Deivathin Kural # 49 of (Vol 2) of 18 Nov 2007.

Om Namah Sivaya.

Deivathin Kural # 49 of (Vol 2) of 18 Nov 2007.

(Continued from Deivathin Kural # 48 of (Vol 2) of 16 Nov 2007.)

( We are to remind the readers that herein, 'he' as a word stands for 'she' as well. When Tamil or
Sanskrit words are transliterated in English, the single vowel will indicate a short utterance and a double vowel will indicate a longer pronounciation. Words in Sanskrit script not being available, the transliteration spellings and thereby the pronounciation, especially of names may be at variance from what it should be!)

15. Another word of absolute appropriateness is, the beautiful and meaningful 'oththu'. That is, what is practiced and propogated by word of mouth, without ever being written down. This word is in Thirukkural. In North Arcot district, there is a township known as 'Thiruvoththur', where Thiru Gnaana Sambanda Perumal, converted a Male Palm Tree into a Female Palm Tree. The name 'Thiruvoththur' is the Tamil name for the Sanskrit name of 'Vedapuri', a name that came into being because, Vedas have been sung in praise of God here. Like 'Marai' and 'Oththu', another Tamil word for Vedas is, 'Aaranam'. Often in 'Thirumurai's, in praise of the Divinity, the phrase, 'Aaranan Kaan', is to be found.

16. During my talks on Vedas, before this, I have already explained as to how, words / phrases such as, asking 'Veda vaakko?', to check on the veracity of any statement; calling the owner of a shop or industry as, 'Yajamaan'; the way a place for the feeding of poor people came to be known as 'Chatram'; and how the word, 'sangopangam' has evolved from the Sanskrit, '...sa anga upaanga...', to mean 'in it's entirety'; are all indicative of how, Vedas have been part and parcel of the Tamilian way of life!

17. In Sanskrit, vedas have a name as, 'Sruthi', because of the fact that, from generation to generation, it is learnt by hearing from the Master / Father; the Master / Father in turn corrects it by hearing the chanting by the Sishya / Son. Sruthi means 'heard'. Possibly, it was given to understand that it is not to be written. But in Tamil, they coined a word for Vedas as, 'ezhudaa kilavi', expressely forbidding it's being written! They were quite clear that it is not to be written! Any religious function is normally called, 'sadangu' in Tamil. The word is so prevalent that any function in which people participate has come to be called a 'sadangu'. The root word for that is from the fact that, the Vedas have six parts. (Shad = Six, Anga = Parts, shad + anga = 'sadangu' in Tamil.)

18. For Vedas the breath of life are the Mantras. For the Mantras, it is the faultless pronounciation, known as, 'akshara suddham'! If these are mixed and out of place or out of tune; that will affect the vibrations in the outer atmosphere and the inner 'Naadi'. Scientifically, it has been clearly given as to, which 'Akshara' generates from which part of the body, in the Siksha Saastram. What we hear is the sound known as, 'vaikari'. This sound is based on what is known as, 'paraa' that generates from the lower part of the abdomen, from near the 'Mooladhara', at the lowest end of the spinal cord. Before this sound comes out as, 'vaikari', there are two stages, known as, 'pasyanti' and 'madyama'. As you progress in 'Yoga', one could successively hear these sounds, 'pasyanti', 'madyama' and 'para'. The Rishis, who are far advanced in Yogic capabilities, can hear the subtlest 'para'. They tune on to those 'para' sounds from the cosmos, that are beneficial to humans and all life forms; and have given them to us, as the Mantras. This fact is verywell understood and explained in 'Tholkappiyam', the oldest literature in Tamil; as recently brought to my notice!

19. That, 'para' and 'paisanti' were already mentioned in Tamil literature was known to me. But, that it was mentioned in 'Tholkappiyam', was news. It was very clearly explained that, out of the five breaths of, 'prana, apana, vyana, udana and samana', it is 'udana' the going-up-breath, which creates the vibrations at 'muladhara', to initiate the sounds. The fact that it was mentioned in Tholkappiyam, was a surprising revelation to me. I have earlier told you as to how, the Veda swaras are chanted with differing emphasis in the pitch, known as 'udattam' 'anudattam', 'swaritam' and 'prasayam'. I am told by Tamil Vidwans of repute that, these are all well understood and explained in 'Tholkappiyam'! (This name of 'Tholkappiyam', I am mentioning, is often bandied about with scant courtesy, by people who wish to establish their credentials as expert authorities in Tamil!)

