Vedic Language

Kanchi Mahaperiyavaa - from Gemini Ramamurthy

When I went to the Mutt to have His darshan for the first time there
were four foreigners there, an Israeli, an Italian, a German and a
Britisher. They had come to do their PhD in Philology on the topic of
'the most ancient languages in the Occidental and the Oriental world'.
They were studying Latin, Hebrew and Greek languages in the Occidental
part and Sanskrit and Tamil in the Oriental part.

He went inside to do His Anushtanas; they had wanted to a photo of Him
but His kaingaryams refused.They were heartbroken that they could not
take a picture. All the four of them were standing near a tree since
morning. They asked His Sevakas when He will be done with the poojas
but get an unconvincing reply.

I told the foriegners that we Indians are used to the way of life at
the Mutt, but how come you all have been standing for the past 6
hours? One of them looks at his watch and exclaims, 'oh my God, has it
been 6 hours? He is a Man of Certainty and is Beyond Time!'

Periyavaa came in after 10 minutes and we all went and prostrated to
Him. Looking at the man (who had the camera hanging on his neck) who
had wanted to take the photos, He gestures with His hands that he can
take the pictures now. He posed for three photos and stops him before
the fourth and enquires as to why they have come.

They tell him their purpose.

He asks, "So, did you arrive at a conclusion as to which is the most
ancient language?"

The Israeli replied, "Hebrew is the most ancient in the Occident; but
in the Oriental, people say that both Sanskrit and Tamil are the
oldest, we are confused and that is why we are here for Your opinion".

He said, "There is another language which is the most ancient than all
these, it is the Vedic Language. It is the Source of even Sanskrit and
Hebrew."

"There is a verse about Rebirth in Hebrew, can you recite it
completely?", asked Him to the Israeli by giving the man the first two
words.

The Israeli recited it for 3 to 4 minutes. Swamigal looked around and
asked some boys, have you studied Rig Veda, can you recite this
particular verse?"

Those boys recited it for 5 minutes.

He asked me, "can you ask them if they understood what these boys recited now?"

The four men remain quiet.

Swamigal turns to the boys and says smilingly, "you all will
definitely not understand what this man had recited in Hebrew!"

He turns to me and says, "tell that Israeli that what he had chanted
before is the same as what these boys chanted!"

I told them, "Swamiji says that what is you had chanted is
'verbatically' same as the what the boys had chanted".

Swamigal corrects me, "What? Do not use the word 'verbatically', tell
them that both the chants are 'alphabetically' the SAME!!!"

He said He will prove it and asked if we have a paper and a pen.

"In Vedas it is mentioned that the world has been classified into 32
portions/regions. And in each of the 32 geographic regions, Vedas say
how the Veda Aksharas have changed/pronounced in those places!"

He asks each of them which region they come from and then explains to
them how a particular Veda Aksharam is changed in their individual
places! He asks the boys to recite verse from Rig Veda again and tells
the men how each Aksharam in Rig Veda in that verse will sound in
their Regions!

"I will now say this verse with some difficulty as it has been a long
time since I had Abhyasam, ask that Israeli if he understands my
recital!"

To the boys He says, "I will now say it in a slightly different form
based on how each Aksharam will sound in Hebrew. Please do not think
it is wrong; there is this injunction in the Vedas that it can be
recited this way also."

And  he starts to say it, slowly. Wonder of Wonders, the Israeli
starts to recite it Together with Him!!!

(Sarveshwaraa, I am unable to type now due to a flood of emotions...)

We were all Stunned!

"I told you earlier, the same verse in Rig Veda is present ditto in
Hebrew, but the Aksharas have changed slightly. (like we say Yamuna
but in the North it is Jamuna , Va in the south is Ba in West Bengal ,
Paa in Tamil is Haa in Kannada etc) Therefore, the most ancient
language in the world is the Vedic language!"

Swamigal asked the four men to prepare a table and fill it with how
the Rig Veda Aksharams sounded in their language. This was completed
in 15 minutes.

The Israeli was shocked and exclaimed, "this is something unimaginable!"

He asks him, "what do you think now, do you now agree that everything
has sprung from Vedas?"

The look on the Israeli was not convincing.

He says, "what, is he thinking that why, could not have Vedas
originated from Hebrew?"

The man says, "yes, it could have been the reverse also, the Vedas
could have come from Hebrew".

Periyavaa replies, "you have only the lock, whereas we have both the
key and the lock! It is even mentioned in the Vedas as to which
Maharishi from here in India went to your region and spread/taught
Vedas in Israel !"

The man seemed to be convinced in the end.

<< Translated from Thiruvannamalai Shri Gowrishankar's tamil video
interview in http://mahaperiyavaa.wordpress.com>>