Program Particulars
*Times indicated refer to web version of audio

(1:53–3:14) Music Element
"The Multiples of One" from Awakening, performed by Joseph Curiale

(02:50) Encyclopedia of Hinduism
Raman is an associate editor of the Encyclopedia of Hinduism, a project that will result in the first complete encyclopedia on Hinduism published in English. The encyclopedia is being organized according to 12 central categories: Hindu culture, literature, thought, history, and religion, as well as art, architecture, music, and dance.

(3:05–3:49) Music Element
"Raga Sivapriya"
from Indian Classical Masters: Three Ragas for Solo Violin,
performed by L. Subramaniam

(04:20) Cognitive Dissonance
Raman writes about the idea of experiential consonance as compared to cognitive dissonance in fuller depth in his essay, "Dissonance, Bi-sonance, and Consonance".

(06:00) Quote from Ecclesiastes
Raman cites a passage from the third chapter of Ecclesiastes of the Bible:

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. What gain have the workers from their toil? I have seen the business that God has given to everyone to be busy with.

He has made everything suitable for its time; moreover he has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; moreover, it is God's gift that all should eat and drink and take pleasure in all their toil. I know that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; God has done this, so that all should stand in awe before him. That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already is; and God seeks out what has gone by.

Moreover I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, wickedness was there, and in the place of righteousness, wickedness was there as well. I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for he has appointed a time for every matter, and for every work. I said in my heart with regard to human beings that God is testing them to show that they are but animals. For the fate of humans and the fate of animals is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and humans have no advantage over the animals; for all is vanity. All go to one place; all are from the dust, and all turn to dust again. Who knows whether the human spirit goes upward and the spirit of animals goes downward to the earth? So I saw that there is nothing better than that all should enjoy their work, for that is their lot; who can bring them to see what will be after them?

(06:15) Famous Statement of Pascal
The 17th century French philosopher and mathematician Blaise Pascal wrote the famous line that Raman quotes in his 1670 work, Les Pensées (Thoughts): "Le cœur a ses raisons que la raison ne connaît pas", or "The heart has its reasons that reason does not know."

In Les Pensées, Pascal posited that there is choice under certainty in what is often referred to as Pascal's Wager or Pascal's Gambit. He argued that uncertainty is whether or not God exists — to believe or not believe in God is the choice to be made. The reward for belief in God if God actually does exist is infinite — no matter how small the probability of God's existence. The expected value of belief exceeds that of non-belief, and therefore the action to be chosen should be the one that gives rise to the highest total expected value. Although belief in God isn't rational, it's a worthwhile wager.

(07:07) Asking Why in Tamil
Tamil culture consists of a range of classical languages, literature, and cultural traditions. The Tamil language is spoken by nearly 80 million people today, primarily in regions of India and Sri Lanka, and by significant minorities of Singapore and Malaysia. The Tamil area of India is a center of traditional Hinduism with many schools of personal religious devotion, or bhakti.

Tamil literature dates back to the third century BCE. Tamil is the only current language and literature indigenous to India that wasn't derived from classical Sanskrit. The Tolkappiyam is its oldest work, but its most notable works are set of epics: Cilappatikaram (The Lay of the Anklet) and Manimekalai (The Girdle of Gems). The Tirukkural is a collection of aphorisms on such matters as love, kingship, and ethics.

In his essay, "Why in Science and Why in Religion," Raman points out that the Tamil words themselves provide a different approach to asking the questions in a causative and teleological sense:

The question "Why does something happen?" arises in science as well as in religion. However, the meanings attached to the question are implicitly different in the two contexts. Suppose you are asked, "Why are you reading this now?" Two types of answers are possible (a) "Because I always read discussions on science and religion." (b) "Because I wish to find out what is said here."

Note that answer (a) refers to the past, to a built in system in which the event takes place, the rules by which the phenomenon occurs, etc. Generally speaking, science interprets why in this way when it tries to answer why-questions. The question actually means here: What is the cause of what happened? This may be called causative why.

