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India?s Scientific Heritage-XIV
Metals described in the Vimana Shastra
By Suresh Soni
If the country?s policy makers contemplate on the manufacture of the various metals described in the book and how to accumulate the necessary thing, then it will be good for the future development of the country.
The second question that arises is whether there is any part of aeronautics, which could be proved initially through experimentation. If there is some part, then has any experiment been carried out in that direction? Was it successful?
Fortunately, the above questions can be answered in the affirmative. Dr. Sriram Prabhu of Hyderabad saw the chapter on the machine in Vaimanic Shastra and tried to recognise some of the 31 machines described in it and then experimented to find out if it was possible to make the alloys as described in its chapter on metals.
For experimental purposes, Dr. Prabhu and his colleagues began a project with the help from the B.M. Birla Science Centre, Hyderabad. Results obtained so far are promising.
They have been successful in making some metals on the basis of the descriptions in ancient scripture.
The first metal is tamogarbh iron. The Viman Shastra says that it is used to make aircrafts invisible. On exposing it to light, it absorbs 75-80 per cent of the light thrown on it. This metal is black in colour; hard like lead and it does not dissolve even in sulfuric acid. The second is called the panch lauh or alloys of five items. It is golden in colour, but it is hard and heavy from inside. It is based on copper. Its speciality is that it has 7.95 per cent of lead, whereas the American Society of Metals in the US, has agreed that a maximum of 0.35 to three per cent of lead is possible in a copper based alloy. Hence, alloy with 7.95 per cent lead is unique in itself. The third is and arar. This is a copper-based alloy which is yellow in colour, hard yet light. It has a property of resistance to moisture.
While informing the press on July 18, 1991 of the success in making these metals, Dr. B.B. Siddharth, Director, Birla Science Centre, Hyderabad, said that in making these metals, various medicinal leaves, gum, barks of trees, etc. are also used. That is why while the production cost is less, some special qualities are developed in the metals. He further said that if the country?s policy makers contemplate on the manufacture of the various metals described in the book and how to accumulate the necessary thing, then it will be good for the future development of the country.
The news of the above press conference was released by the news agency Varta. It was published on July 19, in Nai Duniya, MP Chronicle and many other newspapers across the country.
In a similar fashion, Dr. Maheshwar Sheron of the Chemistry Department of IIT, Mumbai also tried to make some things described in the book. These were chumbakmani, which is used in the guhagarbha yantra and has the ability to capture reflection. Paragrandhik drav?this is a type of acid, which is used in the guhagarbha, and is used with a chumbakmani.
Similarly, there is a description of the various kinds of metals and mirrors in Sage Bharadwaj?s Ansha-bodhini. Dr. N.G. Dongre, Reader in the Harishchandra PG College, Varanasi, has undertaken a project with the cooperation of the Indian National Science Academy. The project was named ?The Study of Various Materials Described in Anshabodhini of Maharshi Bharadwaj?.
Under the project, he tried to make a mirror as described by Sage Bharadwaj, at the National Metallurgical Lab, Jamshedpur with the Director, P.Ramachandra Rao, who is at present the Vice-Chancellor of the Benaras Hindu University. He was successful in manufacturing a special kind of glass called prakash stambhan bhid lauh. The speciality of the this glass is that it absorbs visible light and allows only infra-red rays to pass through it.
It has been made of kachar louh-silica bhuch-akra surmitr-adikshar?lime ayaskakant?lodestone ruruk?deerbone ash, as per the process laid down in Anshabodhini. The speciality of prakash stambhan bhid lauh is that it is completely non-hygroscopic. Infra-red hygroscopic mirrors lose their polish and luster in water vapour or humidity and become useless. These days CaF2 is extremely hygroscopic. Therefore, one has to be extra cautious while using these machines, although a study of the prakash stambhan bhid lauh has proved that it works best in the infra-red range of two to five microns (?), where 1? =10-4 cm, and that it can be used without worrying about the moisture in the atmosphere.
Hence, we can say that the truth behind some of the experiments carried out in one of the chapters of Sage Bharadwaj?s book make us believe that the others must also be true and that aeronautical science was not just an imagination in ancient times, but was a fact. The other chapters are also waiting for courageous researchers to prove them true.
(This book is available with Ocean Books (P) Ltd, 4/19 Asaf Ali Road, New Delhi-110 002)
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