[9mm_fan]

Author - Virarajendra

The Sanskrit "Atharva Veda" says Chant Prayers to God in Mother Tongue

I was reading through a small booklet titled the "Atharva Veda" written in English by Mr Bibek Debroy & Mr Dipavali Debroy, and published from New Delhi. In this booklet the authors have selected few sections of interest from each of the twenty kandas of the "Atharva Veda", and has presented the English Translation of these sections from the "original Sanskrit"

Among the sections given in this booklet, one is from the seventh kanda of the "Atharva Veda" titled as "mother tongue" (page 49), and reads as follows.

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"Mother Tongue"......

.......Let us not turn away from our "mother tongue". May we always look upon our "mother tongue" with favour.

Those who are desirous of pleasing the Gods - "chant prayers" to them in the "mother tongue". It is the "mother tongue" which performs the function of purification.

Each word of the "mother tongue" is bound to us with ties of blood. Clarified butter flows through each word of the "mother tongue".

All the "Sacred Arts" find expression in our "mother tongue". May we use our "mother tongue" to describe the "glory of the Gods"
(Sacred Arts = Music & Dance)

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The above references in the "Atharva Veda" falls inline with the strong views of many of the "present day Tamil Nadu", that "All Poosai Valipaaduhal" in the Saivite & Vaishnavite Temples in Tamil Nadu & elsewhere patronised by Tamils, should be conducted by Temple Priests - with Sacred Hyms recited in "Tamil" - "a language understood by all Tamils".

This could be done by they reciting - the "Thiruth Thaandaham" Pathikams of the Tamil Saiva Saint Thirunaavukkarasu Naayanaar and the Pathikams from the Tamil Thirumuraikal of the other principal Tamil Saiva Saints (Naayanaars) - ending with the word "Poattri", and also by reciting the appropriate Pathikams from the Tamil Naalaayira Thivya Pirapantham of the Tamil Vaishnava Saints (Aalvaars) - within the Sanctum Sanctorium of the Siva and Vishnu Temples - during their Poosai Valipaaduhal.

Among the 63 - Tamil Saiva Saints and 12 - Tamil Vaishnava Saints of the pre-medieval and medieval period Tamil Nadu, those who composed "poems of praise and prayers" to God Siva & God Vishnu did so in beautiful Tamil, which are classifed as 11 - Thirumurais and Naalaayira Thivya Pirapantham.

The Tamil - Saiva and Vaishnava Saints found it a great pride to sing their "poems of praise and prayers" to God Siva and God Vishnu in Tamil. This is confirmed from their own references in their poems, some of which are as follows:

"......Thamilodu esai paadal maranthu ariyen......"

Saiva Saint Thirunaavukarasa Naayanaar, 4th Thirumurai

".......Thamilin virakan uraiththa Thamil maalai......."

Saiva Saint Thirugnanasampantha Naayanaar, 1st Thirumurai

".......In Thamilaal Navaluran sol padalhal......."

Saiva Saint Sundaramurththi Naayanaar, 7th Thirumurai

".......irunth Thamil nan maalai inaiyadikke sonnen
perunth Thamil nallen perithu......"

Vaishnava Saint Poothathaalvaar, 2nd Thiruvanthaathi

".......Puthuvai Pattan uraiththa Thamil innisai maalaihal....."

Vaishnava Saint Periyaalvaar, Thirumoli

"........Puthuvaiyar koan vittu Siththan Kothai
viruppudai yin Thamil maalai....."

Vaishnava Saint Aandaal, Naachchiyaar Thirumoli

".......koalamaam Kulasekaran sonna nallisaiththa Thamil maalai.....'

Vaishnava Saint Kulasekaraalvaar (Kulasekara Perumal), Thirumoli

The sacred hyms recited by the Priests in all the other religious rituals both within the temples and in the households, should also be in Tamil selected from the Tamil Thirumurais and the Tamil Naalaayira Thivya Pirapantham.

Let the above references in the "Atharva Veda" together with the new thinking of many in the "present day Tamil Nadu", forge a re-awakening in the use of Tamil, "in all forms of worship and rituals" in the Religious Life of the "Tamil - Saivites and Vaishnavites" of Tamil Nadu, and elsewhere in the world.

As the first step in the "use of Tamil" in Temples patronised by Tamils in Tamil Nadu and other countries, the name Devasthanam in Sanskrit for temples should be changed into Thirukkoyil or Koyil in Tamil. This name for the Temple has been in use in Tamil Nadu for nearly 2000 years as seen in the Tamil epics Silappathikaaram & Manimekalai and many other Tamil Literary works through ages. Also many Tamil inscriptions in the Temples of Tamil Nadu too refer to them as "Thirukkoyil or Koyil" - especially in the medieval Chola Temples.

Video with following URL relevent to the foregoing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=ZlaIvwuPDqg