Thread by @Hiranyareta

Few tweets on this devavāṇī (देववाणी) vs लोकवाणी (lokavāṇī).

Look at this hymn devoted to Vac in Rigveda (10.125).
1/17

Quoting @RajivMessage from The Battle for Sanskrit

"In Rig Veda, the ultimate reality is conceptualized as a productive principle and a force of energy expressed as vac (speech) that is often personified as a goddess.
2/17

Vac is refracted into the fifty-two phonemes making it the linguistic matrix and model of both devavani (language of the devatas and of spiritual quest) and lokavani (people’s language of everyday communication and exchange).
3/17

In explaining Rig Veda 1:164.45

च॒त्वारि॒ वाक्परि॑मिता प॒दानि॒ तानि॑ विदुर्ब्राह्म॒णा ये म॑नी॒षिणः॑ ।
गुहा॒ त्रीणि॒ निहि॑ता॒ नेङ्ग॑यन्ति तु॒रीयं॑ वा॒चो म॑नु॒ष्या॑ वदन्ति ॥

4/17
sanskritdocuments.org/doc_veda/r01.h…

(च॒त्वारि॒ वाक्परि॑मिता प॒दानि॒ ),Yāska observes that vāc is of four types: ṛcah, yajumsi, samāni and vyāvahāriki (Nirukta 13:9).
Of these the first three are divine (devatābhidhāna) and the last is human (manuşyābhidhāna).
5/17

archive.org/details/in.ern…

In the course of time, these two language streams (ie abv mentioned Devavani and Lokavani) blossomed into Sanskrit and Prakrit, respectively.
6/17

The traditional view is that Sanskrit and Prakrit (from which the vernaculars including Tamil evolved) are two mutually supportive linguistic streams constituting a speech system known as vac.
7/17

Vac (speech) has four levels, from the most external/gross to the most internal/subtle. These are as follows:
1) Vaikhari speech is where we hear external sound. When we converse with each other or hear someone speak, it is at this level. It is the gross level.
8/17

2) Madhyama speech is within one’s mind. When I am thinking, I am talking to myself at this level of speech.

3) Pashyanti is unconscious speech in meditative states. There is a slight hint or inkling of a ‘presence’ inside, but it lacks form.
9/17

Many mantra meditation systems take one to this level.

4) Para level is connectivity and unity with the cosmic vibration (ritam), available only in deep meditation.
10/17

Hindu theories and practices show vac (speech) at levels more profound than external and mental speech. These are ‘pashyanti’ and ‘para’ levels, attained in meditation."

For example, Bhagvan Dakshinamorti imparting Brahmgyan in Maunmudra.
11/17

The varnamayı aspect in Yoga concerns pronunciation of the varnas, the sounds of the Sanskrit alphabet. Each of
the forty-nine sounds is a manifestation of the vaikhari or audible form of Reality (sabdabrahman).
12/17

According to the Tantric text Sharada Tilaka, each sound is associated with either the ida nadi (governing vital (Prana) currents), or the pingala-nadi (governing mental currents). For instance, short vowels are contained in pingala and long vowels in ida.
13/17

As mentioned abv the Sanskrit alphabet consists of the forty-nine primordial bıjas or seed sounds, arranged in a logical matrix.
14/17

The matrix of the Sanskrit alphabet presents a set of pure and basic sounds, systematically arranged according to factors such as the point in the mouth where the sound is articulated (e.g., the guttural ka is articulated in the throat, and the labial ma, at the lips)
15/17

In short, Sanskrit is the purest manifestation of Vac at Vaikhri level. It has no sister/sisters. Any other manifestation of Vac at Vaiskhari level comes after Sanskrit ie has higher जड़ता quotient.

16/17

Refer to this book for more gems on Sanskrit when it comes to inner exploration and well being. Mere Sanskrit chanting can alter your consciousness and send you in meditative state.
17/17
amazon.ca/Religious-Ther…

@RajivMessage @Unrollme

@threadreaderapp please unroll