M
MrJustice
Guest
Iconoclasts,is there a language for devotion?
One of the most engaging or vicious (depending on whether you spit or are being spit at) discussions in our land usually ends up in gutter snipe like accusations ,unjust blame and vilification of people just because of language politics. But lets stop in our tracks and try to understand, if this really makes sense, does it really matter what language devotion or prayers are offered in? After all isn't it quite common even in other religions to offer prayers in another language than that of the land, is Hinduism the only instance of this peculiarity as others claim? I'm talking about the vehemently rabid anti-Hindus, the EVRs, the Karunanidhis etc.. All the major religions of the world have their supreme language, doesn't for one minute demean any others. Isn't Islam synonymous with Arabic, Catholicism with Latin, Eastern Orthodox with Greek?
Why then the hounding of Sanskrit? India surely must be the ONLY country in the world where 20% of the population mock, criticize and insult 80% of the rest and the accusation is we INDIANS **aren't** tolerant ?!
What a joke!
It must be noted that in Tamil Nadu's rich past (that many politicians seem to conveniently forget), for the part of the millennium the erstwhile territory was ruled by non-Tamil kinds! Yes not Tamilians , yet they were patrons of many arts and discourses and encourages such social intercourse in multitude of languages, Sanskrit,Telugu, Marathi and Tamil.Syama Sastri and Thyagaraja's kritis are in Telugu, so are many great works of the era, yet did that diminish the glory of Tamil? N O!Almost all musicians, scholars, administrators and rulers were authorities in MANY languages rather than just one.It is not the language that defines Hinduism but the actual individual nature of THAT devotion, language is but a medium.When the priests use Sanskrit, that recitation is borne out of tradition that is part and parcel of our culture.The chauvinists will contend the above means Tamil isn't good enough,NO that's not what it means, it's just that the prayers are offered directly from the holy scriptures which ARE in Sanskrit, nothing more. There are many beautiful songs, verses and poems written in Tamil as well, that are regularly used in prayer. It is the strength of one's Bhakti that's important and paramount to achieving oneness with God. Many if not most of the non-Arab speaking Muslims can hardly understand Arabic yet many are unswerving in their loyalty by using Arabic in their prayers,such was once the sway Sanskrit held, it was a language that could bind people together, it is our culture, not alien but Indian in essence and spirit. As a very famous Tamil devotional song goes, "Karpanai Endralum, Karchillai endralum, Kandanen unnai maraven."Needless to say the blind faith in a black stone or imaginary idol is meaningless, similarly whether one prays in Sanskrit or Tamil, makes no difference , they are two sublime media, unless there is a soul behind that effort they aren't worth the effort. As Tamilians such issues are dividing us, or rather we are being forced to divide ourselves by the earlier mentioned anti-Hindu rabidity that's so prevalent in Tamil Nadu.
I just want to dispel a few myths perpetrated by one such person known for his rabidity,the person Tamil politicians use to hound certain sections of Tamil society namely the Brahmins is undoubtedly EVR. Now lets dissect the man who these people revere, but be warned they would have you believe they don't revere anyone as staunch rationalists! EVR was vehemently anti-Tamil itself, yes you heard me, he was stubborn in his belief that Tamils were a barbarian race, unless you interpret "kaatu marandi" in some other way.Furthermore he was an imperialist to the hilt ,he publicly abhorred the freedom effort of Mahatma Gandhi."If the British are to leave, how are we to govern ourselves, better under the British yolk" - such were the words from the rationalist. Another falsity, Sanskrit was used to enslave people and Brahminical people aren't Tamilians. Firstly Sanskrit as I mentioned before was the language of the Gods, the kings performed all their ceremonies in Sanskrit patronizing the language, which was known for its purity.Furthermore as previously mentioned, post Chola kings were native Telugu or Marathi speakers and those respective languages were used as court languages as well----- or do we start branding them *Non Tamilians* now , because they didn't perform their victory ceremonies in Tamil?
Silliness!
More from the mouth of this rational prophet , Hinduism and suppression of Dravidians go hand in hand. Hinduism has its share of dark chapters absolutely without question, but Islam and Christianity don't? Historic ills like slavery and forced conversion are Christian and Islamic precepts unknown to Hinduism. Christianity and Islam *aren't* responsible for suppression of India at all? Did the great rationalist not enlighten himself on their routine invasions, destructions and massacres? Or is he selective in his readings........probably the latter...(going by what he chooses to highlight and what he conveniently forgets). The smashing of idols another favorite hunting ground for the ill informed rationalists,Hindus worship the God who manifests in an idol *not* the idol itself.
Akin to saying the Muslims worship nothing, as Allah is supposed to be omnipresent, in itself by induction meaning a statue of nothing, yet present everywhere. In our present age, if we are to analyze this behavioral pattern of the EVRs, psychologists and psychiatrists alike will lean towards paranoia,bipolarity and mental illness. In other words a psychosis induced psychopathic basket case. Such attitudes are borne out of ignorance, frustration and hatred rather tan enlightenment.
weren't the Jews hounded and mercilessly blamed for all the ills of Germany.Look at what happened to them , just because one man's insular, ignorant and intolerant attitude was accepted as fact by the masses.
