1886. Translated with extracts from seven commentaries. The Sacred Books of the East series, comprising fifty volumes, has translations of key sacred texts of Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Zoroastrianism, Jainism, and Islam. The series was edited by the famous linguist Max Muller
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I have spent considerable time over the last 30 years looking into the translation of ancient texts by westerners such as max Mueller etc. What I have learned is that 1. the texts were most likely not written in Sanskrit (especially the Veda). 2. they were written in something called Vedic Language from which sanskrit was derived. 3. Ancient technical sanskrit differs from ancient literary sanskrit as does modern or classical technical sanskrit vs. literary sanskrit. (the same applies to Tamil in which many ancient texts were origionally written then later transcribed into sanskrit).
I spent some time with Chatur Vedi a 121 year old man in bangalore who has comitted all the vedas to memory. He is a scholar of Vedic language and Sanskrit. I have also read many other authors who say the same as I have said above. And, I have previewed the Ancient Sanskrit program offered by the University of Texas Austin. All of these references agree with my statements.
So when I see an ancient text translated by any of these European fellows in the 1800’s I simply cannot think of reading it. Rig ved is so terribly mistranslated that it makes Indians look like pagan fire worshippers who burn horses. The translation is so far off the the truth or Sruti the real meaning and greatness of the Veda is completely missing.
The goal of Europeans and of Islam was to make Indians ashamed of theirselves and to break their backs by breaking there culture, educational system, and history.
Based on this level of ‘ignorance’, I can say that Sanskrit is a synthetic language, which was ‘invented’. This makes it highly different from other languages in the world – which evolved without forethought.
Sanskrit is a huge relational database, where each word follows rules, based on master database table of 8 rows x 3 columns. After that each sentence is line of elements based on concatenated databases. Modern software mimics Sanskrit.
Obviously, Sanskrit did not evolve overnight – and must have taken a few centuries. It has taken modern technology more than a 100 years to evolve software languages – which are similar to Sanskrit. These are used only for machines – and not for humans. To make these into common place languages, will probably take a few more centuries – it it happens at all.
After that is the question of memorising it. There is a trick to that.
It goes like this.
First you memorize it in sequence – ABCD.
Then you memorize it reverse sequence – ZYXW.
Followed by AA, BB, CC, DD,
After this comes ZZ, YY, XX, WW,
Thus a trained ear can catch any change in sequence – and mistakes. Since, this a database, you can read or write a sentence anyway, and the meaning will not change. Thus the meaning of ABCD = DCBA.
Of course, all this happened while Indians were being overrun by wave-after-wave of invaders, committing genocide of Dravidians, stealing and theiving from each others, practicising, sati, untouchability, – you know the rest of the story.
The only thing missing from this story are aliens. Sanskrit must have come to Earth from visiting aliens. That will make history simple.
Dr. Jessie Mercay,
Westerners need to understand a basic fact about Indian Civilization – it is not based on mono ideas, binary categories, finiteness and absolutism – it is based on multi, plural, diverse, infinity, flexible, fuzzy, mutual-inter-dependence. Please read Being Different – http://www.BeingDifferentBook.com
The so-called “technical”, “Vedic”, “classical”, “literary” – all co-exist simultaneously – they all are various forms of Sanskrit. Just like you have different English words, grammar, styles, for literary, poetry, common speech, software syntax etc. Since you seem to be familiar with Tamil you probably know it is classified into speech/prose, poetry/music and drama – three are distinctly different, but co-exist. Also, Sanskrit and Tamil borrow from each other and mutually enrich – one does not try to dominate or destroy the other. This is not possible to understand using rigid western categories.
Yes, of course you are correct. I would like to add that from the many scholars whose work I have studied or whom I have studied with, the Veda are written in something called Vedic language. And then translated to Technical Sanskrit. However, they are being interpreted through literary sanskrit by Europeans who did not even get that correct. Furthermore, one very important aspect of the Veda is the meter. The meter as presented in all English versions and many sanskrit versions is incorrect. There is a re metered version which will help present the true nature of the Veda if properly translated through technical sanskrit.
