Were The Vedic People Literate ramanan50.wordpress.com /2016/04/16/were-the-vedic-people-literate/

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One of the strengths of Sanatana Dharma is its Oral tradition of transmitting texts, both Philosophical and Scientific.

But the sheer volume defies imagination.

“With Thirty Million Manuscripts existing even today,Sanskrit is the oldest Language of the world and the Rig Vedawhich is in Sanskrit is the oldest literature of the world”

.Thirty Million Manuscripts Seven Hundred Poetic Meters Sanskrit

Is it possible for any race to transmit such a large volume only by Oral tradition?

Could the people of Ancient India, of Sanatana Dharma, Bharatvarsha Read and Write?

Western Scholars think it s possible and declare that the ancient Indians had Super Memories!

For this is convenient to deny at a later stage and declare that such a feat is impossible and hence the such oraltraditions are a myth and hence can be dismissed as interpolations and a latest date may be assigned to them

The fact that one finds Sanskrit Brahmi, and Tamil Brahmi were found in Indus Valley civilizations..

This at the latest is dated at 3000 to 5000 BC

And the finding of Kannada Brahmi in Karnataka.

And Tamil Sangam Literature speaks of the Vedas, its texts.

Consider the Mathematical , Biological, Astronomy,Genetics, texts which involve writing of the highest order.

Imagine building, for example,The Thanjavur Big Temple or any other Temples and structures which could not havebeen built with ot written calculations and drawings

And,

‘western scholars of Indology said:“Entire absense of writing, reading, paper, or pen in vedas, or during Brahamana period and complete silence inSutra period(When art of writing was beginning to be known), the whole Literature of India was preserved in oraltradition only”

Weber who wants to bring all history to later than Biblical period admits: “Europe has 10,000 sanskrit texts and considering that we have tens of thousands which the parsimony of karmahas hithherto withheld form Museums and libraries of Europe, what a memory must have been their!.”

Indian super MemoryThe Immemorial practice with students of sanskrit literature has been to commit to memory the various subjects oftheir study and this practice of oral tradition has preserved the ancient Vedic texts. This fact has led WesternIndology scholars to surmise that writing was unknown in the earliest period of Indian Civilization and that the laterforms of the alphabet were not of pure Indian growth.

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So According to these Western Indology Scholars, Indians have Super Human Memory. By Which they can not onlymemorize scores of documents, but they can also transmit through generations. Wow!, Who said science fiction is20th century Stuff.

We are looking at this question. Did writing existed prior to Mauryas?

PaniniPanini is best known grammarian of India. Muller says that there is no single term in the panini terminology whichpresupposes the existence of writing. So we go to find out.

Panini almost singlehandendly brought together the classical sanskrit grammer. He mentions Grantha theequivalent for written or bound book in the later days in India. For Max Muller Granta mean simply a composition,which is handed down the generation by oral tradition. In short Panini is illiterate and somehow he produced one ofthe most eloborate and scientific set grammer ever known to mankind till today.Remember Panini has given 3996rules for Classical Sanskrit Grammar.

Writing in LiteratureClassical Sanskrit LiteratureThe direct reference to writing classical sanskrit according to Indologists in literature are found to be in theDharmasutra of Vasistha, which Dr.Buhler thinks, was composed around 8th century BC. Some scholars will assignthis work 4th century BC as well.Astadhyayi of panini contains such compounds as Lipikara and Libikara, whichevidently mean writer. The date of panini is not fixed, prof.Goldstucker puts him 8th century BC, others put him in 4the century BC. The Vedic works contain technical terms like aksara, kanda, patala, grantha and the like, which isclear indication of writing. Of course Indology scholars wont accept them.

Buddhist ageThere are quite a large number of passages in the SriLanka’s Tipitaka, which bear witness to an acquaintance withwriting and to its extensive use.

At the time when Buddhist cannons were composed. Lekha and Lekhaka are mentioned in the Bhikkhu pacittiya andBhikkhuni pacittiya.

In the Jatakaas, constant meniton is made of letters being written. The Jatakas know of proclamations.

Epic AgeEpics contains archaic expressions such as likh, Lekha, Lakhaka, Lekhana but not lipi, which some scholars think isforiegn orgin. So Writing was known in Epic Age.

Vedic LiteratureWe find clear evidence in wide spread use of writing in the vedic period. Written documents are mentioned as legaldocuments.

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Ancient scripts, Origin

ScriptsBrahmiThe earliest surviving written record other than Indus script is Piprawa vase inscription discovered by ColonelClaxton peppe. This Inscription is a prakrit before the prakrits of magadhi or sourasheni developed, so differentlyinterpreted. This is dated to early part of 5th century BC.

Next comes Sohaura Copper plate , which Dr.Smith puts before Ashoka by 50 years.

The Inscriptions of Ashoka is all over India. This shows that Writing was well used in Royal courts and the writtingwas well understood by common people.

Dr.Weber came with view that Brahmi is borrowed from South Arab tribe. But this has been dismissed by Dr. Buhler.

Buhler Identified certain Brahmi letters were identical to 9th-7th BC century Inscriptions found in Assyria. One third3/5

Evolution of South Asian Scripts.

of 23 Alphabets are identical to Brahmi letters. This Indologists suggestions that the Brahmi letters were derivedfrom these letters from all Indology scholars including Buhler. But we have to note that the tribes in question arebelonging belonging to Indian Tribe. This script traveled from India to Middle east.

Jain Stupa unearthed at the Kankali Tila site of Mathura regarded by Vincent Simith as the oldest known stupa then(Before Indus valley sites were discovered). Smith dated it to be 600 BC for erection. Dr.Fuhrer who supervised theexcavation found out that it contained a inscription Deva Stupa in a script, so old that it was forgotten.

Indus ScriptIndus Script has 250-500 characters. Some of the Seals seems to be Bilingual with Indus script next to the symbols.Seeming symbols to be for traders from other languages. So Indus valley is literate culture.”

So the Ancient Indians knew Reading and writing and transmitted Vedic Texts orally to ensure that they are notdestroyed.

Citation and reference..

http://controversialhistory.blogspot.in/2012/11/was-ancient-india-literate-super-human.html

Image of ancient scripts Credit.

http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/evolalpha.html

http://www.ancientscripts.com/brahmi.html

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