Our Heritage – Most Distorted and Unscientific community of Kerala and the indian communities abroad, the innocent
Interpretations by Dr. N. Gopalakrishnan, CSIR targets of Gopalakrishnan's heritage campaign.
K. Chandra Hari
1. Introduction
Alarmed by the distortions and unscientific interpretations that Dr. N.
Gopalakrishnan made in his presentation1 of Indian astronomy to the
public I felt a moral compulsion to look at his other communications,
pamphlet and speeches to understand their standard. Two speeches he
delivered in USA with audio made available on internet and the text of
which is available in his Malayalam and English pamphlets is being
reviewed here in public interest. Camouflaged by his oratorical skill and
the scholastic chanting of a few verses, a most parochial and
unscientific campaign is taking place in Kerala, one of the most literate
of all places in the world. What is happening to Keralites? What
happened to our great reformist spirits and rationalism? What has
happened to our science educators and the scientific spirit? What has
happened to our Universities and our professors? Where is the
Sastrasahitya Parishat when Kerala is made into a victim of the
pseudoscientific jargon under the address of a senior scientist of CSIR?
Can we allow the scientific spirit of Kerala be lulled into silence and
sleep by the chant of a few Sanskrit verses and the pseudoscientific
jargon of a Chemist who has not mastered any science well?
I have no personal conflict here. If someone calls me a barking dog, yes
I am, I have decided to be a barking dog to awaken the scientific spirit
of Kerala – Uthisthathā, Jāgratā, Prāpyavarannibodhatah - let us
awake and arise rather than becoming meek victims to the concocted
pseudoscientific jargon aimed at Brahministic indoctrination. I am to
present below a refutation of the pseudoscientific jargon of Dr. N.
Gopalakrishnan and the same will be sent to well known professors and
scientists to judge the truth and for making it percolate down the student
1
Indian Scientific Heritage by Dr. N. Gopalakrishnan, published by
IISH, Trivandrum
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2. Scientific Meaning of Ācārams
Reference is to a 94 minutes speech modeled in the form of a dialogue
between Srī Kalyān Visvanathan and Dr. NGK, CSIR vide two audio
files available on World Wide Web2 (www). Same ideas are getting
preached in Kerala through TV channels through fanciful structured
dialogue decked with scientific terms and Sanskrit verses. Unless the
dialogues are cut open and the poisonous contents is demonstrated, the
dialogue shall remain like a sweet cake enticing saliva to all lovers of
India and its true scientific heritage. Obviously the old generation and
the innocent students in their early stages of science education are the
victims of the parochial campaign.
51 Minutes Speech on Ācāras
Dialogues begin with a two stage 'orientation phase' required for a
deceptive campaign:
(a) Introduction of the 'senior scientist of CSIR' to give authority for the
uttered pseudoscientific jargon
(b) Ambiance of the hypnotic presence of a Sage (Rishi) is created with
some chant of verses and well known statistical accounts of the Vedic
literatures - number of Vedas, the word count, the syllable count and the
number of Śākhas etc.
(c) Spicy items like the names of illustrious men like Dr. APJ Abdul
Kalam, name of the illustrious Vedic scholars like Sri
Gopalaghanapadikal, Sri Ravi Sankar, Sri Satyasai Baba, Mata
Amritanandamayi, a spate of names of US Universities, names of
Kerala hospitals etc are inserted in between to maintain the (a) and (b)
ambiance.
(d) Thus the stage is set for the 'Heritage Audio Circus' and the 'blessed
one' – senior scientist turned Vedic Scholar (who interprets his name as
Veda-pāla Krishna by making the Go or Cow, the Vedas) starts
illuminating the audience as may be summarized below:
2.http://www.sanatanadharmafoundation.com/index.php?option=com_c
ontent&task=view&id=47&Itemid=32.
3. Distortion of facts and pseudoscientific jargon
(a) Grhysūtras as the 'reference manual' of our Ācāras.
Show under reference begins with a reference to Kalpasūtras and the
subsidiary texts of the Vedas in general to present the Grhysūtras as the
'reference manual' of our Ācāras. How true is this statement?
Within the harmless facade of the 'Indian Scientific Heritage' here we
see the Smrtikāraka3 awakening with his true colors. Let us see the
implications of the above teaching -

Our Ācāras and heritage is based on the Vedic Grhysūtras? If yes
where to the Vedic Gods and Agni disappear?

