Sep

9

Satyam Shivam Sundaram.

These 3 Sanskrit words together, have formed one of the most quoted and misunderstood treatises of ancient Hindu wisdom. Taken one at a time the three words mean Truth, Basic & Beautiful respectively. The root words for each of these words is Satya, Shiva & Sundar meaning Truth, Basic/Basis, Beautiful respectively. In this statement however each word ends with the suffix "am" (prounced as "um" as in gum) that basically is the conversion of any noun into the active entity. This phrase/sentence thus has only nouns and each is the active entity!

Since Sanskrit is one unique language that does not require any rules of syntax, we can translate the original in six different combinations, as follows:

1. Truth is Basic hence Beautiful.
2. Truth is Beautiful & hence Basic.
3. Basics are Beautiful & hence True.
4. Basics are Truth & hence Beautiful.
5. Beauty is the Basis & hence True.
6. Beauty is Truth and hence the basis!

Is there any contradiction? Well, if there are any felt by any, we can recline on Ayn Rand who surmised, "….check your premises". One of the several ways in which the premises can be checked and contradictions removed, that one may take all the six meanings together.

This list is a place where scientific approach to seeking truth prevails. I would be keen to hear from any who notice any contradictions in these six translations and of course from those who can wrinkle out and eliminate any contradictions to help establish a basic beautiful truth about truth, beauty and the basics.


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