The reason why the Universe is Eternal,<\/i>
\nIs that it does not live for Itself,<\/i>
\nIt gives life to others as it transforms,<\/i>
\nAnd thereby lies the process of Evolution.<\/i><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
Change, they say, is the only thing Constant. All of us\u00a0experience change in our life \u2013 our views\u00a0take\u00a0shape, thoughts mature, perceptions get molded,\u00a0and\u00a0if ever we sit\u00a0and\u00a0reflect,\u00a0we wonder how it could be that we are so different from the way we were just a few years back!<\/p>\n
Similar change in the life of our planet is evidenced by the process of Evolution. The current\u00a0post deals with the\u00a0\u2018Theory of Evolution\u2019<\/a><\/b>\u00a0as proposed by the\u00a0Biologist\u00a0Charles Darwin and\u00a0compares it with similar\u00a0thoughts in the Hindu tradition.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Origin of Species<\/u><\/b><\/h4>\nAs discussed in the 3rd post (Creation by Brahma<\/b><\/a>), our Universe required at least ten billion years of Evolution before life was even possible. Even on our own planet,\u00a0the process has only progressed by taking baby steps and it has taken millions of years of trial and error to\u00a0provide us with\u00a0the\u00a0backbone!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\nEvolution is clearly visible in\u00a0the huge\u00a0diversity of species\u00a0on our planet and today most of us\u00a0consider\u00a0Evolution<\/a><\/b>\u00a0to be an undisputed fact, yet there was a time when the concept was brand new and quite controversial.The controversy began with one man \u2013\u00a0 Charles Darwin<\/b><\/a>. Darwin (1809-1882), was an English Naturalist, who wrote the immensely popular thesis\u00a0Origin of Species<\/b><\/a>\u00a0in the year 1859 CE, thereby rocking the foundations of\u00a0both scientific as well as religious world of that time.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
What\u00a0was stated in his book, went totally against accepted beliefs of the Church and Darwin had to face a lot of\u00a0criticism for his revolutionary\u00a0theory. Yet, it is only because of this theory that we can understand\u00a0the full purport of Evolution\u00a0on our planet. The story of how Darwin came upon these conclusions is also quite fascinating as well and I was lucky to have visited the place where he came up with his theory.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The\u00a0spirit of\u00a0adventure\u00a0had gripped the imagination of\u00a0most European nations at that time and there were expeditions from different countries to chart and explore\u00a0the world around them. On one of these trips, our guy Charles\u00a0Darwin landed at the\u00a0Galapagos Islands<\/a><\/b>\u00a0off the\u00a0coast of Ecuador. These are a group of 12 disjointed\u00a0atolls with the sea separating\u00a0all of them, so that the flora and fauna in each is isolated from outside intervention.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
Darwin\u00a0began to study\u00a0the different species present there and to his surprise, observed huge variations in the species present in each of these islands!!\u00a0In Darwin\u2019s own words \u2013\u201cWhen on board H.M.S. Beagle, as a Naturalist, I was much struck with certain facts in the distribution of the inhabitants of South America, and in the geological relations of the present to the past inhabitants of that continent.<\/i><\/div>\n
Darwin\u00a0began to ask himself why some birds on these islands\u00a0had beaks\u00a0different from others, and\u00a0why some\u00a0turtles had upright necks\u00a0while others had their necks\u00a0pointed down! Could all these differences\u00a0be a result of the\u00a0ENVIRONMENT these animals\u00a0lived in and the circumstances in which they had to\u00a0obtain food?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
Despite suffering badly from sea-sickness, Darwin wrote copious notes while on board the ship. He found that the mockingbirds from different islands of the Galpagos group differed in shape and color\u00a0and collected 12 different species of finches from each of them!<\/p>\n
