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Indian Historical Paradoxes

 

Dedicated to Bhakti Ananda Goswami/ David Sherman for awakening my

understanding of the ancient world's sacred connectivity.

 

 

By Vrndavan Brannon Parker

International Coordinator

for (VFA) Vedic Friends Association

President of Vedic Empire Productions

A Founding Member of WAVES

http://www.vedicempire.com/vrnbio.htm

vrnparker (AT) vedicempire (DOT) com

Shoreline, Washington USA

 

Presented

The Congress of Philosophy and Religion at UPN University in

Saltillo, Mexico, March 28 2006

 

WAVES conference at the University of Texas, Houston July 8 2006

 

 

Vedic Friends Association Conference held at Arsha Vidya Gurukulam

in Saylorsburg, PA August 27, 2006

 

Abstract

The field of Indian studies is a vast one whether it is linguistic,

archeological, historic, spiritual, artistic, musical or dance

oriented. Indian culture offers a wealth of research and inner

development. Currently Indian studies and practices attract wide

interest around the world. While millions of people practice or

have recognized the authenticity of Indian culture and traditions,

mainstream academia presents conclusions that exclude the

traditional perspectives. This approach has created two distinct

views of Hindu/Vedic history: the traditional view and the

mainstream academic view. The traditional view relies on that same

reservoir of experience and wisdom that is the very essence of the

applied practice of Hinduism. The academic view applies a clinical

view and many times a distant view separated by thousands of years.

In most cases, researchers have no choice and are only left with

ruins of an extinct civilization. However, when this approach is

artificially enforced upon a living culture of ancient continuity,

many paradoxes arise. Perhaps the greatest paradox is this: The

world's largest, continuous, and milieus ancient culture's

continuity and authenticity is based on the very same traditions

that it practices. However, academic conclusions based on the

traditional and cultural perspectives are not accepted by many

academicians and scholars, thus, many paradoxes arise.

 

 

1) Frawley's Paradox:

How is it that illiterate, marauding, migrating Aryans overwhelmed

an allegedly highly advanced Native Indian Civilization that left no

written records. The allegedly barbaric and illiterate Aryan

civilization subsequently created the ancient world's most

voluminous writings and poetry?

 

2) Verma's Paradox:

Most mainstream academia dates the Purans to a time after Christ. If

the Puranas were compiled from 300 B.C. to 500 A.D., why do the

tribes listed therein as residing in Persia NW India (Modern

Pakistan& Afghanistan) not match the tribes recorded by Alexander's

Greeks and Panini, nor to anytime after the birth of Christ? ( C.E.)

The listed tribes etc obviously predated 300 BC and thus the Puranas

reflect an ancient Vedic era that predates Alexander, panini and

Jesus Christ.[1]

 

3) Eurasian Steppes Paradox A and B:

A) If the Eurasian Steppes were the source of

repeated migrations and invasions that led to the establishment of

highly advanced organized civilizations spreading from India to

Ireland, what evidence in steppes confirms that these masses

sprouted and sustained, and why did they leave no historical

footprint in their alleged land of origin?

B) While the chariot is a recognized factor of the

Aryan civilization, no evidence has been found to connect a chariot

culture with steppes regions. So how did a non-chariot based

civilization develop a chariot culture that includes manuals on

chariot driving and mass invasions and migrations involving chariots?

 

4) Sea people Paradox:

Despite massive historical evidence that he ancient world was

repeatedly overrun by migrations and invasions from the seas, their

influence is downplayed, while the alleged influence of an illusive

Eurasian steppes based race is highlighted as the source and

foundation of all Indo-European civilization.

 

 

5) Sanskrit Paradox:

Sanskrit Paradox: While all agree that Sanskrit is the oldest known

surviving Indo-European language, it is considered a descendant of a

lost language which has left no trace despite Sanskrit's built in

claim that it is the sum of all scripts=San-skrit. It is a primal

tongue, a time capsule of a language spoken before the breakup of

the Nostratic super language family. Mainstream academia highlights

an unknown undiscovered and nonexistent language as the source of

Sanskrt and as an unworthy candidate as the Mother of all language.

In other words, mainstream academia accepts the unknown and non-

existent over the known and very real.

