Speed of Light

USA, April 04, 2013 – by NITYANANDA CHANDRA DAS, Minister of ISKCON, Dallas

The Vedic literature’s Ṛk Veda’s Sayaṇa Bhāṣya accounts for the speed of light as 2,202 yojanas per 0.5 nimeṣa = 21,144.705 miles per .0114286 seconds = 185,016.169 miles per second. Which is 0.0067% different from modern calculations. Ṛk Veda accounts for the elliptical path of all celestial bodies. Surya Siddhanta accounts for the modern circumference of the Earth. Planetary gravity discussed in the Siddhānta Śiromaṇi. Śrīmad Bhāgavatam accounts for modern measurements of the distances between planets in our solar system. The Bhāgavatam also delineates measurements of time that go from 1687.5 part of a second to 311 trillion years (the span our particular universe). Pythagoras theorem was around 1000 years in India, before it was discovered in the West, as well as the value of Pi. Similarly photosynthesis is discussed in the ancient Mahābhārata.

While these facts are certainly interesting, they are not the cause of my faith. Faith become verified through experience.

For example when DART tells me that bus number 60 takes me to Kalachandji’s I may have faith in that claim. But when that I ride that bus and do end up at Kalachandji’s, that faith becomes realized. Because of that experience, it is reasonable for me to accept the other bus routes shown by DART go to their desired destinations.

Similarly the Bhagavad Gītā explains how the soul is different from the body. Not only is this conclusion given with logic but also with a practical experiments by which one can experience the conclusion directly. Faith verified.

No one should accept or reject anything blindly.