Can the prescriptions in the Grhysūtras be treated as complete
without the associated Vedic rituals?

How the Ācāra is scientific when it is adhered to namesake even by
Brahmins and when the rituals and Gods have gone into oblivion?

How scientific is Dr. N. Gopalakrishnan's understanding of the
Grhysūtras, given the ludicrous claims he is making?

See an item of the Grhyasūtras below to illustrate its scientific
content about which Dr. Gopalakrishan is silent. Jaimini
Grhysūtram4 1.5 gives the technique to secure the birth of a male
child. The so-called Pumsavanam had been there for the 10,000
years of antiquity claimed and the Vedic Brahmins were thus
obtaining 'graceful' male kids?

In this modern world, any modern medical men think that the sex of
an embryo is decided in the 3rd month of pregnancy?

Further, the ritual is scientifically so ridiculous because the
scriptures say that if the woman has another child, the ceremony has
to be in the 4th month of pregnancy.

Can we see any scientific heritage here?
3
Authors of Smrtis like those of Manu, Yājnavalkya, Śankara and lot of
other Brāhmana-priests who wrote texts as to how to maintain
Varnāshrama Dharma (Casteism), i.e Brahmin supremacy
4
Jaimini Grhysutram, I.5. p.10. Motilal Banarssidas, Delhi
3 4

Chromosomal theory that explains the sex of a child is wrong? Is it
the mother or the father who decides the sex of the child? How
many could have gained male children by following Dr.
Gopalakrishan's heritage science in Grhysutras?

Is this the science under which our heritage has taken shape? Does
not the modern society condemn such precepts as here for selection
even in principle and then what is the relevance of the Grhysutras
getting eulogized?

Heritage audio circus had the beginning with the invocation
"Mātrdevobhava, Pitrdevobhava...."- great old precept for creating
the ambiance. Then a number of modern disciplines of study are
mentioned rhythmically to convey that the scientific basis of Ācāras
has been discovered by researches in modern Medicine, Sociology,
Psychology, Anthropology, Biochemistry etc.
5. Science of the 16 Samskaras

He claims that the 16 Samskāras convert the born animal
'scientifically' into a cultured human being. We must note here that
the so called Shodaśa-samskaras are Brahmnical in character and
even today the Tantris are making their claims of superiority on the
basis that they are 'divine' because of the 16 kriyas denied to others.
Such customs more or less existed in all civilizations and had been
monopoly of the priestly class whom Dr. Gopalakrishnan
represents. Now in 21st century he is trying to market the same to
indirectly convey the Brahmnical supremacy.

His teaching as above leads to obvious conclusions like – without
priesthood of Brahmins there are no human beings, only animals
live in Indian society.

Is it a part of Indian scientific heritage? Which University has
studied their efficacy? In which Journals the studies got published?
He always talks hi-fi language but always without proper reference
except in the case of Delhi Iron Pillar and NG Dogre's paper on a so
called Spectrometer which in all probability is a manipulation
according to Sanskrit scholars. If it is a genuine piece of research,
 why such an advanced Spectrometer has not reached the market so
far?

