Muslims have invariably tried to understand other religions from their point of view. Sanskrit words that sound similar to those in Arabic were often distorted to fit similar equivalents. The best of all examples is the mistaken identity of `Brahma' for `Abraham' [3,8]. Dr. Haq mentions a series of similar mistaken identities: Manu for Nuh (Noah), Saraswathi for Sarah, and of course Mamah for Muhammad! Indeed, some Muslim scholars have let their imaginations run wild!

திருமந்திரத்தை மேற்கோள் காட்டியதால் இவர் தமிழராக இருக்குமோ என்று இன்னும் கொஞ்சம் தேடியதில், இது உறுதியாயிற்று ! இதே கட்டுரையில் நரகம் பற்றிய இந்துக் கருத்தை விளக்குகையில் "இருள்சேர் இருவினையும் சேரா.." என்ற மிகப் பொருத்தமான குறளை சுட்டுகிறார்.

"குரானில் எண்ணிக்கைகளை வைத்து செய்யப் பட்ட கணித அற்புதங்கள் இருப்பதாகவும், இவை மனிதர்களால் அல்ல, ஏக இறைவனாயே செய்யப் படமுடியும்" என்ற இஸ்லாமிஸ்ட் சவடாலை எதிர்க்க நம் தெய்வப் புலவர் திருவள்ளுவர் எழுதியகுறளில் உள்ள "கணித அற்புதங்களை" எடுத்துக் காட்டி அந்த வாதத்தைப் பொடிப் பொடியாக்குகிறார். திருக்குறளில் இவருக்கு இருக்கும் மிக ஆழ்ந்த புலமை பிரமிப்பூட்டுகிறது. பல மொழிகளிலும் திருக்குறள் என்று ஒரு பக்கத்தையும் தன் வலைத் தளத்தில் வைத்திருக்கிறார்.

"குரானைப் போன்ற மொழி நடையில் உள்ள நூலே உலகில் கிடையாது, அதில் உள்ளது போன்று 'சுரா'க்களை யாரும் எழுத முடியாது" போன்ற ஜல்லிகளுக்கு பதிலடியாக தமிழ், சம்ஸ்கிருதம், பஞ்சாபி மொழிகளிலுள்ள அற்புதமான பக்திப் பனுவல்களைக் காட்டி எதிர்ச்சவால் விடுகிறார்.

இவர் பெயரில் மட்டும் முஸ்லீம் அல்ல, அரபி மொழியிலும், இஸ்லாமிய நூல்களிலும் ஆழ்ந்த புலமை பெற்றவர் என்பது இந்தக் கட்டுரைகளில் இருந்து தெளிவாகிறது.

ஐயா அஷ்ரஃப், நீங்கள் எங்கே இருக்கிறீர்கள்? சுவனப்பிரியன், இறைநேசன், நல்லடியார், மரக்காயர் போன்று பல வண்ணங்களில் ஜிகாதிய வெறித்தனத்தை உமிழும் ஆசாமிகள் தான் இங்கு இருக்கிறார்கள். உங்களைப் போன்ற உண்மையான அறிஞர்கள் தான் இவர்களைத் தெளிவிக்க வேண்டும்!

    I have highlighted (in bold, underline or colour) the corresponding differences in these two translations. Only the last translation (of verse X, 2, 33) looks similar. Dr. Haq of course interprets it differently. 
    Devi Chand's translation clearly indicate that the series of verses in Chapter 10 of Atharva Veda refer to man and his soul and not the Ka'ba as Dr. Haq (to be precise Dr. Vidyarthi and Ali) interpret. The words for "creation of God" has been translated as "House of God", and the words for "created in Heaven" as "built high". In the next verse, we see the soul ("the citadel of the body", as Devi Chand translates) being translated as "abode of the angels"!! 
    Translator Devi Chand remarks that the eight circles or circuits are the eight parts of the Yoga: Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayamam Pratyahara, Dharna, Dhyana and Smadhi. By `interpreting' the eight circles as hills surrounding Ka'ba, Mr. Vidyarthi has let his imaginations run wild! 

(2) Biblical verses in the Rig Veda ?

     In this section, I will refute Mr. Anderson's view that the Rig Veda contains verses of Biblical origin. We will soon realize how Mr. Menon has read `Christian' ideas into the Rig Veda, and managed to extract something `Semitic' out of the Vedic verses.

(i) Mr. Menon's mistranslations and interpolations 
    Comparing verse X.92.5 with 1:3 in John, Mr. Menon wonders "Isn't this similarity in essence between these mutually supporting statements, amazing?"  

