A blogpost by Prof. Bal Ram Singh which examines Indian traditions scientifically from an indigenous perspective with a goal of integrating observations with comprehensive advancement of modern science. 

Kalyanaraman

Scientific Lens on Traditional Indian Practices

Scientific Lens on Traditional Indian Practices by Bal Ram Singh, PhD

Part 1

In the current debate of Indianization of education, business, culture, history, etc. it is common to cite scientific origin Indian culture and traditions. There have been controversies over PM Modi’s observations that replacement of Lord Ganesha’s head with an elephant’s head indicates organ transplant technology in ancient India. Similarly, Minister Rajnath Singh’s statement that Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle originated from Vedas has attracted ridicule from many intellectuals. While politicians should avoid making sweeping statements which could be misunderstood due to political noises around such statements, intellectual class is equally awash with ignorant and non-deliberate utterances.

Scientific nature of Indian culture and traditions needs comprehensive and professional examination. There are numerous practices, especially in rural India, which is uniquely organized in villages, a system advocated for modern India by no other than Mahatma Gandhi. Rural India is the only place where vestiges of ancient Indian traditions are still alive to certain extent, and can be examined rationally not only for learning the nature of the past traditions but also to advance them in modern times.

As an example, in many parts of India, it is common for men and women, especially senior members of family to pour water on a neem tree, even before they eat anything in the morning. It is important to note that practices like watering neem tree continue in India only through family traditions.

While growing up in rural India I could never make sense of this when my mother religiously poured alota (vessel) full of water on a neem tree soon after taking her bath. Her logic was that there is Shitala mata on that tree for whom she must offer water every day. In my youth and arrogance, especially after I started my high school as a science student felt science as the ultimate arbiter, I used to climb the neem tree and shake its branches to tease my mother that there was no shitala mata hiding anywhere on the tree.

She believed that if she did not offer the water every day, Shitala mata will be upset, and diseases like cholera or chickenpox will fall upon the family members. If someone was down with chickenpox, neem twigs will be placed in the room of the patient, as that was supposed to keep Shitala mata happy.

Before going into the scientific aspect of this practice, it is important to ponder over the wisdom and strategic thinking of those who had the knowledge and wanted to implement it in the society by integrating it with family practices. By making the practice important for family Health, and placing the responsibility generally on the female head of the family, the idea was to ensure that there will be at least one neem tree near the house (usually in front of the house) so the she can easily perform this ritual conveniently. Presence of a neem tree in front of the house has many other uses, including using the twigs for brushing teeth for people who either do not want to use modern toothpastes or may not be able to afford them.

The narrative of Shitala mata in the villages is that if the goddess who resides in the neem tree is not provided water (and flower, which also guarantees other plants around) before the head woman of the family partakes any food or drink, the wrath of the Shitala mata will fall upon the family. This will make young kids of the family sick with cholera and pox. In older times, only remedy was to have yagya in the house performed by a priest with havan and mantras to pacify the goddess. Most of the time these epidemics happen in the summer and during the rainy season in India obviously due to food and water contamination.

A personal story intimately related to this narrative may help elaborate. At the age of about 10, I had developed chickenpox. There appeared to be an epidemic as many young children had developed chickenpox, and several of them even had died. My infection followed up with dysentery, which made me severely weak within a couple of weeks due to blood loss. Usual rituals of yagya and havan were performed more than once, but to no avail. My mother was constantly cleaning and comforting me, sitting on the floor next to my cot bed in front of the house (women of my family those days and to certain extent even today in my family would not sit on the bed, while older men from the family or village are around). There was no question of summoning a doctor as that would anger the goddess. A day had come when my cries from stomach pain had become frail. Close and extended family members had stayed close by fearing my end. My mother had become stone faced fearing the worst. My uncle, a bold and progressive man of his time, who was also the head of the family on the male side (my father had passed away a couple of months before I was born) decided to call a doctor anyway. According to his recollection he felt that since I was probably going to die anyway, he wanted to try doctor's treatment as well, as nothing worse could happen with the goddess' fury. Of course, with that decision I am here to narrate the story.