Last, but not the least, how the Brahmins born of 16 samskaras
came to loose their Gods and rituals and the Agni itself and what
'divine' could be seen in their despising of humans in terms of caste
and karma? What kind of human sentiments did they harbor till the
geniuses born in lower castes stormed and destroyed their feudal
establishments?
(b) Heavenly Life on the surface of the Globe
Heavenly life is given a description in Sanskrit – Ācārāt labhate
Āyuh, Ācārāt dhanam aksayam, Ācārāt labhate suprajāh – and then
IISH-Guru says that the scientific basis of the Ācāras are discussed
in IISH classifying them under 5 categories of benefits:
1. Psychological
2. Physiological
3. Family bondage
4. Social bondage
5. National integration
These terms are all aimed to cast a spell on the audience so that
people are prevented from employing their reason in understanding
the jargon he speaks.
(c) Discussion on Ācāras
1. Chanting of Mantras is spoken of as an Ācāram
Is this a Vedic Ācāram? Did the smrtis that shaped Vedic heritage allow
chanting of mantras by non-Brahmins? Why the science under which
non-Brahmins were treated as animals is not getting explained by Dr. N.
Gopalakrishnan? What was the science under which the prescription was
given to pour molted lead into the ears of non-Brahmins who happened
to hear the Śrutis?
Mantras have beneficial effects and the tradition existed in India
thousands of years before the nomadic Aryans invaded India from the
ice-cold regions of Russia and Mangolia. And the greatest mantra is
Pancāksari Śivāya namah with which great Śaiva siddhas were born.
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They never discriminated between human being by their caste, creed or
sex and the efficacy of their science can be seen in their conduct and the
way they spread the message of Universal love. On the contrary the men
of Gāyatrī had condemned human beings in the most parochial manner
and developed priesthood to parasitic proportions upon the Indian
society and paved the way for its degenerations.
Pseudoscience and Terminology used
We need to have a close look at his preaching of scientific explanations.
Speaking on mantras he classifies the effects as –
1. Neuro-linguistic effect arising from tunes, intonation is claimed to
release 2 dozens of hormones in the brain. No knowledge about the
meaning of the mantras is required.
His cleverness is evident here – he had to surmount the 'meaning'
barrier as no body really knows what meaning the humbug
compilations have got. And about hormones in the brain he knows
that none in the audience may have the knowledge to contest his
nonsense claim.
For modern biologists, still the brain remains like a black-box.
Researches are taking place and they are just in the process of trying
to know about the brain's functioning. No study has ever come out
which state that any mantra produces 24 hormones or even a single
hormone in the brain. Dr. N. Gopalakrishnan is speaking imagined,
concocted nonsense in the lingo of science to fool the public with
parochial claims.5
Going by Indian wisdom, mantras produce their effects in the realm
of Prāna and modern medicine is yet to discover the same.
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Dr. N. Gopalakrishnan, never gives any reference of modern Journals
to subtantiate his claims. He throws the names of a few US
Universities where some related research may be taking place or even
may not be. No body in the audience can check the veracity of his
claims. Given the dishonesty he has shown in articulating his pseudo-
claims on Indian astronomy as I exposed in my earlier paper, none of
his statements can be taken on its face value.
2. Pyscho-linguistic effect is the second NGK term to fool the public.
Here he says the meaning play a role. He places Kīrtanams and the
epics like Rāmāyana, Bhāgavata etc in this category.
He is simply borrowing modern terms like 'Neuro' and 'Psyhe' to give
the air that the nonsense he is talking about is a part of modern medical
science.
3. He claims that the chanting of mantras can immediately lower the
Adrenalin, cholesterol and hypertension levels to normal levels.
Some studies have taken place and medical men are still trying to
ascertain the quantum of benefit possible with such exercises.
Scientific community is yet to take a united or uniform view – most
of the claims may be from Gopalakrishan types in some US
laboratories.
A doubt creeps in as to which Śruti the chanting of which made him
speak so dishonestly despite his claims of being a modern scientist?
4. Example 2 of health benefit that is early rise at 0530, 0430
increasing benefit due to brain's efficiency. Everyone knows it –
even birds and animals know this fact. The Cock and other birds
sing in early morning inspired by some scientific heritage? There
are flowers which open in the early morning and they do it by some
heritage science? There are migratory birds having more wisdom
than any human society in respect of their knowledge of seasons and
their flight directions?
5. WHO study on Heart Attacks and Discovery of Bio-static
Electricity?
I doubt whether WHO made any such study. He is quoting WHO to
make his statements appear more credible. Early morning heart
