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

Saturday 15 September 2012

THE SANSKRIT CONNECTION TO THE NAME 'SENECA' (NEW YORK)

Seneca, is the name of a Native American tribe that lived near the Great Lakes, whose name is said to mean 'Place of Stones'. The Seneca nation's endonym (the name by which the Seneca call themselves), is 'Onondowaga', meaning "People of the Great Hill."

'Onondo-waga' may be a distortion of the Sanskrit Ananda-Vigar meaning Joyous Mountain or more appropriately Beautiful Mountain. 'Ananda' (आनन्द) has many meanings such as Joyful, Happiness, Blissful and Beautiful.

'Waga' may have been derived from any of the many words for 'mountain' in Sanskrit: such as Vigar (विगर), Tunga (तुङ्ग), Shringin (शृङ्गिन्) and Urvanga (उर्वङ्ग). Waga sounds closest to thae Sanskrit 'Vigar' or 'Urvanga' and may be a distortion of either of the two.

Other nations called the Onondo-Waga by the name 'Seneca' after their principal village of Osininka. Since "Osininka" sounds like Asinikaa(n), meaning "Those at the Place Full of Stones", the name Seneca caught on.

George P. Donehoo in his book "Indian (Native American) Villages and Place Names in Pennsylvania" writes, that 'achsun' or 'asun' and its corruption 'assini' all mean stone in Native American languages.

'Achsun' and 'asun' are Native American words, yet very close to the Sanskrit 'ashan' (अशन्) and 'ashna' (अश्न). Both the words mean 'stone' in Sanskrit as they do in the Delaware dialect and other Native American languages.

Thursday 13 September 2012

OF SANSKRIT, CHICAGO AND ONIONS & GARLIC!

According to Wikipedia, the name "Chicago" is derived from a French rendering of the Native American word 'shikaakwa', translated as "wild onion" or "wild garlic," from the Miami-Illinois language which belongs to the Algonquian group of languages spoken in Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Western Ohio and adjacent areas along the  Mississippi River.

'Shikaakwa' is a corruption of the Sanskrit 'Shikakand' (शिखाकन्द) which means 'onion and garlic'. In Sanskrit 'shika' (शिखा) means root, 'kanda' (कन्द) is any bulbous plant. The Native American 'akwa' maybe a corruption of the Sanskrit word 'kanda". By itself, onion is known as 'Sukanda'(सुकन्द) in Sanskrit.

Wednesday 12 September 2012

LORD KALKI. THE NAME DECODED!

The Puranas say that the arrival of Lord Kalki (the tenth avatara of Lord Vishnu) brings the end of the Kalyuga, and all that which is 'kalka' as well. 'Kalka' (कल्क) means that which is 'filthy, wicked, impure, hypocritical, sinful and evil'.

The popular interpretation of the story is that Lord Kalki arrives on a white horse called Devadatta and kills all that is evil. The Puranas say that the death of 'kalka' (कल्क) takes place when consciousness awakens. Consciousness arrives in an 'ashvah' (अश्वः) moment. Here's what it really means:

"Shva" (श्वः) means yesterday. "Shva" (श्वः) also means tomorrow. A-shva (अ- श्वः) means "neither yesterday, nor tomorrow'. Consciousness awakens, neither in the past, nor in the future. Devadutt (देवदत्त) is the vehicle. Dev (देव) means 'God', Datta (दत्त) means 'given'.

Consciousness awakens at a 'godgiven' or a 'godly' moment. A moment that is therefore 'auspicious'.

Kalya (कल्य) means yesterday. Kalye (कल्ये) means tomorrow. Yesterday and tomorrow are both enveloped in the name of Lord Kalki.

Yesterday or tomorrow (Kalya or Kalye) , neither yesterday nor tomorrow (A-shvah) , at a pious or a god-given (devadatta) moment , whenever consciousness awakens, marks the arrival of Lord Kalki and the end of Kalyuga. Kalya (कल्य) also means auspicious!

KalyA (कल्या) means 'praise'. 'KalyA' or praise be to Lord Kalki.

To Hindi speakers this should not be confusing. After all 'kal' (कल) does mean both yesterday and tomorrow in Hindi. And while we are at it, lets look at the word "Purana' (पुराण). The word "Purana" is defined as "Pura api nava iti", that which is "Old and new as well".