    I see nothing spectacular for Mr. Menon to get excited, considering the strikingly similar verses I have produced from different scriptures in the next section (2.ii). Nevertheless, this is how Griffith and Flaherty translate the same verse:.

• From him Viraj was born; again Purusa from Viraj was born. As soon as he was born he spread eastward and westward o'er the earth. (Griffith)
• From him Viraj was born, from Viraj came the Man. When he was born, he ranged beyond the earth, behind and before (Flaherty)

Mr. Menon's `translation' appears to be an interpretation than a translation. He continues to produce such mistranslations from the Rig Veda. Verse X.121.1, which is one of the Creation Hymns in Rig Veda, has been totally `Christianized' by Mr. Menon. This is how Menon interprets this verse (I don't think it is a translation):

'Prajapathy' alias 'Hiranya garbha', the first born, was born to the Holy Spirit (Paramatma) before Genesis. Upon birth, He became one and only God to the universe comprising the Skies, Stars Earth and the Seas. He rules the endless firmament and the whole of the earth. We please this deity, Prajapathy, who is called 'Kan' affectionately, with offerings in sacrifices. (Menon)

• IN the beginning rose Hiranyagarbha, born Only Lord of all created beings. He fixed and holdeth up this earth and heaven. What God shall we adore with our oblation? (Griffith)
• IN the beginning the Golden Embryo arose. Once he was born, he was the one lord of creation. He held in place the earth and this sky. Who is the god whom we should worship with oblation?(Flaherty)

    So the Hiranyagarbha is the cosmic Golden Egg and NOT the first born of the Holy Spirit (Paramatma?) as Mr. Menon says. To equate Hiranyagarbha (Hiranya=Golden and Garbha=Womb or Embryo, [11]) with Jesus Christ is nothing but nonsense, to say the least. The next verse he cites is X.90.2, which looks totally different in other translations!

It is for the redemption of mankind, he surpassed his immortal sphere and descends to the mortal sphere. He comes to give everyone recompense as per their deeds (Menon)

• This Purusa is all that yet hath been and all that is to be; The Lord of Immortality which waxes greater still by food. (Griffith)
• It is the Man who is all this, whatever has been and whatever is to be. He is the ruler of immortality, when he grows beyond everything through food. (Flaherty)

 But this is how Griffith and Flaherty translate:

• Gods, sacrificing, sacrificed the victim these were the earliest holy ordinances. The Mighty Ones attained the height of heaven, there where the Sidhyas, Gods of old, are dwelling. (Griffith)
• With the sacrifice the gods sacrificed to the sacrifice. These were the first ritual laws. These very powers reached the dome of the sky where dwell the Sadhyas, the ancient gods. (Flaherty)

    Mr. Anderson takes over from where Mr. Menon left and quotes a verse from Acts (4:12) to `prove' that this hymn (as `translated' by Mr. Menon) was taken from the Book of Acts! Mr. Menon should be held responsible for misleading others too. And finally, Mr. Anderson concludes that the author of Rig Veda had a thorough knowledge of the Bible! 
    Looking at the way Mr. Menon has interpolated the verses to suit his preconceived notions, it will now be clear that these verses do not prove in any way that they were taken from the Bible.

(ii) Similarities do occur 
    Many scholars have pointed out the similarities between the Persian Avesta and the Indian Vedas. At least, in this case, we know that the Aryans were a break away group of people from Central Asia who earlier shared the same religion and language with the Persians [12]. We know that the Quran contains some verses that are similar to those found in the Bible (Q 21:105 and Ps 37:29, Q 48:29 and Mk 4:27-28, Q21: 104 and Is 34:4, Q 18:109 and Jn 21:25). Yet, it would be a mistake to conclude that the Quran contains verses copied or lifted from the Bible. When we see the number of contradictions between the Quran and the Bible, we can only conclude that the author of the Quran had no access to any written Biblical materials. 
    In any case, human thoughts across the globe have been the same and one cannot come to any drastic conclusion if some verses appear similar.  Mr. Anderson seems to be amazed with the oneness of Hindu scriptures and the Bible (which anyway is not true, from the verses he cited). In fact one can find many amazingly similar verses across scriptures even without any mistranslation. Here I present some astonishingly similar verses across various scriptures of the world.

Quran and Dhammapada

(3) The concept of hell in Hinduism

    Mr. Anderson quotes the following verse from the Gita to show that the word `hell' is a borrowing from Christianity and Islam.

