What we shall find in Modern

Physics is an exemplification,
an encouragement and
a refinement of old India wisdom.
- Julius R. Oppenheimer, father of Atomic Bomb
- Julius R. Oppenheimer,

India and its wisdom unlocked

this enormous big door in the
back of my consciousness.
- George Harrison, the Beatles

Ever since I developed my liking and fondness

for Indian spiritualism, I have been attracted
and
deeply fascinated by many facets of the
multi-dimensional Hinduism. Spirituality in it
transcends many barriers of mere religion.
- Julia Roberts, Hollywood Actress
` 140/-

ISBN 9788192084633
` 140/-

9 788 192 08 463 3

Great Minds on India

Salil Gewali
Edited by

Dr. A.V. Murali

Susan Strebe
Kensington, California, USA

Academic Publications
Shillong

Preview

Published by
Academic Publications
Bara Bazar, Shillong-793002
MEGHALAYA, India
Ph: 9774140451, 9863028358
Email: sgewali@gmail.com

First English Edition: 2009

Seventh Edition: 2013

Copyright reserved with Salil Gewali

Printed at:

NBC Press, New Delhi

This compilation is simply

outstanding ! I never knew that such
a compilation exists and we all should
be thankful to the author! These great
quotes should be embossed on
plaques and displayed on the walls of
our Parliament, State Assembly Halls,
and at all our educational institutions.
Most importantly, the material
should be made a compulsory
reading for all the school students
(elaborating more on who is who
and the monumental contributions of
these intellectual giants
Prof. A. V. Murali, Ph. D, Former NASA
scientist, Houston, Texas

Hi Salil Gewali, I suddenly come upon

your compilation and I thoroughly read
it from the start to finish! No one can
deny the vast expanse of eternal
wisdom from beautiful Mother India. I
can personally attest to my own
self-perceived growth in immeasurable
degrees, thanks to the Spiritual and
Philosophical Sages and Geniuses
India has gifted us with. Thank you so
much for the enlightenment.
Timothy Hart, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

All have got to go and

read this amazing
compilation by Salil
Gewali. India is the land of
my soul. The ancient
literature of INDIA contains
the greatest wisdom of this
universe. There is so much
to discover in Indian
philosophy. Thanks, the
modern science has
acknowledged that.
- Agnes Goyvaerts, Huston, USA

THE BOOK HAS BEEN TRANSLATED INTO EIGHT REGIONAL LANGUAGES

OF INDIA

The Governor of Meghalaya

Shri RS Mooshahary releasing
the book, 2009

Fantastic and a further testimony to the immense

wisdom that comes from the great masters in
ancient India, who saw the truth in ancient times
and left it for us to ponder. It's great to see that
science also knows and appreciates this. I am
fully convinced great jewels of profound wisdom
are firmly rooted in the ancient philosophy of
INDIA alone. The West has vested all in the
material and is just beginning to see the
mysteries of consciousness and the awareness
that comes from
application of Meditation. This meditation yoga
alone can help to be aware of super
consciousness pervading the infinite cosmos.

- Dr. Priyanka Roa, California,

USA

- Robert Brenton, Brooklyn, New

York

The Chief Minister of

Chhattisgarh
Dr. Raman Singh releasing the
Hindi Edition, 2013

Salil Gewali has lovingly

compiled an excellent set of
quotations that illustrate how
highly great thinkers from all
over the world valued Indian
spiritual culture and how it
transformed their lives. An
inspirational read that
reminds us of our amazing
ancient heritage and why we
need to incorporate it into
our lives as modern Indians.
- Prof Chitra Divakaruni,,
US based renowned novelist , Houston.

Prof. Chitra Divakaruni is US based world-famous writer, poet -- her famous novel, The Mistress of Spices was released
as a film directed by Paul Mayeda Berges starring Aishwarya Rai and Dylan McDermott..
Her another novel
has been selected for the filming by the Hollywood production company.