Tuesday 11 September 2012

SANSKRIT ORIGIN OF RUSSIAN GREETING 'DASVIDANYA'?

The Russian word for 'Goodbye' is 'Dasvidanya'. It is really the conjunction of two words: 'Do' which means 'until' and 'Svidanya' which means 'meeting'. 'Dasvidanya' is therefore "Until We Meet Again".

Three Sanskrit cognates fit closely. One is 'Vidath' (विदथ) which means 'meeting'. The second is 'samvadhan' (समवधान) which also means 'meeting'. ['Sama' always means 'together' in Sanskrit. It is from 'Sama' that the English words 'sum', and ' assimilate' are derived.]. A third cognate is 'Samvidan' (संविदान), which means 'joint or associated'.

The 'Do" in 'Dasvidanya' may be derived from the Sanskrit 'Ya-vad' (यावद्) meaning 'until'. 'Do' could also be a corruption of 'tada' (तदा) meaning' then', or 'yada' (यदा) meaning 'whenever'.

But the Sanskrit word that really enriches the meaning of the word 'Svidanya', is 'Vidhi' (विधि) which means 'destiny' or 'fate'. If derived from 'Vidhi' the meaning of Dasvidanya is close to "Until Destiny Brings Us Together"!


In Sanskrit 'vid' (विद्) means knowing, observing, perceiving and hence the 'name Vedas. 'Vedas' are the ancient Sanskrit books of knowledge, there are four of them, namely - RigVeda, SamVeda, Athatveda, Yajurveda. The Russian vid and ved are derived from the Sanskrit 'vid' which means 'Perceiving' . Perceiving includes - knowing, seeing, understanding, observing and seeing.

Monday 10 September 2012

NATIVE AMERICAN VILLAGES OF NEW YORK - SANSKRIT NAMES?

Assunepachla, Assinnisink and Assunepachala are three Native American Villages in the New York-Pennsylvania region. Are the names derived from Sanskrit?

In Sanskrit, Pasya (पाष्य), Shila (शिला), Ashan (अशन्), Ashna (अश्न), Pashi (पाशी), Shan (शाण) and Pashan (पाषाण), all mean 'stone'. These words in their exact form as mentioned above, or in a corrupted or distorted form, are found in many Native American place-names.

One name is Assunepachla. This is the name of a former Delaware-tribe village. George P. Donehoo, in his book 'Indian (Native American) Villages and Place Names in Pennsylvania' writes, "Assunepachla is a probable corruption of 'achsun' or 'asun' meaning stone, and 'pachsajeek' meaning 'valley'." He translates Assunepachla as 'Stone Valley'. 


What is remarkable is that though 'Achsun' and 'asun' are Delaware words, they are phonetically very close to the Sanskrit 'ashan' (अशन्) and 'ashna' (अश्न) - both of which also mean 'stone'. So, the 'Assune' in Assunepachla has the same meaning in both the languages. The second syllable 'pachala' (पाचल) means 'fire' or 'wood' in Sanskrit. If the second word is derived from 'pachala', the meaning of Assunepachla becomes 'Stone-Fire' or 'Stone-Wood'.

However, it is the word 'Panchala' (पाञ्चाल) that is more meaningful in the Vedic context. 'Panchala' is the name of a kingdom in the great Vedic epic - the Mahabharata. 'Panchali' is the daughter of the king of Panchala. She is also the wife of Arjuna,one of the protagonists of the epic Mahabharata. 'Panchala' is also the name of one of the most ancient tribes of India that predate the Mahabharata and are considered as one of the five original tribes of the world. Whether or not the tribes of America had origins in India will be debated forever, but words of Sanskrit origin do seem to have traveled into Native American language(s).

'Assinni', in the name Assinnisink, too maybe a distortion of Sanskrit 'Ashan' or 'Ashna' which are the cognates of Delaware 'achsun' or 'asun'. Stephen A. Runkle, Consulting Engineer, Susquehanna River Basin Commission who has researched Native American place names translates 'Assinnisink' as 'Place of Stones' or 'Where the stones are Gathered'. In Sanskrit the word 'Sam' (सम्) means to 'put together' or 'add together'. It is also the root word of the English words 'sum', 'summation' and 'assimilate'. The same could be true of the second syllable 'sink' in the word 'Assinisink'. It would then have the exact same meaning 'Stone-Gather' in Sanskrit, as it does in Delaware.

