Websites from the ISKCON Universe
The work of Avanti Schools Trust began in 2005 with the objective of establishing the first state-funded Hindu faith school in the UK. This pioneering project came to fruition in 2008 with the opening of Krishna Avanti Primary School in Harrow. Since then, this landmark school has deservedly benefited from national and international recognition as it journeys from strength to strength.
The Honourable State Minister for Excise&Ports Sri K. Babu, released the 18 volume Malayalam version of the Srimad Bhagavatam to the Kerala public, in a packed hall full of scholars, dignitaries, devotees and ISKCON patrons from Kerala, on the 10th October 2015 at TDM hall, Kochi.
Prabhupada assured Sumati Morarji that he had no ambition to become the proprietor of a house or temple in America; but for preaching, a building would be absolutely required:
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 31 March 2012, Cape Town, South Africa, Srimad Bhagavatam 7.15.26)
The spiritual master sees himself as a fallen soul, as trying to be a good instrument and falling short in so many ways but others do not see it like that because that would be an attitude of seeing him as an ordinary human being.
He is an empowered human being but still a human being and still having the limitations of human existence. Limited in strength – how many kilos can one lift!? It is not that the spiritual master can lift Govardhana Hill, he cannot, even a suitcase maybe too much for him. Like that, the spiritual master is limited in strength like any human being.
The spiritual master maybe limited in age, limited in health – he looks vulnerable and frail. The spiritual master has senses like everyone else and the senses are described as being faulty. The senses, as we know, are not the perfect instrument. But still, the spiritual master is perfect and he does not make mistakes!
Kartik 2015 - Urja Vrata. In the Skanda Purana it is said: “When one offers a lamp during the month of Karttika, his sins in many thousands and millions of births perish in half an eye blink.” “By offering a lamp during the month of Karttika one attains a pious result ten million times greater than the result obtained by bathing at Kuruksetra during a solar eclipse or by bathing in the river Narmada during a lunar eclipse.” “Even if there are no mantras, no pious deeds, and no purity, everything becomes perfect when a person offers a lamp during the month of Karttika.” “By offering a lamp during the month of Karttika one burns away a collection of sins as big as Mount Meru or Mount Mandara. Of this there is no doubt.” “A person who offers a lamp during the month of Karttika attains a result that cannot be obtained with even a hundred yajnas or a hundred pilgrimages.” “Even a person addicted to all sins and averse to all pious deeds who somehow offers a lamp during Karttika becomes purified. Of this there is no doubt.” “O Narada, no sin exists anywhere in the three worlds that will not be purified by offering a lamp to Lord Kesava during Karttika.” “A person who offers a lamp to Lord Krsna during Karttika attains the eternal spiritual world where there is no suffering.” “As fire is present in all wood and may be extracted by friction, so piety is always present in the offering of a lamp during the month of Karttika. Of this there is no doubt.”
It was so nice to be invited to listen to HG Kripamoya Das as he visited Cardiff the capital of Wales, this was an introduction to Krishna Consciousness arranged by two amazing devotees Steve and Emma.
The wonderful thing was it’s informal nature demonstrating how there is no such thing as Western or Eastern religions, but that the key is understanding the true nature of religion. The lovely simple stories accumulated to ponder and challenge our conceptions of belief and belief systems.
The evening finished with a wonderful kirtan, to which everyone was out singing and dancing. The video shows how we can slowly encourage those unfamiliar to kirtan to take to it with great gusto. Wonderful to see, and as in all devotee activities Steve and Emma had arranged a wonderful prasadam feast.
Entering the Dhama (9 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: Before entering the sacred drama of Sri Vrindavan, one must take permission from one of five divine personalities; Gopiswara Mahadeva, Yamuna devi, Vrinda devi, Govardhan Hill or Vraja-renu, the dust of Vrindavan. The other day we set out early for the Yamuna river, with the beautiful song by Jahnavi devi, “Like a River” flowing through our hearts and minds. All glories to Sri Vrindavan Dhama! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/Vsjngk
Hare Krishna! Leadership & Lord Rama (audio-class)
After his triumph over the evil Ravana, and the rescue of his Queen Sita, Lord Ramacandra ruled the Earth. It is described that during his reign the Earth was a veritable paradise. Though many have looked wistfully at the descriptions of Lord Rama’s reign, few would seriously consider that something similar could happen today. Surprisingly, the Bhakti teachings explain that such a thing is indeed possible and outlines how.