This collection of inspirational thoughts is

something very precious these days. I
have to thank Mr Salil Gewali for the
remarkable effort in selecting the most
inspirational quotes of some western
intellectuals about Indian ancient culture.
This booklet is a must read for Indians and
non-Indians. It is a book in which Western
science and literature meet the old
Indian wisdom and heritage. It makes us
understand how much the West needs
the East and vice-versa. Many our French
scholars, Voltaire, Laplace, Romain
Rolland, Jean-Sylvain Bailly, Maurice
Maeterlinck, Victor Cousin etc were
greatly inspired by
the knowledge of India.

Udine, Italy

The Governor of Maharashtra Shri K. Sankaranarayanan and also

Ms Priya Dutt launching the Malayalam version of
Great Minds on INDIA (13th September 2013 )

Thanks for the enlightening

compilation of the quotes by the most
renowned scholars. Indias
knowledge is what we need to live in
a better way, in a human way. East,
specifically India, is the light the world
needs for real progress, as a civilized
humanity. Yes, we have the privilege
of access to ancient scriptures, its the
best contribution that India has made
to all human kind, and to all living
entities.
Cynthya Tejada Del Pozo,
Lima, Arequipa, Peru

Ms. Priya Dutt, a member of parliament and daughter of

Legendary star Sunil Dutt presenting bouquet to Salil Gewali
in appreciation of his exhaustive research
on the ancient wisdom of INDIA in the eyes of world-renowned scholars.

Ms. Priya Dutt, a member of parliament and daughter of legendary star Sunil Dutt presenting
bouquet to Salil Gewali in appreciation of his exhaustive research on ancient wisdom of INDIA
in the eyes of world-renowned scholars.

Celebrated Americanborn British poet, philosopher,

and critic of the twentieth century;
received the Nobel Prize in
literature in 1948. His The Waste
Land is considered to be one of
the most important poems of the
twentieth century.

Indian philosophers
subtleties make most
of the great
European
philosophers look
like schoolboys.
- TS Eliot,
Source: After strange Gods.

III

Acknowledgments

IX

Preview

1879-1955

Albert Einstein

Source: Ignited Minds : Unleashing the Power within India

by APJ Abdul Kalam

Great minds on India 1

The greatest French Enlightenment

author, critic, essayist, historian, and
philosopher; a forerunner of the French
revolution, best known for Candide.
1694-1778

Francois M. Voltaire

Source: Riding the Indian tiger - by William Nobrega, Ashish Sinha

Source: Eclectic magazine: Foreign literature

by John Holmes Agnew, Walter Hilliard Bidwell
Great minds on India 4

IV

1904-1967

Julius R Oppenheimer

Source: The Tao of Physics - by Fritjof Capra

Source: The Eye of Shiva: Eastern Mysticism And Science

by Amaury de Riencourt

Great minds on India 7

1901-1976

Werner Heisenberg

Source: Vedic Equality and Hinduism - by O P Gupta

Great minds on India 6

For books contact

Preview

1803-1882

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Source: The Commemorative Sanskrit Souvenir 2003 Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

Source: Sacred Jewels of Yoga - by Dave DeLuca

Source: Autobiography of a Yogi - by Paramhansa Yogananda

Great minds on India 12

Hkkjr D;k gS\ 124

Hkkjr D;k gS\ 125

Votaire

Ralph Emerson
Hkkjr D;k gS\ 126

Erwin Schrodinger

Robert Juice Oppenheimer

Hkkjr D;k gS\ 127

Hkkjr D;k gS\ 128

For books contact

Academic Publications
Bara Bazar, Shillong-793002
MEGHALAYA, India
Ph: (+91)9774140451, 9863028358

Email: sgewali@gmail.com

A study of Indias ancient literature leads inevitably to the

core basis of all modern religion and modern science. It is
always the Vedas, as I find, which provide the clearest
answers to the complexities of Soul saving wisdom. For
one who cannot understand them, there are Upanishads.
For one who does not see answers in the Upanishads,
there are the Gita and the Ramayana and Puranas
An eye-opener booklet Great minds on India, Salil Gewali
clearly illustrates the impact of the ancient literature in
modern time. Here we see India through the eyes of some
of the worlds greatest thinkers and poets and are left with
a hunger to know more. Much more!
-- John Palmer, Eastern Ave, Las Vegas, Nevada 89123,

