the ancient port city of Lord Krishna with its massive fort walls, piers, wharfs and jetty has been found in the ocean as described in the Mahabharata and other Vedic literatures. REMAINS OF KURUKSHETRA-----Iron arrows and spearheads of the time of Mahabharata war has been excavated and dated by thermoluminence to 2,800 B.C.E., the approximate date of the war has been given within the Mahabharata itself. VEDIC MATHEMATICS.......

"We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count , without which no worthwhile scientific

discovery could have been made."--Albert Einstein

"Ancient Egyptian, Babylonian and Greek geometries derive from the mathematics recorded in the Sulbasutras."----Abraham Seidenberg (an American historian of Mathematics)

CONCLUSION It is extremely lamentable that the dream of Macaulay has come true. His vision of creating a caste of 'Brown Sahibs' has become a reality. Nowadays, whilst the western world turns it's face towards Indian philosophy for the answers to life's complexities. Upon gaining independence , the so called educated Indians denied their true identity by retaining the British education and judicial system , without trying to adapt it to the unique Indian mentality and psychology. In essence , the youth of India today are taught to be ashamed of their religion and the ethics given by their forefathers. They have been made to believe that embracing westernization is the only way they can progress in life. In this way the British are still masters of india. REFERENCES: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mythology#Typical_characteristics Readings in Vedic Literature- A book by Satsvarupa das Goswami,1977, 1998 current edition Christianity in India: an historical narrative, By Sir John William Kaye http://www.infinityfoundation.com/ECITproselytizingframeset.htm http://www.hinduwisdom.info/FirstIndologists.htm http://www.scribd.com/sunilsrivastava1/d/6428395-Aryan-Invasion-Theory-Crux http://www.archaeologyonline.net/artifacts/scientific-verif-vedas.html http://www.scribd.com/chetanmale/d/4759984-Vedic-Maths