New Delhi:The foundation of India's culture lies in the Vedas and they contain a wealth of knowledge that can be helpful to find solutions to the problems of the modern age, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday. In an address at an event held to commemorate Swami Dayanand Saraswati's 200th birth anniversary, Singh also said that the Vedas have numerous mathematical concepts, indicating that mathematics existed during the Vedic era.
"It is evident that what we know as Indian culture is fundamentally rooted in the social norms and cultural frameworks prescribed by the Vedas and in the science and mathematics mentioned in the Vedas," he said. "For instance, the Vedas have numerous mathematical concepts, indicating that mathematics existed during the Vedic era as a science," Singh said.
"The 'Shulva Sutras' serve as an example, presenting geometric principles to the world long before we got to know about the Pythagorean theorem," he added. Emphasising the relevance of Dayanand Saraswati's teachings in modern India, the defence minister recalled the philosopher's efforts to blend ancient knowledge with contemporary needs, particularly in the fields of education, science, and social harmony.
Highlighting the Arya Samaj founder's legacy, Singh also recalled his own efforts as the education minister of Uttar Pradesh to introduce 'Vedic mathematics' into the curriculum. "When I implemented Vedic mathematics, 36 scholars across the country had written books on the subject. Vedic mathematics is taught at the London School of Economics. However, it is ironic that in free India, the Vedic mathematics that should be taught is not being taught," he said.