Scholar Strives to Revive Sanskrit and Vedic Chanting

[Guest guest]

Chennai, INDIA: "Chanting mantras brings peace and prosperity, power

and great fortune. May the whole world become prosperous, " says Dr.

Rajagopalan Thiagarajan, a Vedic scholar who has taken the Hindu

world by storm with his recordings of Sanskrit chanting of Vedic

scripture.

 

His audio presentations -- available on tape, CD and now on the

Internet -- feature chants in praise of many Hindu Deities, including

Siva, Vishnu, Ganesha, Hanuman, Durga and Lakshmi. These recordings

are distinguished because of their perfect diction, traditional

presentation and state-of-the-art technical quality.

 

"The mantras should be tasted," says Dr. Thiagarajan, who has worked

tirelessly for over 30 years to spread the knowledge of the Hindu

scripture in India and around the world. "Every human being on Earth

must know the beauty and the efficacy of these mantras. That is my

mission. Sound is the link between man and God. Chanting mantras

creates waves. The more times a mantra is chanted, the more power it

generates. Our ancestors knew this scientific fact. Whenever they

wanted to harness the power of God, they would chant. Of course, an

intense love of God is also necessary," he says.

 

In less than two years, Dr. Thiagarajan has recorded approximately

120 CDs. Many of these recordings are rare, featuring extremely

powerful mantras not often made available. He is also one of a

handful of scholars who researched scripture on lesser known Deities,

like Prathyankara, Shyaamala and Vaaraahi, to make them accessible to

ordinary people. He attributes his current success in popularizing

Sanskrit to his love of God and, not surprisingly, blessings derived

from chanting Vedic mantras.

 

The scholar's sacred Sanskrit recitals never fail to give prominence

to a rich and varied selection of powerful prayers from the Vedas or

Upanishads. These presentations always start in a very traditional

way with the famous Gayatri Mantra, followed by a chant called the

Sahasranamam. The only musical instrument he uses is the tambura (a

simple stringed instrument), and this only to provide sruti (a drone

sound furnishing a basic tonality).

 

Dr. Thiagarajan is the head of the Department of Sanskrit at

Presidency College in Chennai, India. He is the youngest to be

appointed to that position in the school's 160-year-old history. The

Sanskrit department is 125 years old.

 

Dr. Thiagarajan was born in a poor family in Injikkollai village in

Tanjavur district of Tamilnadu. His father, D. Rajagopal, was a

temple auditor, and his grandfather, Dasaratharama Sastry, was a

respected Sanskrit scholar.

 

At an early age, Thyagu -- as Dr. Thiagarajan was called then --

worked for food at the local temple. He did sundry jobs like washing

puja vessels and grinding sandalwood paste. While performing these

simple chores around the temple, he was developing a deep and abiding

love of God. The chanting of the priests particularly attracted him.

Even at that young age, he was able to hear the subtleties of accent,

tone and pause in the pronunciation of the mantras.

 

Gradually, Thyagu was overcome with a desire to learn the proper

chanting of these holy mantras, but was forced to face numerous

challenges in his efforts to do so. His will was strong, however, and

his faith in God was firm. At every turn along the way, mentors were

there, provided -- it seemed -- by divine intervention.

 

A priest named Vedamoorthy Sastry was Dr. Thiagarajan's first

Sanskrit teacher. When little Thyagu was only ten, Vedamoorthy taught

him to chant complex Vedic scriptures. Another priest, Kunjithapadam,

taught him to perform puja (Hindu ritual).

 

Thiagarajan never had an opportunity to formally learn Sanskrit in a

traditional padasala (a training center for young priests), but with

what he learned on his own and from a handful of compassionate

private teachers, he was able to get a masters and doctoral degree in

Sanskrit from Madras University. One of his professors, Viswanathan,

who also served as a priest at the local Kapaleeswaran temple in

Chennai, got him scholarships, food and accommodations. Thyagu lived

at the Ramakrishna Mission Students' Home, an orphanage in Chennai,

for five years until he completed his college education. Swami

Thathagathananda, then head of the Ramakrishna Mutt, encouraged

Thyagu to join debates, elocution and recitation competitions and

groomed him for leadership roles. Rajagopal, one of Thyagu's

university teachers, further kindled his interest by inspiring him to

participate in research work being done at that time on the history

of Sanskrit.

 

Today, Thiagarajan is closely associated with all of the eight

universities in South India. The Tamil Nadu Government has nominated

him as a trustee for two Chennai-based foundations actively involved

in promoting Sanskrit: The Rao Bahadur Ranganatham Chetty Charitiable

Trust and the Maduranthakam Sanskrit College Trust.

