Abstract
The authors discuss their interaction with data using various data visualization techniques, which are a quick, easy way to convey concepts universally. Currently, data has become more and more important; it is also important how one can visualize that data in the mind. This chapter is based on extracting important information from one of the holy Swaminarayan scriptures. The authors explore the content of the Vachanamrut, a unique work of prose in the Gujarati language, which contains discourses of Lord Swaminarayan and his conversation with saints and devotees. They convert the data in graphical interface using some libraries of the R tool. So, one can get the main idea of that data quickly, without a need to explain more about that data. Summing it up, this chapter examines the techniques of describing data of any ancient scripture or ancient text in any language by visualizing that data.
TopIntroduction
If we observe today’s generation and previous generations, one can find it obvious that most of the decisions of life depend mainly on the previous historical experience of other people. So, in today’s era, every person relates to something called data, that means Data is equal to understanding. Every single information contains data; how to treat data that is different from person to person. “You can have data without information, but you cannot have information without data”– Daniel Keys Moran. (Marr, n.d.)
Here the question arises, because the data is very precious, so how to understand data more effectively? The answer is, by data visualization anyone can easily understand the concept behind that data.
What Is Data Visualization?
Data visualization is a graphical representation of information and data. By using visual elements like charts, graphs, and maps, data visualization tools provide an accessible way to see and understand trends, outliers, and patterns in data (Tableau, n.d.). It provides a powerful means both to make sense of data and then to communicate what we’ve discovered to others. Despite their potential, the benefits of data visualization are undermined by a general lack of understanding. Nothing that is going on today in the field of business intelligence can bring us closer to fulfilling its promise of intelligence in the workplace than data visualization. “Without big data analytics, companies are blind and deaf, wandering out onto the Web like deer on a freeway” (Moore, 2012). Common types of data visualization are through charts, tables, graphs, word clouds, etc.
Why Data Visualization?
The way the human brain processes information, using charts or graphs to visualize large amounts of complex data are easier than poring over spreadsheets or reports. Data visualization is a quick, easy way to convey concepts universally – and you can experiment with different scenarios by making slight adjustments. Data visualization helps in every field, for example to analyze the growth of the industry, extract some important information from ancient texts and scriptures, analyze historical data, analyze the survey data and in the medical field. Also, data visualization helps to derive some concluding points.
Here authors choose the one Swaminarayan Hindu scripture “The Vachanamrut” to extract information and to convey the concepts of data visualization.
Who Is Bhagwan Swaminarayan?
“I, Purushottam, who is above Akshar, have taken birth in human form for the purpose of enlightening countless jivas by making them Brahmarup, and leading them to ultimate liberation.”
Through these words, Bhagwan Swaminarayan states his life’s purpose revealing two things – that he was Parabrahma Purushottam Narayan himself, and that his lifework was focused on spirituality.
Bhagwan Swaminarayan initiated many spiritual and social projects to remedy society’s ailing conditions and reignite fading spirituality. He operated alms houses, built and recharged wells, introduced education for woman and inspired all to live pure, addiction-free lives. He also actively campaigned to eradicate entranced social practices of sati-burning, female infanticide and dowry.
Figure 1 shows image of Bhagwan Swaminarayan.
With a faithful following of Paramhansas, renunciates of the highest order, he established the Swaminarayan Sampraday, introducing much needed social reforms, serving the poor and needy, and challenging superstitions, addictions and blind faith. He cleansed and rejuvenated the impurities that had tarnished the celebration of Hindu festivals, such as Janmashtami, Holi and Ramnavmi, and transformed them into platforms for liberation. “That is why I perform grand Vishnu-yags; annually celebrate Janmashtami, Ekadashi and other observances… After all, even if a sinner remembers these occasions at the time of his death, he will also attain the abode of god.”(Vachanamrut Gadhada I-3).
Bhagwan Swaminarayan’s practical spirituality attracted people from all states of society, helping them regain their lost values and self-identity. He taught his householder disciples basic moral codes and inspired them to abstain from alcohol, meat-eating, dishonesty, adultery and improper habits of manner and diet. Such was his divine magnetism that over 3,000 spiritual aspirants accepted initiation from him into the sadhu-fold to lead a life of devotion and service to society.
Key Terms in this Chapter
R Shiny: Shiny is an R package that makes it easy to build interactive web apps straight from R.
Bhagwan: In English Lord or God. Here in this chapter, the authors use Bhagwan word for the lord because it is more suitable and related to this Hindu scripture.
Bhagavat Gita: The Bhagavad Gita (“The Song of God”), often referred to as the Gita, is a 700-verse Sanskrit scripture that is part of the Hindu epic Mahabharata (chapters 23–40 of Bhishma Parva).
Brahmarup: Spiritual seekers believe that they can achieve moksha or freedom from the cycle of birth and death, by becoming brahmarup, that is, by attaining qualities similar to Akshar and worshipping purushottam.
Vachanamrut Gadhada I-3/Vachanamrut Gadhada I-29/Vachanamrut Gadhada II-33: One of the Chapters of the Vachanamrut.
Unicode: Unicode is a computing industry standard for the consistent encoding, representation, and handling of text expressed in most of the world's writing systems.
Vachanamrut: One discourse of Lord Swaminarayan to devotees and Sadhus Or say one chapter of The Vachanamrut Scripture.
R Language: R is a programming language and free software environment for statistical computing and graphics supported by the R Foundation for Statistical Computing. The R language is widely used among statisticians and data miners for developing statistical software and data analysis.
Paramhansas/Swami/Sadhus: Bhagwan Swaminarayan initiated approximately 3,000 sadhus (saints) in His time. Of those, 500 were known as ‘nand santo’ or paramhansas. Their names ended with ‘nand’, i.e., Brahmanand, Premanand, Muktanand, Shukanand, and Gunatitanand. These are the one who passed the 108 different tests of austerities and hardships. Some of them were kings, royal poets, musicians, Brahmins, royal advisors, even warriors. Bhagwan Swaminarayan attracted people from all over the Indian subcontinent who surrendered their assets and live at His feet.
NLP: Natural language processing is the facilitative process enabling a computer to understand natural languages such as English.
Tithi: In Vedic timekeeping, a tithi (also spelled thithi) is a lunar day or the time it takes for the longitudinal angle between the Moon and the Sun to increase by 12°. In other words, a tithi is a time-duration between the consecutive epochs that correspond to when the longitudinal-angle between sun and moon is an integer multiple of 12°.
Akshar: It’s second only in transcendence to Purushottam; it is eternally above the influences of maya.
Purushottam: Supreme God, One who is beyond Akshar.
Mahabharata: A Sanskrit epic principally concerning the dynastic struggle and civil war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas in the kingdom of Kurukshetra about the 9th century BC, and containing the text of the Bhagavad-Gita, numerous subplots, and interpolations on theology, morals, and statecraft.