Listen to it here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20774
Many Devotees, Dharmists and Hindus in general will say they are not interested in politics or getting involved with it or even in voting. It is a distraction from their normal activities or spiritual pursuits. Or they feel all politicians are crooked or corrupt anyway, so what makes the difference between one or the other. Or the voting system, especially with electronic voting machines, are rigged, so what difference will my one vote make. But actually it is indeed an aspect of our means of protecting, preserving and continuing the Vedic culture and its traditions. It is certainly a means of working to maintain the freedoms that we have that allow us to continue to observe our traditions. Other religions or other political parties will vote in large numbers for their favorite candidate, which is why the politicians will take those people and their vote seriously. But if Hindus and Devotees do not vote, then why should politicians be concerned with our vote, or with the issues that matter to us. Instead, they will place more importance on others and in doing what it takes to get their votes. In this way, whether we are in India or the United States, we watch as our opportunities, freedoms and privileges are taken away and given to others.
Once I was giving a lecture in a large hall in Mumbai, India. With the direction of the discussion, I asked the crowd of about 1500 how many had voted in the last election. Not one had went up. Of course, no one was satisfied with the political party that was in charge at the time. But how can we make a difference if we do not get involved? How can we have a say in what takes place? You must put your faith and the Vedic cause into practical use. Not merely sit back and watch what happens, or think someone else is going to do your part in all of this.
Vedic history in India shows so many fighters, warriors, or even rulers who stood up for the freedom of those who followed the Vedic traditions. So why would we not use their example? Why would we not help make their contribution remain relevant today by taking up some kind of action? The field of politics is one area in which we can make a difference. And here are some ideas in how we can do that.
First, we certainly need to be able to step up and learn which politician has our best interest at heart and then vote for that person. We need to understand which person will take our interests and work for those concerns? Who will most likely help to preserve our traditions? Who, for example, is most likely to work for better relations between the United States and India? Or, who is going to work to preserve the holy places and sacred rivers across India? We need to investigate these points in any person who is running for office that we can vote for. Then we should vote for that person. Therefore the most important duty is to vote for the right person. That is the first thing.
The next point is to share our database with other Vedic groups so we can help inform others of the best candidate and encourage them to also vote for the right person. There is force in numbers, and the more people who contribute their vote, the more possible it may be for that person to be elected. We have to work together. Other people from various religions work and vote as a block, and they get their way, too. Politicians will take them seriously if they want to get elected, or stay in office. Hindus and Devotees need to learn this and work in a similar way.
The third point is that we have to get behind the best candidate, show them our support. This also means to contribute in political rallies, or even fundraisers. This does not mean to merely work for the candidate in order to get your picture taken to hang on your office wall. Nothing much comes from that except a boost of ego. This is not what will contribute to our cause. What can make a difference is that Hindus and Dharmists can also volunteer in large numbers in political campaigns to show the force that we can have, so that politicians realize we are a great force that they will want on their side. But we should also vote as a block. We should look seriously at the issues any candidate is addressing, and then vote for the person who will be best for the interests of Hindus and Dharmists.
The fourth point is that the purpose of all this is not merely to show them that they should have us on their side, but once they are in office, if there are particular issues that we need help with, we can go to them and ask for favors. This is what many of us do not realize. After showing our support, and if they are elected, now is the time for them to show their support for us. Now is the time we can go to them as a group and discuss various issues that concern us. Naturally, if he or she is impressed with how we have helped them, they will want us to continue to be on their side. If he does not help us, he or she should know that we may also vote against them in the next election. This is where we can put our power and our culture to good use.
The fifth idea is to invite politicians to events at our temple. Get them involved, let them see what we do, especially things done for the benefit of society, such as free food distribution, medical camps, or educating others in cultural exchange, etc. We can also invite them for temples tours, or for dinner in their honor for something. They often like these kinds of things, and will gain a more favorable view toward us and our temple, organization, or our traditions if they are not Indian. Then they will be inclined to hear our concerns, or even politically or financially help us expand our temple facilities, or kitchens for free prasada distribution, or other programs.
