Hinduism: The Truth As It Is #2
No Substitutes for Sanskrit in Temple and Hindu Rituals.
1. Introductions on Sanskrit
There is no other substitute language for Sanskrit in Hindu or Sanatana Dharma temple rituals. Sanskrit is the only original language used during the formation of temples and their rituals. The term Sanskrit (sams + krta) connotes a work that has been well prepared, pure and perfect, polished, sacred, and perfection of contextuality. The earliest documented record is Rigveda about 1700 BCE. Is considered Devabhasa (divine language) for Hindus.
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2. Role of Sanskrit.
a. Sanskrit was a specifically formed and formulated letters, words, and language to reap a maximum benefit from the rituals to prana prathista ( consecrate ) the idol/ murthy, invoke the divine into murthy, and maintain the prana.
b. Sanskrit is the universal liturgical language for Hindus. All the Hindus around the world from different countries or races use the same type of language for the universal benefit. It brings unity among Hindus from different races, languages, or creeds. For example, ‘loka samastha sukhino bhavanthu’, is universally recited by all the Hindus to project peace and unity.
c. Sanskrit has a purifying structure in other languages, removes these imperfections. For example, the loaned letters of Sanskrit in Tamil such HA (ஹ), JA ( ஜ ), KSHA (க்ஷ ), SHAH ( ஷ ), and SA ( ஸ ) supports the Tamil language to a certain extent.
Sanskrit is also used by Buddhists and Jains after Pali wasn't able to provide perfection.
d. Prakrit is the language used by people of an earlier time to convey messages in communication. The term Prakrit literally means original, natural, normal, artless, etc. The earlier language of the people. Most probably, Sanskrit was developed and enhanced from the spoken Prakrit language.
3. Bhakti Versus Agamic.
a. Bhakti Marga
According to Bhakti yoga, a bhakta does not require a specific language to convey prayer. One can pray in any language desired. Even a mute (unable to speak) person is still able to pray without any sound. Just need piety/intention towards God.
Any language will do because Para Brahman/Brahman is beyond language, caste or creed, etc. Since Brahman is in you as Atman, it is not necessary for a specific language. Thought alone will do. (Manasic pooja)
So, if you want to use Tamil or any other language as a medium of conveying love towards God, no problem. God will accept the prayer.
b. Agamic
Temple and Hindu rituals are agamic. Agamic is prescribed rules to be followed to operate the Yantra together with tantra and mantra.
Mantras play a vital role in temples called Mantralaya ( Mantramayi, sthula, gross ). Mantra is a compounded word of manana and trana. Manana is the attainment of the capacity of knowing all and trana is the bestowal of grace on those enmeshed worldly life. These Rishis had tapped the revelation from Srikantha (Siva) on Mount Meru and brought down the Agamic prescriptions including mantras.
Temple and Murthy are build based on agamic rules, they are the yantra but need tantra and mantras. Thus need certain specific formulated mantras to operate, to invoke, consecrate, and maintain the presence of prana of the particular Deity.
Our temples were built used Sanskrit as the original prime communications method, all the mantras were prescribed in Sanskrit. So, there is no other language able to substitute Sanskrit in temple rituals.
Do not mix agamic and bhakti yoga together.
4. Origin of Sanskrit
Sanskrit was founded by the sages, rishis through meditation and revelations. The sound and its vibration, shape of letters were seen and heard by the Rishis. This is the reason Hindus believe Sanskrit is Devabhasa (Divine language). The Shiva Sutras (Śivasūtrāṇi) or Māheśvara Sūtrāṇi are fourteen verses that organize the phonemes of Sanskrit as referred to in the Aṣṭādhyāyī of Pāṇini, the foundational text of Sanskrit grammar, they are popularly known as the Shiva Sutras because they are said to have been revealed to Pāṇini by Shiva. The sound adapted from the sound originated from Mahesvara's Damaru.
