GOD: what 'god' actually means & why Hindus should NEVER use it | Jeffrey Armstrong | Vedic Vidya
Summary
TLDRIn this insightful video, Jeffrey Armstrong and Kavindra Rishi from Vedic Vidya explore the etymological roots of the word 'God', tracing its origins back to Sanskrit. They reveal that 'God' originally meant 'smoke offering', a concept from pagan fire sacrifices, and highlight the linguistic journey from Sanskrit's 'hutam' to the English 'god'. The script delves into the significance of the Sanskrit term 'Bhagavan', which denotes the supreme being with six divine qualities, contrasting it with the limited meaning of 'god'. The discussion underscores the importance of understanding linguistic roots and definitions in cultural and spiritual contexts, especially as yoga and Indian philosophy gain global recognition.
Takeaways
- 📚 The English word 'god' has migrated from other languages and originally comes from Sanskrit, highlighting the interconnectedness of linguistic evolution.
- 🌍 The concept of 'god' in English lacks a precise definition and is often used to point to something beyond human understanding without a universally agreed meaning.
- 🔍 The word 'god' in English is derived from the Sanskrit 'hutam', which refers to the smoke carrying an offering in a fire sacrifice, showing a deep cultural and linguistic connection.
- 🔥 The term 'bhagavan' in Sanskrit is not synonymous with 'god' in English and has a specific meaning related to the ultimate being with six divine qualities.
- 🌬 The word 'deus', Latin for 'god', is also traced back to 'deva' in Sanskrit, indicating a migration of words and concepts across cultures and time.
- 🌐 Sanskrit, the classical language of India, is revealed to be the basis of German and has significantly influenced the development of European languages.
- 🌿 The practice of yoga and the spread of Indian culture globally is bringing attention to the origins and true meanings of words like 'god' and 'bhagavan'.
- 🌱 The concept of 'bhagavan' encompasses six qualities: beauty, wealth, strength, fame, knowledge, and generosity, offering a more nuanced understanding than the word 'god'.
- 🌌 The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding the etymology and true meanings of words to avoid misinterpretation and cultural misunderstanding.
- 📖 Etymological dictionaries may not always reveal the full story of word origins, particularly if they have been influenced by colonial history or religious biases.
- 🚀 The technological revolution and global communication are uncovering hidden etymological connections, challenging traditional narratives and promoting a more accurate understanding of language and culture.
Q & A
What is the claim made by the speaker about the origin of the word 'god'?
-The speaker claims that the word 'god' has its origins in Sanskrit, specifically from the word 'hutam', which refers to the smoke carrying the offering in a fire sacrifice.
How does the speaker describe the etymological journey of the word 'god'?
-The speaker describes the journey as starting from Sanskrit 'hutam', migrating to German as 'gutam', then to Dutch as 'goot', and finally into English as 'god'.
What is the irony mentioned by the speaker regarding the word 'god'?
-The irony is that the word 'god', used in Christianity, originates from a part of the pagan fire sacrifice that Christianity has historically sought to demonize and distance itself from.
What does the speaker suggest is the problem with the English language in terms of word origins?
-The speaker suggests that English is a polyglot language with words coming from various sources, and this diversity often leads to a lack of understanding of the true origins and meanings of words.
How does the speaker connect the word 'deus' to Sanskrit?
-The speaker connects 'deus', a Latin word for god, to 'deva' in Sanskrit, indicating that many English words related to divinity have migrated from Sanskrit.
What is the speaker's view on the importance of understanding word origins in the context of yoga and Indian culture?
-The speaker believes that understanding word origins is crucial as yoga and Indian culture are spreading globally, and the Sanskrit language is becoming increasingly relevant to Western practitioners.
What does the speaker define as the six qualities of 'Bhagavan'?
-The speaker defines the six qualities of 'Bhagavan' as beauty, wealth, strength, knowledge, fame, and generosity.
Why does the speaker argue that 'god' and 'Bhagavan' are not synonyms?
-The speaker argues that 'god' and 'Bhagavan' are not synonyms because 'god' is a simplified term derived from a specific ritualistic context, whereas 'Bhagavan' has a precise definition in Sanskrit with six specific qualities.
What is the significance of the word 'hutam' in the context of the script?
