Could Shankaracharya Forsee Einstein

Einstein was the greatest scientist this humanity hascalled the level of absolute knowledge. This level of
ever produced. He was not only the summation of theParmarthik of knowledge is attained only when through
scientific progress made by the human race but wasthe knowledge of absolute the ignorance i.e. Avidya is
also a path breaker. He paved way for the scientistsremoved. What is Avidya for an individual is Maya for
to to think about “The Infinity” which was by thatthe whole world. It shows that Maya is the sum total
time only a synonym of an absurd. He showed theof all Avidyas of all individuals.
limitations of human efforts by showing that there wasThis knowledge of the absolute is called the
an ultimate speed with which an action couldBrahamgyan. One who attains this Brahamgyan is
propagate in space. Einstein sait that it was the speedcalled Brahamgyani. Shankaracharya never
of light.propounded the theory of falsity of this world for a
Einstein was the first scientist who based his theory oncommon man. For a common man this world at
the foundations of relativity. He said nothing in this wasVyavharik level is a reality. It becomes Mithya only for
absolute. Everything is measured in relation tothose who had already attained Brahamgyan. Before
something else. A passsenger inside a bus moves withattaining Brahamgyan this world is as true as anything.
relation relative to the floor of the bus. The bus isIt is not an illusion like Pratibhasik knowledge.
moving relative to the earth. The earth is moving inThe existence of Maya is only for Brahamgyanies. For
relation to the sun. The sun also moves relative toa common man there is nothing called Maya. For him
some other points in the galaxy. This heirarchy is nevereverything in the world and of the world is a truth. The
ending. It goes on. The same is true about the massmountains are true, flowers are true, dieties are true,
and the length of an object. The mass of an object isthe god is true, so on and so forth. It is not the object
measured relative to the mass of a standard weightspecific. It does not depends on the objects. It does not
which may be a kilogram, a pound or a stone etc. thedepend on the world or the seeker rather it depends
length of an object (length means all dimension includingon the level of the seeker’s knowledge. By the
length, breadth and depth etc.). The Einstein summedtime the knowledge or Gyan of the seeker does not
up all his results of relativity in his ‘The Specialtranscend the Vyavharik level and attain Parmarthik
Theory of Relativity’.level of Gyan there is no contradiction in taking this
For Einstein, the speed of light could not beworld as true. But once the knowledge enters the
transcended. It was a boundary of human efforts. Withdomain of Parmarthik Gyan everything of this world
his Special Theory of Relativity he showed that if thebecoms Mithya and only the Braham is the absolute
speed of an object (in scientific language an objectthere.
means a particle) is increased several unbelievableThose who studied Adi Shankaracharya and Einstein
effects are observed. The mass of that object startsboth, may find that adopting different paths both of
increasing with the increase in its speed (scientific wordthem arrived at the same conclusions. These
is velocity). At a speed near that of the light the massconclusions are not subject specific. These conclusions
of an object becomes infinetly high and at a speedhold good for physics, for philosophy, for religion and
equal to that of the light the mass of that object isnow for societies and political systems also. {for this
infinite. Mass increases with the speed of an objectpurpose some enlightened readers may like to add the
was a new theory for the contemporary scientificnames of the indian prime ministers H D Devegoda, P
community. It was very difficult for them to understandV Narsimharao and Atal Bihari Vajpayee to this list}
this new theory from einstein. Einstein proved itBoth of Adi Shankaracharya and Einstein initiated the
theoritically.theory of relativity in their fields. They propounded the
Similar results were obtained by Einstein for theconcept of relative values of the entities. For Einstein
effects of speed on the length of an object and timean object may appear as lying stationary when
passed in a moving clock. He postulated that the lengthviewed in comparison of the earth but when it is
of an object starts contracting with an increase in itsviewed from the sun or the moon it may appear as
speed. At the ultimate speed, the length of an objectmoving. It is also possible that a star appearing moving
becomes perfectly zero. It becomes a point withoutfrom the earth may appear stationary from some
dimensions. Similarly with an increase in speed the timeother celestial body as the polar star appears
for the moving object passes slowly. This is calledstationary from the earth. Every motion, every position,
dilation of time. At the maximum speed (equal to thatevery shape, every size, every color, every age,
of the light) no time passes for the moving object.every vision is relative to some other reference points.
