Fwd: First words on a Gramaphone

[Shrinivasa Varakhedi]

The first voice  recorded by Thoms Alva Edison on a disc of Gramophone was that of Max Muller, that too  in Sanskrit.   Interesting.   First Words on Gramophone..... Did you know this?   HMV Company had once published a pamphlet giving the history of gramophone record. Gramophone was invented by Thomas Alva Edison in the 19th century. Edison, who had invented many other gadgets like electric light and the motion picture camera, had become a legend even in his own time.    When He invented the gramophone record, which could record human voice for posterity, he wanted to record the voice of an eminent scholar on his first piece. For that he chose Prof. Max Muller of Germany, another great personality of the 19th century. He wrote to Max Muller saying, "I want to meet you and record your voice. When should I come?" Max Muller who had great respect for Edison asked him to come on a suitable time when most of the scholars of the Europe would be gathering in England.    Accordingly, Edison took a ship and went to England. He was introduced to the audience. All cheered Edison’s presence. Later at the request of Edison, Max Muller came on the stage and spoke in front of the instrument. Then Edison went back to his laboratory and by afternoon came back with a disc. He played the gramophone disc from his instrument. The audience was thrilled to hear the voice of Max Muller from the instrument. They were glad that voices of great persons like Max Muller could be stored for the benefit of posterity.   After several rounds of applause and congratulations to Thomas Alva Edison, Max Muller came to the stage and addressed the scholars and asked them, "You heard my original voice in the morning. Then you heard the same voice coming out from this instrument in the afternoon. Did you understand what I said in the morning or what you heard this afternoon?"    The audience fell silent because they could not understand the language in which Max Muller had spoken. It was `Greek and Latin' to them as they say. But had it been Greek or Latin, they would have definitely understood because they were from various parts of Europe. It was in a language which the European scholars had never heard.    Max Muller then explained what he had spoken. He said that the language he spoke was Sanskrit and it was the first sloka of Rig Veda, which says "Agni Meele Purohitam." This was the first recorded public version on the gramophone plate.   Why did Max Muller choose this? Addressing the audience he said, "Vedas are the oldest text of the human race. And Agni Meele Purohitam is the first verse of Rig Veda. In the most primordial time, when the people did not know how even to cover their bodies and lived by hunting and housed in caves, Indians had attained high civilization and they gave the world universal philosophies in the form of the Vedas.”   Such is the illustrious legacy of our country!   When “Agni Meele Purohitam” was replayed the entire audience stood up in silence as a mark of respect for the ancient Hindu sages.   This verse means: "Oh Agni, You who gleam in the darkness, To You we come day by day, with devotion and bearing homage. So be of easy access to us, Agni, as a father to his son, abide with us for our well being. Such a GREAT civilization has degenerated into a country  brimming with  corruption in every aspect. M.Perumal Chennai -- God Be With Us -- God Be With Us

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SRIKANT KULKARNI

HON.SECRETARY

KARNATAKA SAHITYA MANDIRA

[Bhagwan Singh]

Looking at our past glories we must reassure ourselves, we have done it, we can do it again. Looking at he present discomfiture  we must think, why we have become what we are? Most of the scholars of Sanskrit, simply quote and recite, as if all the solutions are available and conforming to them ans singing our praise is going to lead ahead. No hope that they can mend their ways. What else Max Mular said about our present state is forgotten. We should get rid of self adulation and weigh with a physical balance what is our value.

BS 

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From: Shrinivasa Varakhedi <shri...@gmail.com>
To: "bvpar...@googlegroups.com" <bvpar...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Monday, 25 June 2012 8:33 PM
Subject: {भारतीयविद्वत्परिषत्} Fwd: First words on a Gramaphone

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[Ganesh R]

Dear Sirs,

Me to have heard this story on several occasions but  not once any one gave me the exact proofs for this. I would naturally be happy if this is true. If not, taking this also as a cheep deplorable act of inferiority complex  strongly rooted in our people, especially  among the Sanskritists, feel too embarrassed in my own heart.
This mail at any case is not hurt any body. This only to know the fact and respect the tradition of truth, the very breath of our Vedic seers.

regards

ganesh 

[Shrisha Rao]

On Tue, Jun 26, 2012 at 7:03 AM, Shrinivasa Varakhedi <shri...@gmail.com> wrote:

The first voice  recorded by Thoms Alva Edison on a disc of Gramophone was that of Max Muller, that too  in Sanskrit

This is a well-known Internet hoax without any basis in the biographies of either Max Mueller or Edison.  Gramophone discs came about circa 1920, and Max Mueller died in 1900, so it is an impossible story too.

Regards,

Shrisha Rao

[Nityanand Misra]

Dear Sh. Ganesh

How does an Internet hoax, most probably not coming from a Sanskrit speaker, become an act of inferiority complex strongly rooted in our people, especially Sanskritists? On the contrary, in my experience many Sanskrit speakers have a superiority complex, justified to an extent, of speaking the language of the Gods.

There are many such urban legends/conspiracy theories/hoaxes circulated everyday on emails and Facebook/YouTube including some ludicrous ones like some month being the first one in hundreds of years with five Thursdays, Indira Gandhi being a secret Muslim by the name of Maimoona Begum, 9/11 being planned by the Pentagon, and I have a good laugh at them but don't read much into it in terms of superiority or inferiority complex.

Thanks, Nityanand

Nityānanda Miśra
Member, Advisory Council, Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Handicapped University
Chitrakoot, Uttar Pradesh, India
http://nmisra.googlepages.com
http://jagadgururambhadracharya.org/jrhu/donate

|| आत्मा तत्त्वमसि श्वेतकेतो ||
(Thou art from/for/of/in That Ātman, O Śvetaketu)
     - Ṛṣi Uddālaka to his son, Chāndogyopaniṣad 6.8.7, The Sāma Veda

[Ajit Gargeshwari]

This type of humor suits well for Sundays as done on several mailing list but probably not on a week day
Regards

Ajit Gargeshwari