Monday 31 December 2012

HIBERNATION - THE SANSKRIT - VEDIC CONTEXT

The English word 'hibernation' originates from the Latin 'hibernationem' which is the action of 'passing the winter' The root word here is 'hibernare' which means 'to pass the winter' which English dictionaries say is related to the PIE 'hiems' which means 'winter'.

But it is Sanskrit that really explains the word and the context. A look at the so called PIE 'hiems'. In Sanskrit - 'himA' (हिमा), 'hemanta (हेमन्त) or 'hiemal' ( हैमल) all mean 'winter'. The base word for all the words is 'hima' (हिम) which means 'snow'.

And of course every one has heard of the 'Himalayas' - literally the 'Abode of Snow'. The 'Himalayas' are also known as 'Himadri' (हिमाद्रि).

In the Vedic context, Goddess Parvati (Daughter of the Himalayas) is also known as 'Hemavati' (हिमवती).

Wednesday 19 December 2012

THE SANSKRIT CONNECTION TO THE WORD 'DIAMOND'

The word 'diamond' is said to have originated from Old French 'diamant' and Latin 'adamantem' meaning 'the hardest metal'. The source word is 'adamant' which of course means 'that which cannot be tamed or controlled'.

Herein lies the Sanskrit connection. 'Adamant' itself derives from Sanskrit 'daman' (दमन) which means 'control', 'oppression', and 'restraint'. 'A' negates the meaning. 'A-daman' (अ + दमन) means 'that which cannot be tamed or controlled or broken'. Hence, 'adamant'.

'Adamant' describes the 'extreme hardness' of diamond. Hence its name.

To read about the Sanskrit connection to the word 'Topaz', click here.

Wednesday 12 December 2012

'ATLAS' & 'LIBRA' - THE SANSKRIT CONNECTION

Proto-Indo-European (PIE) is so, so close to Sanskrit, that it seems to be the same language.

Lets look at the name Atlas. Scholars attribute the origin of the word to the reconstructed, re-engineered language PIE and say that the word is derived from the root word 'tele' which means "to lift, support or weigh." Atlas - 'the one who bears the world'.

But then that is Sanskrit. Tulana (तुलन) means 'weighing' or 'lifting' in Sanskrit. The sun sign Libra, depicted by the 'weighing balance' is known as 'Tula' (तूला) in Sanskrit.

Here's then a look at the word 'Libra' itself. Li (लि) in Sanskrit means 'equality' 'Bhara' (भार) is weight' or 'load'. In Sanskrit 'Li-bhara' means that 'where there is equality of weight' implying the balance of scales.

Saturday 8 December 2012

'JUPITER' - THE SANSKRIT CONNECTION

In the Vedic literature and the Astrological treatises of ancient India, Jupiter is referred to as 'Guru' (गुरु) or the teacher. Astrologically, Jupiter is the planet that dispels the darkness of the mind, enlightens or illuminates, gives higher education and an interest in the study of scriptures. In Sanskrit, the more specific word for the one that illuminates or enlightens is 'dipitr' (दीपितृ). It is from 'dipitr' that the word Jupiter is derived.

The Western world of course disagrees. The etymological origins of Jupiter are traced to the reconstructed language Proto-Indo-European. The PIE word that is created for Jupiter is 'dyeu-peter' meaning 'God-father'. However, in Sanskrit too 'Dev-Pitra' (देव पितृ) means 'God Father' and 'Dyo-pitr' (द्यो पितृ ) means 'Heavenly Father'.

The many other words for Jupiter in Sanskrit include: 

Didivi (दीदिवि), Deva-pati-mantrin (देवपतिमन्त्रिन्), Prakhyas (प्रख्यस्), Brihatipati, (बृहतीपति), Brhattejas (बृहत्तेजस्), Prakphalgun (प्राक्फाल्गुन), Maha-mati  (महामति) Saptarshija (सप्तर्षि), Surguru (सुरगुरु), Surapati-guru  (सुरपतिगुरु) etc. 

Friday 30 November 2012

THE RIVERS 'VOLGA' AND 'GANGA' AND THE SANSKRIT CONNECTION TO THEIR NAMES

The River Volga! Russians call it 'Volga Matushka' (Mother Volga). It is said that the name probably derives from Proto Slavic*  'vòlga' which means 'wetness' or 'moisture'.

Here's a look at the Sanskrit connection. A word that corresponds to Volga and its meaning 'moisture', and is at the same time a cognate of 'Volga' is the Sanskrit word 'Vigala' (विगल्), which means 'flow' or 'ooze away' and 'drain-off'. A derivative of 'vigal', is 'vigalita' (विगलित) which has the same meaning. 'Volga' may just be a distortion of the word 'Vigal' or 'Vigalita'.

In Sanskrit the sound 'vi' (वि) means 'apart' or 'away'; and 'vI' (वी) (with emphasis on 'i') means 'set in motion'. 'Gala' (गल) means 'oozing'. 'GAla' (with emphasis on 'a') (गाल), means 'liquefying' and also 'flowing'.

Hindi speakers are familiar with the word 'pigala' (पिघल) which means 'melt away' or 'ooze'. This Hindi word has the same Sanskrit origin.

The etymology of Volga as proposed by Russian historian and Linguist Nikolai Trubetzkoy (1890-1938), in his lectures at the University of Vienna,  links the name 'Volga' to the Slavic 'Julga', which he says in course of time changed to 'Volga'. 


Roman Jakobson, Russian linguist and literary theorist, quoted Nikolai Trubetzkoy's research thus, "In primitive eastern Slavic, un-rounded front vowels changed into rounded back vowels before a tauto-syllabic 'l', so that 'jilga' must have changed to julga; the initial j was lost before rounded vowels in eastern Slavic, and the initial u acquired an obligatory prothetic 'v'. Thus the form 'vulga' arose, and short 'u' changed in the 12th–-13th centuries into 'o'. So through a long series of changes Jilga became Volga"

Here is the actual quote from Ramon Jakabson's 'The Balts- Ancient Peoples & Places':
' 205 Notes CHAPTER I 1 Tacitus (90), XLV. 2 Orosius (87). 3 Adam of Bremen (82), 199. 4 G. Gerullis, Die altpreussischen Ortsnamen, Berlin-Leipzig, 1922; A Salys, “Prūsai,” Lietuvių Enciklopedija, XXIV (Boston), pp. 146-57. 5 L. Kilian, “Baltische Ortsnamen westlich der Weichsel,” Altpreussen, IV, 3 (1939), pp. 67-68; H. Krahe, “Baltische Ortsnamen westlich der Weichsel?,” Altpreussen, 1943: I, pp. 11-12. 6 V. N. Toporov, “Dve zametki iz oblasti baltijskoj tomonimii,” Rakstu krājums veltījums audd. J Endzelīnam, Riga, 1959, pp. 251-66. 7 A. Kamiński, Jaćwieź, Terytorium, ludnosć, stosunki gospodarcze i spoleczne (Jatvingia. Territory, population, economy and social structure), Ĺódź, Societas Scientiarum Lodziensis, sectio II, No. 14, 1953. 8 Polnoe sobranie russkikh letopisej, I, 1, Petersburg, 1908. 9 Būga (1). 10 Vasmer (6). 11 The etymology of Volga as proposed by the linguist Trubetzkoy — in his lectures at the University of Vienna — was as follows: in primitive eastern Slavic, unrounded front vowels changed into rounded back vowels before a tauto-syllabic l, so that jilga must have changed to julga; the initial j was lost before rounded vowels in eastern Slavic, and the initial u acquired an obligatory prothetic v. Thus the form vulga arose, and short u changed in the 12th-13th centuries into o. So through a long series of changes Jilga became Volga. (Oral information by Roman Jakobson.) 12 Thomsen (4) 13 B. A. Serebrennikov, “O nekotorykh sledakh izcheznuvshego indoevropejskogo jazyka v centre Evropejskoj chasti SSSR, blizkogo k baltijskim jazykam” (Traces of an extinct Indo- European language related to the Baltic in the centre of the European part of the USSR), Lietuvių Mokslų Akademijos Darbai (Trudy AN Litovskoj SSR), serija A, vyp. 1 (2), Vilnius, 1957. 14 M. Vasmer, “Die alten Bevölkerungsverhältnisse Russlands im Lichte der Sprachforschung,” Vorträge and Schriften der Preussischen Akademie, No. 5, 1941. ' IN

