VĀK-PATI

Śam˙ Śabdāih — ‘With Words, Welfare.’

With the above aphorism a mediaeal Sanskrit grammarian begins his work, after his salutation to God in the time-honoured Formula—

Om˙ Namah Śivāya

The benediction invoked by Bopadeva embodies the romance, the mystery, and the truth of speech. Speech is wonderful, one marvels at its power. Speech gives expression to that which is, and to the Idea. Speech sped man on his path in life. Ever since he began his quest for well-being and joy, for welfare and happiness, Speech has been a strong staff for him.

kaí phthégma kaí anemÓen phrÓnēma edidáksato :

Man’s greatest achievement, which raised him from the mere animal, was when he taught himself Speech, the symbol of his Thought, swift as the wind.

Brhaspate prathamám˙ vācÓ ágram˙ yát prāírata nāma-dhéyam˙ dádhānāh,

yād, eṣāṃ Śréṣtham˙ yád ariprám āsīt pren ā tád eṣ ām níhitam˙ gÚhávi.h

‘When men, O Brihaspati, giving names to objects, sent out Vak’s first and earliest utterances.

All that was excellent and spotless, treasured within them, was disclosed through their affection.’

sáktum iva títaÜnā punánto yátra dhīrā mánasā vācam ákrata,

átrā sákhāyah sákhyāni jā nate; bhadráísā m lakṣmī́r níhitadhi vā cí.

‘Where, like men cleansing corn-flour in a cribble, the wise in spirit have created language.

Friends see and recognize the marks of friendship : their speech retains the blessed sign imprinted.’

The goal and end of man’s existence and life we wish to comprehend and to attain through speech. Sages, Saints and Poets have used speech with this aim.

yajñéna vācáh padavī́yam āyan, taˉ́m ánv avindann ṛṣiṣu práviṣt ām:

taˉ́m ābhr tyā ví adadhuh purutraˉ́, taˉ́m˙ saptá rebhaˉ́ abhí sám˙ navante.

‘With sacrifice the trace of Vak they followed, and found her harbouring within the Rishis :

They brought her, dealt her forth in many places : seven singers make her tones resound in concert.’

Many are the Rishis—the Sages and Poets—but only to few has Vak, the goddess of Speech, manifested Herself.

utá tvah páśyan ná dadarŚa vaˉ́cam; utá tvah Śṛṇván ná Śṛṇoti enām :

utÓ tuasmāi tanÚam ví sasre—jāyeva pátya uŚatī́ su-vaˉ́sāh

‘One man hath ne’er seen Vak, and yet he seeth : one man hath hearing, but hath never heard her.

But to another hath she shown her beauty, as a fond well-dressed wife to her husband.’

Rabindranath is one of those to whom the Goddess of Speech has given Her special blessing. Where else do we find Her manifesting herself with such power and such grace as in Rabindranath?

káś chándasā́m˙ yÓgam aˉ́ veda dhī́rah, kÓ dhíṣṇiām práti vaˉ́ cam papāda?

‘What sage hath learned the metre’s application? Who hath gained Vak, the spirit’s aim and object?’

He is not only the Poet, the Master Music-maker, at whose playing the words come and dance in a ring; not only the Wizard, who works magic with words : he is also the Sage, the first of our sages in these latter days, who saw and pondered over words, and made them reveal to him the secrets of their form and meaning.

For he is also first among our students of language, who both read the past of his mother-tongue and drew out its hidden powers. With clear vision born of the wise man’s observation, he indicated, in his essays, which are of permanent value for the study of his mother-tongue Bengali, the right lines of enquiry and deliberation regarding the nature and history of our language. A great creator, with divine power behind him, the power of his genius, he is also the patient analyser.

Nullum tetigit, quod non ornavit : nothing did he touch, which he did not adorn. In him we have the greatest writer of Bengali, and at the same time one of its foremost philologists.

From one who is seeking to read the mysterious ways of words and of Speech in India, and who has been blessed in his quest by the approbation of the Master, this Prayer on the present auspicious occasion :

Homage to Rabindranath, the Poet and Seer, the Vak-pati, Lord and Master of Speech :

Homage to the Pathi-krt, the Path-maker in the domain of Speech.

mahÓ árṇah Sárasvatī prá cetayati ket Únā :

dhíyo viŚvā ví rājati.

‘Sarasvati, the mighty flood,—She, with her light, illuminates :

She brightens every thought.’

codayitrī́ sūnṛ’tānām˙ cétantī su-matīnaˉ́m :

yajñám˙ dadhe Sárasvatī.

‘Inciter of all pleasant songs, Inspirer of all gracious thought,

Sarasvati accept our rite.’

maˉ́ nah pári khyad ákṣarā cárantī :

‘Let not the Deity of Speech, the swift-moving, the imperishable, neglect us.’

THE UNIVERSITY,

CALCUTTA

From : golden book of tagore

d. by Ramananda Chatterjee