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Sanskrit Quotes

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Sanskrit Quotes

“...The spiritual Oriental teachers say a person has three forms of mind,'' Beatrice was explaining to him once, while they were on break between one lesson and another at university, ''which are the dense mind, the subtle level and the ultra-subtle mind. Primary Consciousness, or the dense mind, is that existential, Sartrean mind which is related to our senses and so it is guided directly by human primitive instincts; in Sanskrit, this is referred to as ālaya-vijñāna which is directly tied to the brain. The subtle mind comes into effect when we begin to be aware of our true nature or that which in Sanskrit is called Ātman or self-existent essence that eventually leads us to the spiritual dimension. Ultimately there is the Consciousness-Only or the Vijñapti-Mātra, an ultra-subtle mind which goes beyond what the other two levels of mind can fabricate, precisely because this particular mind is not a by-product of the human brain but a part of the Cosmic Consciousness of the Absolute, known in Sanskrit as Tathāgatagarbha, and it is at this profound level of Consciousness that we are able to achieve access to the Divine Wisdom and become one with it in an Enlightened State.'' ''This spiritual subject really fascinates me,'' the Professor would declare, amazed at the extraordinary knowledge that Beatrice possessed.'' ''In other words, a human being recognises itself from its eternal essence and not from its existence,'' Beatrice replied, smiling, as she gently touched the tip of his nose with the tip of her finger, as if she was making a symbolic gesture like when children are corrected by their teachers. ''See, here,'' she had said once, pulling at the sleeve of his t-shirt to make him look at her book. ''For example, in the Preface to the 1960 Notes on Dhamma, the Buddhist philosopher from the University of Cambridge, Ñāṇavīra Thera, maintains those that have understood Buddhist teachings have gone way beyond Existential Thought. And on this same theme, the German scholar of Buddhist texts, Edward Conze, said that the possible similarity that exists between Buddhist and Existential Thought lies only on the preliminary level. He said that in terms of the Four Noble Truths, or in Sanskrit Catvāri Āryasatyāni, the Existentialists have only the first, which teaches everything is ill. Of the second - which assigns the origin of ill to craving - they have a very imperfect grasp. As for the third and fourth, which consist of letting go of craving, and the Noble Eightfold Path that leads to liberation from the cycle of rebirth in the form of Nirvāṇa - these are unheard of. Knowing no way out, the Existentialists are manufacturers of their own woes...”

InspirationalPhilosophyWisdomSpiritualityConsciousnessBuddhismMetaphysicsCosmic ConsciousnessSanskritMaltese
Book:Paceville and Metanoia
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“Sanskrit was oral: for centuries it had no writing system, and when it did get one, it was not much used, as there were elaborate procedures in place for memorizing texts. Maybe it was a good decision to keep it oral, as this restricted access to all but a small and inbred group of Vedic men who had full control of the valuable srauta rituals. As a result, the sound of the language was the first thing anyone would notice, and this made it clear who was 'us' and who was not.”

SanskritAccentExclusiveness
Book:Father Tongue, Motherland: The Birth of Languages in South Asia
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“People are often surprised to hear that Romani is in fact a fully fledged language just like any other, that it has its origins in India, that it is related to Sanskrit, an ancient language associated with Indian scholarship and religion, and that it has been preserved by the Romani populations through oral traditions and in a variety of dialects for many centuries.”

IndiaSanskritRomaGypsiesRomaniRomani GypsiesSanskrit Language
Book:I Met Lucky People: The Story of the Romani Gypsies
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“Sanskrit is a beautiful contextual language. It is called “Dev Bhasha” the language of the soul. Here, meanings of the words must come from the heart, from direct experience – dictionary meanings or static meanings have not much value. Meanings of the words vary depending on mind-set, time, location and culture. The words are made to expand the possibilities of the mind.”

LanguageYogaPossibilitiesYoga InspirationLanguage LearningYoga PhilosophySanskritPossibilities In LifeDirect ExperienceSanskrit LanguageLanguage Of The HeartLanguage Of SoulLanguage Of The UniverseDictionary MeaningsContextual LanguageDev BhashaPossibilities Of The MindYoga Language
Book:Yoga The Science of Well-Being
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“Simple linear logic, in which principles come first and deductions follow, is not very useful when it comes to comprehending a vidya, because the sages who developed these vidyas employed an entirely different mode of thinking. 'They thought rather in terms of what we might call a fugue, in which all the notes cannot be constrained into a single melodic scale, in which one is plunged directly into the midst of things and must follow the temporal order created by their thoughts' (de Santillana, p. xi). Probably the most essential condition for becoming a capable jyotishi, which happens to be the most difficult one for the average Westerner to fulfill, is to learn how to think in this holistic, non-linear way. Because it is also very difficult to write or teach non-linearly - it is simply impossible to 'square the circle' - imperfections in books on Jyotish that are written in modern languages are inevitable. One reason why Jyotish's texts are written in Sanskrit is that Sanskrit helps facilitate holistic thought. The Seers taught that Sanskrit's very sounds are sacred, and they held that Sanskrit (when properly intoned) speaks directly to the soul of living creatures, transmitting, as does music, a universal meaning which does not depend on its composition or lyrics. Because the essence of the Vedas is believed to be transferred to the listener when Vedic hymns are recited correctly, the Vedas must be studied vocally in their original Sanskrit if they are to be truly understood. This also applies to the Vedas' satellite vidyas such as Jyotish and Ayweda (India's traditional medical system). Other languages may convey the vidyas' theoretical meaning, but only Sanskrit captures and conveys their quintessence. Anyone who wishes to become a master jyotishi must eventually possess and be posscsscd by Sanskrit, and although theoretical or book learning can be helpful, Sanskrit, like Jyotish, can only be truly learned orally from a competent teacher.”

