Allergic to Sanskrit

[Guest guest]

By Dr. S.S. Yadava

 

It is amusing to learn that Muslims think that every Samskrit name of

God denotes idol worship. Hence their abhorance to adopt/speak

Samskrit names of God. At the time of Partition Urdu-speaking Bihari

Muslims who settled in Sindh Province of Pakistan hated their Muslim

hosts as their Sindhi language had many Samskrit words. Sindhi

Muslims use the expression Allah Saain (saain means swami). This word

was resented by the Bihari Muslims. Muslims even hold that they

recognise only Arabic names of God, which are mentioned in the holy

Quran. Gramatically the innumerable names of Hindu God are all

adjectives of one God—Ekam sat viprah bahudha vadanti. An adjective

cannot be idolised. Regarding the "Arabic only" concept of God's

names, one finds anomalies here. Take for example the word khuda. It

is neither an Arabic name nor written in the Holy Quran but Muslims

use it freely. Even in personal names, names

like "YunaaniSikander" (Greek), "Sohraab", "Rustam"

(Persian), "Bahadur", Khan, Chengez (Mongol-Persian) and many others

are used by the Muslims without any compunction. But for some reason

known to them the Indian Muslims are allergic to Samskrit names.

 

My point is, "Take for example the word khuda. It is neither an

Arabic name, nor written in the Holy Quran, but Muslims use it

freely." Khuda qasam and khuda hafiz are common expressions used by

Muslims. When khuda, a Persian word, can be used by Muslims, then why

has a secular Samskrit name for Allah not been adopted despite 1400

years of contact between two peoples? Arab traders have been trading

along the western coast since pre-Islamic days. Shri Shahabuddin

says: "Secular names in Samskrit were avoided partly out of ignorance

and partly for fear of cultural submergence and religious

assimilation." Does "ignorance" about Samskrit still persists, in

spite of Muslims' centuries-long association with India?

About "cultural submergence". Islam originated in Arabia, but Indian

Muslims pride mostly in Persian culture. India has more Muslims than

Iran has. If Indian Muslims can be proud of Persia, then why not of

India and its culture as Indonesia is? About "religious

assimilation". The Jews and Parsis, tiny minorities, have existed and

prospered without being assimilated among Hindus. They have no fear

and Hindus have no practice of converting others.