I must congratulate Salil Gewali for bringing out

such a wonderful booklet containing the quotes
of the world-renowned intellectuals on Vedas,
Upanishads and the Gita which are in
appreciation about the supremacy of the Indian
wisdom. The youth of today should be wholly
aware of these great quotes so that they will
have better appreciation of our Indian culture,
tradition and heritage
-- Dr. D. Swaminadhan, a prominent scientist, UNESCO International
Consultant, Vice Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University,
Hyderabad

Great minds on India is a great book.

More than an East/West philosophical
encounter, this book reveals how the
Upanishads and other Indian classics
transformed the thinking of
many western thinkers.
The booklet brings to light the ancient wisdom of
the East, and reminds us in the West that
spiritual knowledge, not the pursuit of pleasure,
is the true source of happiness.
-- Robert Maldonado, Neuropsychologist, New York

The collection of comments about India,

by the world renowned intellectuals is a
commendable attempt by Salil Gewali.
The book makes us feel proud of the rich
heritage inherited by us and it shall also
serve the purpose of reminding Indians to
take the past glory to newer heights
in the coming time
Sanjeev Trivedi, A noted business consultant,Ahmadabad, Gujarat

Most celebrated prolific American

humorist, satirist, lecturer and writer;
often lauded as the greatest American
humorist of his age.

Our most valuable

and most instructive
materials in the
history of man are
treasured up
in India.
- Mark Twain,
Source: The dragon and the elephant
by David Smith

Some blood
transfusion from the
East to the West is a
must to save
Western science
from spiritual
anemia.

One of the greatest physicists

of the twentieth century; awarded
the Nobel Prize for his invention of
Wave Mechanics; his
Schrdinger Equation has been regarded
as one of the most important
achievements of the twentieth century. He
also wrote about The Basic view of
Vedanta by expounding Sankara's version
of Advaita and Non-dualism.

- Erwin Schrdinger,
Source: Long Walk to Enlightenment
by Dr. Thillayvel Naidoo

Eminent American physicist,

who, besides number of science
books, co-authored with Niels Bohr
the paper The Mechanism of
Nuclear Fission. He was instrumental in the
development of the Atomic bomb, and worked at
Los Alamos Laboratories on
the Hydrogen Bomb. He coined the terms
Black Hole, Quantum foam and Wormhole.
Wheeler later occupied the chair that had been
previously held by Albert Einstein.

One has the feeling

that the thinkers of
the East knew it all,
and if we could only
translate their
answers into our
language we would
have the answers to
all our questions.
- John Archibald Wheeler,
source: Uncommon Wisdom - by Fritjof Capra

I congratulate Salil Gewali for this beautiful quotes

book on Indian classical literature. True intellectual
minds who are free from prejudices always
appreciate Indian wisdom. Indian wisdom is fully
secular and universal. A big proof is this book with
eminent scholars' comments. I really wish that the
depth of ancient metaphysics will one day echo
across the universe, depending on the karmic
forces... It is the only universal force with frequency
that absorbs all of human's diversity... it is the only
answer for humanity's quest for peace... Peace,
peace!
- Margaret Drummond, Dundee, Scotland

Congratulation for an excellent compilation. As other scholars my intense efforts in quest of real
wisdom led me to Indian wisdom. I cant describe this experience, neither to show it. Every Act is
Gratitude, Meditation, and Devotion now. I can live my humble vocation in Joy at every moment...
the credit goes to the Indian literature. Well, please do not forget to mention Pythagoras of Samos,
who made a long journey into the Indus, and studied the Sulba Sutras and carried to Greece, studies
including geometry and trigonometry (with applications to astronomy, geography, navigation,
spiritualism etc.

