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Devanagari means

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

The alphabets are called devanāgarī. Devanāgarī means these alphabets.
Lecture on BG 1.2-3 -- London, July 9, 1973:

This Drupada, the son of Drupada, he was meant for killing Dronācārya. Drupada Mahārāja was not in good terms with Dronācārya. So he performed a yajña to get a son who could kill Dronācārya. That son is this Draupada. So Dronācārya knew that "Drupada Mahārāja has got his son. In future he would kill me." Still, when he was offered to become his disciple, to learn military art, he accepted, "Yes." That means the brāhmaṇas were so liberal: "When he is coming as my disciple, never mind, he would kill me in future. That doesn't matter. But I must give him teaching." Therefore this word is used, dhīmatā, very intelligent: "He has killed the military science from you just to kill you." Dhīmatā, tava śiṣyeṇa. "Your disciple, he has arranged." This is the pointing out. So that he may be angry: "This rascal has learned from me and he wants to kill me?"

But no. Duty is duty. After all, everyone will die; nobody will exist. So nobody should be afraid of death. This is Vedic civilization. Death is inevitable. "As sure as death." Who can avoid death? So being afraid of death, we should not deviate from our duties, real duty. That is Vedic civilization. So Duryodhana wanted to point out "That this boy, your disciple, he... It is fixed up that he's meant for killing you, and he has arranged nicely military phalanx just to defeat you. And he has learned this art from you."

Therefore he is using this word, dhīmatā. Dhī, dhī means intelligence. Dhīmat-śabda. Dhīmat. Dhī means intelligence, and mat means "one who possesses." Asty arthe matup-pratyaya. When one possesses something, in this sense, this pratyaya... In Sanskrit there are pratyayas. So matup pratyaya. So matup. From matup, it comes to mat. Sanskrit language means it is so reformed that each and every word has significance. Not that like your English language. "Beauty but peauty put.(?)" No, not like that. If you say "beauty but," you must say, "peauty put." But no, you change: beauty but peauty put. Why? This kind of change cannot be allowed in Sanskrit language. If the "u" means "aḥ," just like beauty but, then it must always mean like that, no change. So dhīmatā. Dhī means intelligence. Dhī means intelligence. So one who has got intelligence. Every word is used with full meaning. Sanskrit language is so nice. Therefore it is called Sanskrit, Sanskrit, Saṁskṛta. Saṁskṛta means reform. And the alphabets are called devanāgarī. Devanāgarī means these alphabets... Just like in Europe the Roman letters are used, similarly, in the upper planetary system these alphabets are used, devanāgarī, used in the cities of the demigods. And the language is called Saṁskṛta, "most reformed." And Sanskrit is the mother of all languages.

Correspondence

1968 Correspondence

We understand from reliable resources, that Sanskrit is the spoken by the higher planetary denizens. It is therefore called Devanagari. Devanagari means the cities of the demigods. This language is spoken there.
Letter to Hayagriva -- Seattle 7 October, 1968:

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 2, 1968, and I am very much pleased to learn that you have secured a very good apartment of 5 rooms, and it is very near to your office. I have received one letter from Pradyumna as well as Kirtanananda Maharaja, from New Vrindaban, and I am enclosing herewith the replies of Pradyumna's letter; I hope he has be this time come to you.

Your statement "within the month I hope to have some students chanting" is very encouraging for me. Sanskrit is the mother of all languages; there is no doubt about it. In our childhood, we read one grammar made by two English professors, Mr. Rowe and Webb, in Calcutta, Presidential College, and they have given their statement that Sanskrit is the mother of all languages. Besides that, we understand from reliable resources, that Sanskrit is the spoken by the higher planetary denizens. It is therefore called Devanagari. Devanagari means the cities of the demigods. This language is spoken there. And so far, AUM is concerned, actually, the AU, the alphabet A, is the basic principle of all languages. And Krishna says, Aksaranan Akarasmi the A amongst all alphabets, is Krishna. Because A is the beginning of all language. A or Au. So your representation that Sanskrit is the origin of Indo-European languages, is quite right, but our main concern is how we can impress people about the importance of Krishna Consciousness, and your scholarly presentation of the Anglo-Saxon language is very much pleasing to me; I hope in future you have to move amongst the scholars, representing our Krishna Consciousness movement, so I am glad that you are thinking in that way for our future program.

Page Title:Devanagari means
Compiler:Jahnu
Created:24 of Jan, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=0, Let=1
No. of Quotes:2