Sanskrit Non-Translatables: The Importance of Sankritizing English by Rajiv Malhotra and Satyanarayana Dasa Babaji
Genre: Non-Fiction, Indian Culture, Ancient India, Language
4.5 Stars
Have you wondered how cultures are replaced and wiped off altogether
overtime? Many ‘pagan’ or the non-Abrahamic civilizations died an unnatural
death as the West tried to civilize anything that didn’t align with its ideas
and thoughts.
Some survived, barely. India is one such land. Among the
various elements that resisted the forceful conversions, the subtle
manipulations, and the brutal genocides, language is one crucial factor that has
stood the test of time.
Of course, any progressive sepoy from India will parrot that
Sanskrit is a dead language. And they’ll do it with such contempt that one
wonders whatever did a language do to them? Are they not speaking their mother
tongue that has originated from the very dead language?
And what do we say about how the ideas, inventions, and
philosophies from ancient Bharat are first ridiculed, removed from the public’s
memory, and then patented by the West, with claims that it was their own
invention?
Your turmeric latte and cow-hugging farms are the latest
examples. (Read The Secret Doctrine by Madame Blavatsky if you want to
know more about Bharat’s role in various branches of Science and Spirituality,
among other subjects).
The modus operandi has been the same, be it in Ireland, Scotland,
Africa, or India. Replace the local customs, create an equivalent in the new
culture, and wipe off the roots of the original culture to declare that the
adopted culture is superior and the only valid one in the entire world.
A recent attempt has been made to do the same to Onam, a
Hindu festival. It was our luck that the attempts were refuted. But we know
they won’t stop trying. If you are wondering why this is so dangerous to a
culture, remember what happened to Halloween and Thanksgiving Day. Imagine
celebrating a day that saw the genocide of millions of Native Indians who were
the true owners of the land.
How many of today’s generation know that Halloween is much
more than a costume party? How many know what happened to the Native Indians?
How many know that Thanksgiving was not a New England custom but rather a
harvest festival celebrated by the Natives? How can you stop a Native American
child from looking down upon their ancestors when that’s all they are taught in
the name of oneness and sameness?
Now, imagine what could have happened to a language as
intricate as Sanskrit and land as diverse as Bharat.
Why is it that we lament how translating Russian is hard as
a single dash could change the entire meaning? Why are that only languages like
Russian or Urdu that do not have equivalents in English? What makes one declare that
the same is not the case with Sanskrit?
From being a land of universities like Takshasila and
Nalanda, which attracted scholars from across the world, why is India
struggling to regain its dignity and establish its ancient language? We know
what had happened to the universities, no matter what a progressive scholar
wants us to think. Books don’t burn themselves, nor do build crumble
overnight.
Sanskrit is much more than just a language. It is the root
that holds the country deep down and keeps it alive. Kill the root, and you
kill a country. Plain and simple.
Sanskrit Non-Translatables talks
about how even the simplest words in Sanskrit have been given wrong and
superfluous meanings, which led to the ancient scripts being reduced to nothing
more than a jumble of words. A word without its original meaning has no value
in a paragraph. That is what has been happening with Sanskrit.
The book explains how by learning the actual meanings of
Sanskrit words and not equating them with insufficient English terms, we can
save the language from being butchered and declared useless. This is an attempt
to prevent the dilution of diverse identities. In a world that wants to have a
diverse workforce, why is being an Indian Hindu a bad thing?
If one can see Islamophobia, why can’t they see Hinduphobia?
After all, there are more than a dozen Islamic countries while even India isn’t
a Hindu nation. Aren’t our identities being replaced with the so-called
polished and civilized versions as the West wants us to be? Why should we
not resist this attack on our identity?
Sanskrit Non-Translatables explains
how a Sanskrit word should be understood. It talks about Shabda-
Brahman- the dhvani (sound) and artha (meaning),
interconnected in a Sanskrit word.
A Sanskrit word starts with vibrations. Call it energy waves
if it makes things easier to understand. The vibration is a combination of the
sound and the object. It is a manifestation of the sound and its meaning.
An alphabet is called an Akshara in
Sanskrit, which means imperishable. That’s how the language is, eternal and
indestructible. The book explains the role of Vyakaranam (grammar), Madhyama (medium),
and the importance of the Bija mantra, the source of vibrations in
Sanskrit.
There is an easy-to-understand table in the book for ready
reference about how-
- Kavya
is not poetry
- Kama
is not lust
- Naga
is not naked
- Atman
is not soul
- Prema
is not love
- Shakti
is not Energy
And many more. There is another chart at the end of the book
that explains the difference between the Sanskrit word and its so-called
English equivalent. There is a detailed bibliography in case one wants to look
up the references.
Sanskrit Non-Translatables is much
more than an attempt to decolonize the brainwashed generations. It is about
teaching the citizens that they should try to look beyond the popular opinions
and learn how a culture has been able to survive as many attacks. It is a nudge
to understand that one has to take pride in their culture if they need to have
an identity of their own. It won’t take long to be a faceless admirer of the
West if one were to hack off their own roots in ignorance and misplaced
superiority.
If you have felt offended by the review, you are not going
to understand the book. I wouldn’t waste my time trying to convince you
otherwise.
If my review made you curious, I suggest you pick up the
book. The writing is dry and sounds more like a thesis paper at times. But you
will gain new insight into how civilizations have been destroyed. Remember that
there are people out there who have no idea about the origins of their land
because there is no one left to tell them the truth. Fluttering aimlessly
like a leaf in the gusty wind may sound poetic but it’s not how a country or an
individual should be.
And if the review made you order the book without a second
thought, I wish you the very best. May you learn the intricacies of this
beautiful language. It is not easy. I’m a newbie too, and still am guilty of
trying to find equivalents in English. I’m trying to change that and hope you
will also try. We don’t have to apologize for being Hindus or for learning Sanskrit.
Remember- Sanskrit is not a dead
language. It is the root, and we will nourish it back to its original
glory.
This review has been posted as a part of The Thousand Reviewers Club. Thank you, Indic Academy and Indic Book Club, for a copy of the book.
Dear Sri,
ReplyDeleteThank you for such an eye opening review. This summary of the book should do yeoman service not just to the rigorous efforts expended by the authors,but also in inciting a deep thirst to understand an appreciate a language that is universally acknowledged to be by and of the Gods.
You are absolutely correct in your lament on the gross misinterpretation, negligent misunderstanding and brazen misrepresentation of what Sanskrit and it's very essence stand for. This should spur on people to shrug off the cobwebs of misperception and attempt a realistic assimilation of this great and pure language.
Cheers!
Venky
Thank you so much, Venky! I do hope more and more people realize that they need to safeguard their identity and respecting Sanskrit is the first step in the process.
DeleteThis is fantastic Srivalli and should have been posted as it is - you know where! Nothing you have written is wrong and nothing you have written is offensive but absolute truth! I wish the authors the very best and wish this book reaches all. Also this review of yours should spur the younger generation to take up this book and learn the beauty of this language.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Srividya. I didn't want to debate on this one, and I do know some people who would have strong contradictory opinions.
DeleteI also hope we see new and positive interest in the language. Of course, I need to learn it myself first.
I am definitely going to read it 👍🏼
ReplyDeleteYou will like it more, considering your grasp of the language.
ReplyDelete