Brahma: in chanting

[Robert Zydenbos]

Am 28 Feb 00 um 19:54 schrieb Vishal Agarwal:

> The pronounciation of Brahma as Bramha is a classical case of how
> a 'mispronounciation' attains legitmacy because of tradition. [...]

As an anecdote, I can add the similar case of a pundit in Mysore
who pooh-poohed me for my Western ignorance and insisted that
the names 'Prahlaada' and 'Baahliika' are to be pronounced
'Pralhaada' and 'Baalhiika'. However, when two weeks later a
famous indigenous scholar visited the same institute and in the
course of a conversation ridiculed the "idiots" who say things like
"braamha.na", "Pralhaada" and "Baalhiika", nobody, including my
critic, said anything, but all just sat with delighted smiles. The
visiting scholar argued just as I had done; but I suppose he had the
right caste. I found it reassuring that the present state of a tradition
is not necessarily considered the final word.

RZ