(ಬಾಗಲೋಡಿಯವರ ವೈಚಾರಿಕ ಚಿಂತನೆಗಳು ೨)
(ಬಾಗಲೋಡಿ ದೇವರಾಯರ ಸ್ಮರಣ ಸಂಪುಟ – ‘ದೇವಸ್ಮರಣೆ’ ೨೦೦೩ರಲ್ಲಿ ಅತ್ರಿ ಬುಕ್ ಸೆಂಟರ್ ಪ್ರಕಟಿಸಿದ ಪುಸ್ತಕದ ಯಥಾ ವಿದ್ಯುನ್ಮಾನ ಪ್ರತಿ ೨೦೧೭. ಸಂಪಾದಕ – ಜಿ.ಟಿ. ನಾರಾಯಣ ರಾವ್)
(ಭಾಗ ೨೦)
[ಮಂಗಳೂರು ವಿಶ್ವವಿದ್ಯಾಲಯದ ‘ಆಯುರ್ವೇದ ಭೂಷಣ ಎಂ.ವಿ. ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರೀ ಸ್ಮಾರಕ ಆಯುರ್ವೇದ ಮತ್ತು ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತ ಪೀಠ’ ಇದರ ವತಿಯಿಂದ ದೇವರಾಯರು ಮೂರನೆಯ ಆಹ್ವಾನಿತ ಉಪನ್ಯಾಸವನ್ನು ೧೫ ಮಾರ್ಚ್ ೧೯೮೫ರಂದು ನೀಡಿದರು – ಭಾಷೆ ಇಂಗ್ಲಿಷ್, ವಿಷಯ Utility of Sanskrit in Modern Age. ಧ್ವನಿ ಸುರುಳಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ದಾಖಲಾಗಿದ್ದ ಉಪನ್ಯಾಸದ ಪಾಠವನ್ನು ಲಿಪ್ಯಂತರಿಸಿ ಮುದ್ರಣಕ್ಕೆ ಅಣಿ ಮಾಡಿದವರು ಎಸ್. ಕೃಷ್ಣಮೂರ್ತಿ, ವಿ.ಆರ್. ಹೆಬ್ಬಾರ್ ಮತ್ತು ಪಿ. ಸೇತುಮಾಧವರಾವ್. ದೇವರಾಯರು ಅದೇ ತರುಣದಲ್ಲಿ ವಿಧಿವಶರಾದ್ದರಿಂದ (೨೫ ಜುಲೈ ೧೯೮೫) ಮುದ್ರಣ ಪ್ರತಿಯನ್ನು ಅವರು ಓದಿ ಪರಿಷ್ಕರಿಸುವುದು ಸಾಧ್ಯವಾಗಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಉಪನ್ಯಾಸದ ಹೊತ್ತಗೆಯನ್ನು ವಿಶ್ವವಿದ್ಯಾಲಯ ಪ್ರಕಟಿಸಿದೆ (೧೫ ಜನವರಿ ೧೯೮೯. BagaloDi Deva Ra0 – A profile ಎಂಬ ಲೇಖನವೂ (ಬರೆದವರು ಅವರ ಸೋದರಳಿಯ ಶ್ರೀ ವಿ. ರಘುಚಂದ್ರ ಹೆಬ್ಬಾರ್) ಇದರಲ್ಲಿದೆ. ಉಪನ್ಯಾಸದ ಪೂರ್ಣ ಪಾಠವನ್ನು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಕೊಟ್ಟಿದೆ – ಜಿ.ಟಿ.ನಾ]
Almost all the languages of India irrespective of region, north or south, east or west, are replete with Sanskrit words. Some people think erroneously that the languages of the South India owe nothing to Sanskrit. In fact, Kannada, Konkani and Tulu abound in Sanskrit words. Tulu is very close to Sanskrit. A large number of Sanskrit words are unknowingly used in Konkani. Theoretically and academically, we all know it. We donot realize or rather we donot feel the personal impact of Sanskrit on our languages because of our ignorance of Sanskrit.