SanskritFugueAstrology Signs
Book:Light on Life
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“Yagya is a Sanskrit dialect that is not easily pronounceable by the people who speak English. They don’t have certain syllables in their vocabulary like Ksha, Tra, Gya, etc. So they pronounce Gya as Jna because syllable Gya is a combination of syllables Ja and Na; hence Yagya became Yajna. Hindi Translation - यज्ञ संस्कृत का शब्द है जिसका अंग्रेजी बोलने वाले लोग आसानी से उच्चारण नहीं कर सकते। उनकी शब्दावली में कुछ शब्दांश नहीं हैं जैसे कि क्ष, त्र, ज्ञ, इत्यादि। इसलिए वे ज्न का उच्चारण करते हैं क्योंकि शब्द ज्ञ शब्दांश ज और न का एक संयोजन है; इसलिए यज्ञ बना यज्न।”

TraditionVikrmnCa Vikram VermaDefinitionHinduSanskritYou By YouVedaYajnaYagya
Book:You By You
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“प्रेमसत्यं ब्रह्मसत्यम्। प्रेम विना अस्तित्वं नास्ति।। प्रेमदर्शनं ब्रह्मदर्शनम्। प्रेम विना ब्रह्माण्डं नास्ति।।”

AdvaitaSanskritSanatana DharmaSanskrit LanguageSanatana Dharma Quotes
Book:Insan Himalayanoğlu: It's Time to Defect
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“Justru sesungguhnya akibat konsep yang singkat mengenai tinjauan dan luasan pengkajian bahasa, kesusasteraan dan kebudayaan Melayu itu, sehingga disamarkan hanya sebagai “Pengajian Melayu”, telah pula membawa akibat2 yang mempengaruhi penyingkiran bidang ilmiah tertentu dari pengajian Melayu, seperti pengkajian2 bahasa dan kesusasteraan Arab, bahasa dan kesusasteraan Farsi, bahasa dan kesusasteraan Sanskrit, yang kesemuanya telah memberi sumbangan yang berkesan dalam perkembangan bahasa dan kesusasteraan Melayu. Tambahan pula, bidang2 seperti sejarah pemikiran, falsafah, dan ilmu2 yang berkaitan dengan metodoloji penyelidikan ilmiah, kajian2 mengenai teori2 yang memang berkembang dengan pesatnya di Eropa, dewasa itu dan sekarang, semua ini diabaikan dalam pengkajian bidang2 kechil tertentu saja.”

SanskritArabBahasaJawaSasteraPengajian MelayuParsi
Book:Buku Panduan Jabatan Bahasa dan Kesusasteraan Melayu
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“The Sanskrit texts make it clear that a cataclysm on this scale, though a relatively rare event, is expected to wash away all traces of the former world and that the slate will be wiped clean again for the new age of the earth to begin. In order to ensure that the Vedas can be repromulgated for future mankind after each pralaya the gods have therefore designed an institution to preserve them -- the institution of the Seven Sages, a brotherhood of adepts possessed of unerring memories and supernatural powers, practitioners of yoga, performers of the ancient rituals and sacrifices, ascetics, spiritual visionaries, vigilant in the battle against evil, great teachers, knowledgeable beyond all imagining, who reincarnate from age to age as the guides of civilization and the guardians of cosmic justice.”

WisdomCivilizationCycleSanskritCataclysmInstitutionSeven Sages
Book:Underworld: The Mysterious Origins of Civilization
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“The term satipaṭṭhāna can be explained as a compound of sati, "mindfulness" or "awareness", and upaṭṭhāna, with the u of the latter term dropped by vowel elision. The Pāli term upaṭṭhāna literally means "placing near", and in the present context refers to a particular way of "being present" and "attending" to something with mindfulness. In the discourses [of the Buddha], the corresponding verb upaṭṭhahati often denotes various nuances of "being present", or else "attending". Understood in this way, "satipaṭṭhāna" means that sati "stands by", in the sense of being present; sati is "ready at hand", in the sense of attending to the current situation. Satipaṭṭhāna can then be translated as "presence of mindfulness" or as "attending with mindfulness." The commentaries, however, derive satipaṭṭhāna from the word "foundation" or "cause" (paṭṭhāna). This seems unlikely, since in the discourses contained in the Pāli canon the corresponding verb paṭṭhahati never occurs together with sati. Moreover, the noun paṭṭhāna is not found at all in the early discourses, but comes into use only in the historically later Abhidhamma and the commentaries. In contrast, the discourses frequently relate sati to the verb upaṭṭhahati, indicating that "presence" (upaṭṭhāna) is the etymologically correct derivation. In fact, the equivalent Sanskrit term is smṛtyupasthāna, which shows that upasthāna, or its Pāli equivalent upaṭṭhāna, is the correct choice for the compound.”