It is more likely that the original name was 'Julga' rather than 'jilga' if one were to loke at the name through the Sanskrit lens. 'Jala' (जल) is 'water', both in Sanskrit and in Hindi. The suffix 'ga' () means going or moving. Hence 'Julga' in Sanskrit means 'moving water'. The name 'Jilga' however cannot be explained through Sanskrit.

Also 'Julga' is very close to the name 'Ganga' - the
 Sanskrit name of the great Indian river - the Ganges. Incidentally the name Ganga (गङ्गा) means 'swift goer' or 'fast moving'. Indians call it 'Ganga Ma' - 'Mother Ganga' just as the Russians call Volga 'Volga Matushka'.

"I am convinced that everything has come down to us from the banks of the Ganges". - Francois Voltaire



Rivers 'Kama' and 'Vyataka' flow into the River Volga.
In Sanskrit the verb 'vyati' means both to  'flow on' and 'vanish'.
'Kama' means 'desire' and is also the name of Lord Vishnu.

The Volga flows into the Caspian Sea. The name Caspian is said to be derived from the ancient Vedic name of the Caspian, which was 'Kashyapa', named after the sage 'Kashyapa' who in the Vedic tradition is the father of all 'devas', 'asuras', 'nagas' and of all humanity.


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*All languages names which are preceded by the name 'Proto' are languages constructed from groups of existing languages that, it is believed, might have had a common ancestor - it is at best only a conjecture).So Proto-Slavic is an engineered language which it is believed will be similar to the 'mother' of all Slavic languages - if the Slavic languages indeed originated from one single source.

**From the writings of Lithuanian American Archaeologist  Marija Gimbutas about the 'Balts'.
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Suggested Links:
1. The Balts

Tuesday 27 November 2012

HEAVEN - THE SANSKRIT CONNECTION

The etymology of the word heaven is traced to Old English 'heofon' which meant 'Home of God'. Though the earlier meaning of 'heofon' was said to be 'sky', in the later days of Old English 'hefon' was used more in the sense of 'Home of God'. 

The origin of 'heofon' itself is not clear, though suggested roots include Proto Germanic 'himin' which itself is said to have originated from the PIE word 'kem' which meant 'cover'.

A more likely source of the word 'heofon' is its Sanskrit cognate 'vyoman' (व्योमन् ). 'Vyoman' has many meanings, which include sky, space, preservation, wind or air, ether and heaven. In the Rig Vedic texts 'Vyoman' is used more in the sense of 'that which is celestial', than in the context of 'heaven' for which a more appropriate translation is 'swarga'.

The Sanskrit 'Vyoman' is derived from the root word 'av' 
(अव्) which means 'to protect', the prefix 'vi' (वि) indicates vastness, and the suffix 'manin' denotes 'making room or space'. The literal meaning of the word 'Vyoman' therfore is 'that which protects by providing space'.

Calvert Watkins, Professor of Linguistics at Harvard University is of the opinion that 'heaven' from the PIE 'akman' which means 'stone' or 'sharp stone' therefore taking 'heaven' to mean the 'stony vault of heaven' but that sounds a little forced.

Suggested Links:
1. The Secret of the Vedas
2. Akasha, Kha and Vyoman
3. Kalatattvakosa

Saturday 24 November 2012

THE SANSKRIT - VEDIC CONNECTION TO THE WORD 'GOD'

The origin of the English word 'God' is traced to Old Frisian 'du', where it found its way from the Proto Germanic 'guthan'. Both 'du' and 'guthan' mean 'God'.

'Guthan' and its many variations in European languages, are said to have originated from the Sanskrit 'huta' (
हुत), which means 'that which is invoked'. Most Hindi speakers are familiar with the word 'ahuti' (आहुति) which means 'invoking' or 'offering' both in Sanskrit and in Hindi, and, are derived from the root word 'huta' (हुत). 

In the Vedic tradition 'huta' refers to Lord Indra as in the following verse from the Sanskrit Sri Vishnu Sahsranama, a Strotram (hymn) from the Mahabharata:

"Om ananta-huta-bhug-bhoktre-namah". Listen to the verse (with translation) here.

Monday 19 November 2012

THE SANSKRIT CONNECTION TO THE ENGLISH WORD 'DIE'

The origin of the English word 'die' has been traced to the Old Danish 'doja' and Old Norwegian 'deyja' - both meaning 'to die, pass away'. The origins of 'Deyja' and 'Doja' are in turn traced to the 'Proto Germanic' (a hypothetical language which is regarded as an ancestor of all European languages) 'dawjanan' which, it is said, means 'to kill'.

'Dawjanan' is traced to yet another hypothetical language PIE (Proto Indo European) - the concerned PIE word here being 'dheu', which means 'to pass away' or 'become senseless'.

This is a little contrived. A more likely explanation comes to fore if one traces the source of 'die' to Sanskrit. 

In Sanskrit the word 'deh' (देह) means 'body'. The Proto Germanic 'dawjanan' which means 'to kill', may really be a distortion of the Sanskrit 'deh hanan' (देह हनन) which in literal Sanskrit means 'body kill'. 'Hanan' (हनन) is Sanskrit for murder.

The old Norwegian 'deyja' which again means death might be a distortion of the Sanskrit 'dehant' (देहान्त). In literal Sanskrit, 'dehant' means 'end of the body' - deha (देह) meaning body and 'anta' (अन्त) end.

To describe death as 'the end of the body' is also a Vedic concept, where death is regarded as the end of the body alone while consciousness or the spiritual self lives on.

Saturday 17 November 2012

THE WORD 'HOUR' - THE VEDIC CONNECTION

The most ancient Indian astrology treatise is the 'Brihat Parashar Hora Shastra', (बृहत् पराशर होरा शास्त्र). It was written by Rishi Parashara, the father of Rishi Vyasa. The 'Brihat Parashar Hora Shastra' is the treatise on which the entire Vedic astrology system is based.

'Brihat' (
बृहत्) translates as 'great'. 'Hora' (होरा)  is the Sanskrit term for 'hour', 'horoscope' and 'half of a zodiacal sign' which equals 15 degrees. It is from the Sanskrit 'hora' (होरा) that the English word 'hour' is derived.

