(Part 1) Is Sanskrit A Dead Language, and is the Devnagari script of the Aryans derived and evolved from the original ancient Brahmi script of Dravidas(Brahmi>Sanskrit Lipi)?(10)

[Ref:My related article( fb.me/2BKS8L6Px ) penned on the subject, on my Facebook timeline of 12 February 2013].
There was also a conference on “Sanskrit As A Language of Science” on 12th February 2013 at IIC, New Delhi, presided over by Mr.Katju, Press Council of India.

Sanskrit is called a ‘dead language’ by some uninformed people because it is not spoken presently by the majority of Indians, except priests, mostly for religious rituals.

However, it is WRONG to call it dead, as most North Indian languages are derived from it, and it is related to ancient Greek and Latin, hence being useful in the study and understanding of Indo- European languages, as well as learning of Ancient Science. The reason that Sanskrit, which was a generally spoken language in ancient India, has fallen to disuse in day-to-day communication in the present times is that the ancient Brahmins were very possessive of their Knowledge of Sanskrit and its applications to learning of both Vedic religion and Science, and kept the language only for themselves, as well as dissuaded or forbade the lower castes, particularly Shudras from learning Sanskrit, arguing that it would pollute the Holy language of the Devas. (The script for Sanskrit is accordingly named Devanagari Lipi).

EVEN ARYAN WOMEN – though many of them like the Rishikanyas and Rishiputris e.g. Gargi and Maitreyi, of early Vedic times were allowed the study of Sanskrit and Religion and excelled in it – were in course of time debarred from the learning of it to prevent them from gaining knowledge of the Vedic Hindu religion and Vedic Science. (The reasons for denying the learning of Sanskrit and Hindu Religion to even high caste women were very superfluous, namely, that a Woman’s duty is looking after the home and children, and that Menstuation makes women innately unclean, as also that learning makes a woman intelligent but also unbridled And Immoral)! As a result, Sanskrit, the study of which could have been developed and spread throughout the World as one of the root languages of all Indo-European dialects, leading to further inroads of knowledge in all spheres including Ancient Science, became dormant and apparently ‘dead’ in the eyes of most people, except for scholars of Sanskrit and Hindu theosophy.

As a matter of fact, each Sanskrit word contains its meaning within itself, which English does not do. As simple examples – The Sanskrit word ‘BAHISHKAR'(बहिष्कार), which means ‘BOYCOTT ‘ that is, ‘To Outcast’, contains within it two component parts – ‘BAHISH’ (Out) and ‘KAR’ (Do or Make), which bring out its meaning clearly. Whereas, do the components of the corresponding English word, boycott, viz. ‘ boy’ and cott’ make any sense, or convey the meaning of the word? Likewise, the word ‘CHARITRA’ (चरित्र”) is comprised of ‘CHARI'(conducting oneself/behaviour) and ‘TRA’ = (at Three places=General), which means ‘character’ or general behaviour. Can the word ‘Character’ be split into parts similarly, each having its relevant meaning? The English word ‘JUGGERNAUT ‘ is also said to be derived from the Sanskrit word ‘JAGANNATH’ (Jagan=World +NATH=Lord/Highest Power). That shows that Sanskrit is a less corrupted and more accurate as well as more comprehensible language than English!

Moreover, It is heard that it’s Devnagari script is also supposed to be more suitable for perfect typewriting than the Roman or other scripts, as it covers many pronunciations unknown to the Roman or English script and not reproducible therein, such as ‘ण’ /ऋ, hence it is high time that it got a boost!

Sushma Swaraj too has stated that Sanskrit is the best language for computer work, so it is important to make Sanskrit scholars well trained in the operation of computers.

However, it may interest the readers to know that the Dravidian scripts, especially Tamil and Malyalam offer a vaster option of pronunciations in their alphabet and script, as the Assyrians(Asuras)? and Sumerians, ancient Mesopotamian or Dravidian races, introduced the art of writing by devising the cuneiform or Brahmi script, before the Rigvedi Aryans developed the Sanskrit or Devanagari script, which is also said to be a derivative of the Brahmi (Indus Valley?) script, but Devanagari evolved into its own finer form subsequently.

Some authors on the other hand, claim that the Devnagari Script (not the language), has been derived from the Aramaic script, but it is possible that it originated from the Brahmi script but evolved subsequently through the medium of the Aramaic script to become an almost totally different script. This is quite possible as many of the original Aryans were Migrating people, whereas the people of the Indus Valley and Mesopotamian valleys had already got down to a settled lifestyle, and lived in cities, which is necessary for stability and development of any civilization, and skills.

The Brahmi script of which Tamil Brahmi is a variant, is the earliest Indian alphabetical script. The cuneiform script has been adopted in its various dialects by almost all countries, except a few who still use the older hieroglyphic or picturesque script of the Egyptians, Chinese and Japanese. It is a pity therefore that the Dravidian language Tamil (orig. Dhrumil ) has been given a back seat in India, and should be revived. However, it is the fault of the South Indians, particularly Tamilians, in that they chose to strive for maintaining their regional autonomy than to assert the importance of, and promote their language in the country. Also, it is learnt that Tamil itself has become Sanskitised over the years and is not like its original form any more.

A Tamil friend told me that if she told me her name ‘Rajarajeshwari’ in original Tamil, it would be ‘Manamantunaivi’ which is totally incomprehensible to non- Tamilians.

I am disappointed that except for Tamilians, none of the other Southern states like Andhra – Telangana , Karnataka and Kerala are bothered about the importance of propagation of their language like the Tamilians.

Some years back, I was trying to learn Bengali too, and in the process, I observed that the language is definitely Aryan, and its consonants are derived from the Sanskrit Devnagri script, but the vowels like ‘a, e, o’ (आ, ए, ओ ) are written in a way similar to the Dravidian language Tamil, with the same type of strokes for ‘kaana, maatra’, etc. as in Tamil. That is, the vowels are written with the strokes ‘ া, ে, ো’ ‘ like Tamil. This shows a definite Brahmi or Dravidian influence on Bengali, which may have come during the time of Ashoka, for there are forms of Brahmi called Ashokan Brahmi and Northern Brahmi. Truly intriguing!

All said and done, let me make it clear at the CONCLUSION that the AIM of THIS article is NOT to UNDERMINE the IMPORTANCE of ENGLISH in our educational institutions or in Government Offices for administrative correspondence. It is a long-used language and is here to stay, FOREVER, even after the end of the British Rule. So to play down the importance or applicability of the language, as a mere left over baggage of the ‘English Rulers’, will be like ‘Throwing the Baby with the Bathwater’.

As a pre- independence product, having studied in a Convent school, I must honestly say that I enjoyed reading their lovely ‘Radiant Readers’ that we used to get at the beginning of every scholastic year with their glossy, fresh- smelling pages, and the vivid, bright pictures of English landscapes like seashores in them used to take me mentally to the depicted sites. I missed the books after Independence for a while, and I, being a child then, was disappointed to see the drab books we started getting in contrast, in Free India! It was then that I realised that India was a poorer country than Great Britain.

YET, I realised in due course that Freedom is Freedom, no matter what, and that we should be proud of our nation and its original language Sanskrit as well as the regional languages derived from it, if others are to respect us. There are no two minds about it!