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Re: new literature

From the Bhakti List Archives

Mohan Sagar • February 27, 1997 


Mr. Sudarshan writes:

>Who knows, dear friends, by combining the beauties of 3 different languages
>we are perhaps witnesses on the threshold of a new phase of development in
>the history of SriVaishnava literature !! We may yet see the evolution, in a
>few hundred years from now, of a new style of writing called
>"anglo-mani-pravalam"!!

A wonderful concept, Mr. Sudarshan.  I would like to add that this could
even be extended to speaking.  An interesting example of a hybrid
manipravalam can be found among SriVaishnavas in Andhra.  While Telugu and
English serve as the primary means of casual conversation among our families
in Andhra, many of them very easily, and without hesitation, utilize Tamil
words and phrases to refer to such sacred aspects of life as family, food,
holidays, and of course the Lord and His worship.  Thus, words like Perumal,
Sarrumarai, Koil, Thiruman, Aradhanai, Chithappa, Paati, Maami, Teertham,
Saadham, etc., are eloquently interwoven with Telugu to produce a
distinctive dialect that would clearly identify one as being a follower of
the SriVaishnava paramparai.  

The use of these seemingly simple Tamil words and phrases is taken quite
seriously.  My wife's grandmother becomes very upset if the rice in her home
is called "anum" rather than "saadham."  And, I once received a memorable
lecture from an uncle of mine when I referred to a specific temple ritual as
"abhisheka."

Language is a very powerful force in the preservation and identification of
a culture.  While we may not be able to pass all the riches of our languages
to future generations, I would like to suggest that we make the conscious
attempt to use even such simple words as those described above such that our
progeny in the US and elsewhere can connect to the unique nuances of our
heritage.  I would like to think that one day Anglo-manipravalam would be as
distinctive as the Yiddish-English spoken among the Jews.

Daasanu Daasan,

Mohan