{"id":46722,"topic":"ai","source":"The South First","title":"When myth imagined machines: Ancient India’s vision of Artificial Intelligence - The South First","url":"https://thesouthfirst.com/opinion/when-myth-imagined-machines-ancient-indias-vision-of-artificial-intelligence/","url_hash":"683ec3c003869c5a5f81bec4e3524f4653a5fdb8","author":"","summary":"When myth imagined machines: Ancient India’s vision of Artificial Intelligence The South First","content":"Synopsis:Remember the Nandighosha? What about the Akasa Vani? Our myths had mindboggling machines and considered our brain to be a processor that connected with the universal intelligence. Modern neuroscience is exploring the possibility now…\n“Knowledge gives humility; from humility comes worthiness; from worthiness comes wealth; from wealth comes righteousness; and from righteousness comes happiness.”\nThe above verse is from Hitopadesha, a timeless book on wisdom, human values and wellbeing.\nHumankind has always been fascinated by mysterious knowledge, devices, technology, automation and control over everything. The inquisitiveness to excel and usurp has been their main motive in life since evolution. The constant desire to extend human capabilities is the propeller for making strides in the field of science and technology.\nIndian epics and puranas have always contained stories of missiles, machines and robots that can devise strategies along with the technical description of self-moving devices (Brahmastra, Nagastra, etc), automated palaces (Ravana’s palaces as described in Ramayana, Maya Sabha of Mahabharata) with automated doors and furnishings that respond to commands.\nThere is a mention of many such intelligent constructions, which had task-oriented behaviour. Great architects like Viswakarma were credited with the creation of hi-tech chariots and flying machines (Pushpaka Vimanas). If not AI in our modern era, all these accounts stand as a testimony to an inherent human fascination and cultural interest in ‘smart’ devices and reflect the boundless limits of human desire. All the mythical innovations strikingly draw parallels to today’s mechanisation and Artificial Intelligence.\nThe concept of AI does not seem to be new for the ancient world. There are umpteen references to AI technology in ancient texts like Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranas wherein humans were capable of creating machines that were powerful and also intelligent. Let’s recall some glimpses of that ancient knowledge.\nArjuna’s chariot and Akasa Vani\nIn the Mahabharata, Nandighosha, the extraordinary chariot of Arjun gifted by God Agni, which in modern reimaginings has been interpreted as capable of handling multidimensional movements, was embedded with the intelligence of anticipating the needs of the warrior. It responded intelligently to the new possibilities on the battlefield with real-time data by analysing enemy movements, identifying potential threats, and helping Arjuna take informed decisions.\nIt also safeguarded Arjuna through advanced communication systems. The chariot was built to radiate blinding light and a massive thunderous roar to create fear in the enemy. Nandighosha then symbolised the blend of ancient valour with cutting-edge technology.\nWe also find glimpses of automation and robotics in Samarāṅgaṇa Sūtradhāra, the classical Indian architectural encyclopaedia written by King Bhoja (between 1000-1055AD). Along with town planning and architecture, it covers the mechanical yantras in one of its chapters (Chapter 31).\nBhoja mentions the automatic swayam vahi self-driven machines (today’s Tesla cars). Also featured are Antaritas, concealed mechanisms where internal parts are not seen (similar to the software in the machines). The text mentions automated devices meant for entertaining the royals and for protecting the palace. The chapter describes robotic servants and guards, both male and female, who perform automated tasks like refilling oil lamps, dancing and playing musical instruments, and also mechanical soldiers to counter intruders.\nThe list would be incomplete without mentioning our childhood favourite ‘Akasa Vani’ (Voice from the sky). Now, we have voice-assistants like Gemini, Alexa and Siri, loaded with timely and suggestive information pulled from the cloud to enable better decision-making. We might sometimes have stumbled upon the term ‘Akashic records’ where yogic Siddhas could access past, present and future knowledge through meditation. Rishi Veda Vyasa is believed to have dictated the Mahabharata to Lord Ganesha by retrieving data from an Akashic knowledge bank that seems to be beyond human thinking now. It draws a parallel to our cloud computing and AI-based predictive analytics of today.\nAncient knowledge and wisdom consider the brain not just a biological organ but a processor that connects with universal intelligence (God), which modern neuroscience has begun to explore now.