About 31 years ago, a Maharashtrian recited in front of me the nationalist revolutionary poem written by the great revolutionary poet of Bengal, Kazi Nazrul Islam. The poem Vidrohi, or the Rebel, starts with the `Ami Janjha’, (I am the cyclone). It was amazing, for I didnot know Bengali, but I could understand every single word, because it was entirely Sanskrit. (songs of Nazrul Islam) He begins by saying, Ami janjha (I am the tornado, I am the cyclone) and he ends by saying “I am the Bhrugumuni who kicked Mahavishnu on his chest.” This great revolutionary song, played a great role during the Freedom movment. Thus, I realized that Sanskrit is a fine link language; the knowledge of this language can enable a Kannadiga understand Bengali too. Later I could also read Tagore. His great songs like `Bhuvaneshwara he’ are very beautiful. Any one can understand it without much effort.
Bhuvaneshwara he;
Mochanakar, bandhana sab,
Mochanakar he;
Prabhu Mocahanakar bhai,
Prabhu dainyakarhalai
Neeta Chakita chanchala chittakara Nissanshay
भुवनॆश्वर हॆ
मॊचनकर् बन्धन सब्
मॊचनकर् हॆ
प्रभु मॊचनकर् भाय्
प्रभु दैन्यकर् हलाय्
नीत चकित चंचल
चित्तकर् निस्संशय्
You do not need any translation because it it Sanskrit.
I realized the fact myself, many years later, l in 1971, when I was in the Philippines. I was talking to a Bengali friend, a distinguished journalist. I started reading the first page of my own story Pavada Purusha. He returned the compliment. I took one book from his collection, a book of Bengali contemporary critic. I could understand it perfectly well without any translation. Then he took another one as a contrast, of another Bengali critic. But I could not understand anything, may be except for a word or two in a sentence. Then I realized that Sanskrit is an incredibly valuable link among various regions and languages in India. Therefore, I believe that its preservation, its enrichment, its strengthening and promotion are very valuable to our national unity, integration and progress. This is also essential for an understanding of the various regions of our country. I have also found this fact in my diplomatic career where I am obliged to make speeches frequently. Whenever there are foreigners, we use English, French or German. But on three or four occasions we are obliged to make speeches in Hindi. On Independence day, Republic day, Gandhi Jayanthi and a few other occasions. When all the memebers of the audience would be Indians. Once they told me that their mother tongue was not Hindi. But when I spoke Hindi they could understand it, whereas when others did, they could not. I did not know the reason for this. In reality I was speaking my own language Kannada, changing only the pratyaya ka, ko, ke, ki….
So I was speaking my own language, Kannada, using a lot of Hindi, Punjabi etc. I would always repeat the same words and sentences in Urdu too. But I realized that if we speak any language in India with a judicious, sympathetic and imaginative mixture of Sanskrit, everyone among the country’s 700 millions would understand it. Let me tell you another interesting incident. During the celebrations of the Independence Day, I made every one of the Indians present sing a song in their own language, one in Tamil, one in Telugu, one in Bengali and one in Kannada. But I asked them to repeat it after me. They were surprised to note how they could repeat a dravidiyan language, Kannada, in which I sang a song. At the end of the function, they all came and said “Sir, your language Kannada is like my language.” I did not reveal the secret.
Now we come to the international plane. These are facats which you know very well. Sanskrit is not only the ancestor language of India but also of many languages outside India like Bangladeshi, Sinhalese. The official language of Sri Lanka is derived from Sanskrit and Pali. There are other languages like the national language of Laos, Kampuchia and Thailand. Of course they are not directly derived from Sanskrit, but their higher vocabulary comes from it. So is their day-to-day vocabulary. For example, the word for `President’, in Laos and in Kampuchia Pradhanadhipathi. The word for `peace’ is Shanti Bhav, the word for `unity’ Yeka Bhav, the word for `Electricity’ is Vidyuth, the word for `car’ is Rath, the word for `education’ is Shiksha, the word for `Agriculture’ is Krishikan. The word for `Prime Minister’ is Nayak Rashtra Mantri, and ordinary words like, `please’ is Karuna, and the word for telephone is Doorabhasha. They would not say Doorvani. I think it is a better word. The word for `Television’ is Doordarsha. The word for king in Thailand which has monarchy is Chakrabhanu. So in all these countries are great part of vocabulary is derived from Sanskrit. So, if you have the knowledge of Sanskrit, you already know a substantial and significant part of their language, without even having started to learn their language. It is a great advantage. The word for `Commerce’ is Phanich, the word for `medicine’ is Aushadha, the word for `doctor’ is Bhishak. Thus I realized how valuable is the position and the knowledge of Sanskrit is in our communication with our neighbouring countries, like SriLanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Thailand, Kampuchia, Laos etc., and to a lesser extent, Malaysia and Indonesia. In the olden days, the Javanese and Sumatra were full of Sanskrit. In fact you will be interested to know that Sanskrit was compulsory for the old Dutch civil servants who had to work in Netherlands and East-Indies. They had to pass an examination in Sanskrit. In Thailand, Laos and Kampuchia Sanskrit was equally influential.
