by Dr. Sudhir Prayaga

 Introduction         

Mechanics is the study of motion. Quantum Mechanics is the branch of physics that deals with interactions of subatomic particles. According to physics, quantum is the smallest quantity or particle which is involved in an interaction. Based on our current scientific understanding Quantum Mechanics tries to explain the nature of reality by mathematical description of these subatomic particle interactions.  This article is my attempt to provide a comparison between scientific and philosophical interpretation on the nature of reality based on Quantum Mechanics and Bhagavat Gita.

Generally, it is construed that religion and science are incompatible and that religion cannot explain many scientific observations. However, Hinduism is an exception to this rule and compatible with most scientific phenomena (Note: Hinduism may not pass as a religion in the western concept of religion - read my article on why Hinduism is not a religion).  This article compares how Quantum Mechanics is covered in Bhagavat Gita.  According to Hinduism, Prakruthi or the universe or cosmos is made up of 8 building blocks (Gita 7.4).  These are bhoomi or solid, aapaha or liquid, vaayu or gas, analaha or energy, khm or space, manaha or mind, budhi or intellect and ahamkaaram or conscious self. 

            ഭൂമിരാപോനലോ വായുഃ ഖം മനോ ബുദ്ധിരേവച  

അഹംകാര ഇതീയംമേ ഭിന്നാ പ്രകൃതിരഷ്ടധാ 

          bhoomiaaponalo vaayu kham mano budhireva cha

          ahamkaara ithiyame bhinna prakrithi ashtadha … Gita 7.4

Gita further describes an organism as a machine (yantra) made of material energy and the conscious-self rides in this machine as a passenger.  Ishvara in his aspect of material controller directs the machine by way of the laws of maya (Gita 18.61).  This verse from Gita provides a mechanistic view of the biological phenomenon scientifically.

          ഈശ്വര സർവ ഭൂതാനാം ഹൃദേശേർജുന തിഷ്ഠതി

ഭ്രാമയൻ സർവ ഭൂതാനി യന്ത്രാ രൂദ്ധാനി മായയാ

ishvarah sarva bhutanam hridesherjuna tishtathi

bhraamayan sarva bhutani yantra ruddani mayaya … Gita 18.61

            Philosophically, Hinduism says that Brahman or paramatma is the all-pervading and the source of all material senses and qualities (Gita 13.15).  Scientifically in a very general way, the paramatma corresponds to the natural laws of the physics, which are regarded as invariant in time and space and as the ultimate causal principles underlying all material phenomena. However, keep in mind that the paramatma possesses all-pervading consciousness, as well as unlimited qualities, and is thus not susceptible to complete description in mathematical terms.  Now, let’s look at 7 fundamental principles of Quantum Mechanics and see how they correlate with Hindu philosophy.

Principle-1 Kinetic Nature of Subatomic Particles 

Quantum Mechanics deals with the behavior and properties of matter at subatomic scale. It attempts to describe the nature of physical reality through kinetic interaction of subatomic particles.  It assumes that these subatomic particles are in constant motion and interaction (science has no answer to the question why it is so), without which there is no existence.  Without going into aspects of motion, it can be loosely translated as ‘karma’ as one of its meanings. In Bhagavat Gita Krishna says that nothing in the universe can remain motionless because of the nature of their qualities or ‘gunas’.  Ancient Hindu philosophers (or scientists) had already recognized this fact.

നഹി കശ്ചിത് ക്ഷണമപി ജാതു തിഷ്ഠത്യകർമകൃത്

കാര്യതേ ഹ്യവശ കർമ സർവ പ്രകൃതി ജൈർഗുണൈഃ 

nahi kaschit kshanamapi jaatu thishtatyakarmakrit

kaaryate hyavascha karma sarvah prakriti jairgunaih … Gita 3.5

          Our Vedas teach us that everything in the universe is in constant motion, except the Brahman or the Akshara.  Anything that is in motion should be in comparison to something immovable, for the universe that is the immutable Akshara or Iswara. Now modern science also agrees with this concept, that everything in the universe is in a constant motion, from subatomic particles to cosmic bodies. Until few centuries ago people in the west thought that earth is flat and motionless.  Gita also says that the whole universe function due to yagna by the supreme consciousness (Akshara).

കർമ ബ്രഹ്മോത്ഭവം വിദ്ധി ബ്രഹ്മാക്ഷര സമുത്ഭവം

തസ്മാത് സർവഗതം ബ്രഹ്മ നിത്യം യജ്ഞേ പ്രതിഷ്ഠിതം

karma brahmodbhavam viddhi brahamakshra samudhbavam

tasmat sarvagatham brahma nityam yagne prathishtitham … Gita 3.15

 

Principle-2 Particle Nature of the Universe

Physicists now demonstrate that the whole universe is pervaded or enveloped by what is called the Higgs field, without which the universe may not exist. Higgs field is carried by particles called Higgs Bosons (named after physicist Peter Higgs and Indian physicist Satyendra Nath Bose), the so-called ‘God particle’. It is held together as beads on a string and provide mass to all other subatomic particles and thus crucial to the formation of the physical universe that we know. The allegory used by physicist ‘the God particle’ says it all, that there is no existence without these particles pervading the whole universe.