\nMany questions to ponder\nTalking of current times, recent news about the Buga sphere triggers mind-boggling questions we have always been curious to know. It was seen hovering in a zig-zag pattern before falling to the ground. The sphere was spotted in Colombian skies of Buga in early March 2025. The object seemed to be a network of complex fibre-optic wires that could transmit and receive signals and was embedded with 18 microspheres and three layers of metal.\nIn today’s age of automation and AI, the best of the technology is still unable to decode many mysteries of our ancient temples, the latest one being the secret vault of Anantha Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram.\nAs AI continues to evolve, there are some questions to ponder about ethics, its responsible usage and future consequences of machine intelligence. AI is growing in leaps and bounds. Yet the question of whether it will be given legal approval as an autonomous entity/being in future remains unanswered. More importantly, would it be made responsible for its actions?\nFuture AI may require an ethical framework that makes it ethically accountable for its decisions. As the human obsession to control everything continues, let’s ask AI to forecast through its predictive analytics whether humans will continue to rule the tech world or whether AI will take over human lives.","image_url":"https://s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media.thesouthfirst.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/pushpakviman.jpeg","lang":"en","published_at":"2026-07-27T01:31:09+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-07-27T02:15:04+00:00","status":"read","starred":0,"extract_state":"ok","summary_auto":"Our myths had mindboggling machines and considered our brain to be a processor that connected with the universal intelligence. Modern neuroscience is exploring the possibility now…\n“Knowledge gives humility; from humility comes worthiness; from worthiness comes wealth; from wealth comes righteousness; and from righteousness comes happiness.”\nThe above verse is from Hitopadesha, a timeless book on wisdom, human values and wellbeing.","cluster_id":null,"extract_retries":0,"extract_error":null,"contract_version":"news_item.v1","format_contract_version":"news_item_formats.v1","dedup_url":"https://thesouthfirst.com/opinion/when-myth-imagined-machines-ancient-indias-vision-of-artificial-intelligence/","quality_profile":{"profile_version":"extraction_quality.v2","bucket":"high","confidence":0.9,"failure_kind":"none","retryable":false,"retry_after_attempts":0,"reason":"High confidence: full text extraction produced 5827 characters.","operator_guidance":{"severity":"ok","recommended_action":"trust_full_text","next_step":"Use the extracted full text as the primary article source.","operator_label":"Ready","can_retry":false,"can_use_summary":false,"diagnostics_required":false},"content_depth":{"contract_version":"content_depth.v1","category":"full_text","label":"Full text","has_full_text":true,"has_summary":true,"content_length":5827,"summary_length":435,"usable_text_length":5827,"source_field":"content"},"legacy_collapsed":false,"signals":{"extract_state":"ok","extract_error":null,"extract_retries":0,"content_length":5827,"summary_length":435}},"news_item":{"id":46722,"canonical_url":"https://thesouthfirst.com/opinion/when-myth-imagined-machines-ancient-indias-vision-of-artificial-intelligence/","source_url":"https://thesouthfirst.com/opinion/when-myth-imagined-machines-ancient-indias-vision-of-artificial-intelligence/","title":"When myth imagined machines: Ancient India’s vision of Artificial Intelligence - The South First","source_name":"The South First","author":null,"published_at":"2026-07-27T01:31:09+00:00","locale":"en","topic":"ai","tags":[],"rss_summary":"When myth imagined machines: Ancient India’s vision of Artificial Intelligence The South First","full_text":"Synopsis:Remember the Nandighosha? What about the Akasa Vani? Our myths had mindboggling machines and considered our brain to be a processor that connected with the universal intelligence. Modern neuroscience is exploring the possibility now…\n“Knowledge gives humility; from humility comes worthiness; from worthiness comes wealth; from wealth comes righteousness; and from righteousness comes happiness.”\nThe above verse is from Hitopadesha, a timeless book on wisdom, human values and wellbeing.\nHumankind has always been fascinated by mysterious knowledge, devices, technology, automation and control over everything. The inquisitiveness to excel and usurp has been their main motive in life since evolution. The constant desire to extend human capabilities is the propeller for making strides in the field of science and technology.\nIndian epics and puranas have always contained stories of missiles, machines and robots that can devise strategies along with the technical description of self-moving devices (Brahmastra, Nagastra, etc), automated palaces (Ravana’s palaces as described in Ramayana, Maya Sabha of Mahabharata) with automated doors and furnishings that respond to commands.