He\u00a0traveled throughout the world and collected specimens wherever the ship docked. The same were handed over to experts when he landed in his mother country for further analysis. The research conducted on\u00a0these specimens by\u00a0various\u00a0Anatomists, Ornithologists,\u00a0Zoologists<\/i><\/b>\u00a0and\u00a0Geologists<\/i><\/b>, made the entire scientific world sit up and take notice of this radically NEW notion that Darwin had proposed. Inspired by the geographical differences in the wildlife (past and present),\u00a0Darwin finally\u00a0conceived of\u00a0the\u00a0Theory of\u00a0<\/b>Natural Selection<\/b><\/a>. Today, the\u00a0\u2018Origin of Species\u2019<\/i><\/b>\u00a0is\u00a0a widely\u00a0acknowledged\u00a0classic,\u00a0and Evolution is today accepted as a\u00a0truth of life.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Evolution in Hinduism<\/u><\/b><\/h4>\nAncient Indians believed that Life comes from pre-existing Life. As discussed in the 3rd post (Creation by Brahma<\/b><\/a>), Hindu\u00a0Creation closely follows actual appearance of elements in\u00a0our Universe \u2013First appear the intangible substances followed by the tangible matter;\u00a0followed by\u00a0the immovable planets and landmasses; then the\u00a0vegetation; birds, aquatics and animals; and finally the Higher species.<\/i><\/div>\n
Taking an example\u00a0from\u00a0Hindu Philosophy,\u00a0one of the most important\u00a0concepts in Hinduism is\u00a0of\u00a0 Samsara<\/b><\/a>.\u00a0All religions of Indian origin viz.\u00a0Jainism, Budhism, Sikhism<\/b><\/i>\u00a0and the numerous other sects,\u00a0believe in this concept and I\u2019m sure most of you are aware of it as well. The concept is also known as the\u00a0Transmigration of Soul<\/a><\/b>,\u00a0and refers to an endless cycle of re-incarnation\u00a0that a soul must\u00a0undergo\u00a0in order to fulfill its\u00a0 Karma<\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n\n
A soul takes birth in different species\u00a0of life until it attains\u00a0the form of a Human-being that enables it to strive for\u00a0Nirvana<\/a><\/b>.\u00a0Compare this\u00a0concept with the diagram above and you will\u00a0immediately\u00a0observe\u00a0the similarity with Evolution!!<\/p>\n
Another\u00a0point to notice\u00a0is the mention\u00a0of \u00a084 Lakh (8.4 million)<\/b>\u00a0different forms that a soul is obliged to take in order to reach a Human form which\u00a0is\u00a0remarkably close to the 8.7 million Eukaryotic species that\u00a0scientists believe exist\u00a0today!!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n\n
Sir John Woodroffe<\/a><\/b>\u00a0(1865-1936), Advocate General of Bengal and Legal member of the erstwhile Govt. of India, had the same revelation after the study of Sanskrit texts. He said and I quote,<\/p>\n
\u201cAges before Lamarck and Darwin, it was held in India that man has passed through 84 lakhs births as plants, animals, inferior species and then came the ancestors of developed man existing today. The theory was an act of brilliant deduction in which observation may also have had played part!\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n
We all have heard of evolution and know that mammals are at its peak but is interesting to find the principles of Darwin\u2019s evolution in an old Hindu tect \u2013 the Shatpatha Brahman! The scripture mentions that when Prajapati Brahma created living beings in the beginning, they kept dying. He created the birds & the crawling<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
reptiles, but they passed away from want of food. Finally #Brahma created living beings who could store food to nourish their children in the from of milk and thus came the mammals who ultimately survived!<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
The verse 2:5:1:66 says: Now that milk is indeed food; for in the beginning Praj\u00e2pati produced it for food. But that food also means living beings (progeny), since it is by food that they exist: by resorting to the breasts of those who have milk, they continue to exist. And those who have no milk are nursed by the former as soon as they are born; and thus they exist by means of food, and hence food means progeny. Is it just co-incidence or were the ancient\u00a0Rishis\u00a0<\/i><\/b>actually aware of all the complexities of their environment around them?? While the above theory by\u00a0itself may not be sufficient for some to believe in what I\u2019m saying,\u00a0I\u2019ll elucidate it further through an analysis of the order of\u00a0Ten Incarnations of Lord Vishnu<\/b><\/a>.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
The Dashavatar<\/b><\/h4>\nFor the\u00a0sake of the neophytes who may not be aware of them, I am listing the\u00a0Ten Avatars below:<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\n