The answer (b) refers to something that is yet to happen, actions directed toward a goal, etc. This is tele (teleological) why. Generally speaking, religion interprets why in this way when it tries to answer the question. In most European languages (French pourquoi, Spanish porque, German Warum) the second meaning (for what, to what purpose) is implicit. In Tamil one distinguishes between én (causative why) and edarkâga, teleological why. This is not as clear in the English word why.

When religion tries to answer why in the causative sense, it comes into conflict with science. Normally, modern science does not interpret why in the tele-sense, except when some biologists talk of entelechy. Physicists hold that interpreting why in the tele sense, as Aristotle did, is a fruitless exercise. So they conclude — rashly perhaps — that the question in that sense is meaningless. Nevertheless, since the formulation of the Anthropic Principle the tele why has crept back into cosmology.

(8:35–11:03) Music Element
"Vedic Chanting"
from Chants of India,
performed by Ravi Shankar

(09:33) Hinduism as World's Third Largest Religion
Hinduism is one of the world's oldest and largest religions with over 900 million adherents, ranking behind Christianity and Islam.

(11:31) Multitude of Deities
Hinduism has no single founder or leader and followers do not adhere to a single, central doctrine. Followers believe in Brahman, a universal soul that is present everywhere and exists in all thing since the creation it orchestrated. But, Hindus worship other deities as there are varying characteristics in each one of them. Anoushka Shankar points out that there is a rough equivalent of the Christian trinity in Hinduism. The gods that compose the Hindu triad are Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer. Brahma is associated with the color red and is depicted having four heads and four arms with the hands holding a goblet, a scepter, a bow, and the Vedas. Of the three deities, Brahma is the least worshipped.

Although Vishnu is a minor god within the Vedas, he is a major deity. He is the embodiment of goodness and mercy who preserves the universe. Vishnu is the god for all those who need help in moments of crisis and is often shown standing and holding weapons or reclining on a serpent.

Shiva is the third major deity who is associated with generation and destruction. He is known for his multifaceted nature and is often depicted with two faces representing opposites—male and female, destroyer and peacemaker. Images of Shiva usually show him with one hand in the upright position (representing protection) and the other pointing downward (indicating liberation), with the Ganges River flowing through his hair.

(11:57) Fundamental Scriptures of Hinduism
Hindu religious literature is generally divided into two categories. The first is revealed and infallible truths; these are the Vedas — a canonical group of sacred hymns and verses composed in archaic Sanskrit during 1500–1200 BCE. The Rig Veda is the oldest known scripture in the world, and most revered by Hindus. Hindus believe the entire body of Vedic literature, including the Upanishads (800–400 BCE), is a product of divine revelation. Vedic Scriptures honor the hereditary deities that personified various natural and cosmic phenomena. They were originally committed to memory and handed down orally, and later were written down around 300 BCE. The intonations and rhythm of Vedic recitation carries on, even today.

The second category of sacred works is described as "remembered" knowledge, and consists of works that have acquired spiritual preeminence as a result of tradition. The Mahabharata and Ramayana, the national epic poems of India, fall under this category. The Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Hindu text that is part of the sixth book of the Mahabharata, is one of the more famous Hindu texts. It is a central text of Hinduism. The Gita is a conversation between the god Krishna and the warrior Arjuna that discusses duty, devotion, and selflessness.

(12:25) Truth in Sanskrit
Sanskrit is one of the oldest languages in the world, and the language of the Vedas. Sanskrit forms the basis of many of modern Indian languages such as Hindi and Bangla. It is complex in structure and meaning — almost every word in a sentence takes on different meanings depending on the verb — so words like karma and dharma can take several pages to define and describe. Thus, many schools of interpretation have arisen.

The term sat means different things depending on its context. It's often translated as "being, existing, occurring, happening, being present" or "real, actual — as in anyone or anything ought to be true, good, right" as Raman notes. In the latter example, the term indicates absolute truth as opposed to the relative truth.