\nThere is a mention of many such intelligent constructions, which had task-oriented behaviour. Great architects like Viswakarma were credited with the creation of hi-tech chariots and flying machines (Pushpaka Vimanas). If not AI in our modern era, all these accounts stand as a testimony to an inherent human fascination and cultural interest in ‘smart’ devices and reflect the boundless limits of human desire. All the mythical innovations strikingly draw parallels to today’s mechanisation and Artificial Intelligence.\nThe concept of AI does not seem to be new for the ancient world. There are umpteen references to AI technology in ancient texts like Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranas wherein humans were capable of creating machines that were powerful and also intelligent. Let’s recall some glimpses of that ancient knowledge.\nArjuna’s chariot and Akasa Vani\nIn the Mahabharata, Nandighosha, the extraordinary chariot of Arjun gifted by God Agni, which in modern reimaginings has been interpreted as capable of handling multidimensional movements, was embedded with the intelligence of anticipating the needs of the warrior. It responded intelligently to the new possibilities on the battlefield with real-time data by analysing enemy movements, identifying potential threats, and helping Arjuna take informed decisions.\nIt also safeguarded Arjuna through advanced communication systems. The chariot was built to radiate blinding light and a massive thunderous roar to create fear in the enemy. Nandighosha then symbolised the blend of ancient valour with cutting-edge technology.\nWe also find glimpses of automation and robotics in Samarāṅgaṇa Sūtradhāra, the classical Indian architectural encyclopaedia written by King Bhoja (between 1000-1055AD). Along with town planning and architecture, it covers the mechanical yantras in one of its chapters (Chapter 31).\nBhoja mentions the automatic swayam vahi self-driven machines (today’s Tesla cars). Also featured are Antaritas, concealed mechanisms where internal parts are not seen (similar to the software in the machines). The text mentions automated devices meant for entertaining the royals and for protecting the palace. The chapter describes robotic servants and guards, both male and female, who perform automated tasks like refilling oil lamps, dancing and playing musical instruments, and also mechanical soldiers to counter intruders.\nThe list would be incomplete without mentioning our childhood favourite ‘Akasa Vani’ (Voice from the sky). Now, we have voice-assistants like Gemini, Alexa and Siri, loaded with timely and suggestive information pulled from the cloud to enable better decision-making. We might sometimes have stumbled upon the term ‘Akashic records’ where yogic Siddhas could access past, present and future knowledge through meditation. Rishi Veda Vyasa is believed to have dictated the Mahabharata to Lord Ganesha by retrieving data from an Akashic knowledge bank that seems to be beyond human thinking now. It draws a parallel to our cloud computing and AI-based predictive analytics of today.\nAncient knowledge and wisdom consider the brain not just a biological organ but a processor that connects with universal intelligence (God), which modern neuroscience has begun to explore now.\nMany questions to ponder\nTalking of current times, recent news about the Buga sphere triggers mind-boggling questions we have always been curious to know. It was seen hovering in a zig-zag pattern before falling to the ground. The sphere was spotted in Colombian skies of Buga in early March 2025. The object seemed to be a network of complex fibre-optic wires that could transmit and receive signals and was embedded with 18 microspheres and three layers of metal.\nIn today’s age of automation and AI, the best of the technology is still unable to decode many mysteries of our ancient temples, the latest one being the secret vault of Anantha Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram.\nAs AI continues to evolve, there are some questions to ponder about ethics, its responsible usage and future consequences of machine intelligence. AI is growing in leaps and bounds. Yet the question of whether it will be given legal approval as an autonomous entity/being in future remains unanswered. More importantly, would it be made responsible for its actions?\nFuture AI may require an ethical framework that makes it ethically accountable for its decisions. As the human obsession to control everything continues, let’s ask AI to forecast through its predictive analytics whether humans will continue to rule the tech world or whether AI will take over human lives.","excerpt":"Our myths had mindboggling machines and considered our brain to be a processor that connected with the universal intelligence. Modern neuroscience is exploring the possibility now…\n“Knowledge gives humility; from humility comes worthiness; from worthiness comes wealth; from wealth comes righteousness; and from righteousness comes happiness.”