THE OLDEST LANGUAGE

This is By Shri Krishna Iyer, Nesapakkam, Chennai: The Oldest Language in the world .....................................
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As told by my research supervisor Prof Soundararajan (Retd. IISc/Bangalore)

When I went to the Kanchi Mutt to have His darshan (Maha Periyava), four foreigners were there, an Israeli, an Italian, a German and a Britisher. They had come to do their Ph.D., in Philology on the topic of 'the most ancient languages in the Occidental and the Orien...tal 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.

Maha Periyava 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 him, "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 him 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!

The Sarveshwaran tells me, "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 The Sarveshwaran 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.

Courtesy :

Raghuraman K P
Technical Officer
NCSI and Archives Publication Cell
IISc, Bangalore