Language is more than just a tool for communication. It is also a reflection of the culture and history of the people who speak it. The grammar, vocabulary, and literature of a language tell us something about the values and experiences of the people who use it.
In this sense, language is a living, evolving entity, shaped by the needs and experiences of the people who use it. It is a window into the soul of a culture, and a way for us to understand and connect with one another on a deeper level. Tamil, being one of the ancient classical languages of the world, happens to be so, not just because of it antiquity but also it's deep yet simple, profound yet concise, heavily influenced yet intact vision and core purpose: spiritual enlightenment. The philosophical wisdom Tamil has to impart to the rest of the world is beyond fathomable. Tamil, as a language, has birthed some of the world's most overlooked but wisest saints.
When the world gets to know about them, which is in fact my mission for this blog, peace will find it's inhabitants.
God - Linguistic Approach
Historically and Geographically, there are many ways in many traditions and cultures to seek enlightenment, approach God. But Tamils, way back in BC, strongly believed language is the central tool to seek enlightenment, because half the journey towards enlightenment is experiential knowledge chiselling a soul to wisdom. What other than language can connect the soul's mind to one's brain, while also connecting with other souls through knowledge, emotion and experience? The other half is all about self-nullification, killing the ego, kindness, compassion and love, which is advocated widely by many major religions in the world.
I am not arguing Tamil is superior, but just that it stays one step ahead than all the religions in the world combined, when it comes to defining GOD.
How languages define and approach God reveals us the language's experience towards enlightenment, how deeply it has dug towards finding the treasure and how close it is to the treasure. The English word 'God' has a very vague origin.
The word "God" is derived from the Old English word "god," which itself is derived from the Proto-Germanic "gudan." The Proto-Germanic word is thought to be derived from the Proto-Indo-European "ghut-," which means "to pour" or "to libate."
The ancient Indo-European root "ghut-" referred to the practice of pouring a libation or offering a sacrifice to a deity. This root gave rise to a number of words in various Indo-European languages that referred to deities or the act of worship, including the Latin "deus" (god), the Greek "theos" (god), and the Sanskrit "huti-" (sacrifice).
The word "god" has been used in English for centuries to refer to a higher power or deity, whether it is understood as a single, all-powerful deity or as a pantheon of gods and goddesses.
The Tamil way of defining God:
Saint Augustine, around 4th century AD said "If you think you've understood GOD, that ain't GOD." But that doesn't mean one should stop trying, to define or understand god, right? (But Tamils agree to this statement in a beautiful coincidence, which I will explain in a different article)
Tamil has an array of words and definitions to God in it's long and rich ancient vocabulary. Let's see them one by one:
கடவுள் - Kadavul - One who is Kada (beyond) Vul (within)
இயவுள் - IyaVul - The One who Iya (Moves) Vul (within)
இறைவன் - IraiVan - Irai
தெய்வம் - Dheivam - Experience
பால் - Paal - The Ultimate Limit
வரை - Varai - Consequence/Effect
ஐயன் - Ayyan - Leader who is beyond doubts (aiyam) -
கோன் - KOn - King/Ruler
பரன் - Paran - One who has no leaders
பகவன் - Pagavan - One who dualizes, comes down as two
வாலறிவன் - ValArivan - Val(Pure) Arivan(Embodiment of Wisdom)
எண்குணத்தான் - EnGunathan - En(Simple/Humble) Gunathan(by Character)
The list goes on a little more, but this is the gist of it. Just because there are this many words to say 'God' doesn't make Tamil a privileged language to reach God or attain enlightenment. The philosophical understanding of God reflects in the meanings of these words. I am contrasting the vague meaning of 'God' meaning 'to pour' versus several words that describes the 'God: how he works, what he does, where he is' etc. it's ironic that I've used the word 'God' so many times in this passage without being able to convey a deeper meaning about... you know.
I can illustrate with another example: English is often described as the "lingua franca" of science and technology. And there's no scant of doubt about it. More than sufficient number of words about technology, engineering, commerce etc. overflows the English vocabulary. Contrast that to Tamil, although just about any technical word from any language can translated into simple Tamil words, it can never come close to English when it comes to Science and Tech. What's the difference? English has been intensively used by it's speakers and adopters in the fields of science, technology and engineering.
Likewise, Tamil as a language, has been intensively used to seek, experience and connect with God, transcending beyond material state into emotional vantage point, making it the Atlantis of spiritual wisdom.
This highlights the inherent limitations of language in expressing the fullness and mystery of the divine. While words can certainly be powerful tools for understanding and experiencing the divine, they can also fall short in fully capturing the essence of the divine.
Tamils have no religion
The word, Religion is as vague as the word 'God' is. The word "religion" comes from the Latin word "religionem," which is derived from the verb "religare," which means "to bind or to connect." This refers to the idea that religion connects people to something greater than themselves, such as a higher power or spiritual realm. The word was first used in English in the 14th century.
Tamils define something better than religion by the word 'Samayam'. The etymology is very interestingly interconnected in Tamil, one word can mean and convey several similar things on various levels of life.
'Samayam' means 'To mature'.
Similar word, "samayal" means 'Cooking' or make something fit for consumption.
It's about a change that starts within, emotional & mental maturity, unlike 'Religion' which looks at the idea outwards. In Tamil, Religion directly translates to 'Madham' which is strongly advised to neglect being a part of, if you want to seek enlightenment and reach God.
We are just scratching the surface here with all of this. It may be because it is complex and difficult to understand at the beginning, or because there has not been enough translation and interpretation work done, or due to political reasons, but Tamil spiritual wisdom and Saivism have been given very little mention in the global stage of philosophy, in contrast to Advaita Vedanta, which was popularized by Swami Vivekananda. This hinders Western seekers from looking beyond and travelling south to explore Tamil's philosophical treasures.
Stay tuned for more about how Tamil can give you an advantage, regardless of your race, nationality, ethnicity, or religion, to come one step closer to God, if you are willing to put in the effort to learn it. Comment on how do you like this article.
I want to explore the ways in which different languages can influence an individual's spiritual journey. My aim is to highlight the differences between these languages, rather than to promote any one of them over the others or to suggest that one language is superior to another. My intention is simply to show how language can play a role in shaping one's spiritual path and to encourage understanding and appreciation for the diversity of language and spirituality in the world and how Tamil stands out from all the other languages in this aspect.
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