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'@@ -1,33 +1,7 @@ [[File:Statue of G U Pope.jpg|thumb|Statue of G U Pope in [[Triplicane]], [[Chennai]]]] -'''George Uglow Pope''' (1820–1908) popularly known as '''Rev. G.U. Pope''' or '''G.U. Pope''' was a [[Christian]] [[missionary]] who spent many years in [[Tamil Nadu]] and translated many [[Tamil language|Tamil]] texts into [[English language|English]]. His popular translations include [[Tirukkural]] and [[Tiruvachagam]]. His efforts were recognized by the [[Royal Asiatic Society]] in the form of a gold medal. He was the head of the [[Bishop Cotton Boys' School]], [[Bangalore]] before returning to Oxford. +'''George He completed his translation of ''Tirukkural'' on September 1, 1886. His ''Sacred Kural'' contains introduction, grammar, translation, notes, lexicon and concordance. It also includes the English translation of F. W. Ellis and the Latin Translation of [[Constanzo Beschi]] (வீரமாமுனிவர்) with 436 pages. He had, by February 1893, translated ''Naaladiyaar'' (நாலடியார்), a didactic work of moral sayings in quatrains (வெண்பா), 400 in number in 40 chapters, each by a Jain ascetic, according to a Tamil tradition. -George Uglow Pope was born on 24 April 1820 in [[Prince Edward Island]] in [[Canada]]. His family migrated to [[England]] when he was an infant. He left for South [[India]] in 1839 and arrived at [[Sawyerpuram]] near [[Tuticorin]]. Pope turned into a scholar of [[Tamil language|Tamil]], [[Sanskrit]] and [[Telugu language|Telugu]]. He set up several schools and taught [[Latin]], [[English language|English]], [[Hebrew]], Mathematics and Philosophy. -He completed his translation of ''Tirukkural'' on September 1, 1886. His ''Sacred Kural'' contains introduction, grammar, translation, notes, lexicon and concordance. It also includes the English translation of F. W. Ellis and the Latin Translation of [[Constanzo Beschi]] (வீரமாமுனிவர்) with 436 pages. He had, by February 1893, translated ''Naaladiyaar'' (நாலடியார்), a didactic work of moral sayings in quatrains (வெண்பா), 400 in number in 40 chapters, each by a Jain ascetic, according to a Tamil tradition. - -His magnum opus, the translation of ''Tiruvachakam''(திருவாசகம்) appeared in 1900. Of this he said: "I date this on my eightieth birthday. I find, by reference, that my first Tamil lesson was in 1837. This ends, as I suppose a long life of devotion to Tamil studies. It is not without deep emotion that I thus bring to a close my life's literary work". - -The much coveted Gold Medal of the [[Royal Asiatic Society]] was awarded to him in 1906. He died on 12 February 1908. He delivered his last sermon on May 26, 1907. Rev. Pope was buried at [[St Sepulchre's Cemetery]], located in Jericho, central Oxford, England. - -==Bibliography== -*''First lessons in Tamil: or a full introduction to the common dialect of that language, on the plan of Ollendorf and Arnold'', Madras, 1856 (1st edition) *Title for the 1st edition of the following book* -''A Tamil hand-book: or full introduction to the common dialect of that language on the plan of Ollendorf and Arnold'', Madras, 1859 (2nd edition), 1867 (3rd edition) *Title for the 2nd and the 3rd edition of the following book* -''A handbook of the ordinary dialect of the Tamil language'', London, 1883 (4th edition, 3 volumes), Oxford 1904 (7th edition) *Title for the latest editions* While coming from England to India,by sea without wasting time he read a book on how to speak Tamil,and after reaching India he gave a speech on Tamil fluently. -*''A larger grammar of the Tamil language in both its dialects'', Madras, 1858 -*''A text-book of Indian history; with geographical notes, genealogical tables, examination questions, and chronological, biographical, geographical, and general indexes'', London, 1871 (1ère édition), 1880 (3è édition) -*''திருவள்ளுவAR அருளிச்செய்த திருக்குறள் (Tiruvalluvar arulicceyta Tirrukkural). The 'Sacred' Kurral of Tiruvalluva-Nayanar'', London, 1886 -*''முனிவர் அருளிச்செய்த நாலடியார் = The Naladiyar, or, Four hundred quatrains in Tamil'', Oxford, 1893 -*''St. John in the Desert: an introduction and notes to Browning's 'a death in the desert' '', Oxford, 1897 -*''The Tiruvacagam; or, 'Sacred utterances' of the Tamil poet, saint, and sage Manikka-Vacagar: the Tamil text of the fifty-one poems, with English translation'', Oxford, 1900 -*''A catalogue of the Tamil books in the library of the British Museum, London'', 1909 (with L.D. Barnett) -==Works contributed to Tamil== -*''Lecturer of [[Tamil language|Tamil]] and [[Telugu language|Telugu]] in London'' -* '' Translations of many important Tamil Literary Works'' -* '' Special attention taken to improve Tamil Grammar'' -* '' Established himself as a student of Tamil, in his coffin. -==The Last Message from Rev. Dr. G.U.Pope== - -In forwarding us a copy of his last Sermon preached in Balliol College Chapel on May 26,1907, with all best Christmas wishes, Dr.Pope wrote to us as follows in his Autograph which will interest all Indian lovers of this old Tamil veteran Scholar and Savant. 26 Walton Bell Road, Oxford, Dec.25, 1907. @@ -42,40 +16,12 @@ G.U.Pope. -The best explanation of the Saiva Siddhanta doctrine of Mutti, or the Soul's final emancipation from embodiment (erlosung von den weltlichen banden-Seligkeit), is found in the treatise called Siva-piragacam by the same great sage Umapathi(1.38, &c.) and has been translated(though from a very imperfect MS.) by Mr. Hoisington(American Oriental Soc. Journal 1854). This is a commentary on the Siva-gnana-bodham. Mr.J.M.Nallasami, a learned Saivite of Madras, has recently published a translation of Siva-gnana-bodham, with valuable notes, which is a most useful compendium. - -Ten faulty (or imperfect) theories of this consummation, so devoutly wished for by all Hindus, are enumerated in these works, or in the commentaries on them:- - +The best explanation of the Saiva Siddhanta (1) There is the bliss aspired to by the Lokayattar ('Worldlings'. This is simply grosss sensual enjoyment in this world. These heretics are continually attacked in the Siddhanta books.