First Gramaphone Speech
HMV 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. (sorry just reproduced
from
the pamphlet) 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 England, another great
personality
of the 19th century. See - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Muller for more
details of Prof. Max Muller. 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 Alwa 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. Do you understand what I said in the
morning
or what you heard in the 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 of Europe were jumping like Chimpanzees, from tree to tree and branch to branch, when they did not
know how to cover their bodies, but with fig leaves, did not know
agriculture
and lived by hunting and lived in caves, at that remote past, Indians had
attained high civilization and they gave to the world universal philosophies
in
the form of the Vedas." Then he added, "the meaning of the audio you just listened is:
"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."
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. (sorry just reproduced
from
the pamphlet) 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 England, another great
personality
of the 19th century. See - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Muller for more
details of Prof. Max Muller. 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 Alwa 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. Do you understand what I said in the
morning
or what you heard in the 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 of Europe were jumping like Chimpanzees, from tree to tree and branch to branch, when they did not
know how to cover their bodies, but with fig leaves, did not know
agriculture
and lived by hunting and lived in caves, at that remote past, Indians had
attained high civilization and they gave to the world universal philosophies
in
the form of the Vedas." Then he added, "the meaning of the audio you just listened is:
"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."