Matsya<\/a><\/b>, the Fish<\/li>\n
Kurma<\/a><\/b>, the Turtle<\/li>\n
Varah<\/a><\/b>, the Boar<\/li>\n
Narasimha<\/a><\/b>, the Half-man\/Half-lion being<\/li>\n
Vaman<\/a><\/b>, the Dwarf<\/li>\n
Parashurama<\/a><\/b>, Rama with the axe<\/li>\n
Rama<\/a><\/b>, Ramachandra, the prince and king of Ayodhya<\/li>\n
Krishna<\/a><\/b>, the Man-god<\/li>\n
Buddha<\/b><\/a>, the Spiritual Master, and lastly,<\/li>\n
Kalki<\/a><\/b>, expected to appear at the end of the Kali Yuga.<\/li>\n
<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
It would be worthwhile to note that originally, there were 24 Avatars of the Lord listed in\u00a0 Srimad Bhagvatam.\u00a0<\/b><\/a>Why then, were only 10 selected by the\u00a0Rishis<\/i><\/b>\u00a0for glorification? Furthermore, the order of the Avatars is NOT chronological! The actual order is as follows \u2013 \u00a0Varah, Narsingh, Kurma, Vaman, Matsya, Parshu-Raam, Raam, Krishna\/Balrama, Buddha and Kalki.<\/p>\n
To a\u00a0student of Biology, it may\u00a0be quite\u00a0apparent that these incarnations bear a startling resemblance to the Concept of Evolution \u2013 in the\u00a0Dashavatar<\/i><\/b>, we start with the aquatic\u00a0Matsya<\/b><\/a>, the Savior of the World; move on to the amphibian\u00a0Kurma<\/b><\/a>, the Support of the World; and follow it up with the Protector of the World, the\u00a0terrestrial\u00a0Varah<\/b><\/a>.Compare this with the diagram below to see how the current understanding of Evolution exactly matches this description.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0<\/i>Eusthenopteron<\/a><\/b>\u00a0in the diagram above is a good example for demonstrating evolution. This particular\u00a0animal looked and behaved like modern fish for all practical purpose, YET within its fins were\u00a0 precursors of arm and leg bones of the four-limbed land animals!To add weight to this Out-of-Water theory, we next have the\u00a0Tiktaalik<\/a><\/b>,<\/i>\u00a0a half-fish, half-amphibian animal discovered in the Canadian Arctic in 2004. This animal\u00a0was a further step towards TERRESTRIAL life with early wrists and finger bones that allowed it to prop itself up and poke its head above\u00a0the water!<\/p>\n
There are also\u00a0indications that the animal\u00a0breathed both through gills (like the earlier\u00a0Eusthenopteron<\/b><\/i>), as well as\u00a0by means of a lung-like structure like the later amphibian\u00a0Ichthyostega<\/a><\/b>! This is just one of the many example that confirm Paleontologists\u2019 theories about land-dwelling animals evolving from fish ancestors and co-relates well with the\u00a0Dashavatar<\/i><\/b>\u00a0sequence of\u00a0Kurma\u00a0<\/i><\/b>after\u00a0Matsya<\/i><\/b>.<\/p>\n
If you are intrigued by this similarity between science and religion, wait coz there\u2019s more to come :o)<\/b><\/p>\n
After\u00a0Kurma<\/b><\/i>, we have the\u00a0Varah<\/b>\u00a0and the story of this incarnation has many sub-layers. At one level, it signifies the next level of evolution moving from Water to Land while at a deeper level, it shows that Humans can not survive on the planet without the help of animals.\u00a0Lord Varah<\/b><\/i>\u00a0is followed by the half-man-half-lion\u00a0Nar-singh<\/i><\/b>\u00a0signifying the development of Man from the beasts. The victory of\u00a0<\/b>Narasimha\u00a0<\/b>over Aasurik ambitions of Hiranyakshipu also signifies that Humanity can be born only if we manage to subdue our demonic tendencies.<\/p>\n
Scientifically, there are numerous specimens recording this development from \u2018Water to Land\u2019 and from \u2018Beasts to Man\u2019 and many so called\u00a0Missing Links<\/b><\/a>\u00a0have been found to corroborate the same. However, for our purpose, let us shift focus to a\u00a0new animal that was spreading slowly out from the\u00a0African<\/b>\u00a0heartland about 120,000 years ago \u2013 the\u00a0Human-being<\/b>. Evolution of Humans from an ape ancestor is supported by DNA and fossil evidence of over 20 species of\u00a0Hominids<\/b>\u00a0and the complete genomes of several primates provide ultimate proof of our relatedness to apes and other\u00a0Primates<\/b>.<\/p>\n