20. 'Why should we use Sanskrit language in the Temples, why not use Tamil instead?'. This was a matter of discussion and debate recently! At that time, some of the Tamil Pundits, well aware of what they were talking about, gave me the following information, quoting from 'Tholkappiyam'. "When it comes to Mantras, they are not to be looked at from the point of view of Languages. Here the language and meaning of the words are all secondary. The divine Mantras have relevance, effect and power based purely on correct intonations and utterance as per the Author / Authors of Tholkappiyam." Before I complete this statement, I should make one more important observation. For many of you and most probably all of you, what I am going to say now, will be an eye-opener! Don't you believe that Vedas are written in the Sanskrit language? That is wrong! The language of the Vedas is not Sanskrit, but 'Chandas'. Chandas does not only mean the poetical metric cadence, but the language of the Vedas too! Other than the Vedas, all other poems, litrature, Epics, Kavyas, Puranas, Saastras and Itihasas; are all written in Sanskrit, including the common folks spoken medium. But the Language of the Vedas is 'Chandas'. Panini, who wrote the Vyakarana Sastra (book of grammer), while referring to the Language of the Vedas would say, "...iti chandasi...". But, while referring to all the other things of Sanskrit, would say, "...iti loke...".

21. Sanskrit, as the name suggests, is a language well made, 'samskrutam'. A scientifically analysed, well researched, disciplined language of perfect grammar, covering the various aspects of syntax, inflexions and word and sentence formation. Evidently it means a language of tremendous human effort, over a long period of time, ages and eras! Veda on the other hand, is a language of cognition and revelation, which flashed in the perception of Great Rishis, as I have been saying for so many days (as far as the readers of these e-mails are concerned; since Deivathin Kural # 26 (of Vol 2) of 24 Sept 2007). Using these very salubrious sounds, Devas started using that as the language of their communication. So Vedas have their own grammar, prosody and stress and intonation patterns. Samskritam evolved out of the Vedas. But, Vedas are not from the Sanskrit language! Later Sanskrit grew on its own and absorbed words from other languages, which made no difference however to the language of the Vedas.

22. The very fact that the language of the Vedas is not Sanskrit, may appease those who may be annoyed as to why that language may have a pride of place, compared to their Mother Tongue. The Language of the Vedas, which can take care of two and four legged animals equally and can create the sound vibrations for the welfare of all life forms and is a repository of a vast array of very useful Mantras; is not a language at all, in the sense we think a language to be! It is not meant for communication between humans and or machines. It is not a language of a particular clan or sect. It is not regional but universal, meant for all. The Moon light is commonly beneficial for all equally, unfettered by Inter National borders. The Sun showers its light and heat uniformly for people and regions of the world! You do not ask questions such as, "Which Nation does Sun belong to? What is the Country of origin of the Moon?".

23. Tholkappiar, having said that the Vedas are important because of the fact that they are made up of the sounds evolving out of the 'Para', says that, he is not going to talk about 'those letters and words', in his book! He says that he is going to talk about those sounds of 'Vaikari', which is heard and understood by normal human beings. 'The hidden secrets of Mantra matters should remain so, protected by Brahmins', as approved by Tholkappiar, said the Tamil Pandits, who spoke to me on the subject. In support they quoted the following song, from Tholkappiyam, the 102nd Suthram in Ezhuththu Adikaram. I am giving the song and its meaning:- "..ella ezhuthum velippada kilandu / solliya palli ezhutharu valiyil / pirappodu vidu vazhi urazhchi vaaraththu / agaththezhu vali isai aril thapa naadi / alavir kodal andanar maraiththe; / ahdu ivan nuvalaadu ezhundu purath-thisaikkum / mai theri vali isai alavu nuvanrisine..." (The slash may be considered as the end of each line of the poem.) Carefully follow the meaning, given hereinafter please! You can quote this to anyone in the world!