\nThe above verse is from Hitopadesha, a timeless book on wisdom, human values and wellbeing.","extraction":{"state":"ok","confidence":0.9,"error":null,"explanation":"High confidence: full text extraction produced 5827 characters.","diagnostics_url":"/api/diagnose?url=https%3A//thesouthfirst.com/opinion/when-myth-imagined-machines-ancient-indias-vision-of-artificial-intelligence/","quality_profile":{"profile_version":"extraction_quality.v2","bucket":"high","confidence":0.9,"failure_kind":"none","retryable":false,"retry_after_attempts":0,"reason":"High confidence: full text extraction produced 5827 characters.","operator_guidance":{"severity":"ok","recommended_action":"trust_full_text","next_step":"Use the extracted full text as the primary article source.","operator_label":"Ready","can_retry":false,"can_use_summary":false,"diagnostics_required":false},"content_depth":{"contract_version":"content_depth.v1","category":"full_text","label":"Full text","has_full_text":true,"has_summary":true,"content_length":5827,"summary_length":435,"usable_text_length":5827,"source_field":"content"},"legacy_collapsed":false,"signals":{"extract_state":"ok","extract_error":null,"extract_retries":0,"content_length":5827,"summary_length":435}}},"display_formats":["compact","card","full","digest_section","json"]},"daily_stack_record":{"title":"When myth imagined machines: Ancient India’s vision of Artificial Intelligence - The South First","url":"https://thesouthfirst.com/opinion/when-myth-imagined-machines-ancient-indias-vision-of-artificial-intelligence/","summary":"Our myths had mindboggling machines and considered our brain to be a processor that connected with the universal intelligence. 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Modern neuroscience is exploring the possibility now…\n“Knowledge gives humility; from humility comes worthiness; from worthiness comes wealth; from wealth comes righteousness; and from righteousness comes happiness.”\nThe above verse is from Hitopadesha, a timeless book on wisdom, human values and wellbeing.\nHumankind has always been fascinated by mysterious knowledge, devices, technology, automation and control over everything. The inquisitiveness to excel and usurp has been their main motive in life since evolution. The constant desire to extend human capabilities is the propeller for making strides in the field of science and technology.\nIndian epics and puranas have always contained stories of missiles, machines and robots that can devise strategies along with the technical description of self-moving devices (Brahmastra, Nagastra, etc), automated palaces (Ravana’s palaces as described in Ramayana, Maya Sabha of Mahabharata) with automated doors and furnishings that respond to commands.\nThere is a mention of many such intelligent constructions, which had task-oriented behaviour. Great architects like Viswakarma were credited with the creation of hi-tech chariots and flying machines (Pushpaka Vimanas). If not AI in our modern era, all these accounts stand as a testimony to an inherent human fascination and cultural interest in ‘smart’ devices and reflect the boundless limits of human desire. All the mythical innovations strikingly draw parallels to today’s mechanisation and Artificial Intelligence.\nThe concept of AI does not seem to be new for the ancient world. There are umpteen references to AI technology in ancient texts like Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranas wherein humans were capable of creating machines that were powerful and also intelligent. Let’s recall some glimpses of that ancient knowledge.\nArjuna’s chariot and Akasa Vani\nIn the Mahabharata, Nandighosha, the extraordinary chariot of Arjun gifted by God Agni, which in modern reimaginings has been interpreted as capable of handling multidimensional movements, was embedded with the intelligence of anticipating the needs of the warrior. It responded intelligently to the new possibilities on the battlefield with real-time data by analysing enemy movements, identifying potential threats, and helping Arjuna take informed decisions.\nIt also safeguarded Arjuna through advanced communication systems. The chariot was built to radiate blinding light and a massive thunderous roar to create fear in the enemy. Nandighosha then symbolised the blend of ancient valour with cutting-edge technology.\nWe also find glimpses of automation and robotics in Samarāṅgaṇa Sūtradhāra, the classical Indian architectural encyclopaedia written by King Bhoja (between 1000-1055AD). Along with town planning and architecture, it covers the mechanical yantras in one of its chapters (Chapter 31).\nBhoja mentions the automatic swayam vahi self-driven machines (today’s Tesla cars). Also featured are Antaritas, concealed mechanisms where internal parts are not seen (similar to the software in the machines). The text mentions automated devices meant for entertaining the royals and for protecting the palace. The chapter describes robotic servants and guards, both male and female, who perform automated tasks like refilling oil lamps, dancing and playing musical instruments, and also mechanical soldiers to counter intruders.