Dryopithecus<\/a><\/b>\u00a0in the image above, was a\u00a0common ancestor to humans as well as other apes, and\u00a0walked on all fours. The next guy in the image,\u00a0<\/b>Australopithecus afarensis<\/b><\/a>, retained remnants from\u00a0his quadrupedal past (such as hind toes suited for climbing and a wrist joint indicating it\u00a0could knuckle-walk). However, its\u00a0thigh bone, the\u00a0femur, was shaped\u00a0like that of the later\u00a0Homo erectus<\/a><\/b>\u00a0to bear the stress of upright movement! In addition, both the proto-humans\u2019 femurs were also angled inward to help maintain balance on two legs, just like we do today.<\/p>\n
Hindu mythology also finds the mention of these proto-humans in the form of the\u00a0Vanars<\/a><\/b>\u00a0but that\u2019s a topic for a future post so I\u2019ll leave it at that for now.\u00a0<\/i>Coming back to the Dashavatar sequence,\u00a0we first have the pygmoid\u00a0Vaman<\/b><\/a>\u00a0<\/b><\/i>followed by\u00a0<\/i><\/b>the fully developed but jungle-dwelling man represented by Lord\u00a0Parashu-Raam<\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\n
As the famous sci-fi author\u00a0Arthur C. Clarke<\/b>\u00a0describes \u2013 The\u00a0stone club<\/i>, the\u00a0toothed saw<\/i>, the\u00a0horn dagger<\/i>, the\u00a0bone scraper<\/i>\u00a0\u2013 these were the\u00a0inventions which the\u00a0Early Man<\/b>\u00a0needed in order to survive and hunt.No longer were they faced with starvation when their teeth became damaged or worn; even the crudest tools could add many years to their lives. And as their fangs diminished, the shape of their face started to alter; the snout receded, the massive jaw became more delicate, the mouth able to make more subtle sounds to enable\u00a0Speech<\/b>.<\/p>\n
In using the\u00a0Tools<\/b>, their hands developed a dexterity found nowhere else in the animal kingdom permitting them to make still\u00a0BETTER tools, which in turn helped develop their limbs and brains yet further. It was an accelerating, cumulative process; and at its end was the Modern Man. This stage represents Early Man who had started using tools and weapons and quite fittingly, Parshu-Raam is the FIRST of the ten incarnations to posess primitve\u00a0ARMS (Axe and Bow).<\/p>\n
Soon,\u00a0mankind discovered Fire and Agriculture, and civilization began. Hence, next in the list we have\u00a0the civilized man with a strong moral code \u2013\u00a0Shri Rama<\/b><\/a>\u00a0<\/b><\/i>followed by\u00a0Balrama<\/b><\/a>, the Man-who-can-tame-Nature. In the image below, we can see the modern human represented by Shri Rama accompanied by the proto-human\u00a0Vanars<\/i><\/b>.<\/p>\n
Next in line,\u00a0Buddha<\/b><\/a>,\u00a0represents man with a spiritual drive and\u00a0the need for infusing fresh thoughts in age-old traditions to keep religion and spirituality within the reach of the\u00a0Masses. The final Avatar,\u00a0Kalki<\/b><\/a>, refers to\u00a0the techno-humanoid man of tomorrow wielding mechanical contraptions and riding the steed of fire perhaps hinting at the technological advancement yet to come, maybe somewhat similar to\u00a0Arnold\u00a0from\u00a0one of my childhood favorites, the\u00a0movie\u00a0Terminator<\/a><\/b>\u00a0:o)<\/div>\n
The\u00a010 Avatars\u00a0certainly represent much more than just the incarnations of Lord Vishnu and as we saw above, are an allegory for the Process of Evolution which is evident in nature and within our own beings as well.<\/p>\n
I hope I was able to suitably present before you another aspect of Science uncovered from the depths of the treasure trove of Hindu Mythology. I again bow down to the intellect of the ancient Rishis and culminate this post with the\u00a0Dashavatar Stotra<\/a><\/b>,\u00a0translated from the\u00a0Geet-Govind<\/b><\/i>, and dedicated to\u00a0the 10 glorious\u00a0Incarnations of\u00a0Lord Vishnu:<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
In the\u00a0Great Deluge,\u00a0<\/i>You kept Vedas safe,<\/i><\/div>\n
Like a ship undeflected, from its original course,<\/i><\/div>\n
Hail\u00a0Keshav in the form of Matsya,<\/i><\/div>\n
Glories to\u00a0Hari, Lord of the Universe!<\/i><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
On Your expansive\u00a0back, You let the Mountain rest,<\/i><\/div>\n
Like a Cosmic pivot,\u00a0for churning the Ocean,<\/i><\/div>\n
Hail\u00a0Keshav in the form of Kurma,<\/i><\/div>\n
Glories\u00a0O\u00a0Hari, Lord of the Universe!<\/i><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
In\u00a0the depths of\u00a0Garbhodak, You kept Bhu-Devi safe,<\/i><\/div>\n
Like a speck on Moon,\u00a0she rested on Your tusks,<\/i><\/div>\n
Hail\u00a0Keshav in the form of Varah,<\/i><\/div>\n
Glories\u00a0O\u00a0Hari, Lord of the Universe!<\/i><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