The sixth point is to run for office ourselves. In the United States there are an increasing number of Indians who are running for public office. These may be high political positions, like a governor, or senator, etc, or run for other positions like city council, mayor, or for the board of education. All of these can be helpful to our cause, and will also bring notice to other people in the community of the presence of Hindus or Dharmists and the views that we hold, and that we are a growing presence in the community. There is no loss in this regard, except for maybe the funds needed to run for the office. Nonetheless, an increasing number of Indians and Hindus or Devotees are running for offices, and this can certainly be used to carry our influence and concerns forward. We should not be afraid to become more politically active.
I have a few friends who ran for public office. They did not win, but they used the platform to express their views and ideas based on the Vedic principles, which became very popular. So they lost by small percentages.
Of course, we now all know the example of Tulsi Gabbard who ran for office and is now holding an important position as a United States Representative for the state of Hawaii as the first Hindu congresswoman, being a devotee of Lord Krishna. She was also sworn into office using the Bhagavad-gita, and has so many opportunities to attend speaking engagements and promote her devotion to the Vedic cause and work to uphold the principles by which most Dharmists and Devotees live. So we should not think this is not possible.
The final point is: If we do not do it, someone else will. In other words, if Dharmists and Devotees are not willing to carry forward their cause and concerns, someone else from some other religion or political persuasion will do it. And it makes no sense to simply sit on the sidelines and watch things as they happen as mere spectators, or observe how politicians from other persuasions work to push their own cause forward. We need to be involved. We need to use whatever avenue we can to make a difference. That is how our force will gain momentum, and we can also then gain popularity as our views become more familiar to the rest of the community. And engaging in the political field in any of the above ways will help. We just have to know how to do it.
Another example of what can be done in the field of politics to increase an awareness of Vedic culture took place in America in the State of Michigan as described herein: The Michigan House Resolution no. 419 was adopted by the members of the Michigan House of Legislature in Lansing on September 24. The resolution “declares October 2014 as Hindu American Awareness and Appreciation Month.” Mr. Samir Singh, the representative from East Lansing was instrumental in spearheading this resolution. The full declaration reads as follows:
Reps. Slavens, Singh, Hovey-Wright, Geiss, Switalski, Barnett, Brown, Darany, Heise and Howrylak offered the following resolution:
House Resolution No. 419.
A resolution to declare October 2014 as Hindu American Awareness and Appreciation Month in the state of Michigan.
Whereas, There are 25 Hindu temples in Michigan, spread across the state from Grand Rapids to Detroit. Furthermore, Ganges, Michigan is the site of two prominent Hindu ashrams (retreats), including the Vivekananda Monastery and Retreat Center; and
Whereas, Michigan Hindu temples have been involved in numerous charity and community drives across the state, including, but not limited to, providing college scholarships for deserving students, serving Hindu refugee communities across the state, and providing free meals to all temple visitors; and
Whereas, Hindu Americans in Michigan are involved in the state’s interfaith leadership. Hindu Americans currently serving on major Michigan interfaith initiatives include: Chandru Acharya on the Interfaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit, Padma Kuppa on the Women’s Interfaith Solutions for Dialogue in Metro Detroit (WISDOM) and Board Member of Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion and Outreach, and Fred Stella as host of the NPR-syndicated radio show Common Threads and president of the Grand Rapids’ Interfaith Dialogue Association; and
Whereas, The Bharatiya Temple in Michigan hosted the World Sabbath of Religious Reconciliation in 2013. This marked the first time that the Sabbath has been hosted outside the Judeo-Christian community;
Whereas, There is an estimated one billion Hindus worldwide, and more than 2 million Hindu Americans live across the nation; and
Whereas, Michigan and our nation have greatly benefitted from Hindu Americans, especially through the Vedanta philosophy, Ayurvedic medicine, classical Indian art, dance, music, meditation, literature, and community service; and
Whereas, The United States was officially introduced to Hinduism by Swami Vivekananda in 1893 at the World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago: and
Whereas, Hindu Americans promote the ideals of tolerance, pluralism, and religious freedom, which are inherent to their beliefs and respect the diversity of all faiths; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives, That the members of this legislative body declare October 2014 as Hindu American Awareness and Appreciation Month in the state of Michigan.
So let this be an example of things that can happen if Hindus, Dharmists and Devotees take an active role in various ways in the field of politics and public office, or in interacting with those who hold such positions.