attack is a statistically observed phenomenon and daily dip in blood
vessel expansions6 due to natural body rhythms is an explanation
that finally came up. In the Google search nothing could be found
6
1 June 2004, Journal of the American Heart Association, see also:
http://www.scienceblog.com/community/older/2004/5/20044980.shtml
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about any WHO study and the details that Gopalakrishnan gives are
rubbish:
(a) Medical literature says that the attack is due to natural biological
rhythm inspired dip in the size of the blood vessels while Dr.NGK
says that the early morning heart attacks are because the people
suddenly get up. He adds that the WHO is instructing people to wait
30 seconds on bed – a lie concocted to create pseudoscientific
explanation for 'Prātasmarana' in the morning – and his
explanation goes further ridiculous where he says that the chant and
the touching of the earth with hand is for rendering earth to the bio-
static electricity.
(b) How ridiculous is the use of 'biostatic' term?
The foul game he is into in the name of science becomes evident
from his use of the term biostatic electricity. The word 'biostatic' in
scientific literature means biocidal i.e. killing bacteria. Copper is a
biostatic material means bacteria cannot grow on it. Dr. N.
Gopalakrishnan is imagining that in sleep human body is becoming
like electrically charged clouds and so man needs an earthing in the
morning for the biostatic electricity to protect the heart. This is a
classic example of the fraudulent terms he has created to make out
his pseudoscientific explanations. A search in the google on the
term 'biostatic electricity' instantly brought out his websites at the
top www.iish.org/sanatananews_details.asp?id=13-15k and www.
iish.org/ sanatananews_details.asp?id=7 - 36k. Dubious invention is
also part of Dr. N. Gopalakrishnan's Thursday message dated 10
August 2006.
6. Chanting mantra before taking food (Pre-food-chants)
Here too pseudoscience is created that the chant generates saliva and so
the ancient practice. It is natural for every creature on earth that its
saliva glands get activated on seeing the food and as it is put into the
mouth. What is the need of chanting?
If chanting the mantras generated saliva, all the Rishis may have been
doing their Yajnas with mouth full of saliva? What about the mantra
prescribed at the time of having sex? What does that mantra generate?
CSIR can direct Dr. N. Gopalakrishnan to have some research in these
fields.
7. Head towards North is prohibited? Earth's Magnetic Meridian
North-South direction is getting prohibited for all creatures. The
pseudoscientific explanation that is being carved out is that the blood
has 9-14 gms of iron vis-a-vis haemoglobin and so the impact of the
earth's magnetic meridian shall impair the pumping pressure of the
heart. How much truth or science is there in this explanation?
(a) Is the geographical North and magnetic North are the same?
(b) How the ancient wisdom accounted for the magnetic declination
and inclination?
(c) It is easy for anyone who cares for science to read now on the
internet all the details like – "The positions of the Earth's magnetic
poles are not well defined on the globe; they are spread over an area. The axis
of Earth's magnet and the geographical axis do no coincide. The axis of the
Earth's magnetic field is inclined horizontally at an angle of about 150 with
the geographical axis and vertically by an amount that varies from place to
place"
(d) If Gopalakrishnan is correct and science was underlying the
Arsha wisdom, then Rishis may have been keeping a freely
suspended magnet to understand the local magnetic dip and
declination.
(e) Does the magnetic meridian means an impact on the
haemoglobin only when a man lies north-south or vice versa? In
the human body all haemoglobin is moving in N-S axis to be
affected when a man lies N-S? What about the 900 components
of the field in the E-W direction?
(f) How do the whales or elephants sleep? Every creature adapts to
the environment automatically and no specific Indian heritage
wisdom is required for that. Had there been any universal effect
of the magnetic meridian on the blood circulation of human
beings it would have got discovered universally by human
beings. Even the Eskimos and tribes all over the world have
their scientific heritage but they don't try to create ludicrous
scientific explanations because they don't want to play politics
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over that. Here the mean mental activity has arisen because one
man has set out with the hidden agenda...
8. "Happy Birth Day to You" in Grhysutras?
IISH classification, the 3rd item is Ācārams that create family bonding.
Ācāram that he quotes as an example is birthday celebrations. He is
speaking as if the happy birth day of modern times is prescribed in the
Grhyasutras. Then the scholar goes on saying that children get a feeling
of oneness and inspires them to take care of old parents. What does the
Indian heritage say about old people? Should the old people stick to the
children or should they retire to forests? What example is seen in the
epic Mahābhārata? How the kids so well brought up as per Ārsa
wisdom doomed them by infighting? Grhysutras did not help even the