A sloka or verse from Bhagavad Gita (7.7) says exactly this, that the Brahman is everything in the universe. That everything in the universe is strung on Brahman like jewels on the thread of a necklace, analogous to how Higgs Bosons are held together to make up the universe.

മത്താ പരതരം നാന്യത്  കിഞ്ചിദസ്തി ധനഞ്ജയ

മയി സർവ്വമിദം പ്രോതം സൂത്രേ മണിഗണാ ഇവ

matha paratharam naanyathu kinchidasthi dhanajaya

mayi sarvamidham protham suthre manigana eva … Gita 7.7

 

Principle-3 Wave Nature of Reality

French physicist Louis de Broglie in 1924 first proposed that matter behaves like waves.  Now the wave particle duality forms a central concept in Quantum Mechanics. All matter exhibits wave like behavior, although at macro levels of our observation the wave like behavior of objects is too small for us to notice. 

Gita says that the photons or light (theja) emerging from the sun envelops all of earth, it is also the light in moon and fire, is the nature of Brahman. Unlike a particle, only wave form can be present everywhere.  Thus, it says that God is omnipresent and envelops everything that is animate or inanimate in the universe.

          യദാദിത്യ ഗതം തേജോ ജഗത് ഭാസയതേഖിലം

യച്ചന്ദ്രമസി  യച്ചഗ്നൗ   തത്തേജോ വിദ്ധി മാമകം

yadhaadhithya gadham thejo jagadh bhasayathegilam

yachadramasi yachaagnau thathejo vidhi maamakam … Gita 15.12

 

Principle-4 Something Cannot be Created Out of Nothing

According to Einstein’s famous equation E=MC², energy can be created from matter and vice versa.  It can only change from one form to another but cannot annihilate matter or energy.  Thus, universe is a closed system with constant amount of matter and energy.

This principle is explained in Bhagavad Gita (2.16), that something cannot be created out of nothing, and something cannot be destroyed into nothing.  According to Hindu philosophy, there is no beginning or end. It is always present and changing from one form to another.

നാസതോ വിദ്യതേ ഭാവോ നാഭാവോ വിദ്യതേ സതഃ

ഉപയോരപി ദൃഷ്ടോ  അന്തസ്തോനയോസ്  തത്ത്വദർശിഭി

naasadho vidhyathe bhaavo nabhaavo vidhyathe sadhaha

upayorapi dhreshto anthasthonayo thathwadharshibihi … Gita 2.16

The cosmic dance of Shiva may be considered as an allegory for the space-time continuum that Albert Einstein established in his general theory of relativity in 1915 that orchestrates everything in this universe. After our death our soul is not waiting at some place for the judgment day, just as God is not out there but in here. Gita further says that the principle (akshara) which is responsible for the universe (koodastham) is always there beyond space and time. 

          ദ്വാവിമൗ  പുരുഷൗലോകേ ക്ഷരശ്ചക്ഷര ഏവച 

ക്ഷര സർവാണി ഭൂതാനി കൂടസ്ഥോ അക്ഷര ഉച്യതേ

dhwavimau purushau loke kshara ashara evacha

kshara sarvani bhoothani koodastho akshara uchayate … Gita 15.16

 

Principle-5 The Uncertainty Principle

An essential feature of Quantum Mechanics is that it is generally impossible, even in principle, to measure a system without disturbing it. The process of measuring itself change the system.

Gita says that Brahma is outside of everything, it is also inside everything, it takes the form of the movable objects, and it is the one that becomes immovable objects. And due to its fineness and subtlety, it is impossible to be understood. That Brahma is situated far away from every object, and it is also situated near every object. This concept is also made very famous by the Beatles song ‘within you and without you’, written by George Harrison.

ബഹിരന്തശ്ച ഭൂതാനാമചരം ചരമേവ ച

സൂക്ഷ്മത്വാത്തദവിജ്ഞേയം ദൂരസ്ഥം ചാന്തികേ ച തത്

          bahirandascha bhoothanamacharam charam eva cha

          sushmathvad tadh avijneyam dhoorastham cha andhike cha tadh … Gita 13.16

 

Principle-6 The Exclusion Principle

The Austrian physicist Wolfgang Pauli discovered the exclusion principle in 1925. This says two similar particles cannot have both the same position and velocity.

          Gita says the Akshara brahma cannot be defined, its location is unclear, but it is there everywhere (Gita 12.3).  