- Prof. Philippe Le Marchall, Brittany, France

So delighting to come across your great quotes book, Great minds on India.
Its again exciting to find the quotes of TS Eliot, my favourite poet, who was a
Sanskrit scholar too. He wrote a huge epic poem The Waste Land about
Dattatreya, one of the most interesting and mysterious of the divine
characters in the ancient tradition of INDIA. My fascination for Indian
knowledge and culture have brought me to set up a knowledge centre in the
Santa Cruz mountains of California -- dedicated to sharing the ancient
knowledge of India.
- Ms Alx Uttermann,

I would like to offer my impressions of your book. Let me recall

a quote from Gandhi --- the deeper I dive, the more
treasures I find. Reading Great minds on India? is extremely
enlightening. I will have now years of pleasure studying and
enlightening my spirit with the treasures found in this book.
Your book has inspired me to learn more about India and her
precious treasures of knowledge which are universal! I
appreciate all your hard labor in putting all these quotes
together to open the eyes of society with what must be very
precious to all! I feel the revival of right knowledge should
come to the masses. Following the ancient wisdom I am on
the right path and I am also proud to be a representative of
the Universe now (not US, Texas), the idea I learnt from the
ancient texts of INDIA.
- Miss Sherrie Lake, 1404 Avenue V, Hondo, Texas 78861

'Great minds on India' is a rare jewel compiled and

published by Salil Gewali. I would recommend
that immediately whoever can afford to
influence the authorities of schools, colleges and
other institutions who have been maintaining any
type of library, they should be convinced to buy
and stack at least two to three copies of the
book for the wider spread of this rich knowledge
amongst the wider cross section of the society..! I
am sure that after reading this book each and
every child would feel genuinely proud of his
motherland, its rich culture, its equally rich
religious philosophies and knowledge..!
- Inder Krishen Wali, Srinagar,

The collection of comments about India, by the

world renowned intellectuals is a commendable
attempt by Salil Gewali. The book makes us feel
proud of the rich heritage inherited by us and it shall
also serve the purpose of reminding Indians to take
the past glory to newer heights in the coming time.

- Sanjeev Trivedi,

Ahmadabad, Gujarat

It is doubtless a unique venture and the compiler Salil Gewali deserves kudos for
having accomplished such an onerous task as to compile comments on India
and ancient wisdom by a galaxy of Western intellectual giants and then
to choose the best and the most relevant ones.

- Bikash Sarmah, Guwahati, Assam

Great minds on India is a great book. More than

This compilation needs

to be diffused across
the globe so that
anyone with a
modicum of
intelligence will realize
the depth of Indian
Philosophy. The book
will make more of
humanity understand
that the Vedas is for all
and it is universal
knowledge for man's
benefit.

- Raj Sukhdeo, Canada

an East/West philosophical encounter, this book

reveals how Indian classics transformed the
thinking of many western thinkers.
This book brings to light the ancient wisdom of
the East, and reminds us in the West that spiritual
knowledge, not the pursuit of pleasure, is the
true source of happiness.

- Robert Maldonado, Neuropsychologist, New

York

The book is a wonderful source of inspirational

thoughts for we all Indians who have lost the sight of
Indias values and her contribution to the world and
to the modern science. It is doubtlessly a mirror of the
intellectual prowess of our rishis who created Vedas
and Upanishads.

- Prof Shubham Das, Switzerland

- Dr. K Bruder, psychotherapist, Michigan, USA

Hi Salil Gewali, I suddenly came upon your book. I

thoroughly read it from the start to finish! No one
can deny the vast expanse of eternal wisdom from
beautiful Mother India. I can personally attest to
my own self-perceived growth in immeasurable
degrees, thanks to the Spiritual and Philosophical
Sages and Geniuses she has gifted us with. Thank
you so much for the enlightenment.