Geographically, Assinnisink Village in New York lies at the confluence of the River Tioga, [probably a corruption of the Sanskrit Tri-yoga, (त्रि-योग)] and River Canisteo, [also a corruption of Sanskrit, Kanistha (कनिष्ठ)]. For more details about the Sanskrit connection to the names 'Tioga' and 'Canisteo', click here .

Wappasening Creek is a 20 mile long tributary of the Susquehanna River in New York and Pennsylvania. Wappasening has been translated as 'Place of White Stones' from Delaware dialect. The closest Sanskrit cognates of 'Wappa' meaning white are 'Vasa' (वसा) and 'Shweta' (श्वेत). (For the Sanskrit connection to the name Susquehanna click here). 'Asening' again is probably a corruption of the Sanskrit 'ashan' or the Delaware 'aschun'.

It is interesting that the Delaware names of villages and rivers are not only cognates of Sanskrit names, it is even more interesting that the meaning of the words are also uncannily similar.

Saturday 8 September 2012

THE SANSKRIT CONNECTION TO THE NAME 'WYOMING'

The state of Wyoming is named after the Wyoming Valley in Pennsylvania. The Seneca name for Wyoming (Valley) in Pennsylvania is 'Tsanandowa' - meaning "the place of the great flats" or "great meadows". A Sanskrit cognate of 'Tsanandowa' is 'Sama-dhara' (सम-धरा), meaning 'level earth' or 'great meadows'. 'Sama' (सम) has many meanings in Sanskrit including 'equal, same, and parallel'. It is also the etymological source of the English word 'similar'. 'Dhara' (धरा)  is earth.

According to Ben's Guide to U.S. Government, the name Wyoming is based on an Algonquin Indian word meaning "large prairie place." Bright, William (2004). states in his Native American Place Names of the United States, pg. 576,  the name is derived from the Delaware (Munsee) name xwé:wamənk, meaning "at the big river flat", originally applied to the Wyoming Valley in Pennsylvania. 

Later the name 'Wyoming' was transported westward, and that is how Wyoming state got its name. Sometimes, it is said that the Native American source word for Wyoming' is 'xwe wamenk' with the same meaning - 'the great plains'. In Sanskrit, 'variman' (वरिमन्) means 'expanse'. 'Vyoman' (व्योमन् ) means 'atmosphere', 'space', 'sky' or 'open expanse'. 'Xwe' could be a distortion of 'eksay (एक्ष्य) meaning 'looking out at'.

Whether these words are in any ways linked to the etymology of the Native American words is difficult to say. But they definitely are close cognates.

Friday 7 September 2012

THE SANSKRIT CONNECTION TO THE NAME 'DANUBE'

In antiquity, the River Danube had many names. In Latin, the Danube was known as Danubius and Danuvius. In ancient Greek it was known as the 'Istros'.

The name 'Danube' is said to derive from Proto-Indo-European, a language reconstructed from European & Indic languages. In PIE, the word 'dānu' is apparently a term for "river", but PIE of course does not have any scriptures or literature that detail the context in which the Danube was called "danu". The word "Danu" simply translates as "a river". It is said that the PIE root word is 'da' which means 'rapid, swift and violent'.*

In Sanskrit, the word 'Danu" (दानु) has many meanings. It means 'dew, dew drops, fluid, valiant and courageous'. The root word is 'da' (दा) which means 'that which is cleansing and purifying, giving and protecting'. This is probably more appropriate as a name source for a revered river.

The Rig Veda and Puranas identify the details of Goddess Danu and her sons, the Danavas. In the Vedic context, 'Danu' was a primeval cosmic river. Goddess Danu, the daughter of Daksha, who was the son of Brahma, embodied the primeval waters. For more details about the story of Goddess Danu and Danavas click here.