(13:28) A Favorite God
Hindus commonly have a favorite god that is called ishta devata in Sanskrit. An ishta devata, Raman says, is much like the reverence paid to saints in the Roman Catholic tradition of Christianity. These gods are worshipped and prayed to in temples at shrines within their homes. The chosen deity is viewed as an icon or representation of a deity — a murti — such as Krishna, Ganesha, or Shiva. A person worships, prays, and dedicates their actions to his personal ishta devata. To begin to understand the divine, a person requires a concrete manifestation much like a color cannot be comprehended until it is viewed for the first time.

In "Approaching Prayer," Anoushka Shankar describes to Krista her mother's favorite god, Ganesha. In Hinduism, Ganesha, is one of the most popular Hindu gods who is commonly known as the elephant-headed god who rides a mouse (representing his power over the symbol of darkness). Invoked before most activities — a religious ceremony, a writing endeavor, or building a shopping mall — Ganesha symbolizes wisdom and good fortune. Often associated with the colors yellow and red, Ganesha is depicted with a bulbous midsection and four arms and hands holding objects such as a rope, a shell, a mace, a discus, or a sweet rice ball. Typically, his name is prefixed with the Hindu title of respect, Shri, or Lord Ganesha.

(16:02–18:08) Music Element
"Dhun In Rag Pahadi"
from Saradamani,
performed by Vishwa Mohan Bhatt

(16:15) Passage from Raman's Thoughts on the Bhagavad Gita
The following passage is excerpted from Raman's 1997 book, Nuggets from the Gita:

121. samam sarvesu bhutesu
tisthantam paramesvaram .....
yah pasyati sa pasyati
(XIII-28)

The same in-all-beings-
dwelling-Paramesvar:
who see (this), sees indeed.

The highest level of spiritual realization consists in recognizing the divine principal in everything and in every event. These lines in the Gita express one of the fundamental tenets of the Hindu world view, indeed the doctrinal essence of Hinduism. The most important realization of Hindu seers, the fundamental revelation that comes from their meditation and spiritual search is that beneath and beyond the material and the physical world lies a spiritual reality. It is only when one recognizes this that one has truly lived the human life. This insight has been expressed by other thinkers and philosophers as well.

Recall in the words of the poet Robert Browning:

God is seen
In the star, in the stone,
in the flesh, in the soul
and in the clod.

Seneca expressed it this way: Naturam voca, fatum, fortunamque; sunt omnia unius et ejusdem Dei nomina. Call it Nature, Fate, Fortune; all these things are the names of one and the same God.

An analogy with the physicist's endeavor may clarify this thesis. We see, observe, and experience countless physical phenomena around us: lightning and sunrise, erosion of rocks and the colors of the rainbow, the blossoming of flowers and the freezing of water in the cold, and many more. But when we become aware of these as various consequences of fundamental physical laws, our depth of understanding is enhanced, and our appreciation of the phenomenal world is enormously enriched. Likewise, say the seers, when we become aware of the spiritual substratum of the universe, our experience of it is heightened a thousandfold. Indeed, it is only when we achieve this that we really begin to see, i.e. understand, anything.

As the physicist can see through the mind's eye the ultimate quarks and leptons of which the material world is constituted, so too the spiritually awakened person can recognize in the core of his/her being the all-pervading entity which is the spiritual substratum of reality.

(18:13) The Meaning of Karma and Dharma
The concept of karma, from the Sanskrit meaning action or deed, is the driving force behind the cycles of reincarnation and rebirth in Hinduism and many other Asian religions. Karma is a law of consequences for one's actions, which will come to bear upon the individual in this life or a future life. In essence, morally good actions will produce positive consequences while morally reprehensible deeds will produce negative results. Raman sees karma as Hinduism's answer to the metaphysical concept of the problem of evil.

Dharma is commonly translated as "religious duty" or one's ethical framework in the mundane world. Dharma can be categorized in two forms: sanatana-dharma and varnashrama-dharma. They are not mutually exclusive but serve as complementary approaches to gaining deeper understanding.