-In the context of the script, 'hutam' signifies the smoke from a fire offering in a Vedic ritual, which is the original meaning behind the English word 'god'.
How does the speaker relate the practice of etymology to the technological revolution?
-The speaker relates etymology to the technological revolution by suggesting that understanding the origins and true meanings of words is part of a linguistic revolution that complements technological advancements, allowing for clearer communication and understanding in a globalized world.
What does the speaker imply about the importance of Sanskrit in the development of European languages?
-The speaker implies that Sanskrit has been a significant influence on the development of European languages, and its study can provide insights into the origins and deeper meanings of many English words.
What is the purpose of the 'Vedic Vidya' program mentioned in the script?
-The purpose of the 'Vedic Vidya' program is to shed light on the truth and origins of words and concepts, particularly those related to spirituality and divinity, and to educate about the rich cultural and linguistic heritage of India.
Outlines
🔍 The Origin of the Word 'God'
The word 'God' did not originate from English but migrated from other languages. It has roots in Latin ('deus') and Sanskrit ('deva'). The video explores the irony that the word 'God,' used widely in Christianity, has no other meaning except as a label for something beyond comprehension. It delves into the mistranslations and misconceptions around the word, emphasizing that 'God' is not a synonym for the Sanskrit 'Bhagavan.' The video introduces the speaker, Jeffrey Armstrong, and sets the topic of the discussion: the origin and meaning of the words 'Bhagavan' and 'God.'
🧘♂️ Yoga, Sanskrit, and the Undefined 'God'
The paragraph discusses the growing influence of yoga and Sanskrit in the Western world, highlighting the lack of curiosity among Christians about the origin of the word 'God.' It points out that the word 'God' has no universally agreed-upon meaning and emphasizes the need for precise definitions. The video also traces the etymology of 'God' from Dutch ('gut') and German ('gutam') back to Sanskrit, suggesting that the original meaning of 'God' has been lost or obscured over time. The speaker criticizes the omission of this history by Western institutions, arguing that it was a result of colonization.
🔥 The Concept of 'Yagya' and the Misinterpretation of 'God'
The concept of 'yagya' in ancient India, where offerings are made to divine beings, is explained. The paragraph clarifies that the word 'God' derives from the Sanskrit word 'hutam,' which refers to the smoke rising from the sacred fire during a yagya. The speaker criticizes the demonization of this practice by Christianity and Islam, emphasizing that the word 'God' in its current usage does not capture the original meaning. The paragraph also touches on the broader role of divine beings ('devas and devies') in the universe, likening them to members of a government.
🌟 The True Meaning of 'Bhagavan'
The paragraph explains the meaning of 'Bhagavan' in Sanskrit, describing it as the ultimate being who possesses all desirable qualities, such as beauty, wealth, strength, knowledge, fame, and generosity. It contrasts this precise definition with the vagueness of the word 'God,' arguing that 'God' does not encompass the full meaning of 'Bhagavan.' The speaker suggests that the global spread of yoga and the sharing of cultures have led to a greater awareness of these distinctions. The paragraph highlights the importance of understanding the original meanings of words and the linguistic connections between different cultures.
🙏 A New Understanding of 'God' and 'Bhagavan'
The speaker encourages viewers to seek a deeper understanding of the word 'God' and consider the original meanings of words in their spiritual journey. The video concludes by reiterating that 'God' is a limited word compared to the comprehensive concept of 'Bhagavan.' The speaker, Jeffrey Armstrong, invites viewers to continue exploring these topics on 'Vedic Vidya' and provides information on how to stay connected with the channel. The emphasis is on using words clearly and accurately to convey precise meanings, particularly in spiritual and philosophical discussions.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Deus
💡Bhagavan
💡Hutam
💡Yagya
💡Etymology
💡Colonization
💡Polyglot
💡Linguistic Drift
💡Sanskrit
💡Deva
Highlights
The English word 'god' has migrated from other languages and originally comes from Sanskrit, indicating a profound etymological history.
The word 'deus', Latin for 'god', is derived from 'deva' in Sanskrit, showing the interconnectedness of languages.
The true meaning of 'god' is rooted in the concept of 'hutam', a Sanskrit term for the smoke carrying offerings in a fire sacrifice.
