Authors: Sunil Sondhi
Language is always cultural, it is shaped by and in turn shapes the cultural context from which it emerges. In Sanskrit, and in Indian languages derived from Sanskrit, like Hindi and Bengali, the term Saktihas been a cultural concept since the Vedic age. “There is no word of wider content in any language than this Sanskrit term meaning ‘Power’” (Woodroffe, p.17).In the Indian notions about Sabda Sakti, meaning the ‘Power of the Word’, language is seen from the earliest times as creative power both at cosmic and human levels. Modern science sees energy as the ultimate form of reality. In India language has been worshipped and used as a manifestation of the energy of the goddess Saraswati since the Rg Veda. This article traces the evolution of the concept of Sabda Sakti from the time it first occurs in the Rg Veda. This cultural conceptualization of language continues later in the Atharva Vedaand Yajur Vedain the form of religious and cultural practices. The development of the concept continues in other Indian classical texts like theBrahmanas, the Aranyakas, and the Upanishads, where Sabda Saktiis related to the origin of the universe, and the umbilical relationship of the cosmic energy and human speech is recognised. These ancient notions of Sabda Saktiwere restated and further developed in Kashmir Shaivism in the 10th and 11th centuries. While the Vedas and Upanishads emphasized the contemplative aspect of Sabda Sakti, the Shaiva texts focused more on language as moralized power which is active and can be used for action. The study of Indian concept of Sabda Sakti as a cultural schema can be helpful in a better understanding of cultural roots of language and communication in India, and can contribute to further research in the field of cultural linguistics. Keywords: Veda, Upanishad, Cultural Linguistics, Indian Culture, Intercultural Communication.
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