A recent news report
from Vietnam features an exquisite and very ancient sculpture of Lord Vishnu.
According to a press release from the Communist Party of Vietnam’s Central
Committee (CPVCC) the Vishnu sculpture is described as “Vishnu stone head from
Oc Eo culture, dated back 4,000-3,500 years.” Recently the Government of
Vietnam, despite its official Communist doctrine, has developed many programs
and projects highlighting Vietnam’s ancient religious heritage. Its scholarly
and archeological research and investigations are legitimate and its
conclusions are authoritative. This discovery of a 4,000 to 3,500 year old
Vishnu sculpture is truly historic and it sheds new light upon our
understanding of the history of not only Hinduism but of the entire world.
The fact is there are
no other ‘officially’ recognized Vedic artifacts that have been dated back to
such an early date. This would make Vietnam home to the world’s most ancient
Vedic artifact. While there are indeed many other ancient artifacts that
represent the same Deity, they are not presented in the ‘Indic’ tradition and
cannot be directly recognized as the Vishnu of the Indic Vaishnava tradition.
The 4000-3500 year
old Vietnamese Vishnu sculpture is part of an exhibit featuring some of
Vietnam’s most ancient artifacts. It was discovered in the region of Southern
Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. The Mekong (Ma Ganga) River is named after the Ganges
River of India. The entire region was once the home to several ancient and
prosperous Vedic Kingdoms and many intriguing and unique Vedic artifacts have
been discovered
. The
Vishnu sculpture was officially presented during the 5th Quang Nam Heritage
Festival which opened on June 21, 2013 in Hoi An City. The exhibition
highlights many ancient objects dated from the Dong Son – Sa Huynh – Oc Eo eras
of Vietnam’s ancient history.
“Entitled “Dong Son –
Sa Huynh – Oc Eo cultures”, the exhibition put on display over 1,000 ancient
objects which come from across the country and are made from diverse materials,
from pottery to copper, including jewelry and farming tools, from the pre-ancient
period belonging to the three cultures.
The significance of
this discovery cannot be overestimated. The entire history of Hinduism and
Vedic culture, as taught is the academic institutions of the world, has been
built upon a false construct. According to mainstream academia Vedic ‘religion’
or Hinduism did not exist until the alleged ‘Aryans’ invaded India circa 1500
BC. An even later date is given to Vaishnavism which is speculated to have been
derived from animist Sun worship. Yet here we have a highly evolved art form
depicting Lord Vishnu in the Far South East region of Asia dated to somewhere
between 2000 BC to 1500 BC.
This completely
undermines the entire historic timeline developed by mainstream academia in
regards to the development of both Vedic/Hindu civilization and Indian history.
The region of modern
India has always been the epicenter of High Vedic/Hindu Civilization and
culture. No one anywhere has ever suggested the region of modern Vietnam to be
the origin of Hindu civilization yet it is in Vietnam that we now have the
world’s most ancient example of Indic style Vedic Vaishnava art. Thus it stands
to reason that if Vedic Vaishnava art, culture and religion flourished 4000
years ago in prehistoric Vietnam it was undoubtedly flourishing in ancient
India as well.
Once again science and
archeology have confirmed the Vedic conclusion. As the Vedic literature states
5000 years ago India was home to a highly evolved and advanced civilization.
This civilization was centered on its sacred traditions. The worship of the
Supreme Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva, Lakshmi and Durga was widespread and in fact
spanned the entire globe.
These traditions
presented themselves in diverse manners, as seen in modern India, yet among
this diversity was a commonality based upon the authority of the Vedic
scriptures and traditions. The recognizably Indic forms of the Vedic traditions
spanned the globe from the Philippines to the Middle East and Siberia to
Australia. Yet the same Divinities were worshiped and the same traditions were
practiced throughout the world.
The many recent Vedic
discoveries from Vietnam are providing a new and sensational view into the
authentic history of the world. Not only this, it presents a challenge to
Modern India and its leadership. India is home to many startling and amazing
artifacts yet they sit ignored and crumbling. In many cases looters and vandals
have destroyed many priceless examples of India’s ancient heritage. India’s
leading academics and governing bodies are silent and if they do speak of
India’s ancient Hindu heritage it is only to cast doubts and disparage India’s
indigenous Vedic culture and Hindu traditions.
Astounding and
marvelous ruins and artifacts that would be the pride of any other nation and
people are, in general, ignored and forgotten and left to crumble into
oblivion. Often they are threatened by the efforts of the various Governmental
bodies in the name of progress such as the National Highways Authority of
India’s (NHAI) recent attempts to destroy a 1000 year old Shiva temple in Tamil
Nadu.
It is a great irony
that the officially atheistic Communist Government of Vietnam exhibits more pride
in its ancient Hindu heritage than the ‘Secular’ Democratic Government of
India. The entire South Asian and SE Asian region was once home to many
thriving Hindu Kingdoms and civilizations. The Encyclopedia Britannica writes
regarding the Indian influence upon these regions “In the realm of politics,
Indian influence accompanied the rise of new political entities, which, since
they do not readily fall under the Western rubric of “states,” have been called
mandalas. The mandala was not so much a territorial unit as a fluid field of
power that emanated, in concentric circles, from a central court and depended
for its continued authority largely on the court’s ability to balance alliances
and to influence the flow of trade and human resources.”
Perhaps today, as India
itself is reeling under the onslaught of enforced ‘secularism’ and as Hinduism
has been relegated to the realm of just one of many religions, (rather than
being recognized as the heart and soul of India,) we are fortunate that the
former Hindu lands of Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Kampuchea
are leading the way towards the reclamation of our ancient Vedic heritage.
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