Topic started by Traveller (@ globalc42.citicorp.com) on Fri Jun 15 13:16:21 .
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

Early Sanskrit Literature: Vedas
Contain Extremely strong and best possible philosophical explanations about life and death. This is called Vedanta or Upanishad. This part is the best of all Indian Literature. This is a pride of Indians.
This Vedanta is written mainly by Kshatriyas.
Apart from this Vedas have more on History, Culture and generally about early Indians. It can be said that the people who have written Vedas are geniuses . ( From Foreigners who have commented on it )
But they contain mainly about Soul, Life after death, What is the purpose of Life, Realization etc, etc

Early Tamil Literature : Tolkapiam, Sangam and Kural.
Here also the Castes are defined and were in vogue. But the people are more towards life and they generally write more about Love and War. Their main life aim is to enjoy the life in its present form. They accept all forms of Love and are interested in all forms of War. They cross the seas and go to foreign countries.
Contains nothing about Soul, Life after Death, etc.

Conclusion:
1. Both contained the present Caste form.

2. The difference is that Sanskrit literature speculates and speculates. Tamil Literature deals about immediate Life and Love.

3. Both are required for Our Life. When one feels to be sad and want to find the meaning of Life he can go for Vedanta. If one wants what to write to His Lover he can refer to Kurals KamathuPaal.
Retsina ( Traveller )

Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: rangachari (@ 216.191.58.156) on: Mon Jun 18 12:16:58
  
  
  If asked to prove something you turn around and ask Sugrutha to prove otherwise !
  
  
  Tomorrow Sugrutha will say "MuKa discovered
  Australia".Do you expect Muka to disprove it or
  Sugrutha to prove it :-)
  
  Sugu came up with a loaded question "I would genuinely like to know of any Sanskrit literature
  that talks about equality of human beings?"
  
  To me it sounded like "All sanskrit literature
  are racist". If I misinterpreted it,then I am
  sorry.
  
  Hence the onus of proving Kalidas's work as racist
  lies on her not me.
  
  cheers
  
  
• From: tambaram (@ bay-68.pppmad.vsnl.net.in) on: Mon Jun 18 12:35:42
  
  Yes Let us agree that Sanskrit Literature As we know today does not say anything about Equality of Human Beings- Quite Possible- Yes it could be true indeed. I wont disagree but what do you want to debate next?
  
  We can accept this.No Arguments . Do you want anything more - ?:
  
  1.Sanskrit Literature As we know today does not say anything about Equality of Human Beings
  
  2.So Bramins are not acecpting Equality of Human Beings since Sanskrit = Bramins ;
  
  3.So Bramins are Anti Social in outlook and backward minded and need be condemned.
  
  
  Now If we accept 1 - is it necessary to accept /and or Debate 2 and 3?
  
  If that is the case shall we debate about all of them ?
  
  
• From: Sugrutha (@ 65.11.240.45) on: Mon Jun 18 12:36:36
  
  GD,
  
  neenga En thideer thideernu ketta varthai ezhuthareengannu ippo purinji pochchu. inimE naan atha paththi kEttEnnA enna seruppAla thalaiyla adichchirunga. nettula srikkira symbol maathiri seruppu symbolum uruvakkaNum.
  
  
• From: tambaram (@ bay-68.pppmad.vsnl.net.in) on: Mon Jun 18 12:38:01
  
  Curious to know:
  
  How are the equally ancient Languages like Hebrew,Latin,Persian , Chinese,Arabic in this regard?
  Do their literature have good works of High Social Standards ?
  
  Any Ideas? I am intrested to know.
  
  
• From: tambaram (@ bay-68.pppmad.vsnl.net.in) on: Mon Jun 18 12:39:16
  
  Yes Let us agree that Sanskrit Literature As we know today does not say anything about Equality of Human Beings- Quite Possible- Yes it could be true indeed. I wont disagree but what do you want to debate next?
  
  We can accept this.No Arguments . Do you want anything more - ?:
  
  1.Sanskrit Literature As we know today does not say anything about Equality of Human Beings
  
  2.So Bramins are not acecpting Equality of Human Beings since Sanskrit = Bramins ;
  
  3.So Bramins are Anti Social in outlook and backward minded and need be condemned.
  
  
  Now If we accept 1 - is it necessary to accept /and or Debate 2 and 3?
  
  If that is the case shall we debate about all of them ?
  
  
• From: ÃÅ£ý (@ user125.net053.lv.sprint-hsd.net) on: Mon Jun 18 16:21:44
  
  "Yes Let us agree that Sanskrit Literature As we know today does not say anything about Equality of Human Beings"
  
  That is not a true statement without evaluating the Sanskrit literature created by Jains and Budhists (brahmins included)
  
  
• From: ashok (@ 65.192.15.1) on: Mon Jun 18 20:06:41
  
  Sanskrit literature includes the Vedas, the Upanishads etc. It also includes texts on Yoga, the poetry of Kalidasa and others. Further, there are Buddhist and Jain texts, folk tales from the Panchatantra, other records of life in ancient India. In other words as pointed out above, generalizing about any literature is very hard.
  
  Tamil literature also contains a variety of works, ranging from the Silappathikaram to Thirukkural to Kambaramayanam. There are works by the Azhvars and the Nayanmars, Thiruppugazh etc. etc. In fact similar charges have been raised against the religious content of Tamil literature - see the discussion on EVR's reference to Tamil as a "barbaric language" in this context.
  
  No language is impure or barbaric. Such notions are by their nature indicative of a fascist mentality.
  
  
• From: Traveller (@ globalb3.citicorp.com) on: Sat Jun 23 10:58:52
  
  Mr. Ashok,
  It is not my intention to generalize any literature as barbaric or impure.
  My point is that Tamils once had these ideas and they have forgotten all these. Just to give some reminder for them I am writing these. But for Sanskrit Literature Its philosophical works are worth rather than anything else.
  Bye,
  Traveller
  
  
• From: stan (@ 128.113.50.138) on: Thu Jul 5 16:57:59
  
  Indeed there is sanskrit literature which says all men are equal etc. Read Adi sankarar's "Manisha Panchakam". He composed it after his tryst with a chandala on his way to the Kashi viswanatha temple
  
  Stan
  
  
• From: tinamun (@ ) on: Thu Apr 4 05:13:17
  
  Talking about caste in this millennium. Utter waste of time. Go and do something good for less fortunate fellow beings, instead of quarrelling in web.
  
  
• From: Srinivasan (@ palo3.pacific.net.sg) on: Mon Jan 3 00:37:45
  
  Regrettable that a debate is going on by persons who do not have strong foundation in Sanskrit. It is better, not to handle subjects where they are not proficient.
  It is not possible to teach them sanskrit on line and unless you know sanskrit (to read-write)atleast. Leave alone conversation
  Okay- How many writers here know all the sapthas in Sanskrit.
  Sanskrit is the holy language and mother of all the languages in the world. Also please do not equate langugage to religion, caste or creed.
  
  

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