O Krsna, maintainer of the people, I have heard by disciplic succession 
that those who destroy family traditions dwell always in hell 
(Gita 1:43)

    Historians and theologians are of the opinion that the concepts of Immortal souls, Resurrection of body, Devil as God's adversary, Hell and Heaven, and perhaps even the expectation of a Saviour, are all in one form or another, borrowings from Zoroastrianism [13,14]. However, I am yet to see a scholarly opinion saying that the Gita has been influenced by Christianity and Islam. I disagree with Mr. Anderson's view that the belief in `hell' is contrary to the endless cycle of death and rebirth in Hinduism. The concept of hell in Hinduism is very different from that described in Judaic religions. The hell in Hinduism has been explained, either as a `worldly suffering' or `celestial suffering'.

(i) Hell as worldly suffering 
    For the Hindus, more particularly for Jains and Buddhists, the universe is a place of misery and sorrow. In all ancient Hindu texts, hell mean only a state of worldly suffering. Says Swami Vivekananda:

"In India, the idea of the goal (salvation) is this: There are heavens, there are hells, there are earths, but they are not permanent. If I am sent to hell, it is not permanent. The same struggle goes on and on whatever I am. How to go beyond all this struggle is the problem ........ The Indian idea is not to go to Heaven. Get out of this earth, get out of hell, and get out of heaven! What is the goal? It is freedom! You must be free" (Complete Works 6:57) [15].

    I quote a verse from Tirukkural [16] to show that the idea of hell is not a contradiction to the Hindu doctrine of `samsara' (cycles of rebirth).

"A fool does deeds in a single birth 
That will plunge him in hell (Allaru) in the succeeding seven" 
(Tirukkural 835)

    The Tamil word Allaru here conveys the idea of "Depth". The Hindu belief is, one will either "sink to the hell" or "ascend to the heaven". The idea of `hell' occurs in Buddhist and Jain scriptures too! Says the Buddha in Dhammapada:

Some are born in the human womb, evildoers in hell (Niraya), 
Those on the good course go to heaven; while those without effluent, totally unbound. 
(Dhammapada 126)

    Commenting on this verse, translator Thanissaro Bhikkhu says: "Heaven and hell, in the Buddhist view of the cosmos, are not eternal states. One may be reborn on one of the various levels of heaven or hell as the result of one’s kamma on the human plane, and then leave that level when that particular store of kamma wears out" [17].In fact an entire chapter in Dhammapada (Chap. 22) is titled Hell (Niraya)! Will Mr. Anderson say that this is also a borrowing from Islam and Christianity?

(ii) The problem of translation

   While dealing with the problems in translating the religious culture of the source language (ST) to the target language (TL), V. Ramasamy in his book “On Translating Tirukkural” makes the following remarks[23]: “Thought the concept of hell and heaven is available in the English language, the SL and TL differ in their details. These two words are described in so many couplets. There are four phrases (used in Kural) to describe the hell: (i) alaru – a slimy lake, (ii) irul ser innaa ulakam (இருள் சேர் இன்னா உலகம்) – dark world of suffering, (iii) aarirul (ஆரிருள்) – world of darkness and (iv) teeyuli (தீயுழி) – place of fire.” Since these words have different meanings, Ramasamy stresses the importance of translating these words properly: “The translators should prefer to give literal meaning of these words so that the TL readers will have a clear idea about the concept of hell in SL. Otherwise they will tend to equate their own concept of hell with that of the SL. Pragmatic equivalence can be avoided in these contexts.”

(ii) Hell as celestial suffering 
    The Hindu texts imply that hell could also mean some sort of celestial suffering which the soul experiences before it is reborn. Says Sri Aurobindo:

"The Vedantic thought did not envisage rebirth as an immediate entry after death into a new body .......... before the soul is attracted before terrestrial existence, an interval in which it assimilates its terrestrial experiences ........ During this interval, it must dwell in states and worlds beyond and these may be favourable or unfavourable to its future development" [18].

We see this view being expressed in Manu Smriti (Laws of Manu), one of the early Hindu Scriptures.

"He who accepts presents from an avaricious king 
who acts contrary to the Institutes (of the sacred law), 
will go in succession to the following twenty-one hells: ....." 
(4:87-90)

The idea of `hell' occurs in Buddhist and Jain scriptures too! Says the Buddha in Dhammapada:

Some are born in the human womb, evildoers in hell (Niraya), 
Those on the good course go to heaven; while those without effluent, totally unbound. 
(Dhammapada 126)

    Commenting on this verse, translator Thanissaro Bhikkhu says: "Heaven and hell, in the Buddhist view of the cosmos, are not eternal states. One may be reborn on one of the various levels of heaven or hell as the result of one’s kamma on the human plane, and then leave that level when that particular store of kamma wears out" [24]. In fact an entire chapter in Dhammapada (Chap. 22) is titled Hell (Niraya)! Will Mr. Anderson say that this is also a borrowing from Islam and Christianity?