There has been an attempt to explain the origins of such languages as Sanskrit, Greek and Roman for many years. This is because there has been a recognition of many similarities between them, but the exact original language which they have derived from has never been identified. So they say that it is now extinct, but they call it the Proto-Indo-European Language (PIE). This has now given way to the groupings of many other languages that are now included in what has become the “family” of 439 languages and dialects (as of 2009) of Indo-European languages. But the origin of all of them is supposed to be this non-existent Proto-Indo-European language. So how did this get started?
This whole process first began in the 16th century. In 1583, Thomas Stephens, a Jesuit missionary in Goa, wrote to his brother about the similarities that he saw between Indian and European languages, specifically Sanskrit, Greek and Latin. Not much came from this observation, and his letter was not published until the 20th century.
Shortly after this, it was Filippo Sassetti, a merchant born in Florence in 1540 who traveled to India, wrote in 1585 about the similarities between Sanskrit and Italian. Thereafter, it was Marcus Zuerius van Boxhorn, who, in 1647, noted the similarities among various Indo-European languages, which in his study included Dutch, Albanian, Greek, Latin, Persian, and German, and later Slavic, Celtic and Baltic. He was the one who started the idea that they all must have derived from a primitive and less developed but common source, a language which he called Scythian.
Next came Gaston Coeurdoux in the 1760s who made a thorough study of Sanskrit, Latin and Greek conjunctions to show a relationship between them. Then, Mikhail Lomonosov also studied the Slavic, Baltic (Kurlandic), Iranian (Medic), Finnish, Chinese, and other languages for his Russian Grammar (published in 1755).
A few years later this idea again appeared in 1786 when Sir William Jones (Sept. 28, 1746–April 27, 1794), the most noted of these comparative linguists, lectured on the similarities between Latin, Greek and Sanskrit, and later added Gothic, Celtic and Persian. He has said, “… no philologer could examine them all three, without believing them to have sprung from some common source, which perhaps, no longer exists. There is a similar reason, though not quite so forcible, for supposing that … Gothick … had the same origin with the Sanscrit; and the old Persian might be added to the same family.” (Encyclopaedia Britannica 2009, Jones, Sir William) His conclusions and lectures inspired others to begin taking a more serious look at this.
However, it was Thomas Young in 1813 who first introduced the term Indo-European, which caught on and became the standard term in comparative linguistics, especially in the work of Franz Bopp, whose further study of other older languages gave support to this theory. It was through Franz Bopp’s Comparative Grammar in 1833 to 1852 that gave rise to the Indo-European language studies as an academic discipline.
Additional developments in this area continued with a few other noted works, such as with August Schleicher’s 1861 Compendium, Karl Brugman’s 1880s Grundriss, and then his reevaluation in Junggrammatische. Then Ferdinand de Saussure’s “laryngeal theory” became the beginning of the “modern” Indo-European studies.
Later, the division of the Indo-European languages were further divided into a Satem verses a Centum group by Peter von Bradke in his 1890 work, Concerning Method and Conclusions of Aryan (Indo-Germanic) Studies. Therein he described how the “Aryans” knew of two kinds of guttural sounds, the velar and palatal. This led von Bradke to divide the palatal series into a group as a spirant and a pure K sound, typified by the words satem and centum. From this point, the Indo-European family was further divided accordingly.
THE INDO-EUROPEAN LANGUAGE FAMILY
From these studies was developed the present “family” of languages that all descended from the original Proto-Indo-European language. These are then listed in an order based on when these comparative linguists estimate as the oldest. There is much study that has been given this field, but it remains inconclusive and subject to change.
In any case, the order of the present family of Indo-European languages looks something like this, in 10 main branches without going into all of the sub-sub-divisions, all descending from the mysterious and original Proto-Indo-European language:
1. Anatolian is said to be the earliest branch of languages, with isolated sources in Old Assyrian from the 19th century BCE.
2. Hellenic with isolated records in the Mycenaean Greek from 1450 to 1350 BCE. The Homeric texts are said to date from the 8th century BCE.
3. Indo-Iranian branch, descending from the Proto-Indo-Iranian back to the third millennium BCE. From this appeared Iranian, attested from around 1000 BCE in the form of Avestan. Indo-Aryan, or now what is called the Indic languages, attested to the late 15th to early 14th century BCE in Mitanni texts which showed traces of the Indo-Aryan language. The Rig Veda is said to preserve the oral tradition, and current scholars feel dates from the middle of the second millennium BCE in the form of Vedic Sanskrit. Classical Sanskrit is said to have appeared with the Sanskrit grammarian Pannini.