Sanatana-dharma alludes to the need for each individual soul to serve a greater force, namely God. It serves as the driving force on issues of equality and inclusiveness at the personal level. Whereas, varnashrama-dharma takes into account an individual's daily tasks and social matters. These are classified according to four divisions of labor and four stages in life, which change as one passes through different stages.

A third form is sadharana-dharma, general codes of moral conduct. They are often defined as yama (prohibitions) niyama, recommended practices (niyama).

(20:07) Concept of Theodicy
The term theodicy derives from two Greek words, théos and diké, meaning "the justice of God." The German philosopher Gottfried Leibniz coined the word in 1710 to demonstrate God's goodness and justice despite the existence of evil in the world. In the Speaking of Faith program, "Quarks and Creation," quantum physicist John Polkinghorne offers both a scientific and theological view of the question.

(20:59) Hindu Idea of Reincarnation
The perpetual cycle of birth, death, and rebirth (samsara), Hindus believe, is governed by karma. The atman — the real self or the soul — migrates through this cyclical series of lives with its successive incarnation being determined by the manner in which the previous life was lived. For most Hindus, samsara is painful because of recurring process of birth, disease, old age, and death. Moksha is the final aim, to find release from the perpetual cycles through unity with Brahman. Some Hindus believe this means complete annhilation of the soul and the realization that no difference exists; to other Hindus the soul remains discrete but completely surrenders to one's higher nature.

(22:56–23:41) Music Element
"Sonata No. 4 in C Major, Op. 102 No. 1: 1. Andante"
from Beethoven: Complete Music for Piano and Violoncello,
performed by Andras Schiff and Miklos Perenyi

(23:00) Modifying Hamlet
Raman's line, "There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in our sciences," is an adaptation from a line in fifth scene of the first act of William Shakespeare's play, Hamlet: "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

Hamlet says these lines to his friend Horatio, a sentry who guards the castle at Elsinore at night. Horatio had seen an apparition of Hamlet's father, the late king of Denmark, the night before and had tried to talk with the ghost. But, the ghost refused and disappeared in the morning. Horatio tells Hamlet hoping that the apparition will talk to his son, which he does. The dead king reveals that he was murdered by his brother and present king, Claudius. When Hamlet returns, Horatio is still taken aback by the ghost. But, Hamlet points out that ghosts speaking, brothers murdering, and wives remarrying are not fantasy but occur in the real world.

(23:27–25:57) Music Element
"Fuse Box (AlexKid's Dub Remix)"
from Monsoon Wedding (Soundtrack),
composed by Mychael Danna

Tabla Solo(25:42–26:49) Music Element
"Ardha Pancham Sawari (7½ beats)" from Tabla Solo, performed by Samir Chatterjee

(26:38) Reading from Letter to Friend
The following text appeared in a October 1, 2006 letter from V.V. Raman to his friends and colleagues. He reflects on Sarasvati and what she represents to him:

We use words to talk. We enjoy music. We play with numbers. All these are nice, because they make us happy. How can we say Thanks for these enriching experiences? In the Hindu framework, there is a Goddess who gives us words and language and music and numbers. That Goddess is called Sarasvati. Today the Hindu world celebrates that name joyously and ceremoniously. By tradition, we are not allowed to read today. Books in the house are placed on a pedestal and worshiped. But tomorrow, at crack of dawn, children are expected to rise early from bed, and read from a book, with the resolve to do that every day of the year.

Homage to Sarasvati
The Supreme Mystery that awakens the mind,
The root of ev'ry syllable and word,
The fount of joy in glorious music,
The rhythm in dance that's full of life;
The magic in numbers, the wonder in symbols,
The spark of knowledge, the flash of insight;
The wisdom in books and the beauty in arts:
All this is serene Sarasvati in Indic vision.
Her I recall every morn,
Meditate upon 'fore the day unfolds.
To her I offer my homage special
With a prayer of a distant age:
jñAnam dehi, smritam dehi,
vidhyAm vidhyAdhi devate
pratishtam kavitam dehi,
shaktim sishya prabodhikAm.