In his book 'Druids', author Peter Ellis states, "It is here that we might glimpse, albeit briefly, a Celtic origin myth in the story of Danu, the mother goddess, and her children, the Tuatha De Danaan. Most religions of the world have their ‘mother goddess'. As Professor Markle has pointed out: ‘The Druidic religion was no exception to this rule. Its mythology, like all other mythologies, contains traces of a mother goddess.’ Danu’s name is also that of the great River Danube at whose headwaters, significantly, the Celtic peoples are said to have evolved before commencing their expansion throughout Europe at the start of the first millennium BC. The name seems cognate with the Sanskrit, the nearest we can come to our hypothesized Indo-European language, Dana meaning ‘waters of heaven’. The Irish form now indicates ‘swift flowing’. Moreover, the name is to be found in several river names, such as the River Don in Durham and Yorkshire, the Don in Scotland and in France. We have another comparison to Hindu culture in that, according to the Rigveda, Aditya is not only an early mother goddess but the name of a mythical river which is the source of all the waters of the world. Could it be that the Danube, the river of the mother goddess Danu, providing the ‘waters of heaven’, occupied that same role in the early Celtic world? A place which the Ganga, or Ganges, still occupies in the Hindu world today? Ganga was a mother goddess who in later Hindu tradition becomes one of the wives of Shiva. As Joseph Campbell remarked: ‘The idea of the sacred river, the Jordan, the waters that pour from heaven, becomes translated into the idea of the grace of the divine, flowing inexhaustibly out of some source. In India the very source of the Ganges, up in the Himalayan area, is a very sacred place.’ We find that the ancient Irish bards deemed that the river’s edge, the brink of the water,
where 
éicse, wisdom, knowledge and poetry was revealed. It was also a word that meant divination." Incidently the Irish word éicse stems from latin 'ecce' meaning see, or behold, ultimately from sanskrit 'a dah' or 'that'!
é,
*Just a quick look at other related Sanskrit words. 'Drav' (द्राव) means 'going quickly' and (द्रुत) means to run. The root word here 'dru' (द्रु); which means to 'run', 'go swiftly', 'melt', 'dissove' and 'become fluid'. The 'dru' root word may describe the river's swiftness, but it lacks the 'cleansing and purifying, giving and protecting' aspect that the 'da' (दा) root word adds to the description of the river.

The Sanskrit word for 'rapid' is "Ishiram" (इषिरम्) which is the etymological source for "Istros", the Greek name for the River Danube.

Thursday 6 September 2012

THE SANSKRIT CONNECTION - RIVER WISCONSIN

The name "Wisconsin" originally applied to the Wisconsin River; is a Native American name of unknown origin though there are many theories about it. Early spellings include 'Mescousing', 'Mishkonsing' and Miskasinsin.

The Columbia County website says that "Wisconsin means dark waters in a Native American language. The dark water of the Wisconsin River and Lake Wisconsin comes from the very dark roots of the Tamarack (Larix Larcina*) trees which line its banks in the northern part of the state and bleed a natural dye into the river".

A cognate of 'Meshcousing' in Sanskrit is 'Mechakpag' (मेचकापगा) meaning 'Dark-Blue River'. The word Mechak (मेचक) means 'dark blue', 'smoke', or 'darkness' . Mechakita (मेचकित) means 'having a dark blue colour'.

"Meskonsing" has also commonly been translated as "it lies red". But that does not appropriately describe the waters of Wisconsin.

There is another river in Wisconsin state that is lined by a large number of Tamarack and Oak trees. Its waters are even darker than the waters of the Wisconsin. The river is called the "Black River". Its ancient Native American name is lost.

*Larcina - from Latin 'larix', probably a loan-word from an Alpine Gaulish language, corresponding phonetically to Old Celtic. *Darik meaning"oak". Refer: www.etymonline.com. 'Darik', is originally derived from Sanskrit 'devadar' meaning "God's Tree". For more details click here

Tuesday 4 September 2012

THE VEDIC CONNECTION - NATIVE AMERICAN WEDDING CUSTOMS

Native American culture is composed of many tribes, each with distinct traditions and customs. It is difficult to characterize any aspect of a wedding as being 'Native American'. Some traditions are common to many tribes, while others are unique.

