purvam bhumim pariksheta paschaat vaastu prakalpayet ||

first test the earth (site); after that plan construction.

valmikena samayukta bhumirasthiganostu ya ||
randranvitha cha bhurvarjya gatighescha samanvita ||

land with ant hills, skeletons, full of pits and craters should be avoided

varnagandharasakaradishabdasparsanairapi|
parikshyaiva thathayogyam gruhniyaad dravyamuttamam ||

after examining the colour, smell, taste, shape, sound and touch (of the soil) buy the best material as found suitable,.

yavattatra jalam drushtam khanettavattu bhutale |

Till water is seen there (one) should dig the ground.

Ratnimaatramadhe garte parikshya khatapurane ||
aadhike sriyamapnoti nyune haanim same samam ||

it,(soil) should be tested by digging a pit of 1 arm length and refilling it (with the same soil). if (soil) is more, one wil beget prosperity; if short, one wil beget loss; if equal, it is normal.



source : matsya puranam, Adhyayah 253, slokah 11.(puranic period)
vastu puranam, slokah 5, viswakarma (6th century AD).
Bhrugu samhita, Adhyayah 4 (post vedic period)
kasyapa silpah, adhayah 4, (post vedic period)

Trinaabhichakramajaramanarvam yatrema
viswa bhuvaanani tasthuhuh |

the elliptical path through which all the celestial bodies move, is imperishable and unslackened.

source: rigveda samhita, mandalam 1, suktam 164, mantrah 2 (6000 BCE)

planetary motion

kakasha prathimandalaga bhramanthi sarve grahah swacharena |
mandochhadanulomam prathilomanchaiva shegrochhat ||

the mean planets move on their orbits and true planets on their eccentric circles. All the planets whether moving on their orbits or on the eccentric circles move with their own motion, anticlockwise from their apogees and clockwise from their perigees.

source: Arybhatiyam, Kalakriya-padah, chapter 3, slokah 17, aryabhatah (b.499)

orbiting planets- Concept of gravity

akristisaktisca mahi taya yat
khastam guru swabhimukham swasaktya |
aakrushyate tatpatativa bhaati
same samantaat kva patatviyam khe ||

the attracting (gravitational) force is the earth. that earth with that gravitational force of hers attracts towards herself the large objects in the sky. it seems as though she is falling. in space, with matching forces where wil she fall

source: siddantha siromanih, Bhuvanakosah 6, bhaskara 2.

Moon - A Satellite of the Earth

आयंगौ: प्रुस्निराक्रमिदसदंमातारम पुरः |

पितारँच प्रयांत्स्वः ||

Aayangauh prusnirakramidasadanmaataram purah |

pitarancha prayantsvah ||

"The moon, being a satellite of the earth, revolves a round its mother planet and follows in it its revolution round the self-luminous father planet (the sun). "

Source: Rig-Veda, Mandalah 10, suktam 189, Mantrah 1 (6000 BCE)

Astronomy - Lunar Eclipse

छादायती शशि सूर्यं शशिनं महती च भुछाया 

chadayati sashi suryam sasinam mahati cha bhuchhaya


"The moon covers the sun and the great shadow of the earth covers the moon"


Source: Aryabhattiyam, Golapadah, chapter 4, slokah 37 (b.499 A.D)

Astronomy - The Speed of light

तरनीर्वदार्स्हतो  ज्योतिस्क्रुदासी सुर्य  |

विस्वम्भासी रोचनम  ||

Tarnanirvisvadarsato jyotiskrudashi surya  |

visvambhasi rochanam ||

"Oh Sun! (You) overwhelm all in speed, visible to all, source of light. (You) shine pervading the Universe."

tatha cha smaryat 

yojanaanam sahasram dve dve shate dve cha 

yojane | ekena nimishaardhan kramamana namostute ||

तथा च स्मर्यत 

योजनानं सहस्रं ध्वे ध्वे  शते ध्वे च  

योजने | एकेन निमिषार्धन क्रममाना नमोस्तुते   ||

"It is remembered (that) salutations to Thee (sun), the traveller of 2,202 yojanas in half a nimisha"

Source: Rig-Veda-Samhita, Mandalam 1, suktam 50, Mantrah 4 (6000 BCE)

             

Astronomy - The Heliocentric theory (contd...)

दाधर्थ  प्रुथिविमभितो  मायुखै:

Daadhartha pruthivimabhito mayukhaih


"(the sun) holds the earth from all sides with (his) rays"


मित्रो  दाधार  प्रुथ्विमुताध्यम  | मित्रः क्रुष्टि:


mitro dadhara pruthvimutadyam | Mitraha krushtihi ||


"The sun holds the earth and the celestial region. The sun is the attracting power." 


Source: Yajur-aaryankam, prasnah 1, anuvaakah 8, vargah 3 (Vedic period)
             Yajur veda, Taittiriys-samhitha, kandah 3, prapataha 4, anuvaakaha 10, mantra 34 (vedic period)

Astronomy - The Heliocentric theory

नैवास्तामानामार्कास्य नोदयः सर्वदा सतः 

उदायास्तामानाख्यम हि  दर्शानादर्शन रवे:

naivastamanamarkasya nodayah sarvada satah

udayastamanakhyam hi darshanadarshanam raveh

"There is, in truth, neither raising nor setting for the sun, for it always there, and these terms (of raising & setting) merely imply his presence and disappearance" 

source: Vishnu puranam, book 2, Chapter 8, slokah 15, Vyasaha (Post-vedic period)

Astronomy- Gravity of earth

तथा प्रिथिव्यामाभिमानिनी या देवता प्रसिद्दा सैषा 

पुरुशस्य अपानावृत्तिमावास्ताभ्याक्रुष्य: वाशिकृत्याध एव 

अपकर्शेना अनुग्रहं कुर्वती वर्तत इत्यर्थः | अन्यथा 

हि शरीरं गुरुत्वत पतेत सावाकशे वोद्गाछेत ||

Tatha prithivyaamabhimaanani ya devata prasidda saisaa

purusasya apaanavrittimavastabhyakrusha vasikrutyadha eva

apakaesenaanugraham kurvati vartat ityarthaha | anyatha

hi shariram gurutvat patet saavakaase vodgacchet ||

"Similarly the deity that is earth exists by favouring, attracting, controlling by pulling down the vital function called Apana of the human. Else the body would fall due to its weight or would fly into the sky if left free".