4. Italic, which now includes Latin and any descendants, attested to have been found from the 7th century BCE.
5. Celtic, from the Proto-Celtic, with the Tartessian from the 8th century BCE.
6. Germanic from the Proto-Germanic, dating from the runic inscriptions from near the 2nd century CE, with the Gothic texts from near the 4th century CE.
7. Armenian, from the 5th century CE.
8. Tocharian, attested to the 6th to 9th century CE, in two dialects (Turfian and Kuchean).
9. Balto-Slavic. Slavic from Proto-Slavic, attested to have evidence from the 9th century CE; and Baltic, attested to the 14th century CE.
10. Albanian, attested to the 14th century CE.
The Satem division includes the Italic, Anatolian, Tocharian, Celtic, Germanic, and Hellenic languages, while the Centum group includes the Slavic, Indo-Iranian, Baltic, Armenian, and Albanian. The premise for what constitutes a language to be a member of this Indo-European family is that they must be recognized as having genetic relationships, or show evidence that makes it presumed they are stemming from a common ancestor, known as the Proto-Indo-European language. This may include innovations among various languages that suggest a common ancestor that had split off from other Indo-European groups.
Traveling from West to East, the language families appear across the globe in the following way:
Celtic, with languages spoken in the British Isles, in Spain, and across southern Europe to central Turkey; Germanic, with languages spoken in England and throughout Scandinavia & central Europe to Crimea; Italic, with languages spoken in Italy and, later, throughout the Roman Empire including modern-day Portugal, Spain, France, and Romania; Balto-Slavic, with Baltic languages spoken in Latvia & Lithuania, and Slavic throughout eastern Europe plus Belarus & the Ukraine & Russia; Balkan (exceptional, as discussed below), with languages spoken mostly in the Balkans and far western Turkey; Hellenic, spoken in Greece and the Aegean Islands and, later, in other areas conquered by Alexander (but mostly around the Mediterranean); Anatolian, with languages spoken in Anatolia, a.k.a. Asia Minor, i.e. modern Turkey; Armenian, spoken in Armenia and nearby areas including eastern Turkey; Indo-Iranian, with languages spoken from India through Pakistan and Afghanistan to Iran and Kurdish areas of Iraq and Turkey; Tocharian, spoken in the Tarim Basin of Xinjiang, in far western China.
The languages with the largest number of speakers in these Indo-European groupings are Spanish, English, Hindi, Portuguese, Bengali, Russian, German, Marathi, French, Italian, Punjabi, and Urdu.
LOCATION OF THE PROTO-INDO-EUROPEAN LANGUAGE
It is calculated that by 2500 BCE to 2000 BCE, the breakup from the Proto-Indo-European language into its first attested descendant languages and dialects was in effect, and had begun to be divided into the branches described above. The Proto-Indo-European language is accepted as the common ancestor of all Indo-European languages, which is estimated to have been spoken around 5000 to 3000 BCE in areas of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. And this language had to have been spoken by a people now called the Proto-Indo-Europeans. But who were they and where were they located?
Let us remember, that this Proto-Indo-European language has not been identified. It is not an actual language but merely a hypothetical reconstruction of a language that is presumed to be the ancestor of modern Indo-European languages. It also has been accepted by linguists to have disappeared before it became a written language, which gives room for so many variables in trying to identify this language. So the idea of finding the location of the people who spoke this language will depend mostly on educated guesswork.
It has been speculated that the original Indo-European people, and speakers of the original Proto-Indo-European language were a people called the Kurgan. They were supposed to have lived northwest of the Caucasus mountains, north of the Caspian Sea, as early as the 5th millennium BCE. These were a developed people, who had domesticated cattle and horses, farmed the land, used gold and silver, had counting skills, worshiped multiple gods, believed in life after death, and so on. (This is from The Beginning of the Bronze Age in Europe and the Indo-Europeans, by Marija Gimbutas, 1973. And Empires of the Silk Road, by Christopher I. Beckwith.)
Then, around 3000 BCE, these people abandoned their homeland and migrated in different directions, some of whom found themselves in Greece by 2000 BCE and in India by 1500 BCE.