\nThe list would be incomplete without mentioning our childhood favourite ‘Akasa Vani’ (Voice from the sky). Now, we have voice-assistants like Gemini, Alexa and Siri, loaded with timely and suggestive information pulled from the cloud to enable better decision-making. We might sometimes have stumbled upon the term ‘Akashic records’ where yogic Siddhas could access past, present and future knowledge through meditation. Rishi Veda Vyasa is believed to have dictated the Mahabharata to Lord Ganesha by retrieving data from an Akashic knowledge bank that seems to be beyond human thinking now. It draws a parallel to our cloud computing and AI-based predictive analytics of today.\nAncient knowledge and wisdom consider the brain not just a biological organ but a processor that connects with universal intelligence (God), which modern neuroscience has begun to explore now.\nMany questions to ponder\nTalking of current times, recent news about the Buga sphere triggers mind-boggling questions we have always been curious to know. It was seen hovering in a zig-zag pattern before falling to the ground. The sphere was spotted in Colombian skies of Buga in early March 2025. The object seemed to be a network of complex fibre-optic wires that could transmit and receive signals and was embedded with 18 microspheres and three layers of metal.\nIn today’s age of automation and AI, the best of the technology is still unable to decode many mysteries of our ancient temples, the latest one being the secret vault of Anantha Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram.\nAs AI continues to evolve, there are some questions to ponder about ethics, its responsible usage and future consequences of machine intelligence. AI is growing in leaps and bounds. Yet the question of whether it will be given legal approval as an autonomous entity/being in future remains unanswered. More importantly, would it be made responsible for its actions?\nFuture AI may require an ethical framework that makes it ethically accountable for its decisions. As the human obsession to control everything continues, let’s ask AI to forecast through its predictive analytics whether humans will continue to rule the tech world or whether AI will take over human lives.","confidence":0.9,"diagnostics_url":"/api/diagnose?url=https%3A//thesouthfirst.com/opinion/when-myth-imagined-machines-ancient-indias-vision-of-artificial-intelligence/","quality_bucket":"high","failure_kind":"none","retryable":false,"quality_reason":"High confidence: full text extraction produced 5827 characters.","quality_profile":{"profile_version":"extraction_quality.v2","bucket":"high","confidence":0.9,"failure_kind":"none","retryable":false,"retry_after_attempts":0,"reason":"High confidence: full text extraction produced 5827 characters.","operator_guidance":{"severity":"ok","recommended_action":"trust_full_text","next_step":"Use the extracted full text as the primary article source.","operator_label":"Ready","can_retry":false,"can_use_summary":false,"diagnostics_required":false},"content_depth":{"contract_version":"content_depth.v1","category":"full_text","label":"Full text","has_full_text":true,"has_summary":true,"content_length":5827,"summary_length":435,"usable_text_length":5827,"source_field":"content"},"legacy_collapsed":false,"signals":{"extract_state":"ok","extract_error":null,"extract_retries":0,"content_length":5827,"summary_length":435}},"tags":[]},"fallback_formats":["markdown","json","html"],"actions":{"read":"/item/46722","export_markdown":"/api/items/46722/export?format=markdown","export_json":"/api/items/46722/export?format=json","diagnose":"/api/diagnose?url=https%3A//thesouthfirst.com/opinion/when-myth-imagined-machines-ancient-indias-vision-of-artificial-intelligence/"},"formats":{"full":{"id":46722,"title":"When myth imagined machines: Ancient India’s vision of Artificial Intelligence - The South First","url":"https://thesouthfirst.com/opinion/when-myth-imagined-machines-ancient-indias-vision-of-artificial-intelligence/","source":"The South First","author":null,"published_at":"2026-07-27T01:31:09+00:00","locale":"en","topic":"ai","tags":[],"excerpt":"Our myths had mindboggling machines and considered our brain to be a processor that connected with the universal intelligence. Modern neuroscience is exploring the possibility now…\n“Knowledge gives humility; from humility comes worthiness; from worthiness comes wealth; from wealth comes righteousness; and from righteousness comes happiness.”\nThe above verse is from Hitopadesha, a timeless book on wisdom, human values and wellbeing.","full_text":"Synopsis:Remember the Nandighosha? What about the Akasa Vani? Our myths had mindboggling machines and considered our brain to be a processor that connected with the universal intelligence. Modern neuroscience is exploring the possibility now…\n“Knowledge gives humility; from humility comes worthiness; from worthiness comes wealth; from wealth comes righteousness; and from righteousness comes happiness.”\nThe above verse is from Hitopadesha, a timeless book on wisdom, human values and wellbeing.\nHumankind has always been fascinated by mysterious knowledge, devices, technology, automation and control over everything. The inquisitiveness to excel and usurp has been their main motive in life since evolution. The constant desire to extend human capabilities is the propeller for making strides in the field of science and technology.