"Prof. Dean Brown points out that most European languages can be traced back to a root language that is also related to Sanskrit - the sacred language of the ancient Vedic Hindu religions of India. Many English words actually have Sanskrit origins. Similarly, many Vedic religious concepts can also be found in Western culture. He discusses the fundamental idea of the Upanishads - that the essence of each individual, the atman, is identical to the whole universe, the principle of brahman. In this sense, the polytheistic traditions of India can be said to be monistic at their very core."
That started off so reasonably. A root language that is related to Sanskrit, Greek, etc. But there are very few English words with specifically Sanskritic origins, and fewer still that are not late borrowings (like juggernaut from (Lord) Jagannātha).
ReplyDeleteAs for the core of Indias "polytheistic" traditions, many, like Rāmānuja and Madhva, along with Caitanya and others, might disagree that this Śaṅkaran reading of the Upaniṣads is correct.