Dr. Samani Chaitanya Pragya
The influence of science is all encompassing affecting our thoughts as well as actions. The old is no longer gold; it is the new that fascinates. It is becoming out of fashion to study the ancient scriptures and fathom their depths by self-experience. In order to overcome this apathy it is now being realized that spiritual truths contained in the ancient literature (scriptures) have to be studied and interpreted in modern scientific idioms without subjecting them to any distortions. To make the scriptural study more interesting it is also necessary to present how philosophy has tackled the fundamental questions of life, which are considered inexplicable in the domain of science.
The Jain Scripture Bhagavatī Sūtra (Bh.S.) occupies probably the foremost position if we set out to enlist books with ample possibilities of the study of philosophy and science. Though the basic object of the Bh.S. is to explore the subtle mysteries of philosophy and spirituality, yet at many places there are significant scientific discourses. For example, the Bh.S. describes cosmology, matter, space, time, the medium of motion and the medium of rest, velocity, energy black hole etc. All these pertain to Physics and have been treated quite at length.
The Bh.S., therefore, qualifies as a text for purposes of the study of philosophy and science. This study, it is expected, will not only enrich knowledge but may enhance the welfare of mankind by eliminating the detrimental aspects of science.
