A Brief Note about Rediscovering Perpetual Motion
in Light of Vedic Science
We have deeper questions here. Why ‘Bessler’ eventually became ‘Orffyreus’? The secret of ‘Bessler’s perpetual motion, now lost in mist of time, needs to be understood from that of ‘Orffyreus’ perspective. Otherwise; it would not be possible to understand what the ‘Orffyreus’ is trying to communicate. Today, most of the researchers may know ‘Bessler’ well but to know “Orffyreus” would still be difficult for them without some spiritual inclination. This is exactly where Deva Ramananda comes to our help. I also believe that he knew “Orffyreus’ better than us. Deva Ramananda was the first person in history who applied Vedic principles to reconstruct Orffyreus’ perpetual motion wheel by beginning with the design of a “Swastika Wheel” and further detailing the mechanism by relying on designs of Rhisi “Dirghtamas’ Perpetual Motion Celestial wheels” which are also great source of astronomical information. It would remain a mystery for me to know how Deva Ramananda could talk so confidentally about ‘yoking of spheres and structural details of ‘cross bar,’ “chords and pulleys” found in “Dirghatamas Perpetual Motion Celestial wheels” descriptions of which also lead us to a crude design of heliocentric system of world (solar system). In fact, very rich in his spiritual powers, Deva Ramananda, I used to note, was so low in mechanical aptitude that it put me to smile or laughter whenever ink ran out his pen and he was looking here and there for help as he had difficulty even in putting a new ‘refill’ in his ball point pen! He damned little spring and ratchet which came out and his pen did not fit again. Yet, he guided me to explore perpetual motion in Vedas laying equal emphasis on mechanical aspects of perpetual motion. I would say that Rg Veda, the oldest book of natural philosophy by mankind, with its cosmological, astronomical, philosophical and sociological foundations on perpetual motion is a perfect treatise on perpetual motion. It leads to great understanding of natural forces like gravity, electromagnetism etc their functional attributes, operational mechanism, and interrelationship among them hitherto unknown to scientific world. Moreover, Vedic thermodynamics with large number of hymns on Agni (Heat) stands in flagrant contradiction to classical thermodynamics. Indian Sidhhanta astronomers Brihmgupta, Lallacharya (Circa 6th century) and later Bhaskaracharya (Circa 12th century) who rediscovered perpetual motion and proposed first designs of quick-silver driven perpetual motion machine had acknowledged Vedic influence in their astronomical revelations. Similarly King Raja Bhoja’s magnum opus “Samarangan Sutradhara,” largely a treatise on architecture, which also includes descriptions and method of constructions of various machines and aero planes based on perpetual motion run by quick silver, follows a perfect Vedic tradition. King Raja Bhoja unequivocally declared that “Swayamvahaka sarvotutkristam”- meaning “perpetual motion is the best machine!”.
Deva Ramananda describes Bhaskaracharya’s wheel in following words:
“Bhaskaracharya in his Siddhanta Shiromani describes a wheel having on its outer edge a number of holes of equal size and at equal distance from one another arranged on two radii in a zigzag manner, in other words there were two circular rows of holes around the wheel. Bhaskaracharya then suggests half filling them with quick silver and sealing them. It was claimed that if such a wheel with its axle was supported on pair of props, the wheel would rotate by itself once set in motion. It is difficult to know whether he ever constructed and tested his device. Tradition was that even if he actually constructed it, it would remain a secret forever.”
Referring to Arnold Pacey’s book, Wikipedia also states:
“Around 1150, the astronomer Bhaskara Achārya observed water-raising wheels and imagined such a wheel lifting enough water to replenish the stream driving it, effectively, a perpetual motion machine.”[i]
Wikipaedia also reminds us Bhaskaracharya's major scientific contributions:
“In many ways, Bhaskara represents the peak of mathematical and astronomical knowledge in the 12th century. He reached an understanding of calculus, astronomy, the number systems, and solving equations, which were not to be achieved anywhere else in the world for several centuries or more.”
There is little doubt that Bhaskaracharya’s work influenced later developments in the Middle East and Europe. In addition to fascinating mercury wheel, his other works also became known to Islamic scholars and later they were introduced to Europe by the end of the 12th century.[ii]
Inspired by Sidhhantika astronomers, and especially, Bhaskaracharya, Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, experimented with a large number of perpetual motion machines. According to Strobl, Jai Singh is said to have spent 50000 guilders on his experiments with perpetual motion machines.
Swai Jai Singh (1688-1743) and Orffyreus (1681-1745) were contemporary perpetual motionists in two different countries. When Orffyreus demonstrated his over-balancing wheel at the castle of Weissenstein in 1717, Orffyreus became 37 year old and Jai Singh 29 years old. We do not know whether Swai Jai Singh knew about Orffyreus’ perpetual motion. Swai Jai Singh’s (1688-1743) treatise on astronomical instruments, Yantra-prakara, for all intents and purposes was completed before 1724. Jai Singh also received Imperial support for building his Astronomy Observatories at Delhi, Jaipur, Varanasi, Ujjain and Mathura.
Founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, the Jaipur (Rajasthani: जैपर Hindi: जयपुर), also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. The author of this website is also living in Jaipur at present.
Perpetual motion is truly heritage of India. The video clip presented below shows the appreciation of Vedic science by eminent western scholars, and its diffusion around the globe. In this clip you can watch astronomical instrument "Samrat Yantra" built by King Swai Jai Singh at Jaipur, and also a perpetual motion wheel inscription on an old coinage ( i.e. Vasudeva holding a perpetual motion wheel, 180–165 BCE, Coin of Greek ruler, Agathocles with Hindu deities: Vasudeva-Krishna and Balarama-Samkarshana).
References:
[i] Pacey, Arnold, Technology in World Civilization: A Thousand-year History, The MIT Press; Reprint edition (July 1, 1991). ISBN 0262660725. page 36
[ii] See transmission of Vedic science in the video clip presented below.