Entrepreneurship in rural set – up Contd......

Best of myself - 4

Today let me continue with what I left incomplete in the last post. Here, I have borrowed heavily from the internet and hence been able to express some personal opinions (in italics) in the post.

Yes. The theme of 'entrepreneurship' and its rightful birth place; our very own rural villages. Just as the divine gifts in many of our rural villages whose need for 'Take Care' was felt and which must have ushered in various activities and co - activities related to the same in an hierarchy manner bringing entrepreneurship into this world, so also many a science and technology feats seemingly were to have been developed and practiced in those rural villages but ages ago, may be with the same intention to keep their divine gifts well served and protected. That would imply many of the discoveries that we in today's modern world attribute to our recognizance for science and engineering were long back acknowledged by our ancestors and seemed to have put into practice too as they were to have been much more closer to nature and its mysterious ways - a personal opinion.

So, today highlighting another important felt need that in the ancient days too our ancestors knew what was engineering or more so aeronautics. Hoping that at the end of this post you would get the urge to know more of it but alas such ancient scriptures would be difficult or rather not accessible anymore in any of such old villages in our country. Even if got, interpreting the information necessarily to 100% (in case of possibilities for commercialization) would be all the more difficult as they would likely be to resemble solving a complex puzzle or cracking secret codes or elaborating on a mystical poems,...........not of today's age but that of ancient times* - a personal opinion. So, presenting this article from as is already available in the Internet as a remembrance to those unknown engineers of our ancient history.

A Glimpse of Aeronautics in Ancient India

Science, Medicine & Technology in Ancient India:

Ancient India was a land of sages, saints and seers as well as a land of scholars and scientists. Ancient India's contribution to science and technology include:

·        Mathematics - Vedic literature is replete with concepts of zero, the techniques of algebra and algorithm, square root and cube root. Arguably, the origins of Calculus lie in India 300 years before Leibnitz and Newton.

·        Astronomy - Rig Veda (2000 BC) refers to astronomy.

·        Physics - Concepts of atom and theory of relativity were explicitly stated by an Indian Philosopher around 600 BC.

·        Chemistry - Principles of chemistry did not remain abstract but found expression in distillation of perfumes, aromatic liquids, manufacturing of dyes and pigments and extraction of sugar.

·        Medical science & surgery - Around 800 BC, first compendium on medicine and surgery was compiled in ancient India.

·        Fine Arts - Vedas were recited and recitation had to be correct, which gave rise to a finer study of sound and phonetics. The natural corollaries were emergence of music and other forms of performing arts.

·        Mechanical & production technology - Greek historians have testified to smelting of certain metals in India in the 4th century BC.

·        Civil engineering & architecture - The discovery of urban settlements of Mohenjodaro and Harappa indicate existence of civil engineering & architecture which blossomed to a highly precise science of civil engineering and architecture and found expression in innumerable monuments of ancient India.

·        Shipbuilding & navigation - Sanskrit and Pali texts have several references to maritime activity by ancient Indians.

·        Sports & games - Ancient India is the birth place of chess, ludo, snakes and ladders and playing cards.

Ancient Indian Shastras:

Some of the ancient books of knowledge, namely, Akshara-Laksha, Artha Shastra, Chitra Karma, Dhatuvada, Gaja Shastra, Kaala Nirnaya, Sakuna Shastra, Malinee Shastra, Malla Shastra, Mahendra-Jala, Ratna Pariksha and Kanaka Pariksha, Sabda Shastra, Samudrika Shastra, Shakti Tantra Shastra, Shilpa Shastra, Supa Shastra, Turanga Shastra, Vatavarana Shastra, Visha Shastra, Yantra Shastra, etc. have all contributed towards the glory of our ancient past.

Let us now have an overview on the Vymanika Shastra a part of the above mentioned Yantra Shastra. So what is Vymanika Shastra? VYMANIKA SHASTRA is an ancient treatise on vymanas (aircrafts) by Maharshi Bharadwaj; part of his unknown work "YANTRA SARVASVA" or "ALL ABOUT MACHINES" as revealed to Venerable Pandit Subbaraya Sastry and recorded in hand-written Sanskrit manuscript and translated into English by G. R. Josyer; M.A., Hons., F.R.E.S., M.R.S.L. Founder Director, International Academy Of Sanskrit Research, Printed at the Coronation Press, Mysore 4, India. The word “Vymana” originates from the Sanskrit words Vy-Mana, ‘Vy’ meaning ‘Bird’ and ‘Mana’ meaning ‘like’. The interpretation will be ‘like bird’. Owing to similarity with birds, it is named ‘vymana’.