During those day a humorous paradox was in vogue. IfThis is exactly what Shankaracharya had said about
one of the twins soon after its birth is moved at aeight hundred years back.
sufficiently high speed then on his return still as aIt may appear a snake at twilight but when a torch is lit
breast feeding baby his counterpart would haveit is found a string. Further on receiving the light of
grown with sons and grandsons. This is because ofParmarthik Gyan this string also disappears and only
different amount of time passed for the who wasthe Braham remains their. It may appear a piece of
moving and the one who was not moving. For both ofsilver from a distance but on removing the distance
them different time periods would elapse due to thebetween the object and the eyes it is found an
difference of speeds with which they were moving.oyester. On attaining the absolute knowledge i.e. the
This theory was unique for its unique implications. ByBrahamgyan this oeyster would also disappear and
that time the newtonian mechanics was in workingwhat it remains is the only Braham.
which based all its laws and theories only forFor Einstein the deciding factor is the speed (velocity)
observable events. It was about the displacement,of the object and for Adi Shankaracharya it was the
velocity, acceleration, gravitation, mass, force and thelevel of the knowledge i.e. the Gyan. Despite that, there
law of conservation of energy. These were allis one very surprising similarity between both of
observable phenomena. The events were observedEinstein and Adi Shankaracharya.
and then generalized give a theory. “Invisible andFor Einstein when an object attains a speed equal to
Trans-practical” subjects were not dealt with bythat of the light its length would vanish. It would occupy
this sceince prevailing just before the era of Einsteinzero space. It would transcend the limitations of space.
(this statement can safely be made about Plank’sSimilarly at this speed, the time would be infinitely
work on Quantum mechanics and Heisenberg’sdilated. No time would pass for that object. Hence
work on wave theory also).Einstein says when a body attains the speed of light it
Einstein, first of all, took the sceinces from the domainwould transcend the limitations of the space and the
of observation to the realm of hypothesising. Hithertotime. This object would no longer exist in the
the sciences talked in terms of “apparent reality”coordinates of the space and the time which was the
while Einstein started the era of relativity. He violatedessential condition for its existence. This object would
the boundary of “apparent and comprehensible”now exist (!) in the spacelessness and the
and entered the zone of “strange but true”. Hetimelessness. This conclusions startled each and every
showed that his hypothesis was a general applicabilitycontemporary scientist of Einsteinian Era.
and the then prevailing scientific beliefs were a specialAdi Shankaracharya also took the Brahamgyanies to
case of his theory of Relativity. He did never showthe same state of the timelessness. Which he called
that the prevailing and percievable newtonianas Trikaalateet i.e. existing beyond the limits of time. On
mechanics was wrong rather he only said that theattaining Brahamgyan one merges into the Braham
truth lies beyond that pervievable sciences also.itself. Braham is the sum total of all and every thing. It
Adi Shankaracharya was also one among those greatencompasses all. The space and the time are within
luminaries which this humanity has ever witnessed. Hethe Braham and the Braham is not in the space and
also propounded a new path and took philosophy totime. Becoming the Braham is transcending the limits of
an ultimate state. The highest epistemological point thethe space and time.
philosophy ever saw in the human history wasReaders may feel confused at this point of this article.
propounded by Adi Shankaracharya. Those who areThey are taught about the differences of the science
the students of philosophy would be knowing thatand the philosphy, of Shankaracharya and Einstein, of
among the contemporary existentilists philosophies athe Advait Vedanta and the Special Theory of
lot has been borrowed from Shankarachayra.Relativity. For their consolation, this article is futher
Husserl’s phenomenology would be a clear violationdeveloped.
of copyright of Adi Shankaracharya’s AdvaitThere has been a basic difference between the
Vedanta, had it been existing there at that time. Adimethodologies adopted by these two veterans.
Shankaracharya’s Advait Vedanta.Einstein proceeded from inside out and Adi
Advait Vedanta propounded the oneness of this world,Shankaracharya did it from outside in. The earlier
however he menifested the relative existence at moreventured upon the outer world and the later explored
than one level. Advait Vedanta propounded that thethe inner self. The earlier used the outer world to
total existence is at three relative levels. First level ishighten his inner self and the later expanded his inner
Pratibhasik or apparent. Here the knowledge is alwaysself to encompass the outer world. But both of them
full of illusion and as soon as the right caue is remediedreached a state of spacelessness and the
this Pratibhasik appearance is lost and Pragmatic leveltimelessness.
of existence called Vyavharik Gyan would come intoHere it is again a messge for those who keep arguing
play.that the sciences and the religions are essentially
Vyavharik Gyan is the level of existence where thisdifferent; that the different disciplines impart varying
whole world lives in its routine life. It is not false but it isknowledge which cannot be conciled and that the
not the ultimate reality also. There is a possibility of stillfuture of the human race is always diversifying.
a higher level of existence. This ultimate level ofLet us not propound – the work is concluded ...
existence is called the Parmarthik level or it may be