 

6) Historical Origins Paradox A,B, and C:

A) While all ancient civilizations, excluding the

Vedic Civilization, clearly record external sources of their

origins, only the Vedic Indian Civilization claims to be not only

indigenous to India, but to have been the source of Global

Civilization.

B) The testimony of all ancient civilizations are

accepted as evidence, while the testimony of the ancient world's

most voluminous and concise records(India's)is not accepted even

when it matches the accepted evidences of other ancient

civilizations.

C) While Homer's Iliad is accepted as historical

despite its obvious errors and contemporary critics, the Vedas and

Puranas are presented as myths and to have no significant historical

value despite being accepted by the greatest minds, researchers and

scholars throughout history.

 

7) Naval Paradox:

While the ancient world thrived on trade by way of the seas, only

Vedic India has the archeological, textual, linguistic, and cultural

continuity to be recognized as an ancient Naval power, yet ancient

India is disregarded as a source of Global migration, mercantile

expansion, and cultural influence. A leading British Naval Historian

proved that British Navy based its ship design on the ancient

Bengali rice boat model. In TRADE IN THE EASTERN SEAS 1793-1813,

British MaritimeHistorian C. Northcote Parkinson reveals that

British advances in ship craft were based on ancient Indian maritime

expertise. [2]

 

In other words the very development of the basic foundation of the

British Empire, its Navy, can be directly connected to Indian naval

expertise. If the British could use the same ship designs in the

spread of their Empire. Ancient Indians were surely capable of

sailing far and wide. The Rig Veda describes a ship sailed by

hundreds of oars in the midst of an ocean in a faraway land. The

Yajur veda advises humanity to travel the seas and into outerspace.

[3]

 

8) Religious Paradoxes A,B,C, and D:

A) While nearly all the ancient world's religions

have the same deities (Gods and Goddesses of modern Hinduism), and

in many cases the same names, the same rituals and rites regarding

birth, education, marriage and death, Vedic Civilization is not

recognized as the basis of ancient religion.

B) While vast historical evidence confirms many

ancient civilizations to be founded on the personal devotional

practices focused on a supreme God and Goddess Divinity represented

by various moods and expansions, ancient religion is always

presented as a polytheistic chaos of random favoritism.

C) Despite Vedic literatures, saints and traditions

correlate exactly with ancient Global religious beliefs of

devotional mono-theistic traditions focused on a divine couple of

lover and beloved, energy and source, Vedic religion is presented as

polytheistic and animalistic nature worship, impersonalism.

D) Though the Abrahamic traditions of Judaism,

Christianity and Islam all have obvious roots in the Vedic tradition

of Bhakti via India and the ancient world's Heliopolitan traditions,

India's Vedic culture's modern form of Hinduism is seen as unrelated

and distinctly separate and alien. The Vedas are the Rig, Sama,

Atharva and Yajur Veda. Together, these 4 Vedas, or books of

knowledge are known as OIDA in Biblical Greek and YEDA in Hebrew.

Even the very Seed names for God in Hebrew are the same as Sanskrit.

Hebrew ISHISH Sanskrit Isha. Thus the Supreme Father God of the

Niger-Kordofanian Language Family is OLU, Who is clearly the

Predynastic Egyptian Supreme Deity HERU, Who is none-other than the

Semite's ELI, the Indo-Europeans HELI / SOLE / SURA and the

Sumerians ILU who is none other than the HARI. The Hebrew YISHMA-EL

means VISHNU=HARI. The Yishma-El-ites worshiped HARI (ELI) and HARA

(EL) and sometimes compounded the two Deity names as ELI-EL or HARI-

HARA, which in Egypt was HERI-HOR. [4]

 

9) Buddhist Paradox A and B:

A) While ancient Buddhism has many evidences of having

a tradition of personal devotion to a personal Godhead it is

perceived as an atheistic faith. For example, the Mathura school of

Buddhist art represents the same Iconography as Vedic devotional

_expression. In fact, in both of the university-like

intellectual 'Buddhist' centers of Mathura and Gandhara, the

Vaishnavas and Buddhists were completely compatible as members of

various lineages or orders of the SAME RELIGION. This fact cannot

be contested. No honest scholar can deny that Gandhara and

Mathura , the two greatest early Mahayana centers of Buddhist

intellectual and artistic activity and diffusion were also Vaishnava

centers of the same! This was not a sequential phenomenon either!