On your mighty knees, You let the demon rest,<\/i><\/div>\n
Like a leaf Hiranyakshipu lay, entire existence torn,<\/i><\/div>\n
Hail\u00a0Keshav in the form of Narsingh,<\/i><\/div>\n
Glories\u00a0O\u00a0Hari, Lord of the Universe!<\/i><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
In three steps subduing\u00a0Bali, You\u00a0kept Three worlds safe,\u00a0<\/i><\/div>\n
Like a\u00a0mountain spring, Ma Ganga washed Your feet,<\/i><\/div>\n
Hail\u00a0Keshav in the form of Vaman,<\/i><\/div>\n
Glories\u00a0O\u00a0Hari, Lord of the Universe!<\/i><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
On\u00a0the land\u00a0destroying tyranny; You let\u00a0our anguish rest,<\/i><\/div>\n
Like the cleansing sunlight, You rid us of the wicked,<\/i><\/div>\n
Hail\u00a0Keshav in the form of Parshurama,<\/i><\/div>\n
Glories\u00a0O\u00a0Hari, Lord of the Universe!<\/i><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
In the interest of Dharma; You kept\u00a0All species safe,<\/i><\/div>\n
Like the ten directions, were Ravan\u2019s ten heads spread,<\/i><\/div>\n
Hail\u00a0Keshav in the form of Shri Rama,<\/i><\/div>\n
Glories\u00a0O\u00a0Hari, Lord of the Universe!<\/i><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
On\u00a0Your plough, wearing blue; You let the Yamuna rest,<\/i><\/div>\n
Like the celestial clouds, garments adorned\u00a0Your form,<\/i><\/div>\n
Hail\u00a0Keshav in the form of Balraam,<\/i><\/div>\n
Glories\u00a0O\u00a0Hari, Lord of the Universe!<\/i><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
In Kaliyug You\u00a0opposed sacrifice;\u00a0Keeping animals safe,<\/i><\/div>\n
Like\u00a0Your compassion, Your fame too shone,<\/i><\/div>\n
Hail\u00a0Keshav in the form of Buddha,<\/i><\/div>\n
Glories\u00a0O\u00a0Hari, Lord of the Universe!<\/i><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
On Judgement day destroying\u00a0Evil; You\u2019ll\u00a0let their Souls rest,\u00a0<\/i><\/div>\n
Like a comet, your sword\u00a0trailing destruction,<\/i><\/div>\n
Hail\u00a0Keshav in the form of Kalki,<\/i><\/div>\n
All Glories to\u00a0Hari, Lord of the Universe!<\/i><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The reason why the Universe is Eternal, Is that it does not live for Itself, It gives life to others as it transforms, And thereby lies the process of Evolution. Change, they say, is the only thing Constant. All of us\u00a0experience change in our life \u2013 our views\u00a0take\u00a0shape, thoughts mature, perceptions get molded,\u00a0and\u00a0if ever we <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1635,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,23],"tags":[18,19],"class_list":["post-1632","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-science","category-space","tag-slider","tag-slider1"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bytesqube.com\/vedicverse\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/tumblr_b10ecb365f12d31eb96d8e1ed2f711e5_413a5b79_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C633&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bytesqube.com\/vedicverse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1632","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bytesqube.com\/vedicverse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bytesqube.com\/vedicverse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bytesqube.com\/vedicverse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bytesqube.com\/vedicverse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1632"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/bytesqube.com\/vedicverse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1632\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1643,"href":"https:\/\/bytesqube.com\/vedicverse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1632\/revisions\/1643"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bytesqube.com\/vedicverse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1635"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bytesqube.com\/vedicverse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1632"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bytesqube.com\/vedicverse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1632"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bytesqube.com\/vedicverse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1632"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}