GLIMPSES OF INDIAN GENIUS-1

GRAMOPHONE was invented by THOMAS ALVA EDISON in the 19th century. 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 choose Prof.MAX MULLER of England. He wrote to Muller saying, “I WANT TO MEET YOU & RECORD YOUR VOICE. WHEN SHOULD I COME?” Muller who had great respect for Edison asked him to come at 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 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.
After several rounds of applause and congratulations to Edison, Max Muller came to the stage 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.DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I SAID IN THE MORNING OR WHAT YOU HEARD IN THE AFTERNOON?”

The audience fell silent because they couldn’t understand the language in which Muller had spoken. It was in a language which the European scholars had never heard. Muller then said that the language he spoke was SANSKRIT and it was the first shloka of RIGVEDA, which says “AGNI MEELE PUROHITAM.”
Addressing the audience he said , “VEDAS ARE THE OLDEST TEXT OF THE HUMAN RACE.IN THE MOST PRIMORDIAL TIME WHEN THE PEOPLE OF EUROPE WERE STILL JUMPING LIKE CHIMPANZEES FROM TREE TO TREE AND BRANCH TO BRANCH,WHEN THEY DIDN’T KNOW AGRICULTURE AND LIVED BY HUNTING AND LIVED IN CAVES;AT THAT REMOTE PAST,INDIANS HAD ATTAINED HIGH CIVILIZATION AND GAVE THE WORLD UNIVERSAL PHILOSOPHIES IN THE FORM OF VEDAS.”

The antiquity of the Vedas was appreciated by Muller. Muller asked Edison to play that once again. This time when AGNI MEELE PUROHITAM was replayed, the entire audience stood up in silence as a mark of respect for ancient Hindu sages; this time there were no claps, there was only a mark of respect.