- Timothy Hart,

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US

It is a must-read for
every Indian,
particularly for him or
her who is not very
happy with the image
of India as projected
today by some
unpatriotic,
unscrupulous people
with vested interests. It is
a shame that we do not
think highly of our own
motherland and look to
the West for whatever
reasons.
- Omar Luther King,
columnist, Delhi

- Rashmi Sahu, Lt Cdr (Retd), Chandigarh

It's marvelous book and so lovingly written indeed ! It clearly depicts the compiler's passion for
the subject. I always felt similarly about our country but never imagined that I would one day
get to read such a beautiful compilation of it all. And to think that it came my way from the
very author himself and in such an unlikely manner, is more than I could ever imagine! I think it's
only further evidence of the interconnectedness of the universal consciousness that I happen to
be looking into currently.
- Dr M Angie, New Delhi

Salil Gewali

A journalist and writer from Shillong, Meghalaya, Salil

Gewali is a reputed figure whose significantly
philosophical write-ups command high appreciation of
the readers in the Northeast. A post graduate in English
Literature, Salil Gewali rose to fame for his excellent
publication of his assiduous research work entitled Great
Minds on India which now enjoys worldwide
appreciation. The book that was released by the
Governor of Meghalaya Shri R. S. Mooshahary in 2009
has already been translated into Tamil, Telugu, Kannada,
Marathi, Malayalam, Hindi, Gujarati and Nepali. Also a
member of the International Organization of Journalists
(IOJ), Salil is credited with 17 other titles which are mostly
recommended as textbooks by the Meghalaya Board of
School Education (MBOSE).

What inspired Salil for this compilation

A winter day in 1988 Salil was traveling to Delhi from Shillong. For his leisure
reading in train he had picked up 'The Discovery of India' by Pundit Jawaharlal
Nehru from a newsstand in Guwahati Railway station. Gewali read it very
attentively throughout his journey of over 56 hours. What amazed him most was a
few of the quotes in the book by the world-famous western scholars and
philosophers. Those quotes in deep appreciation of the Indian ancient wisdom, its
language and culture by the western luminaries much haunted him.
But the turning point happened when he later chanced upon
another book 'We are not the first' by an UFO scientist Andrew Tomas where Salil
encountered incredible facts about the several scientific discoveries in ancient
India vis--vis modern science. He clearly saw that great many discoveries of the
modern times had already mentioned in the ancient scriptures of India. He got the
vivid references and precise theoretical illustration of atomic structures and the
time scales which are far inconceivable to the scientists of even the early 20th
century. His science background immensely helped me to go deeper into the
subject.

Modern scientists applaud

the ancient literature
Gewali strongly felt that the western scholars would not
have applauded and approved of the ancient wisdom and
knowledge of India had there not been any scientific
validity and significance. He gradually got to know that
scientists like Schrdinger, Neils Bohr, Julius Oppenheimer,
David Bohm, Heisenberg, David Josephson and so on and
so forth had sufficiently got the ideas relative to Quantum
Physics from Upanishads and Vedas. It dawned upon him
that the ancient treatises had greatly emboldened those
scientists to plunge deeper into the atom, moreover into
the inner core of the Quantum Mechanics.

Salil started casually collecting such quotes about 24 years ago. But
bringing into a book form occurred to him while reading the world famous
books 'The Tao of Physics' and 'Uncommon Wisdom' by Frijtof Capra
for the second time in 1995. The years 1996-98 saw him frantically
preoccupied. He exhaustively worked for this compilation.
Life was not always a bed of roses. The dreams one cherishes often
meet with stumbling block of adversaries. No matter however Gewali tried
he could not save enough money to publish the book for many years
though the compilation was ready in 1998 itself. However, he had never
lost his hope. He would do lots of Xerox of those compiled quotes and
share with anyone whom he believe would appreciate. But at last, with a
little cash in hand, Gewali could see his treasured dream fulfilled. He could
publish the compilation in glossy format in 2009. He was delighted, the
book was instantly gloried, so appreciated that the Governor of
Meghalaya heartily consented to release it in the most fitting manner.
--- Dr. Prof. M. K. Mehta, New Delhi