The word 'bhagavan' from Sanskrit does not mean the same as 'god' and has a specific definition in the context of Indian philosophy.
Bhagavan embodies six qualities: beauty, wealth, strength, knowledge, fame, and generosity, unlike the ambiguous term 'god'.
The English language is a polyglot, influenced by various root languages and enriched by words from different cultures.
The etymology of 'god' reveals a progression from Sanskrit 'hutam' to German 'gutam' and eventually to Dutch 'goot', highlighting linguistic evolution.
The colonization era affected the understanding of word origins, with certain etymological roots intentionally obscured.
Yoga's global popularity has brought attention to Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, and its influence on modern languages.
The practice of making offerings and saying 'thank you' before eating is rooted in ancient Vedic traditions, emphasizing gratitude and ecology.
Sanskrit's scientific basis and mathematical precision make it the foundation of many programming languages and a key to understanding linguistic roots.
The linguistic revolution, alongside the technological one, is uncovering hidden etymological connections and cultural origins.
The word 'god' is a borrowed term from India and Sanskrit, reduced in meaning over time and now used as a synonym for 'bhagavan'.
Understanding the distinct meanings of words like 'god' and 'bhagavan' is crucial for clear communication and cultural appreciation.
Vedic Vidya aims to shed light on truth and promote understanding of the profound origins and meanings of words.
The channel encourages viewers to subscribe, turn on notifications, and visit cidti.net for more content and support.
Transcripts
really deep and interesting english
words didn't come from english they
weren't invented in the english language
they migrated in
deus
which is actually latin
coming into english
if you said
god is deus
then you've gone back to the latin and
deus is from deva in sanskrit
that smoke
carrying the offering is called hutam
and that is the meaning of the christian
word god
so it's very ironic
and the word doesn't have any other
meaning than that
except that it's been used
to point
to someone or something
that goes beyond that
but that isn't what it means
so god
is a three-letter word
that doesn't really carry the meaning
that you hoped so now here's the next
secret
when a text is translated from sanskrit
and it says bhagavan
then the word god is not a synonym it
does not mean the same thing
[Music]
namaste
welcome
to vedic vidya
my name is jeffrey armstrong
kavindra rishi
vedic vidya is available exclusively
on chitty media english channel
on sunday nights
at 7 pm ist
our topic tonight is how the word
god god
came from india
to the western world and christianity
or
the real origin
and meaning
of the words bhagavan
and god
thank god oh wait
but that's such a common
expression isn't it and a few others
that i won't say
it's a multi-purpose kind of word
but here's the thing about english not
only
do we often abuse words by using them in
a
variety of situations that they're not
right for
but we actually don't ask
where do they come from
of our words
now with everyday words and not or
even for example
miller as a last name used to be because
you were a miller
at least because
because that's what you were doing you
were milling green
but those words now are just names
they're not attached to functions
so naming is a very important
issue
when you're trying to make
explanations of very subtle and profound
reality
so it shows up the most in words where
we're pointing to something big
god
or
bhagavan
now just a little bit of background
our english language
evolved
over a couple thousand years thousand
years
out of
various root languages
in the country we call england
and then it was influenced it french
invaded for a while and so
they left french behind english is a
polyglot language
that's one of the reasons we don't ask
where words came from because we got
them from so many places
then it we got a huge download from
german
and there's a lot of celtic
and other cultures in the background
then
during the renaissance
people like shakespeare invented words
then there was a download of about 2 000
latin words into english because it
wasn't smart enough
as a language
and so
since
english-speaking people went out and
colonized the world
with gunpowder
it wasn't their language that colonized
the world it was their gunpowder
it was brute force and violence
and in that process
called colonization
various cultures were contacted and
knowledge from those cultures was taken
and appropriated by western civilization
and until right now until this
generation
most people haven't paid much attention
to this
it's important now
because
the several hundred million western
yogis
were all practicing
yoga a practice developed
in india
and carrying indian culture around the
world right now massively
you can be sure
that sanskrit the language the ancient
language of india
is now
coming into
the lives of all of those yoga
practitioners
meanwhile
i don't know anyone who's christian and
no disrespect who has asked where did
the word god come from
and what does the word actually mean