Other scholars say that these people lived in the vicinity of the Pontic Steppe, north of the Black Sea and east to the Caspian, where a people called the Scythians lived. However, before the invention of any writing system, the Proto-Indo-European language is supposed to have died out. Then as these people spread out, so did the languages that came from this Proto-Indo-European language.
So to further the development of this idea of the spread of this Proto-Indo-European language, it is said that people from this original West Asia location migrated in different directions, developing new languages as they traveled. Therefore, the hypothesis is that the central cause and beginning of all written language started here. The speakers of Proto-Celtic moved west. The Germanic tribes followed the Celts but moved farther north. The Italic people traveled south, arriving in the Italic peninsula around the 2nd millennium BCE. The Hellenic family moved to Greece. Those that developed the Proto-Indo-Iranian languages moved east and south from the PIE ancestral homeland. And the Indic tribes split even further towards India where they developed Sanskrit.
To help support this theory, it is suggested that the language of the Rig Veda, though most archaic, was no longer understood by the masses by the time Panini composed the grammar for Sanskrit around 400 BCE. This became what is known as Classical Sanskrit, which superceded the older Vedic Sanskrit, which was the language of the Vedas, Brahmanas and Upanishads. Classical Sanskrit differed from Vedic Sanskrit in points of vocabulary, grammar and syntax.
However, contrary to this hypothesis of how the Indo-European languages spread out from the Causasus Mountains area, we can still see that the Lithuanian people on the far northern reaches of Eastern Europe on the Baltic Sea, still hold much Sanskrit in their language. That is a long way from India. This gives credence to the idea that Sanskrit was far more prominent, pervasive and influential than this theory of how the Indo-European languages spread out suggests.
ANOTHER LOOK AT SANSKRIT
The fact is that the pre-Classical form of Sanskrit, also known as Vedic Sanskrit, represents an oral tradition that goes back many thousands of years. According to tradition, the written form of Sanskrit was a development of only around 3000 BCE or earlier. This was done by the sages who could foresee the lack of memory the people of the future would have, which would necessitate why the Vedic texts would need to be in a written form. It was and is a most sophisticated language, which means that it had to have been in existence for many hundreds or thousands of years before we see it’s written form, first appearing in the Rig Veda. It is nonetheless accepted that the language of the Rig Veda is one of the oldest attestations of any Indo-Iranian language, and one of the earliest attested members of the Indo-European languages. For it to still exist quite clearly in the Lithuanian language, and to see similarities of its words in so many other languages, could it be that the Proto-Indo-European language they are looking for is actually Sanskrit? Let us remember that it was only Sir William Jones who said Greek, Sanskrit and Roman languages must come from a different common source, and Thomas Young in 1813 who first introduced the term Indo-European, and linguists have been running with that ever since.
The fact is that when we talk about how a central group of people who spoke the Proto-Indo-European language and who came out of the area of the Caucasus mountains, it is quite similar to what became known as the Aryan Invasion Theory, wherein the idea was presented that Aryans invaded India from the same region and then started their Vedic culture. This theory has since crumbled like a house of cards with more evidence that shows this never happened this way, but that the Vedic Aryans were indeed the indigenous people of the Indus and Sarasvati regions, from which their culture spread out in all directions. [See my Ebook, The Aryan Invasion Theory: The Final Nail in its Coffin, for more information on this, at http://www.stephen-knapp.com
Sanskrit itself was not thought of as a second language, but as a refined manner of speaking, especially in regard to the Vedic texts when used in rituals. Thus, Sanskrit was for the higher classes of society and an educational attainment, similar as it still is today. In this way, Sanskrit existed along with the different Prakrits or vernaculars, even as it does today in India, and gradually developed into Indic dialects and eventually into contemporary modern Indo-Aryan languages.
Over the centuries the Prakrits underwent language change to a degree in which the vernaculars and Sanskrit ceased to be comparable, but had to be learned as a separate language. Thus, the dialects and Prakrits became separate languages, though outgrowths of the main popular language. This is much like we find in India today wherein many of the popular languages are but outgrowths of, and hold many similarities to, Sanskrit. This is likely to be the same way with Latin or even Greek and other languages we find over the world today, which still hold many similarities with what was once their linguistic roots. Therefore, Sanskrit is likely to be the closest link to, or is indeed that Proto-Indo-European language for which they are looking.
