Did Ravan speak Sanskrit?

Question

One of my Sri Lankan friends claims that Ravana spoke Sinhalese.
Is there any place in the Ramayana where the sage Valmiki mentioned about the language of Ravana and his people?

He did not speak Sinhalese. Sinhalese was spoken after the arrival of Buddhism in the 2nd to 3rd century B.C. - Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinhala_language — Swami Vishwananda, Jan 28 '15 at 08:06
Raavan was a Brahmin and a great scholar. He knew Sanskrit very well. He created the Shiv Tandava Strotam when he was trying to lift the whole mount Kailash and Shivji just pressed his thumb there and he couldn't move it. — Love Patel, Jan 28 '15 at 00:46

Keshav Srinivasan · Answer 1 · 2016-01-10T13:37:52.103

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Yes, Ravana did speak Sanskrit. In fact, in this chapter of the Sundara Kanda of the Valmiki Ramayana, Hanuman hesitates before speaking to Sita in Lanka, because he's afraid that Sita will mistake him for Ravana, since Hanuman spoke the same educated Sanskrit that Ravana spoke, as Ravana was a Brahmana:

If I use Sanskrit language like a brahmin, Seetha will get frightened, thinking me as Ravana. Especially, how can a monkey speak it? ... Thereafter, this large-eyed Seetha who is full of mind, thinking me as Ravana who can assume any form at will, may shout loudly, engendered by fear.... If I eulogize Rama, who is unwearied in action and a good relation, I shall not frighten her, whose mind is directed towards that relation.

edited Jan 10 '16 at 13:37

answered Jan 28 '15 at 00:53

Keshav Srinivasan

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What language did the people of ravan speak then? – sushma Jan 28 '15 at 02:12
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I can speak English. But English is my language though. Just because Ravan could speak Sanskrit, we cannot jump to a conclusion that his language was Sanskrit. Did his people speak Sanskrit too? – sushma Jan 28 '15 at 21:16
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Raavan having originally hailed from Northern India, might have spoken Prakrit if not for Sanskrit. His people after he conquered Lanka might have also spoken the same along with proto-Tamil. – Bharat Feb 17 '15 at 00:15
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@Bharat Tamil people came to Lanka much later. In any case, when Ravana came to Lanka it was completely empty of indigenous inhabitants; before him only Kubera and the Yakshas lived there, and before them only Ravana's grandfather Sumali and his brothers lived there; see my answer here: http://hinduism.stackexchange.com/a/392/36 – Keshav Srinivasan Feb 17 '15 at 00:36
Well it is said he spoke Madhuram, which can very well mean sweetly, but Karunakarachariar said it means literally Madhuram or Amudu, ie Tamizh. (Tamizhukku Amudu enru peyar). – Surya Nov 20 '15 at 15:18
@Surya Do you have a link to Karunakarachariar's discourse where he says it? Does he cite a source for it or just asserts it? – Keshav Srinivasan Nov 20 '15 at 15:22
He says Krishna Premi Swamigal asserted it I think. The video got deleted... as usual. (It could have been some other acharyar also) – Surya Nov 20 '15 at 15:25
@Surya I'm surprised lectures by Karunakarachariar would be deleted. It's not like he runs a big money-making operation and copyright infringement would hurt his business. – Keshav Srinivasan Nov 20 '15 at 15:31
@Surya By the way, who is Krishna Premi Swamigal? His website doesn't make clear what sect of Hinduism he follows: http://srisrianna.com/anna – Keshav Srinivasan Nov 20 '15 at 15:34
Vijay TV has copyright issues – Surya Nov 20 '15 at 15:34
Let us continue this discussion in chat. – Surya Nov 20 '15 at 15:34

Did Ravan speak Sanskrit?

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