Western dictionaries claim that 'hour' originates from the Greek 'hora' which means 'limited time' which itself, is said, originates from the Proto-Indo-European root word 'yer'.

Rishi Parashara was the grandfather of Dhritrarashtra and Pandu, and hence the great grandfather of the Kauravas and the Pandavas of the Mahabharata. He was the grandson of the Rig Vedic Rishi Vashist, whose existence has now been dated to at least 3700 BC from artifacts found in the Saraswati region.

Thursday 15 November 2012

THE WORD 'QUINTESSENCE' - THE SANSKRIT & VEDIC CONNECTION

In Vedic philosophy the 'Panchatatva (पञ्चतत्त्व) represents the five essentials or the five elements from which life evolves, 'pancha' (पञ्च) which means 'five' and 'tatva' (तत्व) which is Sanskrit for 'truth', 'element' or 'essence'. 

The five basic elements which comprise the universe are 'Prithvi' (पृथ्वी) that is Sanskrit for 'earth', 'Apas'(आपस्) which is water, 'Tejas'(तेजस्) which means light, Maruta (मरुत) that is wind, and Aakaash (आकाश) that is sky, space and the heavens above. The first four elements are material, the fifth element is cosmic and spiritual and has the highest place in Vedic thought. 

In western philosophy the four known elements were, earth, fire, water and air. The fifth element was added by Aristotle, he called it 'ether'. However, ether, the cosmic & spiritual element which is deeply entwined in the Vedic philosophy never found the same position in western thought which is more entrenched in the material or the physical.

The word 'quintessence' first occurs in European languages in the 16th century as Latin 'quinta'  i.e "fifth" + essentia that is 'essence'. This is a loan translation of Greek 'pempte ousia' that Aristotle brought in from eastern thought. 
The word 'quintessence' came to mean 'the pure and concentrated essence of a substance."


Click here to listen to the Panchtatva Stuti from the Vedas.

Sunday 11 November 2012

THE SANSKRIT CONNECTION TO THE WORD 'DAUGHTER'

There are many synonyms for 'daughter' in Sanskrit, which include 'tanujA' (तनुजा) - literal meaning 'born from the body', the 'A' at the end denotes feminine gender), 'nandini' (नन्दिनी)- one who brings joy), and, angajA (अङ्गजा) which means 'born of a body part'.

The closest Sanskrit cognates to 'daughter' are duhitr' (दुहितृ) and 'duhita' (दुहिता). In Sanskrit, each word is derived from a root word, the root describes a property of the word. The nouns 'duhita' and 'duhitr' are derived from the root verb 'duha' (दुह्) which means 'milking', 'yielding' or 'granting'. And it is to 'duhitr' that the origin of the word 'daughter' is traced to.

Thursday 8 November 2012

THE WORD 'SON' AND THE SANSKRIT-VEDIC CONNECTION

The English word 'son' derives from the Sanskrit 'suna' (सून). English dictionaries are quick to say that the word 'son' derives from 'PIE' 'sunu' .

Lets look at the many other Sanskrit synonyms for the Sanskrit 'suna' (सून) which means 'son'.

The most common word in Sanskrit, as in Hindi, for son is 'putra' (पुत्र). In the Vedic context, the River Brahma-putra (ब्रह्मपुत्र) is revered as the "Son of Brahma".

Then there is 'suta' (सुत). In the Ramayana, Hanuma is referred to as 'Pawansuta' (पवनसुत) - the 'Son of Pavan' or 'Air'. There is no PIE equivalent of 'suta'.

Lord Krishna is Devaki-Nandan. Nandan (नन्दन) means 'son'. Son of Devaki. Nandan also means 'rejoicing', an integral part of Lord Krishna's personality.

Another, word for 'son' is 'tanay' (तनय) . Then there is 'tanuj' (तनुज). 'Tana' (तन) means 'body'. 'Tanay' and 'Tanuj' mean 'that which originates from the body'.

Incidentally TanayA (तनया) and TanujA (तनुजा) both mean 'daughter' in Sanskrit. No PIE equivalents for these either.

But there are other world languages where we see words derived from the Sanskrit 'tana' (तन). In The Native American languages together called Amerind, the word 'tana' means 'son' and 'tuna' means daughter. Scholars there claim that the words 'tana' and 'tuna' (obviously a distortion of 'tanu') are indigenous to the Amerind group of languages.

In their paper "Linguistic Origins of Native American Languages"* in the Scientific American Journal dated November 1992, Joseph H. Greenberg and Merit Ruhlen write about Proto-Amerind and wrongly claim , "...... the root word "tana" (son) and "tuna" (daughter) ...not only ties Amerind (languages) together but also distinguishes Amerind from other language families. It (the root word 'tana' & 'tuna'), as linguists say, is an exclusive innovation of the Amerind language".

Not True! Obviously, these scholars have chosen not to recognize these common Sanskrit words.

It is obvious that PIE is not the source of Sanskrit. In fact, Sanskrit is the source of all languages.

Lets not forget to look at other Sanskrit synonyms for the word 'son'. Here are just a few of them:

'Daraka' (दारक), 'Angaja (अङ्गज), Kleshapah (क्लेशापह), 'Udvaha' (उद्वह), Hrikthad (ऋक्थाद) and Kukshij (कुक्षिज).
No PIE or Amerind claims on these Sanskrit words. At least not yet!!

Tuesday 6 November 2012

TOPAZ - THE SANSKRIT CONNECTION

Topaz is a silicate mineral of aluminium and flourine. Roman Scholar, Pliny the Elder, born 23 AD, wrote that the mineral 'topaz' was first mined at Topazos. Topazos is an island located in the Red Sea. As per the writings of Douglas Harper, an American Civil War historian and copy editor for LNP Media Group, compiled the etymology dictionary to record the history and evolution of more than 50,000 words. He states that the word topaz is derived from the Sanskrit word 'tapas' (तपस्) which means 'fire', 'burn' or 'hot'.

The Masorah (texts that code guidelines to correct interpretation of Hebrew scriptures, the Protestant Bible translations are based on the Masoretic text), mentions that the gem topaz is made from the 'pitdah' stone.  
'Pitdah' is derived from two Sanskrit words 'pita (पीत) which means 'yellow', and 'dah' (दह्) which means 'to burn'.

In Sanskrit, topaz is known as 'pita' (पीत) or 'pitamani' (पीतमणि).

Monday 29 October 2012

THE SANSKRIT-VEDIC CONNECTION - MITTANI EMPIRE

The Mitanni Empire (1500-1300 BC) was a loosely organized Hurrian speaking state in what is today the northern part of Syria and South East Turkey. During the Amarna Period, around 1350 BC, Mitanni was a major international power.

By about 1480 BC Mitanni had been unified under Parrattarna, the Hurrian overlord of king Idrimi. The name Parattarna means 'Superior Sun' or 'Great Sun' in Sanskrit [Para (पर) meaning ''superior' or 'great'. Tarna or Tarni (तर्णि) meaning Sun].

