Sanskrit - Mother of all Languages

suchandra · September 17, 2007

Sanskrit -Mother of all Languages

"No history can give us an idea so exact of the vicissitudes of a people, of their social organization and their beliefs and feelings, as an analysis of their language."—

MARTIN ALONSO

THROUGHOUT history, languages and their Sanskrit/Devanagari origin have fascinated scholars. Indeed, their fascination has even been preserved—just as most historical records have been—thanks to language itself. Undoubtedly, in language humans have their ultimate means of communication.

At the present time, some linguists estimate that about 6,000 or more languages are spoken in the world, not including local dialects. Of course this doesnt mean that Vedic literature has to be translated into all those languages, but ultimately this should be the goal. By far, the most widely spoken language is Mandarin Chinese, with more than 800 million speakers. The next four most spoken languages, not necessarily in this order, are English, Spanish, Hindi, and Bengali.

What happens when different cultures and, of course, their languages suddenly come into contact with one another? On the other hand, how does isolation of groups affect their language? Let us see how bridges—but also walls—to communication are built.

Pidgins, Creoles, and Lingua Francas

Colonization, trade between countries, and even confinement in concentration camps have caused people to feel the need to bridge the communication gap because of having no language in common. So they began using a reduced, or simplified, form of language. They took away grammatical complications, used fewer words, and limited these to areas of common interest. In this way pidgins were created. Pidgin, as reduced as it may be, is a language with its own linguistic system. But if the need that generated it disappears, it may die.

When pidgin becomes the main language of a population, new words are added and the grammar is reorganized. It thus becomes a creole. Creoles, as opposed to pidgins, express the culture of a people. Today dozens of pidgins and creoles—based on English, French, Portuguese, Swahili, and other languages—are spoken in the world. Some have even become prominent languages within a country, such as Tok Pisin in Papua New Guinea and Bislama in Vanuatu.

Other bridges promoting communication are lingua francas. A lingua franca is a common language used by groups whose mother tongues are different. In the Central African Republic, for instance, speakers of various local languages can communicate by means of Sango. Among diplomats, English and French are languages used as lingua francas. Pidgins are lingua francas, and creoles can be also.

In different regions inside a country, local varieties of the national language may be used, which are called dialects. The more isolated the region, the more marked the differences may be. In time, some dialects become so different from the original language of the area that they become another language. In some cases it is not easy for linguists to distinguish between a language and a dialect. Also, since languages change constantly, dialects sometimes die out from disuse, and with them dies a piece of history.

The Origin of Languages

The all-wise Creator, Lord Sri Krishna, has employed Sanskrit language in the heavenly realm. When He created humans, he implanted in them a vocabulary and the ability to expand it. There is no evidence of any primitive human language consisting of grunts and growls. On the contrary, consider what the Encyclopedia Britannica explains about Sumerian, the oldest known written Western language: "The Sumerian verb, with its various prefixes, infixes, and suffixes, presents a very complicated picture."

At Babel, God confused the language of rebellious humans

About the 20th century B.C.E. humans made an effort to control all society at the Plains of Shinar in Mesopotamia, and began building the Tower of Babel. Language diversity originated when God confused their common language, thwarting their dangerous and hurtful plans - therefore Vaishnavas are presently faced with a tremendous translation work.

Efforts to trace a parent language from which all others developed have been not in vain but resulted in Sanskrit or Devanagari.

Language is a divine gift of Krishna. The fascinating process of change in language shows how flexible this gift is. We may also learn from language that no one group of people is superior to another, for there is no such thing as an inferior language as soon it is used for Krishna. Just as with other divine gifts, language is equally available to all people, no matter what their culture or the place where they live. Since the very beginning, languages of all peoples have been complete enough to serve their purpose. Each one of them is worthy of respect, regardless of how many people use it.

Historical and Social Factors

The gregarious nature of mankind is reflected in language. Thus, when there is contact between cultures—a common occurrence—the languages of those cultures retain evidence of such contact for generations.

For instance, through its many words of Arabic origin, Spanish, considered a modified version of Latin, retains a record of the eighth-century Muslim conquest of Spanish territory. The influence of Greek, French, English, and other languages on Spanish can also be traced. Moreover, in the Spanish spoken in America, traces remain of the ancient inhabitants of the continent. For example, Spanish there contains many words from the Nahuatl language of Aztec Central America.

Just as a mother tongue identifies individuals with a certain nation and even with a region, language usage can identify people with a group, such as a profession, a trade, cultural and sports groups, or even criminal organizations. The list is practically endless. Linguists call these special variations jargon or slang or sometimes even a dialect.

However, when there are animosities between nations and ethnic or cultural groups, language ceases to be a bridge. It can become a wall that adds to the divisions between people.

The Future of Languages

Communication is a complex matter. On one hand, the modern tendency is toward breaking down linguistic walls, primarily on account of mass media. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, English is now spoken as a primary or a secondary language by 1 person in 7. Thus, it is the most widely used lingua franca in the world. People's use of it has allowed for wider communication and the exchange of beneficial information.

On the other hand, linguistic walls have contributed to division, hatred and war. The World Book Encyclopedia states: "If all peoples spoke the same tongue, goodwill would increase between countries." Of course, such goodwill would require a much more profound change than the mere use of a lingua franca. Only the Supreme Lord, Creator of language, could cause all people to speak one language.

The Vedas, Krishna's main means of communication with humans, clearly show that Krishna's plan is one government which will unite all mankind in a peaceful, righteous system of things here on earth.

Even now, a pure spiritual language like Sanskrit — is uniting millions of people from all languages, nationalities. Thus, it would seem logical that in a Varnashram society, Krishna would further unite mankind by providing all peoples with one common language, reversing what He did at Babel.

Murali_Mohan_das · September 17, 2007

The all-wise Creator, Lord Sri Krishna, has employed Sanskrit language in the heavenly realm. When He created humans, he implanted in them a vocabulary and the ability to expand it.

I've never heard this before. Does anybody know if there's any scriptural support for this claim?

The Vedas, Krishna's main means of communication with humans, clearly show that Krishna's plan is one government which will unite all mankind in a peaceful, righteous system of things here on earth.

Now, this passage I find to be downright scary!!! Sounds like the "New World Order" to me.