It is fascinating that just as the Vedic Sapta-Padhi (सप्तपदी) or the 'Seven-Steps' is the core of the wedding ceremony for the Hindus in India, in distant America, another ancient people, the Native Americans, too have the 'Rite of Seven Steps' at the core of their wedding ritual.

The Native American 'Seven-Step Rite' vows are very similar to the Vedic SaptaPadi, where the Bride and the Groom take Seven Steps together, at a slow pace, in the north-easterly direction, making a promise at every step.

For details of Vedic Hindu 'Saptapadi', Click here. For details of Native American 'Rite of Seven Steps' click here and here
No one can argue that the two are not almost identical.

The Native Americans also have other ceremonies similar to the Vedic Hindu Wedding. The 'Sacred Fire Ceremony' is equally important to the Vedic Indians and Native Americans. The Native Americans build their fire with seven different types of wood. The Hindus too believe that there are seven types of energies and circumambulate
 the sacred fire seven times. 

Generally brides belonging to most tribes wore red for the ceremony, their attire passed down many generations. Today quite a few, especially for example brides belonging to the Cherokee tribe wear white. In India, brides always wear red for the wedding ceremony.

The Sapta-Padi in the Vedic tradition
Another Native American ritual which they call the 'Blanket Ceremony', is similar to the Vedic 'Aashirwad' (आशीर्वाद) ceremony. The Bride and groom are covered with a Blanket or Sheet and are showered with flowers. In the Vedic tradition the couple is taken to be the manifestation of Shiva & Parvati and flowers showered over the covering blanket are an offering to Shiva & Parvati.


A Native American Wedding.
The Sacred Fire in the foreground.
Exchanging rings is a (comparatively) new addition to the wedding rites and was not a part of the wedding custom in either Vedic or among the cultures of various Native American tribes .

Most Native Americans believe that in the universe there exists the Great Spirit – a spiritual force that is the source of all life believed to be formless and to exist throughout the universe. Similarly, in the Vedic tradition the spiritual force is called the 'Supreme Consciousness' or 'Brahman' and is regarded as omnipresent.

Monday 3 September 2012

THE SANSKRIT CONNECTION - NEBRASKA

Nebraska State is named after the Platte River, which is called 'NiNbdhaska' in Omaha-Ponco. In Ioway-Otoe, the Platte River is known as 'NiNbraske'. Omaha-Ponco and Ioway-Otoe are Native American languages.

Ninbdhaska and NinBraske, the two Native American names for the Platte River have the same meaning, i.e., 'Flat Water'.

In Sanskrit, the root word 'nini' (निनी) means to 'pour in', 'pour out' or 'pour down'. 'Abhadak' (अबाधक) means 'without obstacles'. Saka (सक) is added as a suffix for 'he' or 'she', in this case 'she' as river names in Sanskrit normally have a female gender. 'Ninabhadaska' woulld mean "that which pours or flows without impediment'. (Like a Flat-River!).

John E. Koontz, Department of Linguistics at the University of Colarado, says that the name Nebraska probably came from the the Ioway-Otoe 'NiNBraske". 


In Sanskrit, 'NinBraske' can be traced to the word 'Prastirna' (प्रस्तीर्ण) which means 'flat'. (The 'p' and 'b' sounds are easily convertible). If we add 'NiN' to 'Prastirna' we have 'NinPrastirna' which would mean 'pouring flat'. We could even add the 'saka' or 'aka' and the name would then change to 'Nin-Prastirn-aka' meaning 'that which pours out flat'. 

Yet another Sanskrit word, 'Nirbhugna' (निर्भुग्न) fits in well. Nirbhugna means 'flat'. It also means 'bent' or 'not straight'. If we add an 'A' as a suffix, we have NirbhugnA, which means a river that flows 'flat but not straight'. 


And here is the interesting part. The Nebraska State is little more than 200 miles from north to south and about 430 miles from east to west, but the serpentine windings of the River Platte give it a length of 600 miles within the state of Nebraska. Flat the river may may be, but it certainly is not straight.

Infact, the River Platte is serpentine.'Vatasha' (वाताश) as they say in Sanskrit! 'Nin-VatashA' - 'that which pours or flows like a serpent'.

If any of these Sanskrit words existed in the Native American languages, then a link between the Native Americans and  India definitely existed.