\nIndian epics and puranas have always contained stories of missiles, machines and robots that can devise strategies along with the technical description of self-moving devices (Brahmastra, Nagastra, etc), automated palaces (Ravana’s palaces as described in Ramayana, Maya Sabha of Mahabharata) with automated doors and furnishings that respond to commands.\nThere is a mention of many such intelligent constructions, which had task-oriented behaviour. Great architects like Viswakarma were credited with the creation of hi-tech chariots and flying machines (Pushpaka Vimanas). If not AI in our modern era, all these accounts stand as a testimony to an inherent human fascination and cultural interest in ‘smart’ devices and reflect the boundless limits of human desire. All the mythical innovations strikingly draw parallels to today’s mechanisation and Artificial Intelligence.\nThe concept of AI does not seem to be new for the ancient world. There are umpteen references to AI technology in ancient texts like Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranas wherein humans were capable of creating machines that were powerful and also intelligent. Let’s recall some glimpses of that ancient knowledge.\nArjuna’s chariot and Akasa Vani\nIn the Mahabharata, Nandighosha, the extraordinary chariot of Arjun gifted by God Agni, which in modern reimaginings has been interpreted as capable of handling multidimensional movements, was embedded with the intelligence of anticipating the needs of the warrior. It responded intelligently to the new possibilities on the battlefield with real-time data by analysing enemy movements, identifying potential threats, and helping Arjuna take informed decisions.\nIt also safeguarded Arjuna through advanced communication systems. The chariot was built to radiate blinding light and a massive thunderous roar to create fear in the enemy. Nandighosha then symbolised the blend of ancient valour with cutting-edge technology.\nWe also find glimpses of automation and robotics in Samarāṅgaṇa Sūtradhāra, the classical Indian architectural encyclopaedia written by King Bhoja (between 1000-1055AD). Along with town planning and architecture, it covers the mechanical yantras in one of its chapters (Chapter 31).\nBhoja mentions the automatic swayam vahi self-driven machines (today’s Tesla cars). Also featured are Antaritas, concealed mechanisms where internal parts are not seen (similar to the software in the machines). The text mentions automated devices meant for entertaining the royals and for protecting the palace. The chapter describes robotic servants and guards, both male and female, who perform automated tasks like refilling oil lamps, dancing and playing musical instruments, and also mechanical soldiers to counter intruders.\nThe list would be incomplete without mentioning our childhood favourite ‘Akasa Vani’ (Voice from the sky). Now, we have voice-assistants like Gemini, Alexa and Siri, loaded with timely and suggestive information pulled from the cloud to enable better decision-making. We might sometimes have stumbled upon the term ‘Akashic records’ where yogic Siddhas could access past, present and future knowledge through meditation. Rishi Veda Vyasa is believed to have dictated the Mahabharata to Lord Ganesha by retrieving data from an Akashic knowledge bank that seems to be beyond human thinking now. It draws a parallel to our cloud computing and AI-based predictive analytics of today.\nAncient knowledge and wisdom consider the brain not just a biological organ but a processor that connects with universal intelligence (God), which modern neuroscience has begun to explore now.\nMany questions to ponder\nTalking of current times, recent news about the Buga sphere triggers mind-boggling questions we have always been curious to know. It was seen hovering in a zig-zag pattern before falling to the ground. The sphere was spotted in Colombian skies of Buga in early March 2025. The object seemed to be a network of complex fibre-optic wires that could transmit and receive signals and was embedded with 18 microspheres and three layers of metal.\nIn today’s age of automation and AI, the best of the technology is still unable to decode many mysteries of our ancient temples, the latest one being the secret vault of Anantha Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram.\nAs AI continues to evolve, there are some questions to ponder about ethics, its responsible usage and future consequences of machine intelligence. AI is growing in leaps and bounds. Yet the question of whether it will be given legal approval as an autonomous entity/being in future remains unanswered. More importantly, would it be made responsible for its actions?