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4. Languages of Hindu Scriptures: Other
Languages
In addition to Sanskrit and Tamil, many
other Indian as well as non-Indian
languages were used for composing
Hindu scriptures. For e.g., we have a
version of the Brahmāṇda Purāṇa in
Javanese (an Indonesian language),
versions of Ramayana in Thai, Burmese,
Tibetan and other languages.
5.
6. Hindi
The different dialects of Hindi evolved in
the last 1000 years and constitute the
most commonly spoken language of
Hindus today in northern India. The
Bhakti saints adopted the use of Hindi
dialects in a big way to explain the subtle
concepts of Hindu religion to the masses
in a simple manner. Many saints of the
Nirguṇa Bhakti tradition, who worshipped
Paramātman as a Formless Divinity, used
the ‘Santabhāshā’ – a mixture of several
colloquial dialects of Hindi.
7. Marathi
The first translation of Bhagavadgita into another Indian
language was the Jnāneshvari by Sant Jnaneshvar (13th
century C.E.), written in an older form of Marathi. The
commentary is known for the sweetness and simplicity of
its language, and its ability to convey complex
philosophical doctrines in a lucid manner. A few centuries
later, Saint Ekanātha composed the Ekanātha
Bhāgavata, a Marathi commentary on the 11th skandha
of the Bhāgavata Purāņa, as well as work based on
Ramayana named Bhāvārtha Ramayana. Several other
popular scriptural works in Marathi such as the
Dāsabodha were authored by renowned Hindu saints of
Maharashtra, such Swami Samartha Ramadasa. The
devotional songs of Saint Tukarama, called abhangas,
are sung even today..
8. Javanese
Many Hindu scriptures were translated
and adapted into the local languages of
the regions outside of the Indian
subcontinent in which Hindu Dharma
spread in ancient times. As examples, we
can point to Javanese translations of the
Bhagavad Gita and the Brahmāṇda
Purāņa.
9.
10. Assamese
The valley of Brahmaputra in eastern India was
called Prāgjyotisha and Kāmarūpa in ancient times
and its evil ruler Narakasura was killed by Lord
Krishna, who freed the thousands of innocent
women that the ruler had enslaved. The region has
large populations of wild elephants and the
Hastyāyurveda in the Sanskrit language attributed
to Pālākāpya Muni is said to have been compiled
there. In the 13th cent. CE, Hema Sarasvatī wrote
a Prahlāda Charita in Assamese, and it is the first
known literary work in that language.