On 25-8-1952 the Mysore representative of the Press Trust of India, Sri N. N. Sastry, had sent up a report which was published in all the leading dailies of India and was taken up by Reuter and other World Press News Services. Excerpts of the same are:

"Mr. G. R. Josyer, seemed to have revealed some very ancient manuscripts which his Academy had collected. The manuscripts were to have been several thousands of years old, compiled by ancient rishis; Bharadwaja, Narada and others, dealing not with the mysticism of ancient Hindu philosophy of Atman or Brahman, but with more mundane things vital for the existence of man and progress of nations both in times of peace and war.”

"Some manuscripts seemingly dealt in elaborate detail about food processing from various indigenous materials like grass, vegetables and leaves for human consumption, particularly during times of famine.”

"One manuscript dealt with aeronautics, construction of various types of aircraft for civil aviation and for warfare. Mr. Josyer had showed plans that seemed to have been prepared according to directions contained in the manuscript on aeronautics of three types of aircraft or Vymanas viz. Rukma, Sundara and Shakuna Vimanas. Five hundred slokas or stanzas dealing with these seemed to have gone into such intricate details about choice and preparation of metals that would be suitable for various parts of vymanas of different types, constructional details, dimensions, designs and weight they could carry and purposes they could be used for.”

"Mr. Josyer had showed some types of designs and drawing of a helicopter-type cargo-loading plane, specially meant for carrying combustibles and ammunition, passenger aircraft carrying 400 to 500 persons, double and treble-decked aircraft. Each of these types too had been fully described.”

"In the section giving about preparation and choice of metals and other materials that should go into such construction of aircraft, details were to have been specified that the aircraft  (these metals that were to be of 16 different alloys)  ought be "unbreakable, which cannot be cut through, which would not catch fire and cannot be destroyed by accidents." Details as to how to make these vymanas in flight invisible through smoke screens were to have been given in Vymanik Shastra of Maharshi Bharadwaja.”

"Further description and method of manufacturing aircraft, which would enable pilots not only to spot enemy aircraft, but also to hear what enemy pilots in their planes were speaking, on principles akin to radar, were to have been given in elaborate detail with suitable explanatory notes. The chapters in this book seemingly dealt with construction of aircraft, which fly in air, go under water, or float on water.”

With this was the end of the report on the wonder manuscript left behind for the edification of mankind by the venerable mystic ANEKAL SUBRAAYA SASTRY whose occult powers visualized this much from the "VYMANIKA SHASTRA" section of the giant "ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF MACHINES" or "YANTRA SARVASVA" of divine sage MAHARSHI BHARADWAJ.

Ancient Flying Machines (from source: Internet):

Flight had been the dream of humankind since they watched in awe as birds soared effortlessly through the sky. But, according to accepted history, it wasn't until the 1780’s that two Frenchmen achieved lighter-than-air flight when they were lifted into the air in a hot air balloon near Paris. Then powered, heavier-than-air flight became the goal. And although it was theorized that heavier-than-air flight was possible as early as the 13th century, and in the 16th century Leonardo da Vinci designed winged aircraft and a crude kind of helicopter, it wasn't until the Wright brothers made their first successful flights at Kitty Hawk in 1903 that powered flight became a reality.

That was the widely accepted history. Some researchers and a few rogue scientists had always believed there was evidence to suggest that humans achieved flight earlier in history - much earlier... so early, they say, that the knowledge of this technology had been lost and ancient stories that recount adventures of human flight have been relegated only to myth.

Was it possible that humans developed the technology to fly in early civilizations - or in civilizations that are now lost to history? Let's take a look at what some call the evidence that they say point to the true record of manned/unmanned flight in ancient civilisations.

    

The mercury Ion engine: Orville Wright demonstrated on December 17th 1903 that it was possible for a ‘manned heavier than air machine to fly’. But, in 1895, eight years earlier, the Sanskrit scholar Shivkar Bapuji Talpade had designed a basic aircraft called Marutsakthi (meaning Power of Air) based on Vedic technology and had it take off unmanned before a large audience in the Chowpatty beach of then Bombay, now Mumbai. The importance of the Wright brothers lies in the fact, that it was a manned flight for a distance of 120 feet and Orville Wright became the first man to fly. But Talpade’s unmanned aircraft flew to a height of 1500 feet before crashing down seventeen minutes later and the historian Evan Koshtka, has described Talpade as the ‘first creator of an aircraft.’

As the world observes more than hundred years of the first manned flight, it is interesting to consider the saga of India’s 19th century first aircraft inventor for his design was entirely based on the rich treasury of India’s Vedas. Shivkar Bapuji Talpade was born in 1864 in the locality of Chirabazar at Dukkarwadi in Bombay.

He was a scholar of Sanskrit and from his young age was attracted by the Vymanika Shastra (Aeronautical Science) expounded by the great Indian sage Maharishi Bhardwaj. One western scholar of Indology Stephen-Knapp has put in simple words or rather has tried to explain what Talpade did and succeeded!