\nFuture AI may require an ethical framework that makes it ethically accountable for its decisions. As the human obsession to control everything continues, let’s ask AI to forecast through its predictive analytics whether humans will continue to rule the tech world or whether AI will take over human lives.","reading_time_min":4,"extraction":{"state":"ok","confidence":0.9,"error":null,"explanation":"High confidence: full text extraction produced 5827 characters.","diagnostics_url":"/api/diagnose?url=https%3A//thesouthfirst.com/opinion/when-myth-imagined-machines-ancient-indias-vision-of-artificial-intelligence/","quality_profile":{"profile_version":"extraction_quality.v2","bucket":"high","confidence":0.9,"failure_kind":"none","retryable":false,"retry_after_attempts":0,"reason":"High confidence: full text extraction produced 5827 characters.","operator_guidance":{"severity":"ok","recommended_action":"trust_full_text","next_step":"Use the extracted full text as the primary article source.","operator_label":"Ready","can_retry":false,"can_use_summary":false,"diagnostics_required":false},"content_depth":{"contract_version":"content_depth.v1","category":"full_text","label":"Full text","has_full_text":true,"has_summary":true,"content_length":5827,"summary_length":435,"usable_text_length":5827,"source_field":"content"},"legacy_collapsed":false,"signals":{"extract_state":"ok","extract_error":null,"extract_retries":0,"content_length":5827,"summary_length":435}}},"quality_profile":{"profile_version":"extraction_quality.v2","bucket":"high","confidence":0.9,"failure_kind":"none","retryable":false,"retry_after_attempts":0,"reason":"High confidence: full text extraction produced 5827 characters.","operator_guidance":{"severity":"ok","recommended_action":"trust_full_text","next_step":"Use the extracted full text as the primary article source.","operator_label":"Ready","can_retry":false,"can_use_summary":false,"diagnostics_required":false},"content_depth":{"contract_version":"content_depth.v1","category":"full_text","label":"Full text","has_full_text":true,"has_summary":true,"content_length":5827,"summary_length":435,"usable_text_length":5827,"source_field":"content"},"legacy_collapsed":false,"signals":{"extract_state":"ok","extract_error":null,"extract_retries":0,"content_length":5827,"summary_length":435}},"actions":{"read":"/item/46722","export_markdown":"/api/items/46722/export?format=markdown","export_json":"/api/items/46722/export?format=json","diagnose":"/api/diagnose?url=https%3A//thesouthfirst.com/opinion/when-myth-imagined-machines-ancient-indias-vision-of-artificial-intelligence/"}},"digest":{"id":46722,"title":"When myth imagined machines: Ancient India’s vision of Artificial Intelligence - The South First","url":"https://thesouthfirst.com/opinion/when-myth-imagined-machines-ancient-indias-vision-of-artificial-intelligence/","source":"The South First","topic":"ai","published_at":"2026-07-27T01:31:09+00:00","excerpt":"Our myths had mindboggling machines and considered our brain to be a processor that connected with the universal intelligence. Modern neuroscience is exploring the possibility now… “Knowledge gives humility; from humility comes worthiness; from worthiness comes wealth; from…","quality_bucket":"high","quality_reason":"High confidence: full text extraction produced 5827 characters.","reading_time_min":4,"cluster_id":null},"card":{"display_title":"When myth imagined machines: Ancient India’s vision of Artificial Intelligence - The South First","subtitle":"The South First · 2026-07-27","summary":"Our myths had mindboggling machines and considered our brain to be a processor that connected with the universal intelligence. Modern neuroscience is exploring the possibility now… “Knowledge gives humility; from…","badges":["quality:high"],"links":{"read":"/item/46722","original":"https://thesouthfirst.com/opinion/when-myth-imagined-machines-ancient-indias-vision-of-artificial-intelligence/","diagnose":"/api/diagnose?url=https%3A//thesouthfirst.com/opinion/when-myth-imagined-machines-ancient-indias-vision-of-artificial-intelligence/"},"quality_warning":null},"export":{"title":"When myth imagined machines: Ancient India’s vision of Artificial Intelligence - The South First","url":"https://thesouthfirst.com/opinion/when-myth-imagined-machines-ancient-indias-vision-of-artificial-intelligence/","summary":"Our myths had mindboggling machines and considered our brain to be a processor that connected with the universal intelligence. Modern neuroscience is exploring the possibility now…\n“Knowledge gives humility; from humility comes worthiness; from worthiness comes wealth; from wealth comes righteousness; and from righteousness comes happiness.”\nThe above verse is from Hitopadesha, a timeless book on wisdom, human values and wellbeing.","source":"The South First","date":"2026-07-27T01:31:09+00:00","content":"Synopsis:Remember the Nandighosha? What about the Akasa Vani? Our myths had mindboggling machines and considered our brain to be a processor that connected with the universal intelligence. Modern neuroscience is exploring the possibility now…\n“Knowledge gives humility; from humility comes worthiness; from worthiness comes wealth; from wealth comes righteousness; and from righteousness comes happiness.”\nThe above verse is from Hitopadesha, a timeless book on wisdom, human values and wellbeing.