Tarna (तरण) means 'heaven' or 'crossing over' in Sanskrit and points to 'crossing over to heaven' or attaining moksha. Nevertheless, the word 'tarna' emerges repeatedly in the names of Mittani royalty. names include Shuttarna (शत-तरण), Parratarna (पर-तरण) and Artatarna (अर्थ-तरण).

The word 'ratha' (रथ) meaning chariot also occurs repeatedly, example - Tushratta and Chittaratta, akin to the Dasharatha of Ramayana. Or the name 'ratta' may be used in the sense 
of  रत, which means joyful. Tusha and Chitta mean 'splendid' and 'mind or thought'.

The Vedic Gods such as Mitra, Varuna and Indra were also invoked in many of the treaties that the Mittani signed with other kingdoms.


Egyptian sources refer to the Mittani as Egyptian 'nhrn', the Assyro-Akkadian word for 'river'. 'Nhrn' itself may have had Sanskrit roots either in 'nira' (नीर) that is 'water' or 'nihar (नीहार), which means 'heavy dew', 'snow', 'fog', or 'mist'.


Indian scholars have long argued that  there was a major Vedic influence on Egypt. Here is a photograph from the book 'Egyptian Myths and Legends' which has caught the attention of some Indologists. The attire is akin to what was the dress code of ancient Indians and the person seems to be wearing a Vedic Tilak - though that cannot be verified.





Suggested Links: 1. Indo European Sanskrit Decipherment of the Indus Valley Script
                           2. A Thousand Miles up the Nile

Friday 26 October 2012

ANNUNAKI - THE SANSKRIT CONNECTION

As per Sumerian mythology, the Annunaki were a pantheon of good and evil gods. The word Annunaki translates from Sumerian as 'those who came from the sky' or 'those who came from heaven'.

There are theories today that say that the Annunaki were highly advanced extra-terrestrials who visited the earth many thousands of years back.

What might the word 'Annunaki' mean in Sanskrit. 'Anu' (अणु) has many meanings including 'atom', 'atomic', 'minute', 'soul', 'matter', 'life' and 'sacred text'. 'Nakin' (नाकिन्) means 'god' or 'the one who possesses heaven'. Naka (नाक) means 'heaven', 'sky' or 'sun'.

The word 'Annunaki' would then translate as 'Life from Heaven'. Whether the Annunaki are mythological Gods or extra terrestrials is difficult to say, but the translation of word Annunaki in both Sumerian and Sanskrit suggest that they were people who either came from another world or from another dimension.

Saturday 20 October 2012

THE SANSKRIT CONNECTION - MT. NEMRUT, TURKEY

The 7000 ft high Mt. Nemrut in Turkey is today a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Historically, it was the location of King Antiochus's temple sanctuary, which he constructed in 62 BC. The temple sanctuary once housed deities but at some point, the idols were broken, their heads intentionally sliced off, which now lie strewn all over the site. Nemrut is a volcano which has erupted many times. Nemrut is also known as Nimrud; 'nimridh' (निमृद्) is Sanskrit for 'crusher' or 'destroyer'. Traditionally it is believed that the mountain is named after the Biblical king Nimrod, the great hunter. He was the son of Cush, grandson of Ham and the great grandson of Noah. He is known to have established fire worship and idol worship in the region. Cush, Ham and Noah have often been associated with Kush, Ram and Manu.

Ancient Indian texts trace predecessors of Lord Rama, who ruled India from the city of Ayodhya to Manu, the first man. Lord Rama had two sons, Kusha (Cush) and Lava. And Kusha had a great-great grandson called Nabhas. It is said that Kusha is the same as Cush. 

The Backdrop:
King Antiochus's name
, before he became king, was Mithridate, named after the Vedic god Mitra also called Mithira in its distorted form. The Vedic god Mitra's was extensively worshipped by Mithridate's ancestors, the successors of the Mitanni kings who ruled Mesopotamia from 1500 BC onwards. This information is attested by the fact that the Mitra as well as Varuna, Indra, and Nasatya (Ashvins) are all invoked in two treaties found in Hattusa, between the kings Sattiwaza of Mitanni and Supiluliuma of the Hittites. However, with time the names distorted and took a different form.

The distorted names have no meaning in any language while the original Sanskrit names have clear meanings. Mitra is (friend). Mitra became Mithira and appears as Mazda in the Zoroastrian tradition. Varuna became Tarruza. In Hindu tradition, the theonym Váruṇa (वरुण) is described as a derivation from the verbal root 'vṛ' (to surround, cover or restrain. Indra means 'excellent' in Sanskrit but appears in Hittite texts as Innara even though it had earlier appeared in their treaties as Indra.

Though Aryan Invasion Theory describes the Mittani as Indo-Iranians who went to India sometime after 1500 BC, the truth is that the Mittani worshipped the Vedic gods of India. The cultural invasion was in the opposite direction. With the decline of the Mittani, in Mesopotamia the Vedic gods took on a different forms such as Mazda, Taruzza and Innara, while they still continue to be worshipped in India as Mitra, Varuna and Indra.

One of the most important cities of the Mittani Empire in 1500 BC was known as Nagar (नगर), Sanskrit for city.



One of the major cites of the Mittani empire
was Nagar- Sanskrit for 'city'.

The religious sanctuary established in Mount Nemrut was part of King Antioch's political program to revive the traditions of his ancestors. He stressed his descent from the Achaemenids, who in the ancient Persian tradition were known as the Xsacas, a distortion of the word Sakas as mentioned in the Mahabharata; and the Greek Seleucids, the descendants of Seleucas. As for India, King Antioch's name was well known and mentioned in the edicts of Emperor Ashoka.

The Xsacas empire, known as the 1st Iranian Empire was established by Cyrus the Great in 550 BC. But Cyrus was the Hellenized name of the founder of the Xsacas empire. His name was originally variously spelled as Kurus or Kuras or Kuruas.

Various Iranian etymologies have been proposed for this name, varying from Kuru being derived from the Indo-Aryan root *s(kau), meaning 'to humiliate', which is the same as Sanskrit 'skanda' (स्कन्द ) meaning 'attacker' or skann (स्कन्न) fallen, or 'skandh' ( स्कन्ध ) battle. Other Iranian etymologies include linking the name kurus to root 'kr' meaning to accomplish or do, the derivation of sanskrit root 'kr' (कृ) meaning 'to do'. Though, the etymology of the name Kurus is possible through Indo-European languages, only Sanskrit can provide a cultural context.

The most likely etymology with scriptural support to back the claim lies in the Sanskrit name Kuru. The name first appears in the Aitareya Brahamana (VIII/14) of the Rig Veda. The Rig Veda clearly states that Kuru as a country was situated beyond the most northern range of the Himālaya, it is hence also known as Uttarakuru (North Kuru), often described as a country of everlasting happiness.

The Rig Veda also states that Uttarakuru along with Krivis (Panchala) together form the land of Vaikarana. This is the same as the Iranian region of Varkana and appears in the Behistun Inscription (522 BC). Varkana is s a historical region composed of the land south-east of the Caspian Sea in modern-day Iran and Turkmenistan. Verkā means "wolf" in Old Iranian, cf. Avestan vəhrkō, Gilaki and Mazandarani verk/verg, Modern Persian gorg, and Sanskrit vŗka (वृक).

