I am learning the basics of Paninian Sanskrit grammar from Dr. Sowmya Krishnapur of Vyoma Labs. It is amazing how Panini in 6th c. BCE gave us the complete structure of the world's most complete and refined and developed language. He organised it in basic blocks much like Newton gave us calculus and physics. However, Panini is in my opinion even greater than Newton, because his work is more comprehensive and captures not anything in abstraction but puts a superstructure around human speech which already existed before Panini. The Ramayana and Mahabharata predated Panini by several centuries.
I am now coming to this wonderful shloka that describes the way human speech comes into being. I want to give a versified translation just to share my excitement:
Meaning rises on the wings of spirit and thought.
This the mind wants to express, wrought
By fire in his body made in God's image;
Thus doth he with elemental air engage.
The same air that vitalises man's core
Emerges carrying the thought in store.
The sound rises like a rumbling cloud to strike
The cerebrum. Thus rain words from his mouth, pearl-like!
Hail the goddess of speech in this grand parade,
For man's faculty of speech is but God-made!
Postscript:
योऽन्तः प्रविश्य मम वाचमिमां प्रसुप्ताम्
सञ्जीवयत्यखिलशक्तिधरः स्वधाम्ना...
