| Einstein was the greatest scientist this humanity has | | | | a higher level of existence. This ultimate level of |
| ever produced. He was not only the summation of the | | | | existence is called the Parmarthik level or it may be |
| scientific progress made by the human race but was | | | | called the level of absolute knowledge. This level of |
| also a path breaker. He paved way for the scientists | | | | Parmarthik of knowledge is attained only when through |
| to to think about "The Infinity" which was by that time | | | | the knowledge of absolute the ignorance i.e. Avidya is |
| only a synonym of an absurd. He showed the | | | | removed. What is Avidya for an individual is Maya for |
| limitations of human efforts by showing that there was | | | | the whole world. It shows that Maya is the sum total |
| an ultimate speed with which an action could | | | | of all Avidyas of all individuals. |
| propagate in space. Einstein sait that it was the speed | | | | This knowledge of the absolute is called the |
| of light. | | | | Brahamgyan. One who attains this Brahamgyan is |
| Einstein was the first scientist who based his theory on | | | | called Brahamgyani. Shankaracharya never |
| the foundations of relativity. He said nothing in this was | | | | propounded the theory of falsity of this world for a |
| absolute. Everything is measured in relation to | | | | common man. For a common man this world at |
| something else. A passsenger inside a bus moves with | | | | Vyavharik level is a reality. It becomes Mithya only for |
| relation relative to the floor of the bus. The bus is | | | | those who had already attained Brahamgyan. Before |
| moving relative to the earth. The earth is moving in | | | | attaining Brahamgyan this world is as true as anything. |
| relation to the sun. The sun also moves relative to | | | | It is not an illusion like Pratibhasik knowledge. |
| some other points in the galaxy. This heirarchy is never | | | | The existence of Maya is only for Brahamgyanies. For |
| ending. It goes on. The same is true about the mass | | | | a common man there is nothing called Maya. For him |
| and the length of an object. The mass of an object is | | | | everything in the world and of the world is a truth. The |
| measured relative to the mass of a standard weight | | | | mountains are true, flowers are true, dieties are true, |
| which may be a kilogram, a pound or a stone etc. the | | | | the god is true, so on and so forth. It is not the object |
| length of an object (length means all dimension including | | | | specific. It does not depends on the objects. It does not |
| length, breadth and depth etc.). The Einstein summed | | | | depend on the world or the seeker rather it depends |
| up all his results of relativity in his 'The Special Theory | | | | on the level of the seeker's knowledge. By the time |
| of Relativity'. | | | | the knowledge or Gyan of the seeker does not |
| For Einstein, the speed of light could not be | | | | transcend the Vyavharik level and attain Parmarthik |
| transcended. It was a boundary of human efforts. With | | | | level of Gyan there is no contradiction in taking this |
| his Special Theory of Relativity he showed that if the | | | | world as true. But once the knowledge enters the |
| speed of an object (in scientific language an object | | | | domain of Parmarthik Gyan everything of this world |
| means a particle) is increased several unbelievable | | | | becoms Mithya and only the Braham is the absolute |
| effects are observed. The mass of that object starts | | | | there. |
| increasing with the increase in its speed (scientific word | | | | Those who studied Adi Shankaracharya and Einstein |
| is velocity). At a speed near that of the light the mass | | | | both, may find that adopting different paths both of |
| of an object becomes infinetly high and at a speed | | | | them arrived at the same conclusions. These |
| equal to that of the light the mass of that object is | | | | conclusions are not subject specific. These conclusions |
| infinite. Mass increases with the speed of an object | | | | hold good for physics, for philosophy, for religion and |
| was a new theory for the contemporary scientific | | | | now for societies and political systems also. |
| community. It was very difficult for them to understand | | | | Both of Adi Shankaracharya and Einstein initiated the |
| this new theory from einstein. Einstein proved it | | | | theory of relativity in their fields. They propounded the |
| theoritically. | | | | concept of relative values of the entities. For Einstein |
| Similar results were obtained by Einstein for the | | | | an object may appear as lying stationary when |
| effects of speed on the length of an object and time | | | | viewed in comparison of the earth but when it is |
| passed in a moving clock. He postulated that the length | | | | viewed from the sun or the moon it may appear as |
| of an object starts contracting with an increase in its | | | | moving. It is also possible that a star appearing moving |
| speed. At the ultimate speed, the length of an object | | | | from the earth may appear stationary from some |
| becomes perfectly zero. It becomes a point without | | | | other celestial body as the polar star appears |
| dimensions. Similarly with an increase in speed the time | | | | stationary from the earth. Every motion, every position, |
| for the moving object passes slowly. This is called | | | | every shape, every size, every color, every age, |
| dilation of time. At the maximum speed (equal to that | | | | every vision is relative to some other reference points. |
| of the light) no time passes for the moving object. | | | | This is exactly what Shankaracharya had said about |
| During those day a humorous paradox was in vogue. If | | | | eight hundred years back. |
| one of the twins soon after its birth is moved at a | | | | It may appear a snake at twilight but when a torch is lit |
| sufficiently high speed then on his return still as a | | | | it is found a string. Further on receiving the light of |
