Tribute to a Doyen

In the realm of Indian traditional knowledge, the gap in understanding between modern science and our traditional knowledge of yore is glaring. For example many concepts subtly and explicitly elaborated in the Vedic language of Sanskrit often lies unutilized by practitioners of Vigyana (विज्ञान) or what we know now as modern science. In present times it is extremely difficult to find someone with the needed appetite to cross pollinate concepts, ideas and practices available in one domain into another. Few decades back hardly there were any scientific institutions in the country that researched into, say concepts in Vedas/Upanishads, for adding value and enriching existing scientific thoughts. Likewise for instance, hardly were there Sanskrit Universities/Academies/Institutions that looked into cross pollinating concepts/principles in our ancient scripts for enhancing scientific knowledge.

It is in this context that I had the privilege of getting introduced to Thathachar swami more than two decades ago by Prof. Venkatasubramanian, former Member of Planning Commission of India, now known as Niti Ayog, when I was working with Dr. Abdul Kalam, Principle Scientific Advisor (PSA), Government of India. In addition my good friends Prof. N. Balakrishnan, who later became Associate Director of IISc, Bangalore, along with Dr. M. Vidyasagar FRS who was the Director of Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR), Bangalore, sent me a research project proposal for funding. This had come from Academy of Sanskrit Research (ASR), Melukote, Karnataka proposing a novel approach to encryption algorithm development. The very presence of an institution of higher learning in Sanskrit proposing a program involving cutting edge modern technology was indeed strikingly novel. As if this isn't sufficiently novel enough, the project coordinator Prof. M.A. Lakshmithathachar's proposal was to extract principles used in Katapayadi Sankhya, an ancient Indian system to depict letters to numerals, to enhance cryptological methods. On the advice of both these professionals I, along with my team, visited ASR Melukote and witnessed for ourselves not only the practical integration of science and traditional knowledge but also its manifestation in myriad forms such as preservation of manuscripts, production of mosquito-repellant using formulations given in ancient scripts. This tour to ASR was certainly an eye opener for us almost a quarter century ago.

As is the case even now, most of the current studies and research by scholars in Sanskrit focus on Vedanta and other spiritual aspects. What impressed me most is that unlike other Sanskrit scholars, Prof. Thathachar was spearheading a school that is finding Science in Vedanta when today's scientific community was indeed indirectly conveying Vedanta through their scientific research and discoveries their alignment with our ancient thoughts. Returning to ASR proposal, it is no brainer that the proposal was approved and subsequently resulted in a product – encryption algorithm – that was validated for its functioning, strength and is presently in usage. So much to speak about the quality of both the work, its author Prof. M. A. Lakshmithathachar and his entire research team.

In the words of former President of India Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam Quote “ it is to the credit of Prof. Thathachar that his works try to unearth science in our ancient scriptures in order to expand the knowledge horizon of Modern Science” unquote. The proof on the extent of impression that Thathachar swami had left in Dr. Kalam is evident from a big photograph of Prof. Lakshmithathachar adorning the Rashtrapathi Bhavan, the official residence of the President of India, with swami dressed in his traditional panchakacham sporting 12 thiruman kappu working keenly with his laptop sitting on a rock next to the pond in Thirunarayanapuram with a cow sitting next and intently looking at him. This sends a message that tradition and modernity go together in the sacred land of India through emissaries like Prof. Thathachar. I respectfully thank Prof. Thathachar swami for ingraining in me and in every citizen of India such a thought of embracing science and spirituality together. Prof. M. A. Lakshmithathachar, in the world of spiritual science, is one of its eminent citizen who brought out the hidden Science in our scriptures and ancient texts.