Religion is beyond estimation; Science is within estimation.
The universe is an ever expanding space and cannot be estimated or calculated. Atmosphere surrounding the earth, Fire and Water - all these three have enormous powers within them and that could never be fully understood. The wealth of metals and other elements underneath the earth's surface could not just be measured. The religion is basically these Five Great entities of nature and hence the religion is beyond estimation.
SPACE
Science first invented Telescope to analyze the sky. Science celebrated this and started analyzing the sky fully. Then only the science realized that the universe is ever expanding and its boundaries could not be located at all. Telescope helped only in understanding this.
Then science worked to further to overcome this limitation. It developed a much larger telescope having its diameter more than 200 inches. But this telescope helped only in finding out numerous stars in the space previously identified as empty one. Science realized its limitations.
To overcome this, science worked further to invent Radio Telescope which worked on electro-magnetic waves. But this telescope helped only in seeing many more stars and planets going around these stars. The new inventions helped in calculating the speed at which the stars and planets are going in addition to the sizes of these heavenly bodies. But these inventions could not come to any conclusion as to how big is the universe.
These scientific researches only made us realize that what religion says about the universe and sky is true to the greatest extent and they are sufficient to give us benefits. Throgh the defeats, the science realized its limitations. The procedures of worshipping the nature given by religion is more satisfying to the mankind than the scientific efforts to understand the nature. So, science has to agree that Religion is its teacher. Even if science struggles hard it can only remain as student to the teacher.
ATMOSPHERE
Science attempted to estimate the atmospheric air next. Science found that the thick air envelope around the earth helps to burn out the meteorites that attack the earth constantly from the space. Religion has already given a divine identity to this atmosphere and has laid out procedures to worship the atmosphere.
Science emphasized on analyzing the atmosphere thoroughly in order to make use of it fully for the benefit of man. So, science started estimating the size and capabilities of the atmospheric air. Science identified the variations in atmospheric pressure in certain places and understood the air currents that move from the surface of the oceans to land due to the pressure variations.
Science is able to measure the various parameters of atmospheric air like humidity, temperature, wind speed, etc. Science raised numerous questions and researched to find out answers to those questions. But in the end science reached a stage where it could not find any methods to control the devastating effects of cyclones, thunderstorms, sudden air current variations, etc. While science could only predict partially about the on-coming destructive cyclones to warn the people, it could not alter the course of it at all.
Finally, science got defeated in all its researches about the atmosphere around the earth.
FIRE
This is not an independent entity anywhere. But no object is without it. Every object has certain amount of fire. If that amount is raised, that object either melts or boils or vaporizes. Science thus found out the melting point, boiling point and firing point of various objects.
Even though there are certain objects that are non-combustible, every single object gets affected by heat or fire. Even water has fire inside it. This is proved by the fact that water also burns in a huge fire. Like this science successfully found out various things about this Fire.
But when a volcano emits lava or an earthquake brings out smoke and fire from within the earth, science could not find any solution for it. It has no method to control this fire within the earth. Science could only remain as a spectator to this natural phenomena that has destructive effect on living beings.
Similarly the science as per its aim constantly tried to change one type of object to another object. Yet it could not change a burning object into melting object and vice versa. Further the two-thirds of water on this earth could not completely cool down the fire within the one-third of earth surface. This could not be fully understood by science in addition to the numerous meteorites that burn in the atmospheric air. All these could not be deciphered fully by science and it accepted its defeat.
WATER
Next science went near water. The earth has water surface three times the land area. Travelling on the water was earlier done using the natural water current and wind movements. Science invented steam propulsion, nuclear propulsion and so on. These propulsion could help quicker travels on the ocean in addition to travelling under water using submarines.
Science also listed out all the different types of living organisms inside the sea water. It could find out the places where pearls get grown, where coral could be found out ... and so on.
Science also found out the types of water such as hard water, soft water, etc. Next science found out about water from the rain. It grew upto bringing in artificial rain.
But Science could not find out about sea expanding in some places to devour the land. Irrespective of all different innovative gadgets in a ship, science could not save a ship when a cyclone hits it. Further science could not transform sea water into drinking water. It could only pump in small amounts of sea water and using reverse osmosis make potable water, that too with huge costs. It also could not find reason for water in one place potable and water in a nearby place totally unusable as drinking water.
The artificial rain could be used only if there are clouds. If there are no clouds formed even during the monsoon season, science could not find a solution to it. Unseasonal rains also could not be deciphered. Thus science got defeated in the case of Water also.
LAND
Finally, the fifth and the last entity land was taken up by science for research. Science excavated the surface of land to get coal, petroleum, metal ores, precious stones, etc. Using coal and petroleum fast moving automobiles, speeding trains, aeroplanes ... were invented. Unmanned rockets were also sent to space and made to land on the surface on moon. Then man was also sent to moon to walk on the surface of the moon and do research on the moon's surface. Scientists became very confident of conquering nature fully.
Going further, the science researched on the various types of soils to find out whether one type of soil could be changed into another type. Science tried to find out methodologies to grow any type of plant on any type of soil. They also tried to make use of desert for cultivation and prevent a cultivable land becoming non-cultivable. But in all these, the science faced failure only. Science could not achieve success in all these fully.
Like this science could not achieve full success in its researches covering the Five major natural entities viz. Sky, Air, Fire, Water and Soil.
[... to be continued]
--Translation of part of the essay 'Samayamum Ariviyalum' taken from the writings of His Holiness the 12th pathinensiddhar Peedam and Mutt, Gnaalaguru Siddhar Arasayogi Karuwooraar.