    In Jainism, hell is implied as a stage between death and rebirth. The Akarangasutra, considered the oldest Jain scripture extant written in ancient Prakrt [19], says:

The world is greatly troubled by women. 
They (viz. men) forsooth say, 'These are- the vessels (of happiness).' 
But this leads them to pain, to delusion, to death, to hell, 
to birth as hell-beings or brute beasts. 
The fool never knows the law. 
(I Book: 2.4.3)

    Contrary to what Mr. Anderson believes, the word hell existed in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain scriptures even before the advent of Islam and Christianity. Perhaps it is only in later stages, after the influence of Christianity and Islam, that the Vedic concept of hell and heaven was interpreted in the Judeo-Christian way in the Puranas. Says Swami Vivekananda: "In the Vedas, there is no mention of hell. But our Puranas, the later works of our scriptures, thought that no religion could be complete, unless hells are attached to it, and so they invented all sorts of hells" (Complete Works 1:400) [15].

(ii) Enzymes and Oxygen in Rig Veda 
    Mr. Anderson has also reproduced the 3^rd hymn of the 163^rd aphorism in the 10^th volume of Rig Veda. He wonders how oxygen and enzymes could have been described in an ancient book. Let us compare the translations of Mr. Menon and Griffith.  

    Where from did Mr. Menon discover oxygen, enzyme and the rest? Once again, a of case interpretive mistranslation! We should be aware of modern translators who read their ideas into the text in order to make their translations look very scientific and rational, often to impress the new readers. How dare such people call themselves seekers of Truth!

(5) Conclusion

    Both Dr. Haq and Mr. Menon have managed to `discover' Muhammad and Jesus from Rig Veda only by mistranslating the verses. Interesting indeed is Mr. Vidyarthi's interpretation of the human body and/or soul as Ka'ba and the 9 portals of the human body as the gates of Mecca!! Mr. Anderson's view that Hindu scriptures are being continuously modified does not hold true in the case of the Gita and Vedas. Let me repeat here again what Sidharth wrote: "Unlike the core Vedic literature, the Puranas have suffered additions and alterations"

    Mr. Vidyarthi, Dr. Haq and Mr. Menon all belong to the same school of religious scholars who read their ideas into others' scriptures to extract what they want. It is unfortunate that Mr. Anderson has drawn his conclusions about Hindu scriptures from the works of such people. He should have verified the authenticity of these translations before making such comments on Hindu scriptures. 

அரவிந்தன் நீலகண்டன் said...

//பூமத்திய ரேகையை ஒட்டியே மக்கா நகர் அமைந்திருப்பதையும் நாம் பார்க்கிறோம்.//
அன்புள்ள சுவனப்பிரியன்,
இது தாங்கள் கூறியுள்ளது. தயை செய்து இங்கு கொடுக்கப்பட்டுள்ள உரலை காணவும் :http://jwocky.gsfc.nasa.gov/imglib1/latlon.gif
மக்காவின் தீர்க்க ரேகை 39.49 கிழக்கு
எந்த விதத்தில் மக்கா நகர் பூமத்திய ரேகைக்கு அருகில் அமைந்திருப்பதாக கூறுகிறீர்கள் என தெரிந்துகொள்ளலாமா? (அல்லது 'பூமியின் மையம்' http://www.qiblacentral.com/ போன்ற இஸ்லாமிய பிரச்சார இணைய தளங்களில் அமைந்துள்ளதா? இந்தமாதிரி உலகத்தின் பல புள்ளிகளை உலகமையம் என கூறலாம். உதாரணமாக இங்கே காணவும் எகிப்தின் காஸா உலகமையமாக காட்டும் வரைப்படம் http://mars-news.de/pyramids) ஆனால் நீங்கள் தெள்ளத்தெளிவாக பூ மத்திய ரேகை எனக் கூறியுள்ளதை நோக்கவும். இதைப்போலவே உலகின் அனைத்து மதங்களும் தத்தம் புனித தலத்தை உலகின் மையம்/இதயம் எனக்கூறுகின்றன. இவையெல்லாம் உருவகங்களே அன்றி உண்மை அல்ல. 

அன்புடன் 
அரவிந்தன் நீலகண்டன்