Subhash Kak states, "Indians are generally unaware of how Uttara Kuru beyond the Himalayas (it also included Iran) was one of the provinces of the Vedic Age (see the Aitareya Brahmana for details of kings). Atharvan texts were from this region."

Mount Nemrut lies south of Malatya (ancient name, Milidia), and 40 km north of Kahta and Adiyaman in Turkey. Malatya has been identified as 'Melid', an ancient city on the Tohma River, a tributary of the upper Euphrates rising in the Taurus mountains. The name Melid and Milidia is described in Hittite texts which mention that etymologically this area was named 'melid' meaning 'honey' in the Hittite 
language. That there is a close association between 'Melid' and the Sanskrit 'madhul' (मधूल) meaning 'honey' is of course obvious. But it is more than likely that this meaning of 'honey' was given to the word later and does not carry much weight.

It is perhaps prudent to look for the origins of the names Malatya in the ancient texts of India. And the name that crops up here is Mt. Malaya of which Malatya may be a variation. We know the Hittites were aware of the Vedic god Indra. According to the ancient Puranic texts of India Mt. Malaya was the mountain of Indra. 
There is also a bit of a connection here with King Nimrod. He was the great grandson of Noah, the Vedic equivalent of Noah is Manu. According to the Matsya Purana, during the Great flood, the giant boat of King Manu was perched after the deluge on the top of the Malaya Mountains. 

Malaya (माल्य) garland, in this case a chain of mountains or a range.

Mt. Nemrud is located in the Taurus mountain range. This chain is a predominant feature of this land and terrain and has had a significant impact on its history. The Taurus chain is composed of several parallel ranges rimming and reaching the Mediterranean, for about 1,500 km, from Muğla in the west to Lake Van in the east. The summits often exceed 10,000 feet, the highest nonvolcanic peak being 12,323 feet, the Aladağ—north of Adana. The average width of the range is 150 km, and it forms a barrier to the Anatolian plateau. To the northeast is the extension of the range, called the Anti-Taurus.

Nearby was the town of Adiyaman. Mainline historians believe that the city was earlier known as Hisn-Mansur and derives from the name of the Umayyad Emir Mansur ibn Jawana who was killed by the Abbasid Caliph Al-Mansur in this region in 758 Ad. Both were named Mansurs, but one must look at the name of Emir Mansur's father's which was Jawana.

Jawana is a variation of Yamana and Yavana. And therefore, one can conclude that the name Adiyaman precedes Hisn-Mansur. the city named after Emir Mansur's father Jawana. Second, Yavana is Sanskrit for Greek - more precisely for Ionian -one of the major tribes of the Greeks, and therefore one must look at a Greek connection to the antecedents of Yawana. As for Sanskrit, Adi (आदि) translates as 'the beginning' or 'commencement'. 'Yaman' (यामन्) translates as 'the approach to God'.

King Antiochus wanted to see his name and that of his dynasty preserved. His tomb was built in order for his vassals to worship him after his death. A Greek inscription reveals that he was buried at Nemrut in the temple sanctuary surrounded by colossal statues of Gods, as a sign of his parity with the Gods. The fact that the mountain is named Nemrut (नमृत) which means 'not dead' or 'alive' in Sanskrit is therefore not surprising.

King Antiochus' original name was Mithridate; he assumed the name Antiochus when he ascended the throne. The word Mitra (मित्र) means 'friend' or 'ally'. 'Datta' (दत्त), meaning 'giver' or 'the honored one', and often kings in India would add 'datta' to their names as an achievement epithet.

There are interesting references to King Antiochus in the Sanskrit inscriptions of ancient sites in India. The Asiatic Journal and Monthly Miscellany, Volume 27, 1838, in the chapter named 'Important Historical Discoveries in the Inscriptions of India', page 208, mentions Sanskrit shlokas (verses) about King Antiochus. The shlokas were found in the ancient rock inscriptions of Girnar in Gujarat, and, in the rock inscriptions of Dhauli, in Cuttack in Orissa (now Odisha) state of India.

Here is a translation from an ancient edict of Emperor Ashoka of India which makes a passing reference to King Antiochus. Of course the verse is about the glory of Emperor Ashoka and his fame around the world and the knowledge emanating from India being passed around to other civilizations, but it mentions King Antiochus nevertheless. Here it is:

"Everywhere withing the conquered provinces of Raja Priyadarshi (Ashoka), the beloved of the Gods, as well as in parts occupied by the faithful, such as the Cholas, ....the Ketalputras, or even as far as Tambapanni (Sri Lanka) ..... and moreover, the dominion of Antiochus the Greek, everywhere, the Heaven-Beloved, Raja Priyadarshi's double system of Medical Aid is established....".

Check King Antiochus in Emperor Ashok's Edicts for the original verses.

Suggested Readings:
  1. Iranica in the Achaemenid Period (ca. 550-330 B.C.). Lexicon of Old Iranian Proper Names and Loanwords, Attested in Non-Iranian Texts : Tavernier, Jan : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
  1. The Vishnu Purana: Book II: Chapter III (sacred-texts.com)
  2. The Hittites, Mysterious People Of A Thousand Gods - Collapse Of The Hittite Empire - Ancient Pages
  3. Past Remembering: What happened to Hattusas and the Hittites? (betterthanufos.blogspot.com)
  4. hittite capital Nagar - Search (bing.com)
  5. Hittite new empire (1430 – 1200 BC) | Short history website
  6. El Imperio hitita, un pueblo legendario que hizo frente a Egipto (khronoshistoria.com)
  7. Hittite new empire (1430 – 1200 BC) | Short history website
  8. Old Hittite Kingdom 1650-1460 BC | Short history website
  9. The Hittite Empire – Brewminate: A Bold Blend of News and Ideas
  10. HITTITE MYTHOLOGY: THE MOUNTAIN GOD AND THE DEER | Balladeer's Blog (glitternight.com)
  11. Malaya Mountains - Wikipedia

Monday 8 October 2012

THE 'TEPUIS' OF VENEZUELA - THE SANSKRIT CONNECTION

The 'tepui' are the table-top mountains of the Guiana Highlands of Venezuela, South America. In the ancient Native tongue of the Pemon, the indigenous people who inhabited the Grana Sabana region of Venezuela, the word 'tepui' means 'house of the gods'.

In Sanskrit, the root word 'tap' (तप्) means austerity, penance and is often used in reference to the sacred sites, such as the many 'Tapovans' (तपोवन) in the Himalayan mountain range. Tapovan is a combination of the Sanskrit root word 'tap' (तप्) meaning 'sacred, penance, meditation etc' and 'vana' (वन) meaning 'forest'. In the ancient times, and this is true of India even today, sages and rishis retire to the hills and mountains for 'tap' (meditation).

Cognates of the Sanskrit 'tap' appear in names of many ancient holy hills and mountain names in South America especially in Mexico. Some of these are Tepatit·n, Tuxtepec, Tepec, Tepic, Mazatepec, Tepetatas, Tepantita, Tepetzintla, Tepuste, Tepetlix and Tepetlalco. (These names are from the research done by Gene Matlock). Even in Turkey, in the name Goebekli Tepe, one of the most ancient sites in the world, the word Tepe makes an appearance.