(see Sarva-darcana-sangraha (Trubner's Series).) They were atheistic Epicureans, followers of Charvaka (Note XIV). -(2) There is the cessation of the five Kandhas. This is the Buddhist Nirvana, and is always considered by Tamil authors to be mere annihilation. The South-Indian view of Buddhism is illustrated in Note IX(Sarva-darcana-sangraha, p.31). - -(3) The destruction of the three(or eight) qualities is pronounced to be the final emancipation by some Jains, and by the teachers of the atheistic Sankhya system. This would reduce the human Soul to the condition of an unqualified mass, a mere chaos of thought and feeling. - -(4) There is the cessation of deeds by mystic wisdom. This is the system of Prabhakara(Sarva-darcana-Sangraha, p.184). The deeds mentioned are all rites and services whatsoever. The devotee becomes in this case, so the Saivite urges, like a mere image of clay or stone. - -(5) 'Mukthi' is represented by some Saiva sectaries as consisting in the removal from the Soul of all impurity as a copper vessel is supposed to be cleaned from verdigris by the action of mercury. There is a good deal of abstruse reasoning about the pollution aforesaid. 'Copper is not really in this sense purified by the removal of the green stain on its surface; the innate weakness of the metal is in its constant liability to this defilement. Gold is never coated by such impure matter. Copper will always be so; it is, as it were, congenital. Now these sectarians preach that, by the grace of Shivan, the innate corruption of the Soul may be removed, from which will necessarily follow permanent release from all bonds'. This seems to resemble very closely the Christian idea of the sanctification of the souls of men by divine grace infused. The Siddhanta, however, insists upon it that for ever, even in the emancipated state, the power of defilement, the potentiality of corruption, remains(i.e. 'Pacam is eternal'). This corruption cannot, it is true, operate any longer in the emancipated condition: but it is still there,-dead, unilluminated, the dark part of the Soul, turned away from the central light, like the unilluminated part of the moon's orb. Personal identity, and the imperfections necessarily clinging to a nature eternally finite, are not destroyed even in Mutti. - -(6) Another class of Saiva sectaries taught that in emancipation the body itself is transformed, irradiated with Shivan's light, and rendered immortal. This system supposed that intimate union with shivan transmuted rather than sanctified the Soul. - -(7) There is then the system of the Vedantis, who taught that the absolute union of the Soul with the Infinite Wisdom, its commingling with the Divine spirit, as the air in a jar becomes one with the cirumambient air when the jar is broken, was Mutti. But here personality is lost. - -(8) The doctrine of Palkariyam(followers of Bhaskara) is, that in emancipation there is an absolute destruction of the human Soul, which is entirely absorbed in the supreme essence. - -(9) There were some Saivities who taught that in emancipation the Soul acquires mystic miraculous powers; that in fact, the emancipated one is so made partaker of the divine nature and attributes, that he is able to gain possession of and exercise miraculous powers, which are called the eight 'Siddhis'. Persons professing to wield such magical powers are not unfrequently found in India, and there is in them very often a bewildering mixture of enthusiasm and fraud. - -(10) There were also some who taught that in emancipation the Soul becomes, like a stone, insensible. This stationary, apathetic existence, if existence it can be called, is the refuge of the Soul from the sufferings and struggles of embodiment. - -==External links== -*http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-editorialfeatures/first-school-to-teach-english-to-indians/article2286548.ece -*[http://www.stsepulchres.org.uk/burials/pope_george.html Page on Pope's grave in St Sepulchre's Cemetery, Oxford, with biography] +(2) There is the cessation of the five Kandhas. This is the Buddhist Nirvana, and is always considered by Tamil authors to be mere annihilation. The South-Indian view of Buddhism is illustrated in *[http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/thiruvasakam_in_symphony/gupope.html&date=2009-10-25+23:04:01 Info on G U Pope] -*[http://anglicanhistory.org/india/pope_aggression1853/ The Lutheran Aggression: A Letter to the Tranquebar Missionaries], by G.U. Pope (1853) -*[http://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/tscii/pmtsc0153.html his complete translation of 1330 Thirukkural couplets with Rev W. H. Drew, Rev. John Lazarus and Mr F. W. Ellis] -*[http://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/tscii/pmtsc0094.html his work on the Tamil Shaivite classic Thiruvacakam Part 1] -*[http://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/tscii/pmtsc0222.html Thiruvacakam Part 2 Hymns 11 -51] From the joint effort of -*[[Project Madurai]] - +*[http://anglicanhistory.org/india/pope_aggression1853/ The {{Protestant missions to India}} {{Authority control|VIAF=51800252}} '