Scriptural Evidence: The most valid one

The debate about God's existence is an age-old one, filled with arguments from both theists and atheists. Each side uses logic to build their case. In Indian philosophy, there is a concept called Pramana. One must put his logic accordingly while proving or disapproving his ideas. First, Pratyaksha Pramana (Perception), Second, Anuman pramana (Inference) and Third Shabda Pramana (Scriptural).

1)     Pratyaksha Pramana (Perception): The logic of an atheist is based on perception, which was propagated by the sage Charvaka. Perception through five gross senses, mainly through the eye. “Seeing is believing” is a very famous dictum of atheists has its own limitations. For example:

i) Sun does not move around the earth just because we see it everyday moving from east to west. 

ii) There are no stars in the sky when we try to see during day-time.

iii) Our finger when half dipped in water looks dwarf.

Knowledge, which we achieve through direct perception is very limited and not reliable. That is why every scientific research comes up negating or a modified version of the previous one. Just as the ear can nor perceive the subject of tounge, the nose can not perceive the subject of ear, similarly all-divine God can not be perceived by material senses.

2)     Anumana Pramana (Inference): You see one event and you infer the other. The popular example being the smoke we see on the hill proves that there is a fire over there. All the huge galaxies, the solar system and the entire creation are perfectly in order to infer that there is someone who has planned and governing these now. Though there are innumerable examples, all of them are wild speculations. Suppose a group of blind people try to perceive an elephant by touching. All of them will come up with some interpretation, each one of which is not false but incomplete.

3)     Shabda Pramana (Scriptural Evidence): While it comes to spiritual world, scriptures, the Vedas in particular, are the valid one, the most authenticate one. It is the revealed knowledge transmitted by God Himself, hence divine in nature. Incomplete individually, Pratyaksha Pramana and Anuman Pramana, they assist the Shabda Pramana. Pratyaksha Pramana and Anumana Pramana are useful for understanding the material world, but they fall short in the spiritual realm. The very nature of evidence that is available or human mind can perceive in future will be material by nature. Those material evidence will surely be invalid to interpret or perceive God which is divine.

Early 20th century witnessed many western philosophers came up with serious research on Vedic literatures. Paul Jakob Deussen, a German Indologist, contemporary to Swami Vivekananda writes about the Vedas “The texts emphasize Brahman-Atman as something that can be experienced but not defined”. Arthur Schopenhauer another German philosopher writes “In the whole world there is no study so beneficial and so elevating as that of the Upanishads. It has been the solace of my life; it will be the solace of my death”.

God cannot be understood through intelligence, arguments, or scientific research, but only through love and faith. Atheists try every possible way to stay logical. Interestingly none of them has come up with single evidence so far to disprove God.

Radhe Radhe