In Sanskrit any sacred place including hills are known as Tapod (तपोद). In ancient India, the hills 
of Himalayas were the centres of 'tap' or 'tapasya', that is sacred meditation. 
Scholars such as Gene Matlock have linked the word 'tepe' to the sanskrit 'stupa' (स्तूप) which means a 'heap' or a 'pile' or a 'mound'. It was later that the word 'stupa' was associated with the Buddhist 'stupa' structures. In some Sanskrit derived languages distortions caused the dropping of the first syllable 's'.

One of the largest known Tepui in Venezuela is the 'Auyantepuis'. It has an area of about 700 square kms. In Sanskrit the word Aunantaya (औन्नत्य) means 'height' or 'elevation'.

There is another tepuis by the name of 'Sari-sarinama' famous for its water cascades and water sinkholes. In Sanskrit the word 
'Sara' (सर) means a 'spring', it also means 'fluid', 'waterfall', and 'cascade of water'. Incidentally, the word 'sara' also makes an appearance in the name of the water-springs town of 'Saratoga' in New York, USA.

Whether the ancient inhabitants of the Gran Sabana area in Venezuela had any links to Asia and Sanskrit is difficult to say, but there are many more ancient place names such as Tepuis Neblina, {Sanskrit Nabha 
(नभ) - meaning 'sky'} or Tepuis Autana, {Sanskrit Audana (ओदन) meaning 'cloud'} which points to the fact that maybe there was a link between the ancient peoples of India and Venezuela which researchers today may find  worth exploring.

Saturday 6 October 2012

THE SANSKRIT CONNECTION TO THE RUSSIAN VEDIC SITE - 'ARKAIM'

Arkaim is an ancient archaeological site located south of the Urals on the Kazagisthan border in Russia and is dated by different archaeologists to approximately between 2200 and 1650 B.C. It has often been described as 'Swastika city' or 'Mandala city' owing to its design, though there are many who say that referring to the site by these names is stretching our imaginations too far. 

However, what is established is that Arkaim was not only a settlement, but it was also a temple, and an astronomic observatory! Some have contended that "Arkaim' was a weapon-storage facility. The ruins of the site have revealed that it was round with a diameter of 160 meters. The four entrance gates to the structure or temple coincide with the four cardinal directions.

The etymology of the name of 'Arkaim' is unclear. It is also unclear whether there the site was a 'sun' temple. Nevertheless, a look at the word 'Arkaim' through the Sanskrit lens is interesting.

In the ancient Megalithic sites of South America, the name 'Arka' occurs many times. The two most prominent ones are:


1. The Araqhama Sun Temple and Manya-Araki Temple Plaza in Peru.
2. The Arkapana Pyramid of Bolivia.

Existence of Sun temples at these sites is well known.

The word 'Arka' (आर्क) means 'Sun' in Sanskrit. 'Arka' (अर्क) has many other meanings including 'fire', 'religious ceremony', 'sun beam' and 'copper'. 
'Arkin' (अर्किन्) and 'archin' (अर्चिन्) mean 'radiant with light'. This is not surprising as initial archaeological research has revealed that Arkaim was a site for religious ceremonies and probably also served as a Sun-Temple.


Nearby, are the remains of the even older 'Sintashta' archaeological site, a settlement dated to 2800–1600 BC and named after the river by the same name. The name for river 'Sintashta' may have been derived from the Sanskrit 'Shinta' (शीन्त) meaning 'cool', probably a description of the waters of the River Sintashta!

Thursday 4 October 2012

19. THE SANSKRIT - VEDIC CONNECTION TO LA MANA, ECUADOR

In 1984 a large cache of over 300 artifacts was discovered in the jungle-covered mountains of La Maná, Ecuador.

It is said that the place name 'Mana' itself is a remnant of the ancient Sanskrit speaking inhabitants of La Mana. 'Mana' (मन) of course means 'mind', 'opinion' or 'belief' in Sanskrit as it does in common spoken Hindi.

The artifacts found at La Mana include representations of the Pyramids similar to those of Egypt, Cobra (a snake local only to South East Asia) and representations of the globe as it was before huge chunks of land were submerged post the melting of the ice after the end of the last ice age.

A ruined 'manadala' shaped structure was also found close to the La Mana site. Inscriptions in an ancient script were also found near this site. When the script was decoded, here is what it said:

Su-ta ma ti kara as!  


This was identified by German linguist Kurt Schildmann as Pre-Sanskrit and according to him 'su-ta ma ti kara as' meant "The son/daughter of my creator moves from outside into....". Though the language has been called Pre-Sanskrit, the words have been directly taken from Sanskrit:

Suta ( सूत ) Child or Son
Ma (मा) Build or Create
Kara (कार) act, action, make
Chara (चर) moving


However, this is a very contrived interpretation of Sanskrit, almost forcing to bring in a 'Son of Creator' angle into the translation!! 

Lets look at what these words might really mean in Sanskrit: Sutamam Ati Akara As!

Sutamam (सुतमाम्) most excellent
Ati (अति) extremely
Aakar (आकार) shape, configuration
Aas or As (आस्) to be

This is would pretty closely translate from Sanskrit as "This is an most excellent configuration'. This makes more sense when we take into the consideration that this inscription was found on an artifact that has to do with Orion constellation - a constellation that is visible from any point of the earth.

Another La Mana inscription has been decoded as: "ash-ta-ma asta viupama as". This was termed Pre-Sanskrit and translated as " "Venus mine, is from highest/creator Star". But the words probably have a more refined meaning if we look at it through the Sanskrit lens. Here are the meanings of the words".


Ashtamam - (अष्टमान) measure
Ashtamah - (अष्टमः) eight
Aashtamah - (आष्टम) eighth part
Upamaa (उपमाम्) highest degree or compared with
Asta (अस्त) sunset or decline


Considering that these artifacts have to do with the skies and the constellations, this artifact could have many meanings in Sanskrit and it is important to know the context before the many possible meaningful translations are suggested.

But the language on the artifacts of La Mana, Ecuador, as decoded by scholars is definitely Sanskrit, not Pre-Sanskrit. 

Suggested Links: 

Monday 1 October 2012

18. THE SANSKRIT CONNECTION TO THE NAME 'NAVER' (SUTHERLAND) NORTHERN SCOTLAND

Referring to the mists in the Naver Region, in Sutherland, Northern Scotland, W J Watson in his classic ‘The Celtic Place-Names of Scotland’, explained the etymology of the name 'Naver' . Naver was known as 'Nabar' in Roman times. It was known as Nabhair in Gaelic, and was named for the fogs rising from the river.

Professor W.J. Watson saw the origins of the name 'Naver' from Sanskrit 'Nilab' (नीलभ) meaning 'cloud' and also from 'Nabhas' (नभस्) and 'Nihar' (नीहार) both meaning 'mist'.

W.J. Watson (1865-1948) was one of the greatest Scottish scholars. He was also a toponymist. Toponymy is the study of place names, their origins and meaning.

Friday 28 September 2012

NATIVE AMERICAN MYTHS, LORD SHIVA AND PARVATI

It is believed that Native American hunter-gatherers first arrived in the Appalachian region over 12,000 years ago in multiple migrations across the Bering Strait from Asia. There has long been a quest to find out any remnants or traces of any part of Indian or Asian culture in the Native-American tradition.

