Malayali Linguist Genius: K. Luke (1927-2010)

Following the youtube link suggested by a friend of "Vaakku blog group" I watched the interview with Dr. Rod Moag, an American linguistic professor who speaks grammatically perfect Malayalam, of course, with an Englishman’s accent. He has mastery of  7 languages. Great! However, right then I thought of introducing a simple Malayali linguist genius who lived among us, away from limelight, till last year (2010). He is Dr. K. Luke. I had to wait more than a week to write about him because I needed some clarifications from one of his colleagues on certain biographical facts regarding him.



K. Luke after having obtained two Licentiates (from Gregorian University of Rome) joined the Divinity School of Chicago University (1966) and did his doctoral studies in Orientalistics. In 1971 he successfully completed his doctoral studies. His doctoral dissertation is titled “Non-Paradigmatic Forms of Weak Verbs in Masoretic Hebrew.” He had mastery over 42 languages (Mastery in the sense of speaking fluently more than 15, and mastery in the sense of knowing the grammar and syntax – all the rest). At the completion of his doctrinal studies he was offered the chair of Philology (Literary study or classical scholarship)  in the University of Chicago in 1972, which he humbly rejected in view of teaching in his own land, back in India. Such was his greatness that while living practically a very few knew of him, never did anything for publicity, (I had to search a lot for one of his photos because he never agreed to pose for a snap), quite unassuming, ever ready to help others, and spent old age so meekly without complaints or demands immersing himself fully in research works right upto last months of his life ( I heard that in the beginning of the year of his death - June 10, 2010- he was learning a new language).



With great reverence to my great honorable professor (The Heavens blessed me for that!) here I upload a photo of him from the collection of rarities. His mortal remains are interred in the vault of the cemetery of Assisi Ashram, Bharananganam

Malayali Linguist Genius: K. Luke (1927-2010)

Following the youtube link suggested by a friend of "Vaakku blog group" I watched the interview with Dr. Rod Moag, an American linguistic professor who speaks grammatically perfect Malayalam, of course, with an Englishman’s accent. He has mastery of  7 languages. Great! However, right then I thought of introducing a simple Malayali linguist genius who lived among us, away from limelight, till last year (2010). He is Dr. K. Luke. I had to wait more than a week to write about him because I needed some clarifications from one of his colleagues on certain biographical facts regarding him.



K. Luke after having obtained two Licentiates (from Gregorian University of Rome) joined the Divinity School of Chicago University (1966) and did his doctoral studies in Orientalistics. In 1971 he successfully completed his doctoral studies. His doctoral dissertation is titled “Non-Paradigmatic Forms of Weak Verbs in Masoretic Hebrew.” He had mastery over 42 languages (Mastery in the sense of speaking fluently more than 15, and mastery in the sense of knowing the grammar and syntax – all the rest). At the completion of his doctrinal studies he was offered the chair of Philology (Literary study or classical scholarship)  in the University of Chicago in 1972, which he humbly rejected in view of teaching in his own land, back in India. Such was his greatness that while living practically a very few knew of him, never did anything for publicity, (I had to search a lot for one of his photos because he never agreed to pose for a snap), quite unassuming, ever ready to help others, and spent old age so meekly without complaints or demands immersing himself fully in research works right upto last months of his life ( I heard that in the beginning of the year of his death - June 10, 2010- he was learning a new language).



With great reverence to my great honorable professor (The Heavens blessed me for that!) here I upload a photo of him from the collection of rarities. His mortal remains are interred in the vault of the cemetery of Assisi Ashram, Bharananganam

Every man is an Island

"If he has a conscience he will suffer for his mistake. That will be punishment-as well as the prison." (Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment)

The Island is 2006 best Russian film. It is a biographical film on the life of a 20^th

century monk who lived in an Eastern Orthodox monastery.

Plot Summary: During World War II, the sailor Anatoly and his captain, Tikhon, are captured by the Nazis when they board their barge and tugboat which is carrying a shipment of coal. The Nazi officer leading the raid offers Anatoly the choice to shoot Tikhon and stay alive which Anatoly reluctantly takes, and Tikhon falls overboard. The Nazis blow up the ship but Anatoly is found by Russian Orthodox monks on the shore the next morning. He survives and becomes a stoker at the monastery but is perpetually overcome with guilt.