And if all these Sanskrit words exist in the Native American languages in some form or the other, then the origins of Native Americans just might have been in the Indian Subcontinent. 


Unless ofcourse the Vedic culture and the Sanskrit language was all-pervasive in the ancient world!

Saturday 1 September 2012

THE SANSKRIT CONNECTION - ARKANSAS AND KANSAS

It is largely believed, for want of a better explanation perhaps, that the state of Arkansas which gets its name from that of the river Arkansas, is named after the 'Akansa' - a Siouan tribe. The initial 'a' in 'akansa', is an Algonquian (a language spoken by another neighboring tribe) prefix, found in the names of many ethnic groups.

Kansa tribesmen also go by the name Kaw, Kaza, Kosa, and Kasa meaning 'People of the Wind' or 'People of Water'. In Sanskrit 'Kush' (कुश), 'Kashas' (कशस्), 'Kulinas' (कुलीनस), 'Kritas' (कृत्स) and 'Kavan' (कवन) all mean 'water'. 'Ka' () and 'Khaga' (खग) mean 'wind' or 'air'. 'Ashuga' (आशुग) also means 'wind'. 


Whether there is any link to the Sanskrit words and the tribe name Kansa described as 'People of the Wind' or 'People of Water' is difficult to say. It is also said that the term Arkansas means 'south wind' and is derived from a name used by some Native Americans to describe the Quapaws, an early tribe in the area. Wikipedia says that 'The French Jesuits pronounced the tribe name Oo-gaq-pa, which the Algonquins pronounced Oo-ka-na-sa, and Marquette wrote Arkansoa; LaSalle wrote Arkensa; DeTonti, Arkancas; and LaHarpe, Arkansas'. No matter what the original word, to the Sanskrit or Hindi speaking world, the names of many Native American Tribes, and the names of their rivers and mountains, just sound so familiar, that it is worth it to take a look at them, through the Sanskrit lens.

The word Kansa (कंस) pronounced Kamsa means copper, brass, bell-metal, or just metal, and any vessel made of these metals. Kansa is also the name of a prominent character in the Indian epic, Mahabharata- specifically the maternal uncle of Lord Krishna.



'Washunga', the Chief of the Kaw
or Kansa Tribe, circa 1885. 
In Sanskrit 'Vasha' (वश)
means 'authority'.
'Vashi' means 'one who controls'.

A look at the word 'Arkansas' out side of what is generally accepted as its source therefore is warranted. In Sanskrit, 'Ark' (अर्क) means the 'Sun' and 'Ansha' (अंश) means a 'part' or 'day'. Arkansas would mean 'Part of the Sun' or 'Sunday'!

Sanskrit words such as 'arun' (अरुण) mean 'red', 'ruddy' or 'tawny'. 'Arusha' (अरुष) means 'reddish'. That perhaps has something to do with the name of the 'Arkansas River.

Not surprisingly, there is a major river in Arkansas which today goes by the name 'Red River'. The river was named for the red-bed country of its water shed. Red beds are sedimentary rocks which typically consist of sandstone, siltstone and shale that are predominantly red in color due to the presence of ferric oxides. Did its ancient name have anything to do with the Sanskrit 'arun', or 'arusha' is not known. Who is to know!

Edward Moor in his book Oriental Fragments had stated that in Europe and elsewhere around the world, river names abound in words which mean black or white. Of Arkansas he said,"Arkanza - a river and a territory....and America has a red river, perhaps this...".

The Red River, or sometimes the Red River of the South, is a major tributary of the Mississippi and Atchafalaya. 'Atchafalaya' is an interesting name - and sounds Sanskrit to the core. In his research 'Native American place names of the United States' published in the year 2004, Bright William stated that the name 'Atchafalaya' comes from Choctaw for 'long river', from 'hachcha', 'river', and 'falaya', 'long'. As for Sanskrit, 'Atchfalaya' could be a distortion of many Sanskrit words.
'Falam' (फलं) means 'fruit' or 'end result' or 'reward'. 'Atcha' may be a distortion of 'atichar' (अतिचार) 'fast moving' or 'accelerating', 'atigha' (अतिघ) or 'aticha' (अतीच्छ) meaning 'desirous'.

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