The days of the week are termed as `Vaanu’ (from the word Vaar) but placed in the begining as below:
Vaanu aaditoo (Aditya = bhaanu)
Vaanu chandr (chandra = Soma)
Vaanu angarak (Mangal)
Vaanu budh
Vaanu bruhath (= big planet = Guru)
Vaanu Shukr
Vaanu Sai (Shani)
The months of a year are termed as follows: Meshayam, Vrishabh, Mithun, Karkatak, Simha, Kanya, Tula, Ghanvakam, Kumbha, Meena etc (the speaker did not mention the 12th month in his speech. But actually – ) Thus they follow the Sanskrit Calendar.
So I realised how the knowledge of Sanskrit was a means of coming closer to them, almost reaching out to their heart. It gave a tremendous advantage to us in learning their language and in understanding their customs. Coming to Europe, I am sure, many of you who have studied Philology very well that all the languages of Europe (except three – Finnish, Hungarian and Turkish) belong to the Indo-European family. English, the entire Latin group, the French, Italian, Portugese and Spanish and Germanic group, Greek and the Russian, Bulgarian and Polish – they all belong to the Indo-European family. There is no word which is cognate, which is not a cousin to a corresponding Sanskrit word. This was discovered about 200 years ago by German and Scandinavian philologists. At that time they thought that it was only a hypothesis. They called it `Kentum theory’ wherein the word `shatam’ in Sanskrit was Kent. Similarly the word `Shvan’, `Shun’ is `Kanishu’ (Kanish) in Latin, `Kunos’ in Greek, Hund in Germanic and Hound in English. Similarly it goes on. `Shrung’ becomes Karnus in Latin, and Horn in English and Shreni becomes range in English and Shasha becomes hare. So they found this pattern, and they also found that this was absolutely global, universal and without exception. Matr becomes matar, mutar in Latin and mother in English. Pitr becomes patar in Latin, father in English. That is why they finally gave this concept, a definition of `exceptionless.’ They call it in German AUSNAHMELOSIGKFIT. Deva=God (dev=devasu) is deyus (Latin), diyas (Spanish), diyo (Italian). So without the knowlege of Sanskrit nobody can understand the philology of European languages. There are three exceptions which do not belong to this group. They are Finnish, Hungarian and Turkish. But all other languages of Europe are cognate with Sanskrit. It is not a hypothesis or thesis. It is proved by the fact that any standard text book in philology will contain language chapters from this. So, I came to the conclusion that the study of Sanskrit was not merely an accomplishment but a highly useful and profitable activity.
In fact originally I thought of giving a talk on Sanskrit for Profit. But then I felt that many of the elderly Sanskrit scholars would deem it irrelevant because they feel that Sanskrit was Deva Bhasha (Divine language) and to relate the word `profit’ with so sacred a language would have offended them. But my own personal view is that excessive reverence makes the people deify the object of reverence. This is like erecting a statue of Mahatma Gandhi and on every 2nd October, garlanding him and singing his praise, but forgetting him altogether for the rest of 364 days. It is better to keep reverence within reasonable limits. You use every force as a vital practical force. But donot bury under the huge mass of excessive reverence. Let us not forget that Sanskrit was not only the language or vehicle of religious and philosophical thought, but also a vehicle for very highly learned treatises of metallurgy, veterinary science, military science, medicine, astronomy, mathematics and ofcourse a vehicle for a number of stories which were quite worthy of their humour.
At the end, I have a recommendation to make. It is useful to increase the content of Sanskrit language in teaching, but without compulsion. Coercion would be counterproductive.
All of you, I believe are lovers of India, and so lovers of Sanskrit. I believe that any one who is a lover of Sanskrit is also a lover of India and of international understanding.
Dharmo rakshati rakshitah
Dharma protects the protector
(ಮುಂದುವರಿಯಲಿದೆ)