if someone says i believe in god
you actually have to ask for an
explanation you say okay but what do you
mean by that
why because the word
doesn't have a single meaning that's
agreed upon to everyone
so you have to ask them what their
definition is
of that word
but usually those definitions are in the
dictionary
but if you look in the dictionary and
say what does god mean they just sort of
ramble on and go off in different
directions because they know it depends
on what church you go to what
religion you're in whether you're
religious or not
but the word doesn't have an official
meaning
so that's step one you've got to
understand that and if you doubt it
look it up in an etymological dictionary
the next part of this it gets
interesting
really deep and interesting english
words didn't come from english they
weren't invented in the english language
they migrated in
and the word god migrated from
dutch
where it was gut instead of g-u-d g-o-d
it was g-u-t goot
and it went into dutch from german where
it was gutam
g-h-u-t-a-m
m
g-h-u-t-a
gut god see the progression
now here's the part that during
colonization nobody wanted you to know
and even still to some
degree that is that it was originally a
word from sanskrit
and sanskrit is the language that's the
basis of german not latin
that's what makes german quite unique
and different from the other european
languages
it's sanskrit based
sanskrit as you may or may not know is
the
classical language of india it's the
most ancient one and the most perfect
one it has a very perfect grammar 50
letters in the alphabet
precise rules of grammar so sanskrit
doesn't vary or change across time
almost all other languages drift it's
called linguistic drift
and this is what happened to god the
pronunciation drifted
god
but there's a step missing that no one's
told you about
and most etymological dictionaries like
the oxford
didn't include this because they didn't
want
culture starting in india
it was part of the colonizing that was
going on they didn't want the arrows
pointing to india as to where these
concepts came from
so they left that out
but it turns out
that now you've heard about this you've
seen the so-called pagan fire sacrifice
somebody's lighting a fire and they're
offering their food and they're chanting
mantras and they're
doing something
and that
has been demonized
by christianity
and islam as
worshiping lesser
beings and that's not what's happening
at all
actually the so-called lesser beings are
all the helpers in the cosmos
actually our word in english
deus
which is actually latin
coming into english
if you said
god is deus
then you've gone back to the latin and
deus is from deva in sanskrit
meaning all these words are migrating
so here's where the english word
god came from
the sanskrit is hutam
huti a.m
which just migrated to gu and then root
and then god
the similarity of the letters are the
secret of the migration
and linguists are all aware of this if
they're released studied
so now
that fire
where things are being offered
to the divines
in some way or the other
was to say thank you to them and to
reciprocate with them
it was saying we want to cooperate with
the laws of nature so before we eat
since you made the wood
the earth did and the food that we're
cooking we're going to say thank you for
that and we're going to take a vow that
we won't destroy the planet while we're
taking from it
we'll recycle
we'll cooperate
so that is called a yagya that fire
offering
is a way of sealing the contract by
giving a little bite of the food to
where it came from and the smoke rises
up from the fire
and you say thank you for dinner
now
that smoke
carrying the offering
is called hutam
and that is the meaning of the christian
word god
that's it
it's actually ironically
a small part of the pagan fire sacrifice
that christianity learned to hate so
well
so it's very ironic
and the word doesn't have any other
meaning than that
except that it's been used
to point
to someone or something
that goes beyond that
but that isn't what it means
what it means
is
that's also divine that offering and
that's saying thank you
and that
give that's
also divine that saying thank you and
offering up
to the many beings that are making life
possible
so let's talk about those for just a
moment those are called devas and davies
just imagine the government that's in
charge of whatever country you live in
there are many different levels of that
government and all of those persons in
that government are doing something
important
now
if somebody asked you who's doing that
you wouldn't say oh the president
though you may be right that ultimately
the president is but really you'd say oh
this councilman or that congressman or
that senator or that member of this
group their department is doing this
so the so-called many gods are not gods
they're many beings
serving
in the universe
as the laws of nature
so all the ancient civilizations
practiced ecology by making an offering
before they ate in india included and
saying thank you for dinner like i said
and promising to recycle
and to circulate
now
that
is one word
so what is the sanskrit word then
for the ultimate being that god has been
used for
but you'd never ask
it's baga
van
now in sanskrit