According to Knapp, the Vymanika Shastra describes in detail, the construction of what is called, the mercury vortex engine the forerunner of the ion engines being made today by NASA. Knapp adds that additional information on the mercury engines could be found in the ancient Vedic text called Samaranga Sutradhara. This text also devotes 230 verses to the use of these machines in peace and war.

NASA (National Aeronautical and Space Administration) world’s richest/ most powerful scientific organisation is trying to create an ion engine that is a device that uses a stream of high velocity electrified particles instead of a blast of hot gases like in present day modern jet engines. Surprisingly according to the bi-monthly Ancient Skies published in USA, the aircraft engines being developed for future use by NASA by some strange coincidence also uses mercury bombardment units powered by Solar cells! Interestingly, the impulse is generated in seven stages. The mercury propellant is first vaporized fed into the thruster discharge chamber, ionised converted into plasma by a combination with electrons broken down electrically and then accelerated through small openings in a screen to pass out of the engine at velocities between 1200 to 3000 kilometres per minute! But so far NASA has been able to produce an experimental basis only a one pound of thrust by its scientists a power derivation virtually useless. But 115 years ago Talpade was able to use his knowledge of Vymanika Shastra to produce sufficient thrust to lift his aircraft 1500 feet into the air!

Tamogarbha Loha: Already produced in the laboratory, light in weight, black in color, found to be resistant to acids. Displayed high level of absorption for laser light (from red Ruby laser - as observed by Prof. Robert Anderson of San Jose State University during his visit to India in December 1991). Some chemical and other properties found to be unique-patentable new alloy. This alloy was used in 'Tamo Yantra' in the Vymanik Shastra for the purposes of absorption of light escaping from a photochemical reaction which resulted in absorption of light, thereby generating 'darkness'.

Pancha Loha (not the Panchaloha for making idols): A copper alloy, which is highly malleable and also highly corrosion resistant to moisture and salt (NaCl) water. Already produced and characterized to possess golden yellow colour (Hema Varnam). High machinability and on microstructure analysis found to be single-phase alloy with high malleability ('mridulam') and not found listed in ASM Reference (1988).

Arama Tamra: A copper alloy zinc, lead and iron of light absorption. Already produced and possesses golden yellow to reddish tinge. Brittle, light and hard, on microstructure analysis found to be two-phase alloy. Very hard, Young's modulus 16.9 (described in Sanskrit text as 'Dridham') not listed in ASM Reference (1988).

Source: Indian scientist Dr. C.S.R. Prabhu. The materials were developed at NML, IIT (Bombay) and BSC (Birla Science centre)

Chumbakamani, Paragrandhika-drava alloys: These were developed at IIT Bombay. Chumbakarmani is a special crystal used in some of the devices quoted in the Vymanika Shastra.

Source: Dr. Maheshwar Sharon (Department of Chemistry, IIT-Bombay) throws light on the equivalence of these materials to those, laboratory developed by modern science during the later part of 20th century. Dr. Sharon has expressed that many of the tests could not be concluded because of *limitations of translational skills and decoding of the Vymanika Shastra.

Prakasha Stambhana Bhida Loha: This was also developed at the National Metallurgical Laboratory, Jamshedpur, 1999. It was developed to be used in Bharadwaj's spectromemter, because of its high infrared absorption capability as one of the lens on it. It is a glass like material with stealth properties, because of its high light absorption.

The spectrometer: The spectrometer was manufactured at the National Metallurgical Lab, India using the instructions and exact metallurgical formulas as prescribed in the ancient Anshu Bodhini by Maharishi Bharadwaj, which is a cosmological text on the evolution of the universe and how the various radiations can be measured. This has also been published in the INSA (Indian National Science Academy) science journals.

Source: Report of Dr. Dongre, P.G.College of Varanasi, Dr.P.Ramachandra Rao, Director of National Metallurgical Laboratory, Jamshedpur, Dec 1999.

Now, finally let us consider one of the technologies described in the Vymanika Shastra:

The technology of creating invisibility by attracting light is now demonstrated by the fabrication of such materials as the Tamogarbha Loha and the Prakasha Stambhana Loha. The Tamogarbh is used in Tamo-maya (the illusion of darkness). It is what we today call "adaptive camoflage" that is when an object becomes indistinguiable from the surroundings. This is described in " Aakaashaakaara”.  “According to ‘Aakaasha-tantra’ by mixing black mica solution with neem and bhoonaaga decoctions and smearing the solution on the outer body of the vymana made of mica plates and exposing to solar rays, the plane will look like the sky and become indistinguishable (seems more of an elaborated complex ancient poem to arrive at a concrete solution - a personal opinion)" This however is the technology behind JPL's (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) optical stealth technology, based on the Japanese scientist's "invisibility cloak".

So, it does appear that the above evidence is consistent with the physical, scientific, literary and historical evidence to put forth the attempts made in ancient times towards manned/unmanned space flights.