The vedas are a scientific treatis the purpose of which is to transmit scientific knowledge and induce spiritual experience. The present day translations and meter do neither.
the purusha sukta is a perfect example. It is chanted daily in temples yet the priests do not use the proper meter and they do not understand the proper meaning.
My teacher, Dr. V. Ganapati Sthapati – perhaps the worlds most famous scholar in Agamas, Vaastu Shastras, Prananva Veda, Aintiram, Technical and literary Tamil, Technical and literary Sanskrit, Temple architect and builder, Shilpi Guru, Padma Bushan, Vaastu Vyasa (the list goes on) has attempted to inform temple priests and world scholars of the proper meter and meaning but it went to deaf ears. What would the old man whose family has understood and built temples and were scholars and spiritual leaders for thousands of years possibly know (his ancestor built brehardeswara temple and he built the Thiruvalluvar statue at kanyakumari as well as temples around the world) possibly know? Perhaps something that mainstream scholars don’t know. And what would Chatur Vedi a 121 year old Vedic scholar who memorized all of the veda by the age of 16 possibly know? Sudhakara Sharma of Bangalore is another scholar of Vedic language who has attempted to get this same message across. These are just a few of my resources.
The level of misinformation about the veda is horrifying. It is one of the greatest bodies of knowledge in the world and is completely and horribly mistranslated and misunderstood.
The veda are technical texts and should be translated by technical scholars who understand the meaning.
If you want a good example of this go to this link where a true scholar of Vedic language speaks about the mis translation of Veda regarding animal sacrifice. it’s interesting:
http://pvravi.blogspot.com/2010/01/vedasudhe-iv.html
It is difficult for people, particularly westerns to swallow the fact that what they have been reading and studying for years is incorrect. People are teaching sanskrit in the US so that westerners can read the veda and yet, they are teaching incorrect meanings. For one thing, the Nirutti is completely ignored when this kind of education and translation is done. The root meaning and the context are improperly applied. Furthermore, in European translations, meanings of words are inserted that aren’t even in the particular sukta.
I read the Vedas for over 40 years thinking I was reading correct information – you can imagine how shocked I was to find that most of everything I was reading was incorrect.
Why does any of this matter? It matters because the Veda are profoundly important in terms of understanding science, philosophy and the road to awakening for humanity.
Thanks so much for reading this.
sanskrit was the language in which all the vedas were written….these vedas are still taught in certain schools of vedas in varanasi…this practice has been alive for as long as vedas were written…..you need not spend time with a 121 year old man to see the actual truth…you can see chlidren as young as 12 memorizing vedas and trying to understand them….
and people mr.max mueller were responsible for mistranslated versions of vedas……
FYI Mr.Mueller has never set foot in this sub continent
Actually, the vedas were not written in sanskrit according to scholars. Sanskrit was derived FROM Vedic Language in which the vedas were written. This is one of the reasons the vedas are not properly understood.
Please see link here.
for a better understanding.
well the alien theory is making the rounds already.
“The only thing missing from this story are aliens.”
Don’t worry, consider it done. Watch “Ancient Aliens” – last year “history” channel in USA produced some episodes to show our “gods” are actually aliens. Our stupid ancestors had no clue!
Me, silly, backward, ignorant Indian!
I am with you, you are not alone.
