Scientific Contributions[or glories] of Ancient Tamils"/Part:07

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"Scientific Contributions[or glories] of Ancient Tamils"/Part:07 "The Ancient Tamil Poetry & Science/Earth is Round/ spherical":

[Tamil article published in theebam.com "கம்பனின் அறிவியல் ஆழம்:மேற்கே உதித்த சூரியன்!"[செல்வதுரை சந்திரகாசன்] is the based for this English article "Scientific Contributions[or glories] of Ancient Tamils",For Tamil articles refer :http://www.ttamil.com/2013/02/blog-post_8720.html ]:

  

Now-a-days we believe in true sense that the term – ‘science’ is not only an area of laboratory and technology but also in broad sense of nature,science has intense relation with our society,culture, art , history and invention.For example,in Ramayana,we have seen Rama and Ravana both used Pushpaka Vimana.This Vimana has been described as an “aerial and excellent chariot going everywhere at will”. Another interesting thing that we found only in kamba Ramayana is Earth is Globe/ spherical from Yudha Kandam,Maruthu malai  Padalam .Three of the kambar poems from Chapter on medicine mountain is given below.

8889." Hanuman moved away from the great Meru mountain   and reached ,

The land of passion   called Uthara Guru and there  seeing the Sun spreading   ,

His rays and removing all  darkness Hanuman thought  “The morning has dawned,"

And   my speed   has not been of any use  “  and sorrowed.

அத்தடங் கிரியை நீங்கி,

    அத்தலை அடைந்த அண்ணல்,

உத்தர குருவை உற்றான்;

    ஒளியவன் கதிர்கள் ஊன்றி,

செற்றிய இருள் இன்று ஆக்கி

    விளங்கிய செயலை நோக்கி

வித்தகன், ‘விடிந்தது ‘என்னா,

    ‘முடிந்தது என் வேகம் ‘என்றான்.

8890."That matchless Hanuman  who wanted   to   reach  Lanka   before  ,

Lord Rama wakes up from his faint   and remove  his sorrow  in the middle of night  itself  ,

Became sad thinking  “The Sun God with his great light    has arisen   ,

And  I  am unable to think   what should   be , the proper thing for me to do."

‘ஆதியான் உணரா முன்னம்

    அருமருந்து உதவி, அல்லின்

பாதியால், அனைய துன்பம்

    அகற்றுவான் பாவித்தேற்குச்

சோதியான் உதயம் செய்தான்;

    உற்றதோ துணிதல் ஆற்றேன்;

ஏது யான் செய்வது? என்னா,

    இடர் உற்றான், இணை இலாதான்.

8891."That  Hanuman of great penance  going   with more speed than the wind ,

And   reducing the distance to the end of direction   thought,

“Sun God who has    the wealth of Sun rays  does   not rise   up in the west,

And this is not the dawn  and those learned in Vedas   have told  that,

To the places   north of Mount Meru  Sun would   be seen in the west.” And consoled himself"

கால் திசை சுருங்கச் செல்லும்

    கடுமையான் கதிரின் செல்வன்

மேல்திசை எழுவான் அல்லன்;

    விடிந்ததும் அன்று; மேரு

மாற்றினன் வடபால் தோன்றும்

    என்பது மறைகள் வல்லோர்

சாற்றினர் என்னத் துன்பம்

    தணிந்தனன் தவத்தின் மிக்கான். 

Assumed that Hanuman flying up ward,from equator towards north pole,facing head north.Here we find east will be in his right side and west will be in his left side.So,When he start he have seen the sun-set in his left side.Once he reached north pole and If he proceed further,as it is,what will you expect?As flying,down ward, other side of the earth,his head now facing towards south pole.So east will be in his left side and west will be in his right side.As such,now he have seen the sun rise in his left side as sun set earlier and hence,thought that the sun had just risen in west? However,consoled himself as Sun never rise up in the west,And as such,this is not the dawn and those learned in Vedas have told  that,To the places north of Mount Meru  Sun would be seen in the west[left side].From the time of Aryabhata I (5th Century CE) – who has stated that the Earth is round [not flat] and stands suspended in space, these concepts were known in India among scholars.So,I believe by Kamban’s time, these should’ve been common knowledge, and he has made use of them here.Though everyone was taught that Christopher columbus did discover the Earth was round,but This is simply not true!

[Kandiah Thillaivinayagalingam]

Part:08  will follow.