NOT EVERYONE AGREES WITH THE PROTO-INDO-EUROPEAN LANGUAGE THEORY
However, regardless of the areas in which the PIE is said to have developed, or in what time in history, not everyone agrees with these theories. As Jagat Motwani, Ph.D. declares in his research on the age of Sanskrit: “With substantial historical evidences, it has been proved that none but India (Aryavarta or Bharat) is the original home of the Aryans and their language Sanskrit. ‘Arya’ and ‘Swastika’ have their origin in Sanskrit. Swastika has been found among several peoples in Europe. Swastika has been found also among native Indians in Americas whose ancestors might have gone there from India about 10,000 years back. On the basis of the age of Swastika, it has also been established that the age of Sanskrit is over 10,000 years.” 1 This, of course, is much earlier than the idea of some scholars that PIE was spoken between 5000 to 3000 BCE, as previously mentioned.
Renfrew also writes that Trubetskoy severely criticized the dangerous assumptions which led to this idea of the Proto-Indo-European language: “The homeland, the race and the culture of supposed Proto-Indo-European population has been discussed, a population which may possibly never have existed.” 2
Jagat Motwani explains another important point in the frailty of thinking about how there is a parent language, now disappeared, called the Proto-Indo-European language: “If Jones had thought about the age of Sanskrit in comparison to that of Latin or Greek–age difference of about 1000 years–he would have not postulated such thesis that Sanskrit, Latin and Greek had lived together as daughters of the PIE [Proto-Indo-European language], under the same roof. Sanskrit is much older than Latin and Greek, at least by one thousand years. Moreover, the birth place of Sanskrit (India) was thousands of miles away from Italy and Greece. Even fifty mile distance causes dialectic difference.” 3
Motwani goes on to say that Karl Menninger also questioned the righteousness of the PIE as a language: “If all these languages are sisters, they must have a common ancestor, an original language from which they have developed. But we know of no people that spoke or wrote such a mother language, nor have we any direct evidence or written documents concerning it.” 4
Motwani goes on to question: “It is hard to understand why and how such a concept of the IE [Indo-European] languages and their invisible mother PIE has been theorized and has been endorsed by celebrated linguists like Sir William Jones. Leave the question of any PIE documents, but even her name and home address are not known.” 5
Victor Stevenson also explains in his book Words: The Evolution of Western Languages, that many European languages evolved from Sanskrit: Evidence that the languages of Europe had, with a few exceptions, evolved in stages from a common source, was found neither in Greece nor Rome, nor any where in Europe, but in an ancient and distant language, the Classical Sanskrit of India. Enshrined and unchanged for more than 2,000 years in the ritual speech of its scholars, it was shown to possess massive similarities to Greek and Latin. Only one conclusion could be drawn; all three had come from a common source.” 6
CONCLUSION
Regardless of how advanced modern society has become, we still have not invented a language more elaborate and developed than Sanskrit. After so many years, where is there a language that has superceded the sophistication of Sanskrit? Therefore, even though linguists may say that whatever the parent language of Sanskrit and Greek and Latin may be, it is now deceased, disappeared into oblivion, and no one knows what that language was, I say something different. I say that the language they are looking for is right in front of them, and that is Sanskrit itself. Though I am not saying that Sanskrit is the mother of all languages in the world, still Sanskrit was the preeminent and most developed of early languages from which came many others, such as Greek and Latin, or the seeds of other languages. Regardless of the fact that according to Vedic tradition Sanskrit is considered the vocal manifestation of the Shabda-brahman, or the spiritual vibration from which the Vedic texts sprang forth, or in which the Supreme Reality is found, Sanskrit is indeed that language that provided the source of many of the languages we still highly regard to this day.
NOTES
1. Motwani, Jagat K., Ph.D., None But India (Bharat), iUniverse, Inc., Bloomington, Indiana, 2010, p.142.
2. Renfrew, Colin, Archaeology & Language: The Puzzle of Indo-European Origins, New York, Cambridge University Press, 1987, p.108-9.
3. Motwani, Jagat K., Ph.D. None But India (Bharat), iUniverse, Inc., Bloomington, Indiana, 2010, p.155.
4. Menninger, Karl, Number Words and Number Symbols: A Cultural History of Numbers, New York, Dover Publications, 1969, p.101.
5. Motwani, Jagat K., Ph.D. None But India (Bharat), iUniverse, Inc., Bloomington, Indiana, 2010, p.157.
6. Stevenson, Victor, Words: The Evolution of Western Languages, New York, Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 1983, p.10.
