Swamiji talks about correct chanting

[Guest guest]

The question of pronunciation is one of the major issues which

pundits use in the game of one-up-man-ship, to show their

superiority over other pundits from other locations. And

unfortunately, among academia, pundits, and sadhus, there is often a

perceived need to demonstrate authority as to learning and

experience.

 

The reality is that India has over twenty-two major languages

officially recognized by the government, Each of them has its own

script, and the number and names of the characters of each script is

different. Also they are pronounced differently in each language.

 

Sanskrit is most frequently taught in the native scripts, just like

in the Western countries we are teaching using Roman characters

along with Devanagri. So if you learn Sanskrit in Tamil Nadu, you

will pronounce according to the Tamil script, and if you learn in

Bengal, you will pronounce according to the Bengali script. They are

no where near the same.

 

But everyone in every region understands that they are pronouncing

correctly. And here is where the fun begins. To witness so many

pundits in so many localities arguing over the pronunciation of

scriptures which proclaim the need to give up all attachment and

surrender the ego in the love of God! This is one of the marvels of

religious experience!

 

Recently we took a pundit from Uttar Pradesh and a pundit from West

Bengal along with an American and European group of devotees on a

pilgrimage to the Mallik Arjuna Temple of Andra. Our goal was to

perform the Chandi Yajna and the Rudrastadhyayi. The results were

hilarious!

 

There is only one correct pronunciation. If you are singing from

your heart for the purpose of sincere prayer, and if you know what

you are saying and why you are saying it, and others who hear your

prayer can also understand the meaning of your prayer, and are

inspired to pray themselves, then you are doing it correctly. The

rest of us are all students! And to the extent that we are capable,

fellow students will want to help each other in moving closer

towards our goals of learning.

 

All the music, all the tunes, all the ornamentations, are the stuff

of Bollywood movies. But they are not necessarily the ultimate

definition of Sanskrit literature. Attention, intention, motivation,

sincerity, bhava, and understanding all go together to make a proper

presentation.

 

And even while I have a foreign tongue, and even though I have

studied Sanskrit in the North, South, East, and West of India (so

that I do not claim allegiance to any one form or style of

chanting), and even though I have spent a considerable amount of

time in the last fifteen years outside of India, even still, I am

the author of more than thirty-five translations of major scriptures

from Sanskrit, published in Hindi, Bengali, English, French,

Portuguese, and German, and my pronunciation of Sanskrit texts of

mantras has been broadcast from the temple speakers in major temples

in various locations all around India.

 

I am not saying that I have the right way. I am asking you to learn

what you can from me and go forward!

[Guest guest]

Namaste Swami-ji!

 

I agree that pronunciation for singing prayers is really not that

important a point. Someone (who speaks English) would understand the

mantra "I love you!" whether it was spoken in a "proper" British

accent or a thick Indian accent and it would have the same effect of

causing good feelings between the speakers.

 

However, when it comes to mantras like the Vedas, what I was

wondering about was the rising and falling notes and the meters

involved. If I take the same mantra and instead of saying "I love

you!" I instead say this time with a rising note at the end "I love

you?" Does not the entire meaning of the mantra change with the

rising note?

 

What I'm trying to get at is though the words of the mantra are the

same and even if the accent of the speakers are different, if the

rising and falling inflections are changed, the mantra has a

completely different effect. Therefore, should we not chant the

Vedas as they are traditionally chanted, to make sure all the rising

and falling notes and meters are kept intact and to make sure the

intended meaning and effect take place?

 

AUM

Rolando

 

, "Sarada" <sarada_saraswati>

wrote:

> The question of pronunciation is one of the major issues which

> pundits use in the game of one-up-man-ship, to show their

> superiority over other pundits from other locations. And

> unfortunately, among academia, pundits, and sadhus, there is often

a

> perceived need to demonstrate authority as to learning and

> experience.

>

> The reality is that India has over twenty-two major languages

> officially recognized by the government, Each of them has its own

> script, and the number and names of the characters of each script

is

> different. Also they are pronounced differently in each language.

>

> Sanskrit is most frequently taught in the native scripts, just

like

> in the Western countries we are teaching using Roman characters

> along with Devanagri. So if you learn Sanskrit in Tamil Nadu, you

> will pronounce according to the Tamil script, and if you learn in

> Bengal, you will pronounce according to the Bengali script. They

are

> no where near the same.

>

> But everyone in every region understands that they are pronouncing

> correctly. And here is where the fun begins. To witness so many

> pundits in so many localities arguing over the pronunciation of

> scriptures which proclaim the need to give up all attachment and

> surrender the ego in the love of God! This is one of the marvels

of

> religious experience!

>

> Recently we took a pundit from Uttar Pradesh and a pundit from

West

> Bengal along with an American and European group of devotees on a

> pilgrimage to the Mallik Arjuna Temple of Andra. Our goal was to

> perform the Chandi Yajna and the Rudrastadhyayi. The results were

> hilarious!

>

> There is only one correct pronunciation. If you are singing from

> your heart for the purpose of sincere prayer, and if you know what

> you are saying and why you are saying it, and others who hear your

> prayer can also understand the meaning of your prayer, and are

> inspired to pray themselves, then you are doing it correctly. The

> rest of us are all students! And to the extent that we are

capable,

> fellow students will want to help each other in moving closer

> towards our goals of learning.

>

> All the music, all the tunes, all the ornamentations, are the

stuff

> of Bollywood movies. But they are not necessarily the ultimate

> definition of Sanskrit literature. Attention, intention,

motivation,

> sincerity, bhava, and understanding all go together to make a

proper

> presentation.

>

> And even while I have a foreign tongue, and even though I have

> studied Sanskrit in the North, South, East, and West of India (so

> that I do not claim allegiance to any one form or style of

> chanting), and even though I have spent a considerable amount of

> time in the last fifteen years outside of India, even still, I am

> the author of more than thirty-five translations of major

scriptures

> from Sanskrit, published in Hindi, Bengali, English, French,

> Portuguese, and German, and my pronunciation of Sanskrit texts of

> mantras has been broadcast from the temple speakers in major

temples

> in various locations all around India.

>

> I am not saying that I have the right way. I am asking you to

learn

> what you can from me and go forward!

[Guest guest]

Namaste,

My experience in chanting is based on understanding, will, and love.

Initially taught by my Guru and in the company of satsang, later

developing through the wonderful communion that occurs when the

little me does not give up in the pursuit of the divine. I do not

know what is more important, for it seems to me to be like the

seasons of the year or phases of the moon and all have their place

and time.

Om Namah Sivaya,

Kanda