Question & Answer sessions with HH Sri Datta Vijayananda Teertha Swamiji – 2015
What is the origin of names of things ?
Question :
The fruit is called Mango in English, and Aam in Hindi. What is the origin of these different names for different things in the various languages?
Answer :
How did things get their names? It is a wonder. At the beginning of Creation, the Almighty thought, “Vrikshaha” (Tree) and the tree came into existence. He conceptualized each entity by its name. ‘Tree’ in his concept included everything from the seed to the tiniest tender leaf on the topmost branch. He already knew that in the future a tree will be felled. That is why that name was given to the tree. The name and meaning of every object are interlinked.
All the Telugu words for vegetables are more recent since the language is not as old as Creation. They are derived from the original Sanskrit words, as distortions. Some words were recently coined. It is God’s will that certain words should get universal acceptance. English has now become a universal language. Even in villages English words are recognized but not the words in the regional language. We neglect learning the Mother Tongue. We must respect our own language. We must also learn English, because it is a good language and is in wide usage.
‘Bhaashaaroopaa brihatsenaa’ is a description of Mother Goddess. In the form of all the different languages, it is Mother who introduces to us the various objects and their attributes.
Who told us in the first place, what may be eaten and what is poisonous? One cannot research each and every item to discover its qualities. The name themselves convey the meaning many times.
Thus Mother taught the sages and seers through the descriptive names. They lived in the forests and conducted research also. Ayurveda came from the sages. God is the source for all languages. ‘OM’ is the source syllable. Even the new words being coined and coming into usage, are also from the heart of the Almighty. They are now revealed and being used.
Jaya Guru Datta