Holistic Science of Life and Living

Author(s): Vitrag Vignan Charitable Research Foundation
Publisher: Vitrag Vignan Charitable Research Foundation

Page 16

THE SEARCH FOR UNIVERSAL TRUTH IN
SCIENCE AND VEDANT*
I am very grateful to be given this opportunity to visit this beautiful Center, an abode of peace and spirituality and to be able to participate in this celebration. When I was invited to come here, I was somewhat hesitant. I have little acquaintance with religion and spirituality. I was born as a son of a professor of Physics (Incidentally, my father taught at the MTB Science College here for more than 30 years). I was educated and trained as a scientist and by profession; I have been a scientist all my life. I have also been convinced for many years that science and religion are not contradictory. Our society stands on the twin great pillars of religion and science. They run parallel to each other. They ask and search for answers to the same deep, fundamental philosophical questions. Their paths, their methodology and their technologies may differ, indeed they do differ widely. But the goals are the same mountain peaks. Often the results of their quest are amazingly similar.
Dr. S. R. Pandya
Let me elaborate on this, "Kena Upanishad" is one of our major Upanishads. Many of you may be familiar with it. In the very first mantra the Rushi asks four very fundamental questions. Each question begins with the word "Kena" or "by whom". Hence the name of this Upanishads.
The first mantra runs like this:
केनेषितं पतति प्रेषितं मनः केन प्राणः प्रथमः प्रति युक्तः ।
केनेषितां वाचामिमां वदन्ति
चक्षु श्रोत्रं क देवो युनक्ति ।।
*Speech given on Inaugural Function of HSRC on 27 April 2009
**Renowned Theoretical Nuclear Physicist, Honorary Professor & Former Director, Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad 380009
16 | Holistic Science of Life & Living Vol. I May 2014