Thirty years pass. Anatoly now has the gift of clairvoyance and healing. But the other monks do not really understand him. People come to see Anatoly for cures and guidance, but even now, he remains in a perpetual state of repentance. He often gets in a boat and goes to an uninhabited island where he prays for mercy and forgiveness.



A prominent admiral arrives to see Anatoly with his daughter. The daughter is possessed by demons but Anatoly exorcises them. The admiral turns out to be Tikhon. It is revealed that Anatoly only wounded him during the war. Tikhon forgives Anatoly.



Anatoly announces a death by Wednesday; the monks provide a coffin. Dressed in a white garment such as Jesus wore, he lies in the coffin, wearing a crucifix. Monks, one carrying a large cross representing the risen Christ, are seen rowing the coffin away from the island. (from Wikipedia)



Monk Anatoly is self-awareness is great that he doesn't regard him as being clever or spiritual, but blessed "in the sense that he is an exposed nerve, which connects to the pains of this world. His absolute power is a reaction to the pain of those people who come to it;" while "typically, when the miracle happens, the lay people asking for a miracle are always dissatisfied" because "the world does not tolerate domestic miracles."(by the director Pavel Lungin) There is also something interesting about Pyotr Mamonov who played the character of Monk Anatoly. He was formerly one of the few rock musicians in the USSR, later he got converted to Eastern Orthodoxy in the 1990s and lives now in an isolated village. Pavel Lungin said about him that "to a large extent, he played himself" in the film.

"Go at once, this very minute, stand at the cross-roads, bow down, first kiss the earth which you have defiled, and then bow down to all the world and say to all men aloud, 'I am a murderer!' Then God will send you life again. Will you go, will you go?" (Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment)



“The first step toward finding God, Who is Truth, is to discover the truth about myself: and if I have been in error, this first step to truth is the discovery of my error.” (Thomas Merton)

Every man is an Island

"If he has a conscience he will suffer for his mistake. That will be punishment-as well as the prison." (Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment)

The Island is 2006 best Russian film. It is a biographical film on the life of a 20^th

century monk who lived in an Eastern Orthodox monastery.

Plot Summary: During World War II, the sailor Anatoly and his captain, Tikhon, are captured by the Nazis when they board their barge and tugboat which is carrying a shipment of coal. The Nazi officer leading the raid offers Anatoly the choice to shoot Tikhon and stay alive which Anatoly reluctantly takes, and Tikhon falls overboard. The Nazis blow up the ship but Anatoly is found by Russian Orthodox monks on the shore the next morning. He survives and becomes a stoker at the monastery but is perpetually overcome with guilt.

Thirty years pass. Anatoly now has the gift of clairvoyance and healing. But the other monks do not really understand him. People come to see Anatoly for cures and guidance, but even now, he remains in a perpetual state of repentance. He often gets in a boat and goes to an uninhabited island where he prays for mercy and forgiveness.



A prominent admiral arrives to see Anatoly with his daughter. The daughter is possessed by demons but Anatoly exorcises them. The admiral turns out to be Tikhon. It is revealed that Anatoly only wounded him during the war. Tikhon forgives Anatoly.



Anatoly announces a death by Wednesday; the monks provide a coffin. Dressed in a white garment such as Jesus wore, he lies in the coffin, wearing a crucifix. Monks, one carrying a large cross representing the risen Christ, are seen rowing the coffin away from the island. (from Wikipedia)



Monk Anatoly is self-awareness is great that he doesn't regard him as being clever or spiritual, but blessed "in the sense that he is an exposed nerve, which connects to the pains of this world. His absolute power is a reaction to the pain of those people who come to it;" while "typically, when the miracle happens, the lay people asking for a miracle are always dissatisfied" because "the world does not tolerate domestic miracles."(by the director Pavel Lungin) There is also something interesting about Pyotr Mamonov who played the character of Monk Anatoly. He was formerly one of the few rock musicians in the USSR, later he got converted to Eastern Orthodoxy in the 1990s and lives now in an isolated village. Pavel Lungin said about him that "to a large extent, he played himself" in the film.

"Go at once, this very minute, stand at the cross-roads, bow down, first kiss the earth which you have defiled, and then bow down to all the world and say to all men aloud, 'I am a murderer!' Then God will send you life again. Will you go, will you go?" (Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment)



“The first step toward finding God, Who is Truth, is to discover the truth about myself: and if I have been in error, this first step to truth is the discovery of my error.” (Thomas Merton)