Each letter of Sanskrit was identified in the chakras which represent the 5 elements (panchabhutas) and they are vibrating according to the elements and nadis configure at the particular center of prana shakti. Each chakra has many petals such as lotus. For the instance, Muladhara Chakra has 4 letters in the form of Parasabda, VA (व) for Brahma, ‘SA ( श ) for Vishnu, SA ( ष ) for Rudra and SA ( स ) for Atharva. So do all the other Sanskrit letters that were founded by the Rishis through the manifestations in chakras. On each petal, the letter of Sanskrit manifested and vibrates.
When you recite the mantras accordingly, it will vibrate the particular point of nadis and able to manifest as the Bindu ( desired purpose of recitation) according to nada and creates anusvara, thus the manifestations of the ritual are maximized.
Sanskrit is not man-made letters or their sound (phonology). It is prescribed according to the surrounding vibrations and the phonetic sound seen and heard by Rishis, thus they are able to create a maximum impact on dhvani (vibration, striking of the air in the contact with the vocal organ namely throat, palate, and tongue) of the murthy during the rituals.
5. Bija Aksharas. No Substitute.
Bija aksharas are the Seed of Mantras recited in rituals. Bija mantras or aksharas have a significant inner meaning, but no meaning on the surface. They have subtle and mistic meanings, the form of bija mantra is actually the form of the Deva or Devata that we are invoking. Most important is the Bija mantra of Om (Brahman). Besides that, there are bijas for mahabhutas (chakras) such as Lam, Vam, Ram, Yam, and Ham and many other bija for different deities. Bija is the core of the mantra recited.
The entire mantras were formulated in Sanskrit. So, there is no other language as a substitute. If someone wants or is adamant to use other than Sanskrit, he is either a foolish person or has his own hidden agenda. It is not possible to use other than Sanskrit such as the Tamil language completely in temple rituals because certain letters only exist in Sanskrit. For example bija mantras such as Ham, Gam, Glaum, Hreem, Kshraum. These letters never existed in Tamil. So, how do the adamant groups want to substitute these bija mantras?
6. Nada, Bindu and Anusvara.
Other important features of mantras are nada, bindu, and anusvara. Nada refers to devata / murthy we are praying for and Bindu refers to the fruit of the mantra, the result we expect from the ritual or prayer. Anusvara is the final vibration created which will be concreted at the atomic level. Nada, bindu, and anusvara will change or altered, or be maligned if use substitute letters are used which are not the exact sound. For example, the letter Ga ( ग ) of Sanskrit replaced with Ka ( க ) of Tamil used in mantras, Ga is bija for Ganesha and Ka is bija for Prajapati.
The mantra,
‘Om Gam Glaum Ganapathy’, If a substitute for Tamil letters it will become ‘Om Kam Klaum Kanapathy’ ( there is no letter ga in Tamil)
There are many bijas that have no substitute letters in Tamil for Sanskrit. Such as Haum, Hreem, Hoom, Shreem, Kshraum, etc.
Replacing the Tamil language in rituals will mislead and will jeopardize the actual purpose of prayer. It is like, you are calling someone with another person’s name and you expect him to acknowledge you. The fact is, the actual person doesn't respond to you because you are not calling or addressing him in his actual name.
If you are reciting the wrong mantra or altered mantra at a wrong deity without realizing the benefits and consequences. It might be misleading to other unnecessary harms. This suite the proverb of ‘ went digging for treasures, a demon emerged ( Puthayal thonda poyi, bhutam kilambana kathai) .
7. The Effect of Missing Letters in Tamil if not Replaced with Sanskrit.
Sanskrit letters support and enhance the use of words and pronunciation to a certain extent in Tamil.
If we eliminate Sanskrit letters from Tamil writings, it will cause misappropriate pronunciations and lead to different meanings. A few examples of words might affect such as Sri becomes Siri, Krishna becomes Kirisana, Lakshmi becomes Lakisimi, Saraswathy becomes Sarasuwaty, Ajivakam becomes Aaseevakam, Ajivaka becomes Asivaka, Namacivaya becomes Namasivaya, etc.