യേ ത്വക്ഷരമനിർദ്ദേശ്യമവ്യക്തം പര്യുപാസതേ

സർവത്രഗമചിന്ത്യം ച കൂടസ്ഥംമചലം ധ്രുവം 

ye thwaksharam anirdhesya mavyaktham pariyupasathe

sarvathra gamachindhyam cha koodastham achalam druvam … Gita 12.3

 

Principle-7 Tangled Hierarchy

          Tangled hierarchy is a strange loop that goes through several levels, by moving upwards or downwards through the system one finds oneself back where we started.  It is a tangled hierarchical consciousness system because there are no clear higher or lower levels. In simplistic terms it can be compared as the chicken or the egg problem, which came first.  The observer or the subject chooses the objects for observation, but when the observer itself forms part of the objects there is no object to observe without the subject.  Dr. Amit Goswami, in his book ‘the Self-Aware Universe’, argues that consciousness is an active force in creation.  He says that ‘The self of our self-reference is due to a tangled hierarchy, but our consciousness is the consciousness of the Being that is beyond the subject-object split’.   

Hinduism has long proposed and recognized Brahman as the supreme consciousness and that universe goes through cycles of creation and destruction by active involvement of Brahma.  Gita says that the supreme consciousness, which is ever present and whose form we cannot imagine, in the form of subatomic particles (anoraniyam) or photons (adithya varnam), controls & protects across the multiverse or dark matter (thamasa parasthad), and responsible for everything that we know.

കവീം പുരാണം മനുശാസിതാര മണോരണീയാം സമനുസ്മരേദ്യഃ

സർവ്വസ്യ ധാതാര മചിന്ത്യ രൂപ മാദിത്യവർണ്ണം തമസാ പരസ്താത്

kavim puranam anusasthara manoraniyaam samanusmarodhya

sarvasya dhathara achinthya roopa maadithya varnam thamasa parasthad … Gita 8.9

Gita further says that the supreme consciousness, or Isvara, appears to be divided in the form of individual consciousness of different organisms, the conscious self. But brahma is indivisible which is sustaining all the objects and is also responsible for the destruction and creation of all objects.

           അവിഭക്തം ച ഭൂതേഷു വിഭക്തമിവ ച സ്ഥിതം

ഭൂതഭർത്ത്ര ച തൽജ്ഞേയം ഗ്രസിഷ്ണു പ്രഭവിഷ്ണു ച

          avibhaktham cha bhooteshu vibhakthamiva cha sthidham

          bhoothabharthra cha thad jneyam grasishnu prabhavishnu cha … Gita 13.16

 

Epilogue 

The Bhagavad-Gita provides us a philosophical framework for understanding the nature of the observer and the nature of the observer’s interaction with rest of the universe. This is akin to what modern physics and Quantum theory proposes, a description of observations, the subject, and the object of observations.  Although theory still has many limitations, it is the best scientific interpretation we have. We may find it extremely difficult to bridge the gap between the Bhagavad-Gita’s description of the paramatma and the known laws of physics. Yet it is important to realize that modern scientific knowledge by no means rules out the possibility that both nature and the living beings have attributes lying far beyond the scope of our present scientific theories. By remaining open to concepts of life much broader than the limited mechanistic view, scientists will lose nothing. Rather, they may gain a deeper and logical insight into views presented in the Bhagavad-Gita.

What is incredible is that the Hindu philosophers and Maharishis have conceptualized these principles or ideas thousands of years ago while it took scientists like Einstein and Max Planck in 20^th century for the westerns science to catch up. Unfortunately, we are undermining our own rich knowledge and heritage hidden in many of our books. The Bhagavat Gita, the eternal and timeless classic, has been interpreted and translated very many times by illustrious personalities in the past. But we still find new meanings with changing times and scientific understanding and always withstands the rigors of logic and science.   

I understand this is a poor attempt on my part in summarizing such vast scientific and philosophical thought based on my imperfect knowledge. Everything in this article is my interpretation only and I am solely responsible errors or misinterpretations. None of the ideas expressed here are my original and are based on my thinking about aspects of science and philosophy as I understand from various sources. I just happened to be a conduit to interpret these in this way at this time. Thank you for reading this article. My other articles can be found on my blog the ‘prayagaprinciples.blogspot.com’.

 

References:

1.    The Bhagavad Gita

2.    Isavasya Upanishad

3.    The Tao of Physics by Fritjof Capra

4.    The Universe in a Single Atom by Dalai Lama

5.    Dancing Wu Li Masters by Gary Zukav

6.    Why Does E=MC² by Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw

7.    Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig

8.    Nature, Reality, and the Sacred by Langdon Gilkey

9.    National Geographic March 2008

10. The Self-Aware Universe by Amit Goswami

*This article was originally published in KHNA 2021 Souvenir