In 1789 Thomas Jefferson wrote, "I endeavor to collect all the vocabularies I can, of American Indians, as of those of Asia, persuaded, that if they ever had a common parentage, it will appear in their languages."

Referring to Jefferson's comment, in their research, 'Linguistic Origins of Native Americans', Joseph H. Greenberg and Merritt Ruhlen state, "The evidence of comparative linguistics indicates that the Americas were originally settled by three major migrations from Asia ...... the recent discoveries at least in part fulfill Jefferson's hope that one day the languages of Native Americans would illuminate their relations to one another and will reveal the Asian origins of the first Americans."


There is very little left of the Native American culture yet there are traces of some commonalities with ancient cultures of the East - some words that indicate that their languages might have been once close to that of Asia - even India. Of all the native American people, the natives of Guatemala have left a rich mythological history in their scripture 'Popul Vuh' which is regarded as one of the rarest relics of Quiche aboriginal thought.

In the Quiche account of the creation of the earth and its inhabitants, is the concept of a supreme all-powerful Creator of all things, but the Creator is joined in a somewhat perplexing matter, much like in the Hindu texts, a huge number of auxiliary deities and makers. The texts also seem to say that man was created four times and destroyed four times- similar to the ancient mythology of India. This is recorded in the Native
Chimalpopoca manuscript, or the Codex Chimalpopoca named so by Abbe Brasseur de Bourbourg (1814 – 1874), a noted French writer, ethnographer, historian and archaeologist. He became a specialist in Meso-American studies, travelling extensively in the region.

In the Native American scripts, myths and mythologies, survive names of their deities, gods and goddesses that stand out in their likeness to Indic-Sanskritic names. Included in these names are Viriseva and Vairubi.

Though Andrés Pérez de Ribas (1576-1655), a Spanish Jesuit missionary, and historian of north-western Mexico records in his book 'My Life Among the Savage Nations of New Spain' Viriseva as a goddess and Vairubi a god, the names seem to be linked to God Shiva and Goddess Bhairavi of the Hindu tradition. He states, "The Sinaloas, from Culiacan north to the Yaqui River, have dances in honor of a certain Viriseva, the mother of the first man. This first man, who was her son, and called Vairubi, they hold in like esteem." 

In another place he states, "Presently, certain ones of them seated themselves in the sand and, with canes, drew various figures which when finished they brought into clearer outline by filling in the lines of their drawings with various bright colors of sand. The figures they painted appeared to be human. One they called Viriseva, another Vairubi. "

These names seem to be derived from Virshaiva, (वीरशैव) which is a particular sect of Shiva in India, and from Bhairavi (भैरवी), which is the same as Parvati, the consort of Shiva. The meaning and the identity of these names have been lost in the Native American lore.

What lends support to a Sanskritic link is the existence of two other names in the Meso-American tradition. In his book, 'The native races of the Pacific states of North America', author Hubert Howe Bancroft states, "The Pericues, also of Lower California, call the creator Niparaja, and say that the heavens are his dwelling-place.....The nations of Los Angeles County, California, believe that their one god, Quaoar, came down from heaven; and, after reducing chaos to order, put the world on the back of seven giants. He then created the lower animals, and lastly a man and a woman. These were made separately out of earth and called, the man Tobohar, and the woman Pabavit...". (Vol V, page -20 & 84). Niparaja is most likely a distortion of Nataraja - yet another name of Shiva, and Pabavit is most likely the equivalent 
of Parvati.
texts

 
In his book 'A Brief Guide to Native American Myths and Legends', Lewis Spence state, "In Lower California the Pericues were divided into two gentes, each of which worshipped a divinity which was hostile to the other. The tradition explains that there was a great lord in heaven, called Niparaya, who made earth and sea, and was almighty and invisible. His wife was Anayicoyondi".

Niparaja, also known as Niparaya, was considered as the lord of heaven, of the sea and the earth, creator of the peninsula, its plants, animals and human beings.

There was another name for Creator, referred to as 'Chareya' translated as 'Old man Above' - which may just be the same as the Sanskrit 'acharya' with a syllable dropped. As for the name Quaoar, that has been correlated to the Vedic Kubera by the writer Gene D. Matlock.

In his book, 'The native races of the Pacific States of North America', Hubert Howe Bancroft et al state that the eminent Alexander Von Humboldt (1769-1859), German Naturalist and Explorer, was of the view that the Native American myth of the snake cut into pieces was a reflection of the famous serpent Kaliya or Kalinaga conquered by Vishnu when he took the form of Krishna. The Mexican Tonatiuh, the Meso-American sun-deity of the daytime sky, according to Humboldt was the reflection of "the Hindu Krishna, sung of in the Bhagvat-Purana". (page 40-41).

Bancroft then quotes Count Stolberg who belonged to the House of Stolberg which was a large German dynasty of the former Roman Empire's higher aristocracy of the time. He states, "The two great religious sects of India, the worshippers of Vishnu and those of Shiva, have spread over America, and that the Peruvian cult is that of Vishnu when he appears in the form of Krishna, or the sun, while the sanguinary religion of the Mexican is analogous to that of Siva, in the character of the Stygian Jupiter. The wife of Siva, the black Goddess Kali or Bhavani, symbol of death and destruction, wears, according to Hindu statues and pictures, a necklace of human skulls. The Vedas ordain human sacrifices in her honour. The ancient cult of Kali, presents, without doubt, a marked resemblance to that of Mictlancihuatl, the Mexican goddess of hell..". 

Count Stolberg was of the opinion that one could not assume that there was communication between South Asia and the Americas, but Humboldt felt differently. States Bancroft, "Humboldt, who inclines strongly toward the belief that there had been communication between America and South Asia, is at a loss to account for the total absence on the former continent of the phallic symbols which play such an important part in the worship of India. But he remarks that Mr. Langlies observes that in India the Vaishnava, or votaries of Vishnu, have a horror of the emblem of the productive force adored in the temples of Shiva and his wife Bhavani, goddess of abundance."

Of the many myths in their tradition the Native Americans describe of a great flood in their land of origin. It is generally accepted that the Native American word 'apache', a collective term for several Native American tribes, has its source in the Yavapai word 'epache' meaning 'people'. It is also sometimes traced to a Zuni word meaning 'enemy'. The Zuni who considered Navajo as their enemies referred to the Navajo as 'apache'. The Zuni called themselves Inde or Nide. Might that have been a truncated form of Sindhu - after all there is a river by the native American name Xingu that flows in South America. The native name for Zuni river was the Shiwinan.

The Zuni traditionally speak the Zuni language, a language isolate that has no known relationship to any other Native American language. Linguists believe that the Zuni have maintained the integrity of their language for at least 7,000 years. The native Zuni name for their language is Shiwi or Shivi. The word for priest is 'shivani'. The Zuni came from a culture that had the knowledge about the winter and summer solstice which they celebrated as major festivals - and called Yatakiya-ittiwana and Tetsina-wittiwa.

The 'Apalachee' were a tribe of present-day Florida who lived in a village by the same name near Tallahassee. The village got its name perhaps from the Apalachee word 'abalahci' which meant 'the other side of the river'. Or it may have originated from the Muskogean 'apalwahči' which meant "dwelling on one side."