The medium is irrelevant, the spirit of the meaning is what counts.
One of the most engaging or vicious (depending on whether you spit or are being spit at) discussions in our land usually ends up in gutter snipe like accusations ,unjust blame and vilification of people just because of language politics. But lets stop in our tracks and try to understand, if this really makes sense, does it really matter what language devotion or prayers are offered in? After all isn't it quite common even in other religions to offer prayers in another language than that of the land, is Hinduism the only instance of this peculiarity as others claim? I'm talking about the vehemently rabid anti-Hindus, the EVRs, the Karunanidhis etc.. All the major religions of the world have their supreme language, doesn't for one minute demean any others. Isn't Islam synonymous with Arabic, Catholicism with Latin, Eastern Orthodox with Greek?
Why then the hounding of Sanskrit? India surely must be the ONLY country in the world where 20% of the population mock, criticize and insult 80% of the rest and the accusation is we INDIANS **aren't** tolerant ?!
What a joke!
It must be noted that in Tamil Nadu's rich past (that many politicians seem to conveniently forget), for the part of the millennium the erstwhile territory was ruled by non-Tamil kinds! Yes not Tamilians , yet they were patrons of many arts and discourses and encourages such social intercourse in multitude of languages, Sanskrit,Telugu, Marathi and Tamil.Syama Sastri and Thyagaraja's kritis are in Telugu, so are many great works of the era, yet did that diminish the glory of Tamil? N O!Almost all musicians, scholars, administrators and rulers were authorities in MANY languages rather than just one.It is not the language that defines Hinduism but the actual individual nature of THAT devotion, language is but a medium.When the priests use Sanskrit, that recitation is borne out of tradition that is part and parcel of our culture.The chauvinists will contend the above means Tamil isn't good enough,NO that's not what it means, it's just that the prayers are offered directly from the holy scriptures which ARE in Sanskrit, nothing more. There are many beautiful songs, verses and poems written in Tamil as well, that are regularly used in prayer. It is the strength of one's Bhakti that's important and paramount to achieving oneness with God. Many if not most of the non-Arab speaking Muslims can hardly understand Arabic yet many are unswerving in their loyalty by using Arabic in their prayers,such was once the sway Sanskrit held, it was a language that could bind people together, it is our culture, not alien but Indian in essence and spirit. As a very famous Tamil devotional song goes, "Karpanai Endralum, Karchillai endralum, Kandanen unnai maraven."Needless to say the blind faith in a black stone or imaginary idol is meaningless, similarly whether one prays in Sanskrit or Tamil, makes no difference , they are two sublime media, unless there is a soul behind that effort they aren't worth the effort. As Tamilians such issues are dividing us, or rather we are being forced to divide ourselves by the earlier mentioned anti-Hindu rabidity that's so prevalent in Tamil Nadu.
I just want to dispel a few myths perpetrated by one such person known for his rabidity,the person Tamil politicians use to hound certain sections of Tamil society namely the Brahmins is undoubtedly EVR. Now lets dissect the man who these people revere, but be warned they would have you believe they don't revere anyone as staunch rationalists! EVR was vehemently anti-Tamil itself, yes you heard me, he was stubborn in his belief that Tamils were a barbarian race, unless you interpret "kaatu marandi" in some other way.Furthermore he was an imperialist to the hilt ,he publicly abhorred the freedom effort of Mahatma Gandhi."If the British are to leave, how are we to govern ourselves, better under the British yolk" - such were the words from the rationalist. Another falsity, Sanskrit was used to enslave people and Brahminical people aren't Tamilians. Firstly Sanskrit as I mentioned before was the language of the Gods, the kings performed all their ceremonies in Sanskrit patronizing the language, which was known for its purity.Furthermore as previously mentioned, post Chola kings were native Telugu or Marathi speakers and those respective languages were used as court languages as well----- or do we start branding them *Non Tamilians* now , because they didn't perform their victory ceremonies in Tamil?
Silliness!
More from the mouth of this rational prophet , Hinduism and suppression of Dravidians go hand in hand. Hinduism has its share of dark chapters absolutely without question, but Islam and Christianity don't? Historic ills like slavery and forced conversion are Christian and Islamic precepts unknown to Hinduism. Christianity and Islam *aren't* responsible for suppression of India at all? Did the great rationalist not enlighten himself on their routine invasions, destructions and massacres? Or is he selective in his readings........probably the latter...(going by what he chooses to highlight and what he conveniently forgets). The smashing of idols another favorite hunting ground for the ill informed rationalists,Hindus worship the God who manifests in an idol *not* the idol itself.
Akin to saying the Muslims worship nothing, as Allah is supposed to be omnipresent, in itself by induction meaning a statue of nothing, yet present everywhere. In our present age, if we are to analyze this behavioral pattern of the EVRs, psychologists and psychiatrists alike will lean towards paranoia,bipolarity and mental illness. In other words a psychosis induced psychopathic basket case. Such attitudes are borne out of ignorance, frustration and hatred rather tan enlightenment.
weren't the Jews hounded and mercilessly blamed for all the ills of Germany.Look at what happened to them , just because one man's insular, ignorant and intolerant attitude was accepted as fact by the masses.
The medium is irrelevant, the spirit of the meaning is what counts.