Part 2

The event where my life was saved by a doctor rather than the goddess had so much influence on me while growing up that I used to dismiss much of rituals and practices (religious or otherwise) in the villages. As I joined high school to study science I became more arrogant against many of the family practices, including my mother's daily routine of offering water to Shitala mata on the neem tree. I used to make fun of many things my mother said or believed about such things. However, she had very different take on it. She had resolved more strongly to carry on with her practice, in addition to her mannat (promise) that she was to take me to Vindhyachal bhagauti (goddess of Vindhyachal), as she believed that I was cured more because of her mannat and vrata (vows) for goddesses, Shitala and Vindhyachal bhagauti. I obviously did not believe in any of those things, although I did not question them specifically out of respect for my mother's belief and comfort that I was going to be fine as long as she had those goddesses on my side with her practices and vratas. I did oblige her in 2001 by accompanying her to Vindhyachal for fulfilling her mannat to the goddess. I did it more for my mother's peace of mind than necessarily accepting her premise that I was saved due to her mannat rather than the treatment of the doctor.

However, these events did leave an impression on me, and I have started rethinking my views, particularly since my research has involved infectious diseases for nearly 28 years. Now with more and more questions on the use of pesticides, drug resistance in bacteria, need of sustainable practices in view of global warming. Moreover, a lot more information is now available on the chemistry involved in the valuable effects of neem, which is now considered as a major source of natural antiseptic and pesticide (Schmahl G, Al-Rasheid KA, Abdel-Ghaffar F, Klimpel S, Mehlhorn H. (2010) The efficacy of neem seed extracts (Tre-san®, MiteStop®) on a broad spectrum of pests and parasites. Parasitol Res. 107, 261-269), and is included in many herbal products and Ayurvedic medicines (Subapriya R, Nagini S.,2005, Medicinal properties of neem leaves: a review. Curr Med Chem Anticancer Agents. 5, 149-146).

Suddenly, the events which led me to despise many of the traditional practices are bringing back ideas to reconsider the values of those practices. First of all a description of the Shitala mata from Wikipedia points to the following:

"Shitala is accompanied by Jvarāsura, the fever demon, Olāi Caṇḍi/Olāi Bibi, the goddess of cholera, the Cauṣaṭṭī Rogas, the sixty-four epidemics, Gheṇṭukarṇa, the god of skin diseases, and Raktāvatī, the goddess of blood infections. Śītalā is represented as a young maiden crowned with a winnowing-fan, riding an ass, holding a short broom (either to spread or dust off germs) and a pot full of pulses (the viruses) or cold water (a healing tool). Among low-caste Hindus and tribal communities, she is aniconically represented with slab-stones or carved heads. Sometimes, she is said to be carrying a bunch of neem (Azadirachta indica) leaves, an ancient Ayurvedic medicinal herb that is very much an effective remedy to most skin diseases even today."

It now makes sense to see how a scientific knowledge was made part of the society in practice that was passed on from generation to generation. The fact that watering a neem tree in the name of a goddess with traits to provide medical relief or spread disease was made traditional requirement before partaking any food or drink linked it to the life's essential requirements. Linking the presence of Shitala mata with a tree, and her influence on the health of the family adds to the responsibility of the elders in the family to ensure the satisfaction of the goddess with the care of the tree. This made sure a neem tree at home and its nurturing. Many of its antiseptic effects are expected to be automatically available just by fragrance, seeds, and leaves. Neem extracts are used to manufacture from toothpaste, soap, to many Ayurvedic medicines. Twigs and leaves are still used in the rooms where patients of infectious diseases are housed. Such practices are retained within the family as responsibilities are transferred upon either passing away of the responsible person or when that person becomes unable to perform such family duties.

Modern science is struggling with making scientific living as part of the society. As an example, people in the United States hardly follow the food pyramid recommendations of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for their nutritional requirements. There is much to be learned from ancient Indian knowledge to live a healthy, and more importantly to integrate the knowledge within the family practice to continue the tradition generation after generation. Much of that traditional knowledge though needs updating with scientific tenor. That is the only way for creating the scientific temper in society as outlined in Article 51A of the Indian constitution, which, by the way, is the only constitution in the world advocating scientific temper. Making irrational claims of nuclear technology or plastic surgery on one hand, and dismissing great thoughts and technologies such as mathematical concepts, hydraulic engineering, herbal chemistry, health sciences, etc. as myths on the other, will neither allow examination of facts with scientific tenor nor will develop scientific temper so dearly advocated by the first Prime Minister of India.  

Bal Ram Singh, PhD, a professor of Biochemistry and President of Institute of Advanced Sciences, Dartmouth, MA, USA, is author of over 200 research articles, Managing Editor of Ayurveda Journal of Health, Associate Editor of International Journal of Indian Culture and Business Management, and has edited or co-edited 10 books, including Science and Technology in Ancient India Texts (2011) and ) Exploring Science in Ancient Indian Texts (2014).

The article is in part extracted  from the book “Indian Family System - The Concept, Practices, and Current Relevance” (2011), Singh, B. R. (Editor) DKPW Publishers, New Delhi, India.