24. ella ezhuththum : All uyir, mei and uyir-mei letters; velippada kilandu : as already explained; solliya palli : in the earlier mentioned eight places of origin such as, head, throat, heart, teeth, lips, tongue, nose, upper palate; ezhu tharu valiyil : due to the 'udaana', originating at the Moolaadara; pirappodu : with the birth of parai, paisanthi and madyamai sounds; vidu vazhi : while talking about the emergence of the sounds; urazhchi vaarathu : as the breath of 'udaana', affects those parts of the body differently; agathu ezhu vali isai : differently amplify or modulate the original sound coming from the 'moolaadara'; aril thapa naadi : having been faultlessly investigated; alavir kodal : have the natural modifications of, eduththal, paduththal, nalidal, vilangal, respectively, (corresponding with, udaattam, anudattam, swaritham and prasyam, intonations); andanar maraiththe : as known to and hidden by them, the Brahmins; ahdu ivan nuvalaadu : Instead of talking about those things here; ezhundu puraththisaikkum mei theri vali isai :
The sound that emerges from the throat, for the hearing of others, it is that sound of 'Vaikari' that; alavu nuvanrisine : (it is that 'vaikari') whose characteristics are what I am (concerned in the this book of Grammar,) that is being talked about.

25. By the above statement, we gather that; all sounds originate from the 'Moola Adaara' the lower tip of the spinal cord and that; the sounds are generated by the portion of breath known as 'Udaana' and that; they are classified as, parai, paisanti, madyamai and vaikari; and that out of them, the first three are discernible only to expert Yogis and that; it is only Vaikari that is recognizable to normal humans and that; while so emerging, the sounds have different emphasis known as, Udaattam, Anudaattam, Swaritam and Prasayam, (known in Tamil as, eduththal, paduththal, nalidal and vilangal) and that; these things are rather well covered in the Vedas, and that; these things are being kept out of the purview of Author Tholkappiyar's consideration, and that; he is only concerned with all the possible changes of 'Vaikari' in his book of Grammar! This is clear proof of the fact that that author of Tholkappiyam, the book of Tamil grammar was fully aware of the subtle nuances of Vedic intonations, which in turn is indicative of the fact that, at the least when Tholkappiyam was written, Veda was very much the 'in' thing! (KTSV adds:- No one has any more right to go back in history just so that they can be narrowly parochial! Vedas are as much Tamilian as Thirukkural and Tholkappiyam! Appaada!)

26. 'If something is in our language, then only it is good; if it is in any other language, it is bad'. Such thinking is blindly parochial! This is not 'paguththu arivu' either! This is a Tamil phrase that has been much bandied about. All that it means is to learn by differentiating! By all means please do so. 'If there is a noble thought or deed; in any language anywhere in the world, we should absorb it and adopt it, to the extent possible in our own life and social milieu', should be our approach. Ideas have intrinsic values. Language should never be permitted to be a barrier! The whole of religion and religious matters have to be faith related. In criticising them, on the one hand this, 'paguththu arivu' is much talked about; and then, when it comes to accepting noble ideas, this 'learning by differentiation - that is - paguththu arivu' is noticeable by its absence! On the one hand, we say that the Tamil culture is on the lines of, "...yaadum oore yaavarum keleer..." and then, we are trying to obliterate from the public's knowledge, what has been the 'bread and butter' of Tamil ethos, from the time of Thiruvalluvar and Tholkappiyar!

27. If we leave the Mantras, the Mantras are not going to be the loosers! We are. The river Kaveri comes from Karnataka. We get a life saving medicine from a foreign country. Will you say, that I will drink only local water or take only medicines made in Tamil Nadu? To throw away the unversally beneficial Mantras, on the grounds of it being in a different language as foreign, is being dense, that too, when the Vedas have been a part and parcel of Tamil culture and ethos for so many thousands of years! Actually this is an aberration of the recent past, this 'Anti-Veda' thing. (We will continue the next e-mail from this point, that this 'anti-Veda' movemnet in Tamil Nadu is of the recent past, that too based on 'personal nepotism and political vested-interest'.)

Sambhomahadeva.