MeditationBuddhismMindfulnessTranslationSanskritEtymology2004SutraPaliSutta
Book:Satipaṭṭhāna: The Direct Path to Realization
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“The Perennial Philosophy is expressed most succinctly in the Sanskrit formula, tat tvam asi ('That art thou'); the Atman, or immanent eternal Self, is one with Brahman, the Absolute Principle of all existence; and the last end of every human being, is to discover the fact for himself, to find out who he really is.”

HumansArtEndsSelfPhilosophyFactsLastsHuman BeingsExistencePrinciplesEternalAbsolutesFormulasBrahmanAtmanSanskrit
Book:The Perennial Philosophy: An Interpretation of the Great Mystics, East and West
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“Do you believe in that Infinite, good Providence working in and through you? If you believe that this Omnipresent One is present in every atom, is through and through, Ota-Prota, as the Sanskrit word goes, penetrating your body, mind and soul, how can you lose heart?”

IfsMindBelieveHeartSoulBodyFaithLosesInfiniteYour BodyAtomsProvidenceIf You BelieveSanskritMind Body And Soul
Book:The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda
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“The labours I devoted between 1888 to 1900 to the critical edition, translation and commentary of Kalhana's Rajatarangini, the only true historical text of Sanskrit literature, afforded me ample opportunities of gaining close contact with Sanskrit savants of Kashmir, the land where traditional learning of Hindu India had flourished in old times greatly and survived until recent years.”

YearsLiteratureOpportunityLandIndiaHistoricalCriticalTraditionalContactLabourDevotedSurvivedTranslationsCommentaryOld TimeKashmirSanskritSavants
Author:Aurel Stein
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“In the night ride across the Wular lake a small storm made me worry for the safety of my manuscript (Rajatarangini). It seemed as if the goddess of wisdom - Sharada, represented by waters of Kashmir, was unwilling to let me abduct the manuscript. This is what happened 1200 years ago to the Chinese pilgrim Hiuen-Tsang, who had to leave his Sanskrit manuscript in the angry Indus River.”

IfsYearsMadeNightWaterWorryHappenedYears AgoRiversLet MeSafetyAngryStormChineseLakesGoddessUnwillingPilgrimManuscriptsKashmirSanskrit
Author:Aurel Stein
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“The concept of karma is a beautiful concept in Sanskrit. The whole idea of karma is that every being has an innate tendency - the karma of ice is to be cold, the karma of fire is to burn, the karma of the trees is to grow and bear fruit. In the same way, a human has a certain thrust. What I've realized is that my thrust is to be in the world, like in the world of business.”

WorldWayHumansIdeasWholeBeautifulCertainGrowsFireTreeColdBearsConceptsFruitKarmaTendenciesIceInnateThrustSanskrit
Author:Karan Bajaj
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“I am alone, I am all alone, I am completely alone. Grasping this reality, I let go of my bag, drop to my knees and press my forehead against the floor. There, I offer up to the universe a fervent prayer of thanks. First in English. Then in Italian. And then - just to get the point across - in Sanskrit.”

FirstsRealityUniversePrayerOffersLetting GoPressesThanksKneesBagsItalianForeheadsAll AloneGraspingFerventSanskritFervent Prayer
Book:Eat Pray Love: One Woman's Search for Everything
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“A scene of Mahabharata where the Surya Devta(Sun God)would come to bless Kunti with a baby The child watching this on TV says "I have been taught that Neil Armstrong had taken several days to reach the moon.Surya Devta took only half a minute to land up in the Kunti's room; that too, he didn't even need a rocket-he had simply walked. Science and Sanskrit had always appeared contradicting subjects to me at school:-)”

NeedsChildrenHas BeensSchoolRoomsHalfSunTakenLandMinutesSubjectsTaughtTvsBabySceneMoonBlessRocketsArmstrongContradictingSanskritMahabharataSun God
Author:Ravinder Singh
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“The word mantra comes from two Sanskrit words man, ("to think") and tra ("tool'). So the literal translation is "a tool of thought." And that's how mantras are used in Buddhist and Hindu practices, as tools that clear your mind of distractions. Because when you focus on repeating that mantra over and over again, soon the noise will die down and all you will hear is your inner voice.”

ThinkingMenMindTwoUsedDiesVoicePracticeClearFocusToolsDown AndNoiseBuddhistDistractionTranslationsLiteralInner VoiceMantrasSanskrit
Author:Russell Simmons
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