The Vaishnava and Buddhist presence in these centers of Bhakti Yoga

was contemporaneous.[5]

B) Despite Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism being

Vedic faiths shorn of Vedic rituals and having a solid foundation in

Indian Vedic Culture and Civilization, they are presented as

separate religions and barely recognized as just some of the many

Indian expressions of Vedic Dharma.

 

10) Environmental Paradox:

Though India has over 1/6th of the world's population in a small

geographical location it still has a majority of Asia's surviving

wildlife. Despite the obvious benefits of the Vedic way of life to

the environment, the world at large refuses to seriously research

the benefits of Vedic diet, agriculture, village management, and

education. Also, Vedic societies' inclusiveness allows for extreme

diversity in language, customs, traditions, and beliefs. Thus, even

today, India's preserving Tibetan culture by hosting the Dalai Lama.

Throughout history, India has welcomed Jews, Parsis and other

oppressed minorities. In modern times, India is preserving the

ancient Tibetan culture and is the only country in the world to host

all 73 schools of Islamic thought. No Muslim nation can boast of

such Islamic diversity. It is India's Vedic Hindu ideals that have

allowed India to be the home of over a billion people yet still have

plenty of room for a variety of wildlife, including the world's

last remaining Asian lions.

 

11) Cultural Validity Paradox:

Despite the fact that Indian civilization represents the ancient

world's most voluminous source of scholarly research into science,

religion, philosophy. This treasure house of knowledge is not

considered as an authentic source for information regarding

humanities' ancient and glorious past. On the other hand, stray

artifacts from random discoveries have become the foundation of

theories that contradict most evidences validated by the traditional

Hindu perspective. One of the world's leading experts on South Asian

Archeology, Professor Jim G Shaffer an American archaeologist and

Professor of Anthropology at Case Western Reserve University found

evidence of extremely ancient cultural continuity in India. He

stated that the traditional Hindu perspective on Indian history is

a better fit to the archaeological evidence than the accepted

Western academic views. Professor Shaffer was quoted as saying that

by including traditional views and cultural belief systems into

scientific research, one can develop a more accurate and complete

picture of the ancient past. [6]

 

Conclusions

 

In conclusion, in any field of expertise the primary method of

learning is by accepting the guidance and instruction of someone

familiar and experienced in that particular field of study. One

must include rather than exclude living, hands-on experience based

expertise of those immersed in a culture and tradition. Combined

with academic research and expertise we can develop a complete and

accurate portrayal of Indian history and culture. Ancient history

reveals a world of amazingly advanced and integrated societies. In

harmony with its environment and in tune with the pulse of nature,

ancient societies and sages recognized the same truths of philosophy

and science. Civilization developed as a response to humanities

connectivity with nature and spirituality. In balance, both a

physical and metaphysical perfection was developed. Thus the

ancient world was one of advanced civilizations. The various

cultural communities added their own diverse textures and flavors,

but the basic essence was the same. Therefore, civilization was

naturally developed rather than artificially imposed upon humanity.

As time went on, societies lost their balanced connectivity to

nature. Imbalances arose, chaos and distinction was often the

result. Hindu culture represents that ongoing connectivity to the

ancients. Thus by developing an accurate view of India's culture

and history, humanity can regain its lost ancient connectivity.

REFERENCES

[1] Indo-Aryan Colonization of Greece and the Middle East pg. 43

[2] TRADE IN THE EASTERN SEAS 1793-1813, British Maritime Historian

C. Northcote Parkinson M.A.; Ph.D.; F.R. Hist.S Fellow of Emmanuel

College,Cambridge Printed 1937 by Cambridge At the University Press

http://www.vedicempire.com/bengalboat.htm

[3] Rig Veda Mandala 1-Sukta 116 and Yajur Veda Mandala 6-Sukta 21

[4] From the Writings of Bhakti Ananda Goswami-David Sherman

http://www.salagram.net/BhaktiAnandaGoswami-WTC.html

[5] From the Writings of Bhakti Ananda Goswami-David Sherman

vediculture/message/8653

[6] Keynote Address at the International Conference on Revisiting

Indus-Sarasvati Age & Ancient India, October, 4-6 1996 Atlanta

(Georgia),. Language, Chronology and Cultural Continuity in South

Asian Archaeology

By Jim G. Shaffer, Ph. D.

Department of Anthropology

Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, Ohio 44106-7125, U.S.A

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