Source: Sankara's commentary (8th century A.D) on Prasnopanishad (vedic period), chapter 3, Mantra 8

भुमिर्भ्राम्यति बुद्ध एव मरुतः प्रत्याग्भ्रमोत्याद्भुतो 

भ्राम्यन्त्येव सहस्रायेना यदि वा ज्योतिषि सर्वन्यपि |

अवर्तयो यामापाम्भ्रमः परिचिता मूर्तिहरास्यस्तामी 

या सास्त्याप्पयादिक्सितो जयति सा मुर्तिर्निरासताभ्रमा ||

Bhumirbhramyati buddha eva marutah pratyagbhramo tyadbhuto 

 bhramyantyeva sahaasrayena yadi va jyotimsi sarvanyapi 

avartayo yamapambhramah parichita murthiharasyastami 

ya sastyappayadiksito jayati sa murtirnirastabhrama...

"It is well known that earth indeed rotates with the inward rotation of air and with its base and all the celestial lights. this rotation is known even as that of the water. that form id appayyadkshita shines which is known as the eighth form of shiva"

Source: Sivotkarsa-Manjari, Slokah 52, Nilakantha-diksitah(16th century A.D)

अनुलोमाजतिनैस्थ: पस्यत्यचालम विलोमगं यध्वत |

अचलानी भानि तध्वत समपस्चिमागानी लंकायाम ||

Anulomagatirnausthah pasyatyachalam vilomagam yadvat |

achalani bhani tadvat samapaschimagani lankayam ||

"just as a person in a boat moving forward sees the stationary objects (on the bank) as moving backwards, the stationary stars are seen in Lanka (At the equator) as moving towards the west". 

source: Aryabhattiyam, Golapadah, chapter 4, Slokah 9, Aryabhatah (b.499)

Physics in Vedas (Optics)

सूर्यस्य विविधवर्ण: पवनेन विघितः कराः साभ्रे |

वियति धनु: संस्थानः ये द्रस्यनते तदिन्द्रधाणु: ||

Suryasya vividhavarnah pavanena visgaitah karah sabhre |

viyati dhanuh samsthanah ye drisyante tadindradhunuh ||

"The multi-colored rays of the sun being dispersed by wind in a cloudy sky are seen in the form of a bow which is rainbow"

Source: Brhat-Samhita, slokah 35, varahamihira (6th century A.D)

Physics in Vedas (Optics)

अप्रप्याग्रहनम कायाभ्रपतालास्फतिकंतारितोपलाब्धे: 


Aprapyagrahanam kayabhrapatalasphatikantaritopalabdheh ||


"That which cannot be perceived (with naked eye) can be perceived with (lens made of) glass, mica or crystal."


Source: Nyaya Darsham, Adhyayah 3, sutram 46, kanadah (800 BC)

Physics in Vedas (Magnetism-Magnets)

भ्रमकं चुम्बकं चैव कर्षकं द्रावकं  तथा |

एवं चतुर्विधम कान्तं रोमकान्तं च पंचमम ||

एकध्वीत्रिचतु:पन्चासर्वतोमुखामेव तत |

पीतं कृष्णं तथा रक्तं त्रिवार्नाम सयाथ पृथक पृथक ||

Bramakam chumbakam chaiva karshakam dravakam tatha

evam chaturvidham kantham romakantham cha panchamam

ekadvitrichatuhpanchasarvathomukhameva tat

pitam krishnam tatha raktam trivarnam syat prithak prithak

"Magnets are of 5 varieties-Bhramakam, Chumbakam, Karshakam, Dravakam and Romakantam. They again are single-faced, double-faced, three-faced, four-faced, five-faced and multi=faced. Each is again in three colors-Yellow, black or red"

Source: Rasaarnavam, paatalah 6, adhyayah 40, slokah 21 (12th century A.D)

Physics in Vedas (Matter-Elasticity)

ये धना निबिद्दा: अवयावासंनिवेशा:तै: विशिस्टेषु

स्पर्शवस्तू द्रव्येषु वर्तामान: स्थिथिस्थापकाह: स्वास्रायामंयाथा

कथमवनामितम यथावत स्थापयती पुर्ववादृजः करोति |

Ye ghana nibiddaah avayavasanniveshaah taih vishisteshu 

sparsavastsu dravyesu vartamanah sthithisthapakah svarayamanyathaa

kathamanavamitam yathavat sthapayati purvavadrujah karoti |

"Elasticity is the property in the bodies having densely populated elemental parts; when sheared by (External) deforming forces, it helps the body to recover its original state"

Source: Nyayakandali, Sridharacayah (991 A.D)

Physics in Vedas (Mechanics-Motion)

Utkshepanaapakshepanaakuncanaprasaarana gamanaani panca karmaani
उत्क्षेपाना आक्षेपना कुंचनाप्रसारणगमनानि पंच कर्माणि 


"The five kinds of action (Movement) are upward, downward, contraction, expansion and locomotion" 


Source: Tarkasamgrahah, chapter 1, section 1, sutra 7, Annambhattah (18th century A.D)