each word has a precise meaning
so hutum
the smoker rising from that sacred fire
is a lesser name of bhagavan
and bhagavan is the being that most
english speakers mean
when they say god
but they don't have a definition
so bhaga
means all of the things in life that
attract us
and that make life worthwhile
and von means that divine person who is
the source of all of those
that's the definition bhagavan
and you might have heard of the bhagavad
gita
which is a book written in sanskrit from
india
that's the summary
of the philosophy and viewpoint in world
view of that culture
and bhagav vadh or bhagavan means
the time when the supreme being came to
earth and spoke knowledge to humans
that's the premise of the bhagavad-gita
so bhagavan has six qualities beauty
wealth
strength
knowledge
fame
and generosity
this is a definition the one that god
doesn't have
remember god doesn't have a definition
because its definition is who tom the
smoker rising from
a pagan
no vedic
you said pagan i say vedic
offering of thanks
bhagavan means
that
person
who is the source
of all of the things that we find
attractive in life everything that's
beautiful
everything
that's knowledgeable or contains
knowledge or is based on note
every all the things we call wealth
all the opulences all of those desirable
objects
all of those are emanations from that
ultimate being
bhagavan
this word has meaning beauty wealth fame
the most famous being bhagavan
everyone has a concept for the ultimate
supreme bhagavan
beauty wealth strength fame
knowledge
all knowledge comes from a source from
the grand intelligence that is the
source of everything
beauty wealth strength fame knowledge
generosity and a lack of attachment to
anything why because the source of
everything has everything
it's the person with everything
this vocabulary
gives us new words that expand our
definitions and open us to see things in
a broader way and in a greater way
it is the vedic civilization of india
that had a language
from which
much of the european languages evolved
over time thousands of years ago
and now because yoga is sweeping the
world
because
communication
and modern technology has allowed us to
communicate with each other all over the
world we're now sharing culture all over
the world
and so
etymologies become revealed word origins
become revealed
origins that were being hidden because
of colonization or because certain
traditions religions didn't want people
to know
their predecessors or where they got
their knowledge from but all of this is
now coming out
the coming out party is that hundreds of
millions of yogis are practicing this
around the world and no one paid for
that to happen
they're just hungry
really we humans go for knowledge
eventually because we're hungry for it
so god
is a three-letter word
that doesn't
really carry the meaning
that you hoped so now here's the next
secret when a text is translated from
sanskrit and it says bhagavan
then the word god is not a synonym it
does not mean the same thing
it has a different meaning it's the
smoke arising it's hutan and hutum is
not the same as bhagavan it's a little
piece of bhagavan
just as the president of the company
and the workers at various levels are
not identical
they're just in the same enterprise
hutam is a small worker word down here
and from it came
guten gut and god
so god
is a two-bit word in terms of meaning
it's not
how it's being used in meaning
it's a borrowed
feather that dropped from the beautiful
peacock
that is india and sanskrit
and that borrowed feather was cut
reduced made small and now used as the
name
as a synonym for bhagavan
but it is not
this is part of the linguistic
revolution that's accompanying the
technological revolution this is very
important for you to understand
without a vocabulary you cannot program
and all of the devices that we're using
now work because they've been programmed
what you may not know is that sanskrit
is the
scientific basis of those programming
languages
and the mathematics
that are concealed in sanskrit in india
all of this knowledge that was
originally in the sanskrit library of
the vedic civilization of india
are rooted in the sanskrit language that
doesn't change as it goes forward
through time and it is time
that western civilization started
learning these distinctions instead of
just being in reaction or saying well
god means the same thing as bhagavan
no like any other word
water doesn't mean fire fire and water
don't mean earth each one means
something different
and when that meaning is clear you use
the word clearly
so now hopefully you'll use
god
with a little more understanding
and look for other words for what you're
trying to address when you speak with
that being who is the source of
everything
aka
baga
that being with all of the six things
that are desirable
to an unlimited
degree
thanks for listening
vedic vidya means shining the light of
truth
tune in to vedic vidya on the chetty
english channel sunday night 7 p.m ist
my name is kavindra rishi
jeffrey armstrong
see you next time
and have a namaste
please remember to subscribe to us and
switch on the notifications for this
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namaskar
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