\nHumankind has always been fascinated by mysterious knowledge, devices, technology, automation and control over everything. The inquisitiveness to excel and usurp has been their main motive in life since evolution. The constant desire to extend human capabilities is the propeller for making strides in the field of science and technology.\nIndian epics and puranas have always contained stories of missiles, machines and robots that can devise strategies along with the technical description of self-moving devices (Brahmastra, Nagastra, etc), automated palaces (Ravana’s palaces as described in Ramayana, Maya Sabha of Mahabharata) with automated doors and furnishings that respond to commands.\nThere is a mention of many such intelligent constructions, which had task-oriented behaviour. Great architects like Viswakarma were credited with the creation of hi-tech chariots and flying machines (Pushpaka Vimanas). If not AI in our modern era, all these accounts stand as a testimony to an inherent human fascination and cultural interest in ‘smart’ devices and reflect the boundless limits of human desire. All the mythical innovations strikingly draw parallels to today’s mechanisation and Artificial Intelligence.\nThe concept of AI does not seem to be new for the ancient world. There are umpteen references to AI technology in ancient texts like Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranas wherein humans were capable of creating machines that were powerful and also intelligent. Let’s recall some glimpses of that ancient knowledge.\nArjuna’s chariot and Akasa Vani\nIn the Mahabharata, Nandighosha, the extraordinary chariot of Arjun gifted by God Agni, which in modern reimaginings has been interpreted as capable of handling multidimensional movements, was embedded with the intelligence of anticipating the needs of the warrior. It responded intelligently to the new possibilities on the battlefield with real-time data by analysing enemy movements, identifying potential threats, and helping Arjuna take informed decisions.\nIt also safeguarded Arjuna through advanced communication systems. The chariot was built to radiate blinding light and a massive thunderous roar to create fear in the enemy. Nandighosha then symbolised the blend of ancient valour with cutting-edge technology.\nWe also find glimpses of automation and robotics in Samarāṅgaṇa Sūtradhāra, the classical Indian architectural encyclopaedia written by King Bhoja (between 1000-1055AD). Along with town planning and architecture, it covers the mechanical yantras in one of its chapters (Chapter 31).\nBhoja mentions the automatic swayam vahi self-driven machines (today’s Tesla cars). Also featured are Antaritas, concealed mechanisms where internal parts are not seen (similar to the software in the machines). The text mentions automated devices meant for entertaining the royals and for protecting the palace. The chapter describes robotic servants and guards, both male and female, who perform automated tasks like refilling oil lamps, dancing and playing musical instruments, and also mechanical soldiers to counter intruders.\nThe list would be incomplete without mentioning our childhood favourite ‘Akasa Vani’ (Voice from the sky). Now, we have voice-assistants like Gemini, Alexa and Siri, loaded with timely and suggestive information pulled from the cloud to enable better decision-making. We might sometimes have stumbled upon the term ‘Akashic records’ where yogic Siddhas could access past, present and future knowledge through meditation. Rishi Veda Vyasa is believed to have dictated the Mahabharata to Lord Ganesha by retrieving data from an Akashic knowledge bank that seems to be beyond human thinking now. It draws a parallel to our cloud computing and AI-based predictive analytics of today.\nAncient knowledge and wisdom consider the brain not just a biological organ but a processor that connects with universal intelligence (God), which modern neuroscience has begun to explore now.\nMany questions to ponder\nTalking of current times, recent news about the Buga sphere triggers mind-boggling questions we have always been curious to know. It was seen hovering in a zig-zag pattern before falling to the ground. The sphere was spotted in Colombian skies of Buga in early March 2025. The object seemed to be a network of complex fibre-optic wires that could transmit and receive signals and was embedded with 18 microspheres and three layers of metal.\nIn today’s age of automation and AI, the best of the technology is still unable to decode many mysteries of our ancient temples, the latest one being the secret vault of Anantha Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram.\nAs AI continues to evolve, there are some questions to ponder about ethics, its responsible usage and future consequences of machine intelligence. AI is growing in leaps and bounds. Yet the question of whether it will be given legal approval as an autonomous entity/being in future remains unanswered. More importantly, would it be made responsible for its actions?\nFuture AI may require an ethical framework that makes it ethically accountable for its decisions. 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