Saint Ved Vyas relating the Bhagwatam to Shukdeo (3100 B.C.)

The Encyclopedia of Authentic Hinduism by H.D. Swami Prakashanand Saraswati (the most important site on Hinduism, the Upanishads, modern Physics, Bhartiya, Sanatan Dharm and more)
     

(30) The six unmatched features of the Sanskrit language.


1. The vowel-consonant pronunciation of the alphabet
2. Formation of the Sanskrit words
3. The uniqueness of the grammar
4. The three kinds of prime Sanskrit scriptures
(Vedas, Puranas, and their style of literary presentation
(Continued on next page)
5. The apbhransh
6. Sanskrit, the scriptural language up till today

 
1. The vowel-consonant pronunciation of the alphabet.

The most striking feature of the Sanskrit language is the vowel-consonant pronunciation of the alphabet and the uniqueness of every consonant (or its combination) as a complete syllabic unit when it is joined with a vowel. For example: Its 16 vowels are the actual ‘voice pattern’ of the sound and 36 consonants are only the ‘form’ of the ‘voice pattern’ of the sound. So a consonantalone cannot be pronounced as it is only a ‘form’ of the ‘voice pattern’ until it is attached to a vowel. Thus, a vowel, which itself is a ‘voice pattern,’ can be pronounced alone or it can be modulated by adding a consonant to it (like, ).

This system was not adopted in the languages of the world. Thus, their syllables have no uniformity, like in come and coma where ‘co’ has two different pronunciations, and in come and kind or kiss, the letter ‘c’ and ‘k’ both have the same pronunciation.

The Greeks adopted five vowels from the Sanskrit literature, and some of the daily usable apbhransh words and numerals, like trya, panch etc. Trya (three) became trias and panch (five) became pente in Greek.

These words reached their country through the trade routes by word of mouth during trade communications with India. The English language during Great Vowel Shift used some diphthongizations like ai and au. But still the range of vowels as compared to Sanskrit was always less and incomplete and, apart from the vowels, consonants also had their own sound (like vowelless sly, fry, dry) which was also not always the same, like the word chaos where the sound of ch is k and o is a. This situation created a permanent ambiguity of the pronunciations and the vowels lost their true effects, like, top, mop, hum, chum, where o and u both sound as long or short a. Thus, a language which is developed on imperfect grounds can never be perfect, no matter how far it advances.

In Sanskrit, the basic structure of its vowel-consonant pronunciation is the unique foundation of the language that precisely stabilizes the word pronunciation where each letter (or a combination of consonants with a vowel) is a syllable.

2. Formation of the Sanskrit words.

The second unmatched feature is the formation of the Sanskrit words. Since the beginning we had a complete dictionary of root words called dhatu that could create any number of words according to the requirement by adding a proper prefix and suffix which are described in detail in the Sanskrit grammar.

The formation, modulation and creation of words have been originally the same, in an absolutely perfect state since the beginning, as they are today.

3. The uniqueness of the grammar.

The most impressive uniqueness of the Sanskrit grammar is that, along with the Sanskrit language, it is unchanged in every age because it is a Divinely produced grammar. Its conjugation system, word formation and the style of poetry formation are all unique, unchanged and perfectly detailed since it appeared on the earth planet through the descended Saints. Take a line of the Yajurved,

There is a noun janah (people), and verb gacchanti (to go into) which is formed of gam dhatu (to go), like, gacchati, gacchatah, gacchanti. All the 90 conjugations of the verb gacch (to go) and all the 21 forms of the noun jan (people) are used in the same way without any change in the Vedas, in the Puranas and in other Sanskrit literature as well, because they are ever perfect without any sound shift. The Sanskrit language represents the literal form of the Divinity on the earth planet. Such is the Sanskrit grammar.

4. The three kinds of prime Sanskrit scriptures (Vedas, Upnishads and the Puranas) and their style of literary presentation.

The three styles of Sanskrit are: (a) the Vedas (sanhita), (b) the Upnishads and (c) the Puranas. All of them were reproduced during the same period before 3102 BC. But their literature has its own style. The difference in the style and the uses of words in all the three kinds of scriptures does not mean any evolution or improvement in the vocabulary. It is just their style. For example, the word khalu has been used only once in the Rigved sanhita. Vedic verses do not use the full range of words as is used in the Puranas and the Bhagwatam because they are mainly the invocation mantras for the celestial gods and that too for ritualistic purposes, not for the devotion to supreme God. So they don’t need too many words to relate a mantra. They have their own character, and use some of their own wordings which are unusual to regular Sanskrit literature. For example: devebhih in the Vedas and devaih (celestial gods) in common Sanskrit. Similarly, vyoman in the Vedas and vyomni (Divine dimensions) in common Sanskrit. But the formation of these words is explained in the Vedic grammar and in the Nirukt, a special book for explaining such words.

The language of the Bhagwatam is very scholarly, poetic and rich as it explains the richest philosophy of God, God’s love and God realization along with its other affiliated theories. It also explains the total history of this brahmand and its creation. The true Divine love form of the supreme God is described in the Bhagwatam.

The language of the other 17 Puranas is less rich, and the language of the Upnishads sometimes leans towards the Vedic sanhita side. Now we know that the difference in the literary presentation of the Vedic sanhita and the Puranas are their own nature and style, they do not relate to their seniority or juniority.

(Continued on next page)
5. The apbhransh
6. Sanskrit, the scriptural language up till today

     


  

Copyright © 1999 - 2001 H.D. Swami Prakashanand Saraswati

Previous Article | Next Article

Home | Introduction | Author | Articles
Glossary | Abbreviations | Search
Transliteration | Site Map | Links

   
This site is based on the book
The True History and the Religion of India

The True History and the Religions of India by H.D. Swami Prakashanand Saraswati