We believe that the riddle of the Universe cannot be satisfactorily resolved by exclusive recourse to modern science and technology.  We hold that humankind will not be able to get there solely by the relentless investigation of Matter and of the Physical Laws of our Universe while totally ignoring the very existence of the Spiritual aspects of the Universe,  as we are doing today.  Whereas, on the one hand, we cannot deny the existence of the spiritual dimensions of humans or the vital role they may play in our lives.  Nor can we make headway by ignoring the physical realities of our Universe or by disregarding its Laws in a single-minded pursuit of the spiritual aspects of the Universe, on the other.  The time has come to acknowledge the reality of both the material as well as the non-material dimensions as being the outcome of two great streams of thought of the human genius.  There is a need to create a worldwide awareness that we have to integrate Matter as well as the Spirit into all aspects of our investigations into the nature of our Universe whether in Science, Technology,  Philosophy, or Religion.  By ignoring the existence of the one to the exclusion of the other, we will not be able to fashion sustainable and just lives for all beings on this Planet.

The marriage of these two ways of conceptual human thinking and of pursuing knowledge of the truth of the Universe could be the best prescription the Doctor may have written out for our recovery.  If one thinks of the collective wisdom of the East and of the West as embodied human beings, it would not be far fetched to say that they have been courting each other for some centuries now.  It matters not which is a male or which is a female because Hindu philosophy holds that the Brahman has no sex.  What matters now is that one cannot do without the other. It is the marriage of the two pearls of wisdom that we want to broker in this website.  We feel that out of this marriage, there will emerge a Child that will show us the way in these troubled times.  The East is not East and the West is not West in water-tight compartments any longer.  The two natural partners must come together for the common good of all.  The two Families have to formally unite in wedlock.

The name of our website Sūtrajālam is made up of two Sanskrit terms ‘sūtra’ and ‘jāla’.  The Sanskrit term  सूत्र sūtra has the following connotations in English, namely:

1. to tie, to bind, to string together
2. to write or compose in the form of a short rule
3. to plan, arrange, or systematize.
4. to relax or unbind.

The associated Sanskrit term  सूत्रम्  ‘sūtram’ is also very profound with many different meanings all of which should be known before one can properly appreciate the depth and ramifications of the two terms sūtra and sūtram as used in Sanskrit literature.  We will cite the main important connotations of the latter term also here as an appetizer for more reading of the Sanskrit texts in which these terms may find an application.  The term ‘sūtram’ has the following senses as expressed in English:

1. a thread, string, wire, line, or chord.
2. a fiber.
3. a collection of threads.
4. a string or wire controlling puppets.
5. a short rule or precept, an aphorism.
6. a short or concise technical sentence as rule for remembering.
7. a cannon or decree.
8. a girdle.
9. an indication or prelude.

In our context, the term sūtra means an aphorism or pithy sentence widely used to encapsulate profound thoughts and ideas with brevity.  The  sūtra form of writing was widely used in  Sanskrit Literature in the days when everything had to be committed to memory and, later, in the days of writing when transcription was still very laborious and subject to rapid deterioration.   Today, ancient Sanskrit Texts are coming into their own with modern methods of transcription, preservation, and easy accessibility such as digitization.  Advanced methods of scanning, reading, cross-indexing and so on have facilitated the work of scholars in Sanskrit all over the world.  This has led to a resurgence of interest in Ancient Indian Sanskrit Texts and Literature.

We seek the Reader’s patience and indulgence in going through the different senses of the terms ‘sūtra’ as well as ‘sūtram’ cited above, because we believe that most Sanskrit terms have diverse and sometimes unrelated connotations but that each connotation serves to bring the Reader that much closer to the true spirit of the term as used by a given Sage or Acārya or other Scholar in the context of any Sanskrit writing.  The term जालम्  ‘jālam’ is also complex with varied connotations such as:

1. a web, cob-web, a net.
2. any woven texture.
3. a snare.
4. a coat of mail, a helmet made of wire.
5. an eye-hole, lattice, window.
6. a collection, an assemblage, number, mass.
7. magic, illusion, deception.
8. an un-furled flower.

The two terms ‘sūtra’ and ‘jālam’ have been used together to form the compound name ‘Sūtrajālam’ of this website in order to suggest the idea that ancient Indian wisdom will act as a safety net to protect those who might disregard the spiritual aspects of our Universe.  Our hope is that this website will act as an eye-hole or a lattice or a window affording a glimpse of India’s immense spiritual wisdom to those who may have fallen into our safety-net while working hard pursuing the material ends of life regardless of the spiritual heritage and wisdom of Humankind.