This will not help the process of rituals in the temple.
I'm impressed with certain groups of people who love the Tamil language and work for it. Everyone should love the mother tongue and defend it. I'm with you. But interfering in temple rituals is not appropriate, an act of demeaning and insulting Hinduism.
8. Improve the Tamil Language, not in the Expenses of Sanskrit
Indians especially the Tamils should focus on increasing the number of students in Tamil schools, build hostels in selected Tamil schools, build secondary Tamil schools with hostels, find ways to make Tamil a subject taught during school schedule hours, ways to increase Tamil subject candidates in Spm, Stpm exams, push for signboards in the Tamil nationwide, push for a Tamil television channel and etc.
9. Questions Arises.
Those who are keen and adamant (currently in Malaysia) to eliminate Sanskrit from temples and want to introduce Tamil. Personally, I have no doubt about Tamil as one of the best languages in the world. Please answer these questions.
a. How do you want to substitute the bija mantras in Tamil?
b. Among the Muvendhers (Rajendra Cholan,… ), Who had rejected Sanskrit?
c. Among the Nalvars ( Thirunavukkarasar,...), Who rejected or never sang the glory of Vedas or Sanskrit?
d. Among 11 Alvars, 18 Siddhars, 63 Nayanmars, Who rejected Vedas, Sanskrit, or the term Aryas?
e. When Mahamuni Agathiyar rejected Sanskrit?
f. Are you a real Hindu or pretending as one and working with anti-Hindu elements with hidden agendas in the pretext of Tamil language or Tamil race (innam)?
Because no Hindu / Sanatana Dharmi will question the Sanskrit and mantras. And, there are many anti-Hindu groups around working underground to destroy Hinduism from within, such as the so-called aaseevagars (atheists pretending Saivites / Tamil Religion ), Hindu by geographically, Hindu by culturally, Karuppar Kootham, etc.
10. Conclusion
Mantras are sound and Bhakti Songs are words. One can translate words into different languages but not sound. For example, mantra OM is sound, if you read in any language, the sound is the same, but a word such as 'Vanakam' in Tamil if translated into Telugu its become Namaskaram or in Hindi is Namasthe. Meaning the same but sound different. In Tirumurai there is verse says, 'pathu porul unarnthu padage' , which means sing after known meaning. And nowhere in any scripture says, ' mantrathin porul unarnthu padhi' which means recite mantra after known the meaning!
There is no doubt about the importance of Sanskrit in temple rituals. No other languages (Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, etc.) are able to substitute the bija mantras. Bhakti towards God can be conveyed through one's own mother tongue. No doubt.
Thus leave Sanskrit in rituals and keep their own language in bhakti.
If you are a Hindu, please follow the agamic rules. If you are not Hindu, please stay away from the temple. You got no right to talk about Hinduism.
Om Namasivaya.
Sri Sivasiddhi
Sivasiddhi Spiritual Foundation Malaysia.
9 Ogos 2018
References
1. John Woodroffe (1973), The Serpent Power ( Sat Cakra Nirupana and Paduka Pancaka), Ganesh and Co., Madras
2. Rai Bahadur Srisa Chandra Basu (1914), The Gheranda Samhita, Bhuvaneswari, The Panini Office
3. Rai Bahadur Srisa Chandra Basu (1984), The Siva Samhita, Satguru Publications India.
4. Pancham Sinh, (1915), The Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Bhuvaneswari,The Panini Office
5. Sivananda (1994), Tantra Yoga, Nada Yoga And Kriya Yoga, Divine Life Society Publication
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanskrit
7. Sabharathanam S. P. (Trans. Part 1), Srimat Kamikagamah, Purva Pada, The Himalayan Academy, Kauai.
8.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiva_Sutras
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