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far as we are able to ascertain the sense ascribed to the words at that
remote period. You are right in saying that the great commentators
now so much admired (referring evidently to Sayana and Mahidhara)
had very little, if any, better means of knowledge of Vedic terminology
than we have at present." In fact, these writings brought Panditji world
wide acclaim. Even Max Muller made a mention of 'The Terminology
of the Vedas' in his works. This essay became the Sanskrit text book
for the degree class at Oxford University. Those were the days of
foreign rule, when Indians were termed as coolies, treated as illiterate
blacks and compared often to the dogs. The system judged Indians
worthy only of being trained into clerks; kept them away from any post
of importance and even the chair of a High School Principal bore a
white. Yet, here was an Indian, just twentyfour of age, whose book left
critics speechless and the spiritual world awestruck. It was an honour
indeed for the entire country, not merely for Arya Samaj or his teacher
Rishi Dayananda. The flower blessed the entire spring and not just
the branch on which it grew.
Origin of Thought and Language
This brief essay by Guru Datta was first carried by The Regenerator of
Aryavarta on 16th June, 1884. Later, it was reprinted by Virjanand
Press, Lahore and Aryan Tract Society, Lahore in 1888 and 1893
respectively. In this, the learned writer has determined the Vedas
to be
Ishwariya gyan
(revelation).
Vedic Texts Nos.
1-3
Guru Datta brought out a series of three articles under the 'Vedic
Texts'. The first part is titled
Vayu Mandal.
It contains a scientific
exposition of the first
mantra
of the second
sukta
in Rig Veda's first
mandal.
It was published in
Arya Patrika
on 28th December, 1886.
This magazine had already carried the second part on 13th July. In
that essay, Guru Datta had dealt with a scientific matter on the
basis of Rig Veda's following
mantra:
frf4 dirdqki qP3i ftEiRVITi
ftizi
9rnt T*TMT II tIR1 911
He established that this
tnantra
presented the chemical composition
of water as a derivative of hydrogen and oxygen. In centuries of
scholastic tradition, Guru Datta was the only one besides Rishi
Dayananda, who validated with such clarity, the scientific content
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