Yādava clan to survive?
What the readers feel? When the Grhyasutras failed so dismally what
science may be there inside?
When Dr. N. Gopalakrishnan did not learn to speak with honesty how
credible is the Dharma he speaks? A man who mastered Rgveda from
the Govindaghanapadikal has distorted every teaching he had whether it
be Vedas, Indian astronomy, Yoga or modern sciences – that is what we
see in his writings and speeches. His whole wisdom has gone into
darkness except for the barking dog he is able to see!
9. Kumbhamela in the Vedas – Social Bondage
Prayāga mela is the example cited for Ācāras that contributes to social
bondage. Is this celebration as per Grhyasūtras? Sāmūhya Dharma like
Matrdharma, Pitr, Putra Dharma etc. In which part of the world did the
tribes did not meet? Evolutionary scientists have credited the survival of
the Homosapiens to the socializing nature that the species had. It has
nothing to any special Indian scientific heritage.
10. Mātrdharma from Grhysūtras – Blessings at the Gate?
Dr. NGK gives no reference when he brings out such Ārsa precepts.
How he is taking the Indian communities abroad for a ride may be
understood from this example he quotes as example of Mātrdharma. He
says when children goes to the school Mother must accompany to the
gate and bless them – wonderful idea had the modern mothers been
sitting at home. Bhāryādharmam – she should serve food to her husband
– learned scholar stops there without quoting Manu's more advanced
science – "Na Stree Svātantraym arhati" – Women do not deserve
freedom.
11. Advanced science of 5 Kinds of Marriage
How Sri Kalyan Visvanthan who heard him tolerated this nonsense is
surprising – a statement is given that the Agnisāksi marriage creates
some special bond. What is the science in that social custom and how it
is better science than marriages in other societies? What was the
scientific precept under which poor Gāndhāri was given in marriage to
the blind Dhrtarāshtra? What had happened to the Agni-sāksi marriage
of Indra when he crept into Gautama's ashram? Divorce is less in India
because the marriages are scientific – that is what the CSIR scientist
says. In fact in the Vedic heart land Agni is nowadays getting used
more for scientifically burning the brides.
12. Sāmbaar and National Integration
How stupid a man can be when he sets out with hidden political and
personal agenda to preach about the wisdom he does not have gets best
illustration in Sāmbār. He says in US that 'Sambar' is an Ācāram that
creates national integration. Romans have been using Indian spices
centuries before Christ. Trade relations between Kerala and Arab are
well known since prehistoric times. Even now lakhs of Malayalis serve
in the gulf and our motor vehicles are running on imported crude. Our
Cars are from Japan and batteries are from Bankok ... all these trade
relations and products using imported goods mean Universal
Integration? Mansingh had given his sister in marriage to Akbar and
did it convey national integration to Rana Pratap? If not then what is the
national integration from Sāmbār?
13. Other Bogus Claims
He is making a number of other bogus claims that are illustrative of his
agenda, like –
(a) There was no Āryan invasion,
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(b) Ganapati homam gives immunity for pathogenetic bacteria for
one year
(c) Purānas had their origin 1000 years of back
(d) River names chanted brings in national integration
How ludicrous are these claims based on rituals may be understood
from the fact that Brahmins in this country perpetrated casteism and
most inhuman treatment to his brethrens with the Upanishadic chant of
'Aham Brahmasmi' and Advaita darsanam in his lips. What was
happening in the 1000 years that followed the great proponent of
Advaita science, Ādi Śaňkarācārya?
Brahmnical conviction on Advaitam was only to the extent of Dr. N.
Gopalakrishnan's conviction on 'Satyameva jayate'.
14. Conclusions
This account must be an eye-opener to the intellectuals of Kerala. I am
to specially request the scientists of CSIR and the academicians to
Kerala, University Professors and Teachers to come out openly to save
the children of Kerala from the pseudoscience campaign going on in the
name of Indian Scientific Heritage. India's scientific heritage never had
such dip as we see now with the distorted campaign of Dr. N.
Gopalakrishnan. He is making bogus claims about many hospitals,
psychologists etc and if it is true there is urgent need for effective steps
to prevent innocent people from becoming victims of the fraudulent
campaign. Shodasa (16) samskaras needed to 'convert an animal born
creature into an adjustable, accomodatable, cultured human being' is not
either Indian heritage or Kerala heritage. It is Gopalakrishnan's
Brahmnical heritage and he is trying to sell Brahmnism through his
pseduoscience.
As with the Nazi hero Hitler, those who criticize Dr. N. Gopalakrishan
are dogs barking at bullock carts proceeding to the market. Yes,
Keralites must take pride in becoming barking dogs if someone is
proceeding to sell falsehood worse than Chikenguniya into the mind
and brains of the innocent population.
chandra_hari18@yahoo.com.
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