In Sanskrit, 'vasa' (वास) means 'dwelling'. 'Para' (पार) means across or on the other side. In some Indian languages that are derived from Sanskrit such as as Kashmiri, 'apara' means on the other side. "Paravasi' or 'aparavasi' would then mean 'dwellers on the other side'.

Click here for an interesting observation about the Sanskrit and Vedic connection to the Seven Peaks of the Appalachian Mountains, one of which is named Maneka, and the nearby Mononghaela River .

In Sanskrit the word 'apachi' (अपाची) has to do with direction and means 'South'. Other close cognates, Apara' (अपरा), Apachya (अपाच्य) and 'apanchya' mean 'west' or 'western'.

Even today Apache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans that originally moved in from the Northern part of America to Southwest United States. Given the fact that many Native American languages have many words similar to or even identical with Sanskrit, could it then be that Apache referred to the tribes that resided or moved to the south or southwest from North America as the Sanskrit meaning of their name suggests.

Suggested Links:
1. Sanskrit Roots of some Pre-Columbian Native American Words
2. Sanskrit found in Native American Tribal Names
4. http://www.viewzone.com/kokopeli.html








Wednesday 26 September 2012

THE VEDIC CONNECTION - MAYAN HANUMAN?

Artifacts from ancient Mayan ruins reveal that even far off Latin America was influenced by the Indian Vedic culture. In Honduras, is an archaeological site by the name of Copan, a temple site in ruins.  But hidden in the ruins are many clues which authenticate what is stated in some of the verses in the Ramayana. 

In the Valmiki Ramayana is the description of a route, which starts from the eastern coast of India, and after crossing five oceans, brings the traveller to Udaya Adri. There the Ramayan states is a settlement of vanaras. This city is known to Sugreeva, the commander-in-chief of the vanaras, and in a conversation with Sri Rama, Sugreeva assures the god-king Rama, that in their world-wide search for the abducted Sita, he would contact and recruit vanaras who dwell in that part of the world, who would scour for Sita in the mountains of Udaya Giri.

The Mayan Howler Monkey God
Copan, Hondurus, South America. His stance and the mace in his hand is remarkably close to the Hindu Monkey God Hanuman.


Whether Copan is the site where the vanaras resided in Ramayanic times is of course unknown. That they did reside somewhere close to the Andes is known from the Ramayana. The name Copan is a cognate of the Sanskrit 'kapi' (कपि) which means 'vanara' or 'monkey', and perhaps derives its name from the Sanskrit 'kapi'. However the name Copan has been in use in current times only since 1576. Perhaps the name is much more ancient and has been present in the native folklore and was brought back into prominence in the 1570s.

There is also another site in Honduras which fits the description of the existence of a city of vanaras. It now goes by the name 'La Ciudad Blanca' and is located in eastern Honduras in the La Moskitia or La Mosquitia area. Its exact location has been kept a secret, though it is known that it is near the Twas and Sikre rivers. The site is known to the Honduras Army and also to a team of National Geographic explorers.  As for Indians who have read the Valmiki Ramayana, no information about any of these Mayan sites comes as a surprise. More about this site in a later post.

Another interesting fact that adds to the vanara lore is the existence of the 'Kaiapo' - a powerful and well-known Brazilian tribe - who lives in villages along the Xingu River across the Central Brazilian Plateau. The Kaiapo call themselves Mebengokre, meaning 'the men from the water place'. The name Kaiapo was given to them by the neighbouring native tribes, and means 'resembling apes' and was  given to them because their men used to dance with monkey masks on festivals and special occasions in honour of their gods and ancestors. It is interesting that 'kaipo' is a cognate of the Sanskrit 'kapi' (कपि) which means 'monkey' - in fact the etymological source of the English 'ape' is unknown and is sometimes attributed to the Sanskrit 'kapi'.  This is another clue that authenticates the information contained in Ramayana about settlements of vanaras stationed around Udaya Adri, which is an obvious reference to the Andes.

Kaiapo Tribesmen from Brazilian Plateau


Hanuman - The Vedic Monkey God.
India

Another name by which this site was known is Oxwitik, where the meaning of the word witik is unknown. Ox is said to mean three. However since there is another Mayan site by the name Yaxachilan, it may be assumed that perhaps the word that has been decoded as Oxwitik should read Yakshhavitik (यक्षवित्त).  That makes Copan a site, not only of vanaras but also of Yakhshas. Yakshahs are guardians of property and do not make use of the property themselves. Various Sanskrit texts mention the kinship between the 'vanars' and the 'yakshas, the rakshasas and the kinnaras. Perhaps the Mayan sites were the residence of these exotic tribes of the ancient Hindu texts. Kubera was the lord of the Yaskshas and in the Ramayanic times Kubera is said to have brought many yakshas and rakshas to Meso-America.

Tuesday 25 September 2012

THE WORD 'ALCOHOL' AND THE SANSKRIT CONNECTION

The etymological origins of the word 'Alcohol' are traced to the Middle Latin 'alcohol' which meant 'powdered ore of antimony' and referred to anything that was produced by the process of sublimation. Alcohol originated from the Arabic 'al-kuhul', the fine metallic powder used to darken the eyelids also produced through sublimation process. "Kuhul" comes from 'kahala'  meaning "to stain" or "to paint".  Later, the meaning of the term alcohol was extended to the 'intoxicating element in fermented liquids'.

 The Arabic 'kahala'  itself originates from the Sanskrit 'Kalaka' (कालक) or 'Kala' (काल) meaning 'black'.


Monday 17 September 2012

THE SANSKRIT-VEDIC CONNECTION TO THE ROMAN GODDESS VESTA

Wikipedia says Vesta is the goddess of the Hearth, Home and Family in ancient Roman religion. Vesta's presence came to be symbolized by the fire that burned at her hearth and temples. Her closest Greek equivalent is Hestia.

In his book, Contributions to the Science of Mythology, Max Mueller wrote," ..much is gained if we can find in the Vedic poetry words and ideas that throw light on the names of the Greek (and Roman) deities". He adds, "There is no Goddess Vesta or Hestia in Vedic literature, but the Sanskrit root 'vas' (वस्) is recognized by everybody though on phoenetic grounds alone it is impossible to determine whether it was derived from the root 'vas' (वस्) to shine, or root vas' (वस्) to dwell."

Though there is no Goddess of 'Home and Hearth', in the Vedic context, one may want to look at another close phonetic Sanskrit root word, 'bhas' (भास्), which means 'to speak', 'shine', 'lustre', 'splendour' and 'ray of light', that may show how there might be a Vedic link to the name Vesta.

In that context, one may want to look at the Vedic Goddess Sarasvati, the Goddess of Eloquence and Wisdom. Like 'bhas' (भास्), saras (सरस्) also means speech. Since both 'bhas' and 'saras' mean speech, Roman Vesta may have evolved from 'bhas' as did Vedic Sarasvati from 'saras'.

Therefore, though Goddess Vesta is recognized today as the Goddess of Home & Hearth due to its closeness to the Sanskrit 'vas', but it may really have been the Sanskrit 'bhas' meaning speech or brightness (of thought), from where the name Vesta was derived. That would connect the Roman Vesta to the Vedic Sarasvati. But then Vesta would originally have had to be the Goddess of Speech & Wisdom!


Suggested Links:
'Contributions to the Science of Mythology" Max-Muller

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