| breast feeding baby his counterpart would have | | | | Parmarthik Gyan this string also disappears and only |
| grown with sons and grandsons. This is because of | | | | the Braham remains their. It may appear a piece of |
| different amount of time passed for the who was | | | | silver from a distance but on removing the distance |
| moving and the one who was not moving. For both of | | | | between the object and the eyes it is found an |
| them different time periods would elapse due to the | | | | oyester. On attaining the absolute knowledge i.e. the |
| difference of speeds with which they were moving. | | | | Brahamgyan this oeyster would also disappear and |
| This theory was unique for its unique implications. By | | | | what it remains is the only Braham. |
| that time the newtonian mechanics was in working | | | | For Einstein the deciding factor is the speed (velocity) |
| which based all its laws and theories only for | | | | of the object and for Adi Shankaracharya it was the |
| observable events. It was about the displacement, | | | | level of the knowledge i.e. the Gyan. Despite that, there |
| velocity, acceleration, gravitation, mass, force and the | | | | is one very surprising similarity between both of |
| law of conservation of energy. These were all | | | | Einstein and Adi Shankaracharya. |
| observable phenomena. The events were observed | | | | For Einstein when an object attains a speed equal to |
| and then generalized give a theory. "Invisible and | | | | that of the light its length would vanish. It would occupy |
| Trans-practical" subjects were not dealt with by this | | | | zero space. It would transcend the limitations of space. |
| sceince prevailing just before the era of Einstein (this | | | | Similarly at this speed, the time would be infinitely |
| statement can safely be made about Plank's work on | | | | dilated. No time would pass for that object. Hence |
| Quantum mechanics and Heisenberg's work on wave | | | | Einstein says when a body attains the speed of light it |
| theory also). | | | | would transcend the limitations of the space and the |
| Einstein, first of all, took the sceinces from the domain | | | | time. This object would no longer exist in the |
| of observation to the realm of hypothesising. Hitherto | | | | coordinates of the space and the time which was the |
| the sciences talked in terms of "apparent reality" while | | | | essential condition for its existence. This object would |
| Einstein started the era of relativity. He violated the | | | | now exist (!) in the spacelessness and the |
| boundary of "apparent and comprehensible" and | | | | timelessness. This conclusions startled each and every |
| entered the zone of "strange but true". He showed | | | | contemporary scientist of Einsteinian Era. |
| that his hypothesis was a general applicability and the | | | | Adi Shankaracharya also took the Brahamgyanies to |
| then prevailing scientific beliefs were a special case of | | | | the same state of the timelessness. Which he called |
| his theory of Relativity. He did never show that the | | | | as Trikaalateet i.e. existing beyond the limits of time. On |
| prevailing and percievable newtonian mechanics was | | | | attaining Brahamgyan one merges into the Braham |
| wrong rather he only said that the truth lies beyond | | | | itself. Braham is the sum total of all and every thing. It |
| that pervievable sciences also. | | | | encompasses all. The space and the time are within |
| Adi Shankaracharya was also one among those great | | | | the Braham and the Braham is not in the space and |
| luminaries which this humanity has ever witnessed. He | | | | time. Becoming the Braham is transcending the limits of |
| also propounded a new path and took philosophy to | | | | the space and time. |
| an ultimate state. The highest epistemological point the | | | | Readers may feel confused at this point of this article. |
| philosophy ever saw in the human history was | | | | They are taught about the differences of the science |
| propounded by Adi Shankaracharya. Those who are | | | | and the philosphy, of Shankaracharya and Einstein, of |
| the students of philosophy would be knowing that | | | | the Advait Vedanta and the Special Theory of |
| among the contemporary existentilists philosophies a | | | | Relativity. For their consolation, this article is futher |
| lot has been borrowed from Shankarachayra. | | | | developed. |
| Husserl's phenomenology would be a clear violation of | | | | There has been a basic difference between the |
| copyright of Adi Shankaracharya's Advait Vedanta, | | | | methodologies adopted by these two veterans. |
| had it been existing there at that time. Adi | | | | Einstein proceeded from inside out and Adi |
| Shankaracharya's Advait Vedanta. | | | | Shankaracharya did it from outside in. The earlier |
| Advait Vedanta propounded the oneness of this world, | | | | ventured upon the outer world and the later explored |
| however he menifested the relative existence at more | | | | the inner self. The earlier used the outer world to |
| than one level. Advait Vedanta propounded that the | | | | highten his inner self and the later expanded his inner |
| total existence is at three relative levels. First level is | | | | self to encompass the outer world. But both of them |
| Pratibhasik or apparent. Here the knowledge is always | | | | reached a state of spacelessness and the |
| full of illusions and as soon as the right caue is | | | | timelessness. |
| remedied this Pratibhasik appearance is lost and | | | | Here it is again a messge for those who keep arguing |
| Pragmatic level of existence called Vyavharik Gyan | | | | that the sciences and the religions are essentially |
| would come into play. | | | | different; that the different disciplines impart varying |
| Vyavharik Gyan is the level of existence where this | | | | knowledge which cannot be conciled and that the |
| whole world lives in its routine life. It is not false but it is | | | | future of the human race is always diversifying. |
| not the ultimate reality also. There is a possibility of still | | | | Let's not propound that the work is finished. |