nAraNa_n, the tamil word for nArAyaNa (was: Vishnu)

[L. Suresh Kumar-LSK]

> "V.V. Raman" wrote:
>
> 2. As I have been taught here, this group is for high-powered scholars
> debating  about the  subtle meanings of ancient words, for the purpose
> of  discovering truths about <ancient Hindu culture & history, purely
> out of scientific/scholarly curiosity (in plain English, to have fun).

This is fantastic and certainly most laudable. We need to know our
roots, however long that would take and whatever be the age from which
this learning process started. The problem, is however, this knowledge
has so far , been restricted to the few "educated elite intelligentia"
- many of whose personal biases have greatly tarnished certain info.

For example, the poet Kannadasan, once indulged in the worst criticism
of Hindu religion but it took him severe losses in personal life to
get that awakening and then write great works about Hindu religious
stuff. His tamil version of kanakadhaara stotram, if I remember well,
had its blessings from the Kanchi Shankaracharya. Now the question
is, how man tamilians, leave all Indologists and people of other
languages here - have read the work and learnt ?

That is why, we need the works of Indologists be translated - without
biases - let the truth be written as truth - and be made available
to the masses - who must also be literate enough to read and
understand.

While I certainly in agreement that 'out of scientific/scholarly
curiosity (in plain English, to have fun)' is true ( that is why
I too joined this list ), those enlightened persons must see to it
that once their curiosity is answered, they do take the effort to
help others understand the same.

> Black and white, caste hierarchy and untouchability, Aryan/Dravidian
> dichotomy, whether Sanskrit  originated in India or merely evolved
> there: these are among the topics that can become pretty explosive.
>
> 5. What to do about this? Only Indians in India can answer this, and I
> am  sure  there are people  of goodwill, scholars and journalists, lay
> leaders  and  religious, thinkers and  writers, who are right there in
> the  thick of things, who know the situation and its complexities much
> better:  who are trying to resolve these issues. Outsiders can help if
> called upon, but they cannot advice on what needs to be done.

"aayiram undingu jaathi, yenil anniyan vandhu pugal enna needhi" .. ???

The main problem is the education, either the lack of it or insufficient
exposure to it. The above mentioned topics are explosive solely because
there is a lack of dignity to human life, esp. of a lower caste person.

Skin color, casteism, untouchability, aryan invasion theory, dravidian
idealogy, role of sanskrit - all dwell from the source - evil casteism.

> 6.  Who  would have thought  a hundred  years ago that ancient history
> would  provoke so  many controversies,  so much  bitterness and  name-
> calling! But I fear this is only the beginning.

Name calling is done because people refuse to accept facts. So the only
way to stop the discussion is to go in for personal attack.

> 6.  It surprises  me that many professional Indologists do not seem to
> care   much   about  this   very  unhappy  and  potentially  dangerous
> situation.

There in lies the problem. Classic case of election results - Educated
people do not vote and complain why such lousy politicians were elected
(by the illiterate masses). Experts must shed their personal biases,
either political or religious or other, and must focus on enlightening
the people about the issues. The problem, is they do, but with all their
personal biases of all kinds evident in their writings. Hence the
problems only becomes complex.
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