The post Reading from Chapter One of the draft of Sri Damodara-janani (Part 2) appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.
Hare Krishna! “From Russia with love”
Missionaries from Iskcon Russia to invigorate the congregational development in the USA! Bhakti Swarupa Caitanya Swami and Angira Muni Prabhu from the highly successful Nama-hatta program in Moscow and Russia (thousands of groups cultivating Krishna consciousness at their homes) in a mission to the USA for applying the same principle, firstly established by Bhaktivinoda Thakura in India, to the American reality. Find here their recent classes at the Los Angeles Iskcon temple, famous for its steady book distribution, Harinamas, deity worship standards and of course its prasadam distribution through the Govinda restaurant, recently affiliated with the giant of online sales, Amazon!
Watch them here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20765
Meet a Happy Soul! (30 min video)
Guitar kirtan of Atmarama Prabhu…
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/jRyiOw
Transcendental Musicbox (16 min video)
Musical talents from all over the world in Mayapur!
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/Vtr6bt
October 29. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Prabhupada did not judge beforehand who would serve Krishna’s mission and who would not. He was fully surrendered and fully dependant on Krishna. In obedience to his spiritual master he would approach everyone without discrimination to ask for help. There was Sumati Morarji. She had helped him in publishing the Bhagavatam and she had sent him to America. In a recent letter to her, he had only given hints: I am just giving you the idea, and if you kindly think over the matter seriously and consult your beloved Lord Bala Krishna, surely you will be further enlightened in the matter. There is scope and there is certain necessity also, and it is the duty of every Indian, especially the devotees of Lord Krishna, to take up the matter. But he had received no reply. He had not heard from her since Butler. Those words from her that had seemed prophetic and they had struck with him: “I feel that you should stay there until you fully recover from your illness and return only after you have completed your mission.”
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490/#29
By holding on to something that someone might have unintentionally spoken during a tense situation, we poison our consciousness and paralyze our capacity for loving interactions.
Hare Krishna! Ratha yatra in Probolinggo, East Java, Indonesia
The Nusantara Culture Parade on Sempiro (a week stay in Probolinggo, East Java, Indonesia) attracted many people to come and participate. They came with their culture and in various types of costumes. Surya Narayana Prabhu and his wife (disciple of H.H. Subhag Swami Maharaj) and Karabhajan Prabhu, who resides in Probolinggo continually do sankirtan in Probolinggo to attract the Lord to come to Probolinggo. They were eagerly that there were would be a Ratha-yatra in Probolinggo. They used all his efforts how Ratha-yatra could participate on the parade. By humble prayer to Lord Jaganatha he invited the Lord to bestow His mercy to the Probolinggo people. He made communication with the government officer to propose that Ratha-yatra as one of the participants in the cultural parade and the committee allowed the devotees participated in the parade.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20760
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Srimad Bhagavatam class at ISKCON, Kolkata
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Narad Muni’s Thoughts,Words And Action For Krishna’s Service -Radhanath Swami
Devotees Worldwide Pray for Mukunda Goswami.
Maharaja is currently in the Intensive Care Unit, and his orthopedic surgeon plans to operate on his hip today. According to the surgeon, as well as the general risks of the operation associated with old age, Mukunda Goswami is especially high-risk due to having just undergone a major six-hour triple bypass surgery on top of his already weak heart. However, delaying the operation also carries a high mortality risk, as Maharaja’s lungs have begun to rattle because of his long period of immobility in hospital, which increases the chances of pneumonia. So, doctors say, getting him up and moving is extremely important.
We now beg all of you to please pray to Srila Prabhupada, Gauranga Mahaprabhu and Lord Nrsimhadeva,” says Krsna Kirtan.
Several ISKCON devotees contributed to the Parliament of the World’s Religions – the largest interfaith gathering in the world – this year, with kirtan, japa, and an introduction to the Bhakti philosophy. The first Parliament was held in 1893 and is recognized as the birth of formal interreligious dialogue worldwide. It wasn’t held again until one hundred years later in 1993, but has been held every five years since then.
Prabhupada did not judge beforehand who would serve Krishna’s mission and who would not. He was fully surrendered and fully dependant on Krishna. In obedience to his spiritual master he would approach everyone without discrimination to ask for help.