Give me wisdom, give me mem'ry,

Goddess, Source of Knowledge wide.
Make me steadfast, give me poetry,
Give me the power, students to guide!

(26:51–27:54) Music Element
"Vandanaa Trayee"
from Chants of India,
performed by Ravi Shankar

(28:30) Concept of Mythopoesy
For a more in-depth explanation of the term "mythopoesy," read V.V. Raman's essay, "Indic Visions in an Age of Science, II: Origins and Ends."

(34:17–36:12) Music Element
"Gnossiene for Piano No. 2"
from The Guitarist,
composed by Erik Satie and performed by John Williams

(34:31) Reading from Raman's "Numbers in Religions"
The reading heard in the program is an outline of V.V. Raman's October 13, 2006 posting to an online discussion group dedicated to the serious discussion about the relationship between religion and science. The title of the essay is "Numbers in Religion".

(36:06–36:55) Music Element
"Raga Sivapriya"
from Indian Classical Masters: Three Ragas for Solo Violin,
performed by L. Subramaniam

(43:00) Caste System of India
Hindus organize life through well-defined social classes, or castes. These castes constitute a fixed ranking system for social and economic organization. Hindus are born somewhere in structure of the fixed castes and occupations, which is determined by their personal histories of beneficent and unkind deeds done in former lives.

The actual caste system is fairly complex, being composed of a vast array of sub-castes. Hindus are obliged to accept their caste position and all the obligations, privileges, and limitations that are associated with it. In a Speaking of Faith program featuring Prabhu Guptara, we include his presentation "The Gods of Business: Five Global Views," which defines the caste system to generally be composed of five castes:

• Brahmin – priests
• Kshatriya – warriors and administrators
• Vaishya – artisans and businesspeople
• Shudra – menial workers
• (outcaste)

Hindus believe that, if one lives a virtuous life, he or she can progress up the ladder of castes in each cycle of rebirth. To take on the duties of another caste would be unjust and dangerous because it would lead to poor performance and restricted rebirths in the future.

(44:20–45:17) Music Element
"Veenaa-Murali"
from Chants of India,
performed by Ravi Shankar

(34:31) Reading from Raman's Essay on Tagore
In Variety in Religion and Science: Daily Reflections, Raman writes about the Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore. Tagore was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913 and is an icon of India's independence struggle who wrote the country's national anthem. This great poet, Raman says, echoes the ancient wisdom of his Hindu forebearers in a modern world:

Tagore was a prolific writer, musical composer, artist, but above all, a Bengali poet par excellence. He was gifted through some mysterious genetic coding with rhyme and rhythm, with inner melody and exuberant creativity. His poetic vision struck resonant chords with the beauty in nature and the pangs of love through words and music. He would fly to romantic heights and words would burst forth from his heart to express robust passions and intense sensuousness. But Tagore was also a sensitive thinker who wondered about the meaning of life and the universe. The blood that coursed in his veins was of ancient vintage for he emerged in an ancient mystical tradition.

In his Naibedya (Offerings) Tagore reflected on the inner essence of Reality, [and] there first appeared his immortal lines:

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls…
Into that Heaven wake this Indian land!

… If Tagore was profoundly moved by the glorious insights of Upanishadic seers, he was no less appalled and pained by the inhumanity of casteism and the mindless mutterings of heartless orthodoxy.

Leave this chanting and signing and telling of beads!…
He is there where the tiller is tilling the hard ground,
where the path-maker is breaking stones."

… The perennial prayer of ancient India, the vibrant theme that has echoed all through Indian history, is also given due place in Gitanjali, for the poet pleads: "Oh grant me the prayer that I may never lose the bliss of the touch of the One in the play of the many."

It is in the words of the poets that the deepest religious feelings of humankind survive.

(48:26–52:41) Music Element
"Vaisnava Bhajan"
from Hollow Bamboo,
performed by Jon Hassell, Ry Cooder, and Ronu Majumbar