No conflict between science and dharma: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat

Mohan Bhagwat

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Friday said there was no conflict between science and dharma, and asserted that ultimately all seek the same truth through different paths.

Addressing the Bharatiya Vigyan Sammelan here, Bhagwat said dharma was often misunderstood as religion, whereas it was actually the ”science governing the functioning of creation”. ”Dharma is not religion. It is the law by which creation runs. Whether one accepts it or not, no one can function outside it,” Bhagwat said, noting that imbalance in dharma leads to destruction. Science had historically ”kept distance” from dharma due to the assumption that it had no place in scientific inquiry, he said and described such a stand as fundamentally incorrect.

According to Bhagwat, the only difference between science and spirituality lies in methodology, as both aim for the same ultimate goal. There is no conflict between science and dharma or spirituality. The methodologies may differ, but the destination is the same knowing the truth, he remarked. Explaining the scientific process, Bhagwat said science relies on external observation, experimentation and repeatable experience to establish facts, while spirituality follows the same principle through inner experience.

Spirituality also insists on direct experience and says that whatever is experienced should be attainable by everyone. The RSS chief said science focuses on modifying matter through external observation, while spirituality works in the inner, subtle realm through disciplined experimentation. He further said modern science has begun discussing consciousness as universal rather than local, drawing parallels with ancient Indian philosophical concepts such as Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma’ and Prajnanam Brahma’.

Underscoring the importance of language in understanding dharma, he said Indian languages uniquely capture its essence and called for efforts to communicate scientific knowledge to the masses through mother tongues. Referring to global concerns such as environmental challenges, Bhagwat said India must provide scientific and dharmic perspectives to the world. He asserted that while India must grow economically and strategically strong, it should aspire to become a Vishwa guru (world teacher) rather than merely become a superpower. ”A growing India does not need to become merely a superpower. Power is necessary for self-defense, but we must become a Vishwa guru, capable of relieving the world of its problems,” he said. By integrating material progress with the perspective of dharma, Bhagwat said India can offer a new vision and strength to humanity, enabling nations to move forward cooperatively as caretakers of creation.

He further said that knowledge must be imparted in the language a person understands, noting that people grasp concepts more effectively in their mother tongue. Citing Finland as an example, Bhagwat said students from different countries receive education in their respective mother tongues up to eighth grade, supported by a dedicated teacher training university.

Education in one’s mother tongue enhances intellectual development and improves the capacity to grasp knowledge efficiently, he said, highlighting the role of language in proper learning and understanding. Bhagwat emphasised that Indian languages have words to express dharma that other languages can’t, and called for steps to ensure scientific and spiritual knowledge reaches people in their mother tongues.