I think this is in a way duplicate to my other question here but that's for questioning and I recently hit a bump with a user where he was asking for a scientific reason.
When I tried to explain that site is on Hinduism and we don't answer scientifically, if they want scientific reasons, refer other websites on Stackexchange but still the user asks for scientific reason behind a practice so what should we do in this particular scenario?
This is a site with a community of experts in Hinduism, it is not a site with a community of scientists. The one huge problem with giving scientific answers in this case is that the community cannot properly judge whether those answers are right or wrong. This is not a theoretical issue, there are currently upvoted answers on the site that contain completely wrong scientific explanations.
This is a common issue to the religion sites, and Christianity.SE for example solved it by only allowing religious questions and answers. Any answer has to be from a doctrinal point of view, scientific answers are not allowed, and questions that ask for scientific answers are closed.
I would recommend that this site adopts a similar stance.
According to me we shouldn't answer questions by providing scientific reasons behind a particular thing. For example, I had read a similar question before which we closed because the user was asking for a scientific reason, I would request not to provide science based answers as they are redundant in a way.
Science never believes in myths or miracles as it has its own ways of solving things.
For example, if a user asks "Who created our solar system, planets etc.? According to the science, a user will explain him the big bang theory, whereas we are expecting mythological answers here, so if a user answers that Lord Brahma made the universe, that would make much more sense.
The funny part is, I can never prove scientifically that how some of our gods have 5 heads, 4 arms, 10 arms etc, so it's impossible to answer such questions scientifically.
So I would request users not to ask scientific reasons, answers may sound funny but this is a totally religion related website where we don't have proofs, and science works on proofs, so if you are looking for scientific answers behind an act, your question will be closed as off-topic
Also, I commented on @pritywiz post, I don't agree but anyways I'll end my discussion here, the only reason I'm emphasizing on this topic is because this will create an issue in the long run, users will answer scientific as well as religious questions thus leading to science-mythology wars.
Conclusion: Science is off-topic on Hinduism.SE, be it a question or an answer. A question asking for scientific reasons will be closed and questions answering scientific answers should be discouraged by downvoting and eventually deleting them from the site.
The answer suggest a scientific answers. Science is an eternal part of Hinduism. Most of the practice and rituals are all due to their scientific significance. So, when answering any questions science should be referred. It is the reason why most of us have developed more belief in the religion. Ayurveda, Yoga and Astronomy are all integrated with our religion. All of them are based on maths and science.
When you are aware that any of the practices are followed also because of its scientific significance which is known to Hinduism, then it should be mentioned and answered. Mythological answers are necessary but scientific point is part of the answer.
I would like to clarify one thing, "Seven Chakras" or similar do not exist in science. Referring to them or anything similar will not make an answer scientific. When we say science, anybody would expect some thing that is not tied to any religion.
So users looking for pure scientific answers should look else where. Discussing only science would be off topic, even if it related to Hinduism.
EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED
Science and religion should complement each other. In fact religion could provide thousands of new opportunities of new research for science. The problem lies with the lack of mutual respect and recognition.
For example if a cosmologist came to know about the following old sanskrit text
"... at that time, in the constellation of Libra, a Sun named Gabhasti, was giving birth to itself..."
His respect for religion and old sanskrit texts would increase manifold because he would realize that:
1) The author (some Rishi perhaps) knew that the small stars we see in the sky are in fact suns. 2) How suns are formed is a relatively new discovery for cosmology, so he would be astounded that the Rishi knew that suns give birth to themselves and also recorded the fact.
Now let us see the other side. If an Ayurvedaachaarya, well versed in Sushrut Samhita and Nadi parikshaa, tries to set a complex fracture without referring to an X-ray, the result may not be always positive.
Samudra Manthan
Some cosmologist could read science in the above.
1) First of all he would notice 'kshiira samudra', white ocean. He would perhaps think. Is this a galaxy they are talking about, instead of a sea?
2) 'Shesha Naag'. Are these the spiral arms of the galaxy?
3) Then he would turn to the the result of the churning. Perhaps he recognizes the moon as a celestial body. Let us assume he knows Lakshmii means earth (See note). Then he would look at Samudra Manthan as an celestial event rather than an earthly event. He may perhaps proceed to link Amrit with liquid water and Halaahala with the central black hole.
Note: Once I was visited by a Sanskrit Pandit who told me that the goddess Lakshmii has actually a physical form and that it was none other than prithvii - our Earth. I kept quiet because I did not want to argue with him but in my mind I was thinking 'what rot is this person talking?'. The surprise comes next. At that very moment I was encoding a stotra called 'Bilvaastaka' while talking to him and the very next line was 'laksmyaah stanatu utpanna ....' meaning : the bilva tree springs from the breasts of lakshmii. Tears sprang in my eyes as I told him about this and we started to discuss about the co-incidence. You have a doubt in your mind and at the very moment the UNIVERSE answers you. This long line of co-incidences perhaps has made me look at everything with an open mind.