 

Dr. Thiagarajan uses films to propagate Sanskrit chanting. He

composed the title song for the film Baba starring Rajni Kant, the

highest-paid film actor in Tamil Nadu, and chose a sloka from the

Devi Mahatmayam for the movie Hey Ram, starring Kamala Hasan, another

popular film star. For another film, he chose a sweet rendition of

Manmatha Gayatri (a prayer to the God of Love).

 

If all of this is not enough. Thiagarajan also teaches Sanskrit

online. His articles on Sanskrit can be read at

www.southindianmusic.net. He has delivered more than 800 lectures in

India, 108 Sanskrit programs on Doordarshan (the national T.V.

channel in India) and over 100 Sanskrit programs for All India Radio.

He has written numerous dramas, articles and textbooks in Sanskrit

and Tamil, and is the Sanskrit book reviewer for The Hindu, a

national newspaper in India. He also founded the Fellowship of

Sanskrit Culture, to promote Sanskrit. Its headquarters is in

Chennai, India.

 

Dr. Thiagarajan is doing more than his part in helping to revive the

ancient art of Vedic chanting. While many of his scholarly peers

bring integrity and expertise to the effort, his contribution is

plenty of that plus zest and zeal. As one student said: "Dr.

Thiagarajan makes you want to learn Sanskrit." For more information

about this fascinating man and his work contact

visvasanti."

 

Source: HINDUISM TODAY, July/August/September, 2004: "Teaching with

Zest and Zeal: Dr. Thiagarajam is gifted and ingenious, but the

special magic he brings to the revival of Sanskrit and Vedic chanting

comes from his love of them." By Kesava Mallia with Laksmi Kantam in

Chennai.

 

URL: http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/2004/7-9/56-57_dr_t.shtml

[Guest guest]

, "Devi Bhakta" wrote:

>

> Chennai, INDIA: "Chanting mantras brings peace and prosperity,

> power and great fortune. May the whole world become prosperous,"

> says Dr. Rajagopalan Thiagarajan, a Vedic scholar who has taken

> the Hindu world by storm with his recordings of Sanskrit chanting

> of Vedic scripture ...

>

 

URL: http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/2004/7-9/56-57_dr_t.shtml

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

namaste Devi~~

 

thank you! for this awakening into the now, this story of

how we can connect with our ancient ancestral teachings.

 

a question for Vedic scholars:

 

I read a book about Sidhhartha Gautama this summer, about his

life and teachings -- and I do not recall any mentions of the

Vedas. Were the vedas as broadly taught and exalted then,

2500 years ago? And did Prince Siddhartha teach the wisdom

of the Vedas?

 

I did note that he generally disparaged the ancestral teachings,

the lessons/harmonies of nature, and the fundamental wisdoms of

the feminine.

 

perhaps, now, at the end of biological life on Earth, we can

finally come together an acknowledge the truths that our

ancestors have taught for thousands and tens of thousands

of years.

 

and become the global family we have been nurtured to be ...

 

 

 

 

Millennium Twain

 

 

 

 

 

 

....

 

 

 

 

...

[Guest guest]

The website

http://www.southindianmusic.net/

appears to be gone, but here's a website that lists a number of R.

Thiagarajan's CD's. I haven't purchased items from this website (and

probably won't) and so don't know anything about it. Nice looking

site, though; interesting products.

 

http://www.khazana.com/et/products/product_by_artist.asp?

mscssid=02NEFT6V9X8J9PJR0CXCP14F1D1C83C9&Country=India&Department=Musi

c&Artist=Dr%20R%20Thiagarajan&Sub_Dept=&sku=&List=

 

If you have trouble with the link, go to

http://www.khazana.com/

and do a search under Music for "R. Thiagarajan"

 

R. Thiagarajan's personal web page:

http://www.geocities.com/visvasanti/Sanskrit_Professor.html

(not much here)

 

, "Devi Bhakta"

<devi_bhakta> wrote:

>

> Chennai, INDIA: "Chanting mantras brings peace and prosperity,

power

> and great fortune. May the whole world become prosperous, " says

Dr.

> Rajagopalan Thiagarajan, a Vedic scholar who has taken the Hindu

> world by storm with his recordings of Sanskrit chanting of Vedic

> scripture.

>

> His audio presentations -- available on tape, CD and now on the

> Internet --

> [....]

> His articles on Sanskrit can be read at

> www.southindianmusic.net.

> [....]

> Source: HINDUISM TODAY, July/August/September, 2004: "Teaching with

> Zest and Zeal: Dr. Thiagarajam is gifted and ingenious, but the

> special magic he brings to the revival of Sanskrit and Vedic

chanting

> comes from his love of them." By Kesava Mallia with Laksmi Kantam

in

> Chennai.

>

> URL: http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/2004/7-9/56-57_dr_t.shtml