Page 11 - The Planets & Forecast

Planets & Forecast Mar.-18

DASAVATARA:

THE HINDU THEORY OF EVOLUTION

arur S Ganesan
arur S Ganesan
arur S Ganesan
arur S Ganesan
P P P P Parur S Ganesan
Take the Bhagwad Gita, the
M inister of State for Human great political-spiritual discourse given
Resources Development,
Satyapal Singh, recently questioned by Krishna on the battlefield of
Darwin's Theory of Evolution. In this Kurukshetra- with tempers running
context, it might be interesting to high not only among the two warring
recall the theory of evolution in cousins but also of the audience of
Hindu mythology. the great epic, Mahabharata, Sand-
The Dasavatara, the ten wiched in that battle climax is
incarnations described in the Krishna's discourse of a new
Bhagavatham is not just a story of philosophy, presented with easy
God periodically incarnating to set charm. If the same Gita essence had
right an erring world and establish been presented to the world as an
dharma, righteousness. It carries a isolated, dry piece of philosophy,
scientific account of the evolution of would it have gained as much
humankind, with a religio-mythological acceptance and popularity among a
flavour that makes it palatable for vast cross-section of people ?
public consumption. In line with this Hindu practice
Until the 19th century, when of presenting religion and laws with
Charles Darwin propounded the theory support stories, parables and
of evolution, the West had blind faith anecdotes, the theory of evolution,
in the religious story of creator and too, began with a fish story and
creation. Darwin's 'The Orgin of ended with the emergence of the
Species' published in 1850, created a worldly-wise, practical man.
sensation but it offended the orthodox Matsya, Kurma, Varahascha,
and the clergy. India found nothing Narasimhascha, Vamanah, Ramo,
new in Darwin's theory, as it was Ramascha, Ramascha, Krishna, Kalki
scientific restatement of the Janardana. That is fish, tortoise, boar,
Dasavatara detailed in the man-animal, dwarf, Rama-1, Rama-
Bhagavatam. The story began with 2, Rama-3, Krishna, Kalki-Janardana
the fish, aqua, and culminated in the in that order.
human with biological & intellectual As Matsya, God retrieved the
evolutionary stages in between, Vedas which were stolen by
spanning the stages of amphibian, land Hayagreeva who had hidden himself
animal, man-animal, dwarf, brute-man, with the booty under the ocean. In
perfect man and practical man. Matsya avatar, the tortoise lifted on
As is characteristic of Indian mytho- its back and kept afloat the Mandhara
logy, the evolution theory, too, was mountain which started sinking while
presented not in isolation as a concept, churning the ocean of milk. The
but with a religious and spiritual flavour. atrocities of Hiranyaksha ( ) Page 36)

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