There are books where you read such fierce words as these: “If the Shudra hears the Vedas, fill his ears with molten lead, and if he remembers a line, cut his tongue out. If he says to the Brahmin, ‘You Brahmin’, cut his tongue out”. This is diabolical old barbarism no doubt; that goes without saying; but do not blame the law-givers, who simply record the customs of some section of the community. Such devils sometimes arose among the ancients. There have been devils everywhere more or less in all ages. Accordingly, you will find that later on, this tone is modified a little, as for instance, “Do not disturb the Shudras, but do not teach them higher things”. Then gradually we find in other Smritis, especially in those that have full power now, that if the Shudras imitate the manners and customs of the Brahmins they do well, they ought to be encouraged. Thus it is going on. I have no time to place before you all these workings, nor how they can be traced in detail; but coming to plain facts, we find that all the castes are to rise slowly and slowly. There are thousands of castes, and some are even getting admission into Brahminhood, for what prevents any caste from declaring they are Brahmins? Thus caste, with all its rigour, has been created in that manner. Let us suppose that there are castes here with ten thousand people in each. If these put their heads together and say, we will call ourselves Brahmins, nothing can stop them; I have seen it in my own life. Some castes become strong, and as soon as they all agree, who is to say nay? Because whatever it was, each caste was exclusive of the other. It did not meddle with others’ affairs; even the several divisions of one caste did not meddle with the other divisions, and those powerful epoch-makers, Shankaracharya and others, were the great caste-makers. I cannot tell you all the wonderful things they fabricated, and some of you may resent what I have to say. But in my travels and experiences I have traced them out, and have arrived at most wonderful results. They would sometimes get hordes of Baluchis and at once make them Kshatriyas, also get hold of hordes of fishermen and make them Brahmins forthwith. They were all Rishis and sages, and we have to bow down to their memory. So, be you all Rishis and sages; that is the secret. More or less we shall all be Rishis. What is meant by a Rishi? The pure one. Be pure first, and you will have power. Simply saying, “I am a Rishi”, will not do; but when you are a Rishi you will find that others obey you instinctively. Something mysterious emanates from you, which makes them follow you, makes them hear you, makes them unconsciously, even against their will, carry out your plans. That is Rishihood.
Now as to the details, they of course have to be worked out through generations. But this is merely a suggestion in order to show you that these quarrels should cease. Especially do I regret that in Moslem times there should be so much dissension between the castes. This must stop. It is useless on both sides, especially on the side of the higher caste, the Brahmin, because the day for these privileges and exclusive claims is gone. The duty of every aristocracy is to dig its own grave, and the sooner it does so, the better. The more it delays, the more it will fester and the worse death it will die. It is the duty of the Brahmin, therefore, to work for the salvation of the rest of mankind in India. If he does that, and so long as he does that, he is a Brahmin, but he is no Brahmin when he goes about making money. You on the other hand should give help only to the real Brahmin who deserves it; that leads to heaven. But sometimes a gift to another person who does not deserve it leads to the other place, says our scripture. You must be on your guard about that. He only is the Brahmin who has no secular employment. Secular employment is not for the Brahmin but for the other castes. To the Brahmins I appeal, that they must work hard to raise the Indian people by teaching them what they know, by giving out the culture that they have accumulated for centuries. It is clearly the duty of the Brahmins of India to remember what real Brahminhood is. As Manu says, all these privileges and honours are given to the Brahmin, because “with him is the treasury of virtue”. He must open that treasury and distribute its valuables to the world. It is true that he was the earliest preacher to the Indian races, he was the first to renounce everything in order to attain to the higher realisation of life before others could reach to the idea. It was not his fault that he marched ahead of the other caste. Why did not the other castes so understand and do as he did? Why did they sit down and be lazy, and let the Brahmins win the race?
But it is one thing to gain an advantage, and another thing to preserve it for evil use. Whenever power is used for evil, it becomes diabolical; it must be used for good only. So this accumulated culture of ages of which the Brahmin has been the trustee, he must now give to the people at large, and it was because he did not give it to the people that the Mohammedan invasion was possible. It was because he did not open this treasury to the people from the beginning, that for a thousand years we have been trodden under the heels of every one who chose to come to India. It was through that we have become degraded, and the first task must be to break open the cells that hide the wonderful treasures which our common ancestors accumulated; bring them out and give them to everybody and the Brahmin must be the first to do it. There is an old superstition in Bengal that if the cobra that bites, sucks out his own poison from the patient, the man must survive. Well then, the Brahmin must suck out his own poison. To the non-Brahmin castes I say, wait, be not in a hurry. Do not seize every opportunity of fighting the Brahmin, because, as I have shown, you are suffering from your own fault. Who told you to neglect spirituality and Sanskrit learning? What have you been doing all this time? Why have you been indifferent? Why do you now fret and fume because somebody else had more brains, more energy, more pluck and go, than you? Instead of wasting your energies in vain discussions and quarrels in the newspapers, instead of fighting and quarrelling in your own homes — which is sinful — use all your energies in acquiring the culture which the Brahmin has, and the thing is done. Why do you not become Sanskrit scholars? Why do you not spend millions to bring Sanskrit education to all the castes of India? That is the question. The moment you do these things, you are equal to the Brahmin. That is the secret of power in India.
