Michael David Sowder has written a poetic introduction to the letters of the Sanskrit alphabet, revealing how the meanings of each letter relate to teachings and practices of Yoga, devotional Tantra, and the Divine Feminine. This is an exciting project because very few people know, use, or understand Sanskrit today.
Each letter is presented large on the page in the Sanskrit alphabet, which is beautiful. Then it is shown in transliterated form so that it resembles an English letter or digraph. Sowder goes on to explain how to pronounce it in English. For example, the twenty-ninth letter of the Sanskrit alphabet is “pronounced like the English 'n,' but with the tongue curled back, touching the roof of the mouth.”
Sometimes Sowder explains the letter — how it works in context. For example, we hear this about the first letter of the alphabet, the one that looks like a lowercase English a: “Dr. Ravi Gupta, Sanskrit scholar, says, 'Pronounce it like the a in astonish.' The sound pours from the larynx unshaped by mouth or tongue. 'It’s the first human sound,' he says, 'a cry of love or pain.' “ Sowder goes on: “ 'A' calls forth Visnu, the high god who cups the universe in his hands. It is the first phoneme of the sacred syllable Om (a-u-m), the primordial sound of creation. All the letters come from a. Quiet the mind and you can hear it, a place to begin.”
Often there is an interreligious approach, including Muslim, Buddhist, and Jewish allusions. About the Sanskrit letter that looks in English like “ta” or “tat” Sowder writes beautifully: “As a word, it barely holds water. Think of 'that.' For this reason, it stands for God. Hence, the mantra: tat tvam asi. Thou art That. In Mahayana Buddhism, we find the word, tathata: 'suchness.' 'The quality of things as they are, before ideas about them, the exact inimitable quality of this moment as it is.' In Judaism, Ehyeh asher ehyeh: I am that I am.”
Sowder is a published poet and an emeritus professor of poetry, and that comes through in the music of his prose. He’s also a Sanskrit and religious studies scholar, which is obvious too. Sowder uses his own experiences and practice to open up the meanings of these ancient letters. See the excerpt accompanying this review for an example.
This is a rich book.