-Vivekanand
Be careful of the Brahmachari Internet and Maataa Wikipedia. There are plenty of spurious Vedas constructed at great costs by the vested interests. Religion has been blackmailed and hijacked by the Organised religion and materialistic imperialism by the European colonial masters/profligates. Hence you are not alone in this bewildering confusion, which is a deliberant attempt. You will know it yourself if you are careful to cull it.
Aliens, aryan migration, Turks, Afghans, Greek, Romans,Moslems,English, Christians. Just anyone from the West is given credit for Indian achievements except the humble Indian.
The Hindu has suffered enough due to the dirt thrown on him by all and sundry. That we are incapable, ignorant, louts and if it was not for the aforementioned, darkness would be our destiny. And the Hindu has taken this with characteristic diffidence.
There is some evidence now that Bharat misread the Europeans. Just when the Islamic threat was neutralized by the Marathas, the Europeans rapidly filled the power vacuum. The Marathas were still a military force to reckon with during the time of Plassey, 1757. It also recovered from the Third Battle of Panipat, but the vile British neutralied them. While Islam colonized the land, the English colonized the mind. Hence we have the educated Indians who believe it is some grave sin to be born here and long to migrate to the asuric West.
My own views are that Corporations are the asuras in the modern Kali age. After all, what is slavery? The fruits of your labour taken away by someone else. Which is what the modern corporation has institutionalized. It used to be implemented by brute force earlier and called slavery. Today it is called Capitalism. Now economic logic and contracts are used for enslavement. Compared to the value added by the employees of the company, the value distributed out to them in terms of pay and benefits is always less. And the fruits are shared by a minority, the shareholders. Faceless and provided with the legal veneer of a person in the eyes of the law, it is free to do whatsover it wishes under the logic of economics. After all the death, destruction and rapine of the East India Company, how many individuals were punished? This seems to be the pattern for all cases of corporate malfeasance from the EIC to Union Carbide.
It is very important especially in this age of internet, as Sri Sathya Sai Baba said, “Use your innernet more than internet”. How true he was? There is no doubt that the vast number of Sanskrit texts were dotingly re-writen by the British shrewdly to malign the Hindu culture intentionaly for divide et impera policy. They did succeed to some extent. Unfortunately the broken fabric over the centuries of colonial devastation and confusion will take long time to bring back on the track. I have no doubt that the Sruti/Smriti tradition in ancient India started by the great seers has ben still maintained in the running Ashrams and has done a great service.
Vedas are said to be 1008 in number but only three are known to be preserved. All the seers confirm this fact. The British did the damaging job by colonising the Indian mind vis a vis Islam which only practiced arson, looting and other forms of brutal physical violence and assault. Hence to decolonise the Indian mind is more difficult. This includes all cults including the entire faiths in Indian peninsula during the European colonialism.
The good thing is that there is growing an increasing awareness despite the hideous invidious pseudosecular garb, it is heartening to see it. I am sure, the western elites like Jessie will be very helpful in this rejuvination of this ancient Vedic knowledge which has an immence promise for the mankind’s welfare at large.
Thank you for your confidence in me Osudrania. I can take little personal credit for my role in helping forward this ancient knowledge. I am only as good as my teachers who are Indian. I am fortunate to have studied with them for many years and pray that I can represent what I have learned faithfully and truthfully for the benefit of others. Being a westerner is a curse and a blessing. A curse because I can never know what it is like to be Indian. A blessing because hopefully I can communicate to people around the world about this great knowledge. (at least the parts that I seem to understand).
I have to say that Anuraag Sanghi and others on this site have really helped me a great deal in my desire to understand.
Thank you. There are a lot of asuric forces in the garb of sheeps like Trojan horses. You as a westerner can explain them who will trust your skin better than mine. Yu know what I mean! God bless