Does Sanskrit have a future? - Instablogs
Does Sanskrit have a future?
Abdullah Khan , Hyderabad: Feb 25 2009
Made Popular Feb 25 2009
India :

Sanskrit is mother of all Indian languages. Now the mother is looking for her children to get her the due status in her own land of birth. While Bhojpuri and other regional Indian languages are finding place in the USA as President Obama directed his department to look for people well versed in these dialects, Sanskrit is neglected in her own country.

In the recently held meeting of the Union Human Resource Development Ministry’s highest decision-taking body (Central Advisory Board on Education), some opposition ruled states voiced the need to do more for the revival of this classical language.In poll season, the non-Congress-ruled states pitching for the promotion of the Sanskrit education might sound politically motivated, but we can’t deny the fact that Sanskrit is a dying language today.

Does Sanskrit have a future?

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had said that if he was asked what is the greatest treasure which India posses and what is her finest heritage then he would have answered unhesitatingly that it is Sanskrit language and literature and all that it contains. Unfortunately, we have almost lost this pride. Our neglect has made Sanskrit a forgotten language.

The major hurdles faced be the Sanskrit learners is that it is confined to Vedic Karma Kanda and academics. The language hardly finds any link with the growing economy. Unfortunately, we have not been able to tap the potential of Sanskrit when its utility is still there. Sanskrit contains huge treasure of science, grammar, astrology, astronomy and in the form of literature. Such richness that there are 21 words meaning “water”. Beside, Sanskrit language supports understanding of a vast number of other languages because it is member of the Indo-Iranian sub-family of the Indo-European family of language.

However, the question of survival of Sanskrit is not just survival of an ancient language but it is the survival of India’s pristine glory, rich tradition and a vast literature of science, philosophy and religion. Now language needs promotion. What needs to be done is to promote Sanskrit education at elementary level and link it to the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. There are enough Universities for Sanskrit but root is needed to be strengthened. Sanskrit needs treatment like any other language and should get promotion at elementary education level. In the age of political one-upmanship and social inequality, the language is looking for some life-saving measures before it disappears from the map of spoken languages.

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1 Stars
MARK Gnanasigamony -
RAYAGADA, India
It was the first mistake the Government of India did after Independence. There were two base languages in the whole of India to give birth to several other languages. They are Sanskrit and Tamil. If Sanskrit is the mother of several of the North Indian languages and also a joint mother with Tamil to form Dravidian three other languages, Sanskrit should have become the Official language of India. This should have provided us an unique status and some distance from Pakistan and Bangladesh as their language has the similarity with Hindi and Bangla. We might have kept the secrecy of our correspondences / communication. Now whatever we speak is easily translated / understood by our neighbours even to the level of common villager and vice versa. If Sanskrit had been declared as Official language of India, it should have been equally learned by the whole population. Now one section of India is in an advantageous position as their mother tongue itself is Hindi while the others have to learn ’one more language’. By this wrong decision we not only killed the rich language but also the unity / equality among all states on language issue. It is not very late now. The Government of India can wake up and declare Sanskrit as its National Language as it binds the words spoken by every person in the whole of India.
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Abdullah Khan
Hyderabad, India
Undoubtedly, Sanskrit must be promoted by Government of India. Sanskrit is a great language but I doubt if it ever was a speaking language. This is a great language to learn to get access to lot of ancient Indian wisdom, tradition and literature but nothing beyond that.
2 Stars
Rajagopalan S
Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Language is one of the key tools forming the basis of unity among diversities. English has tied this world due to its simplicity. Urdu has tied the Muslims together and Hindi has tied the Hindus together. While there are some positive conclusions about all languages, we will look at Sanskrit as a language for its maturity. Why is it called a scientific language? We will find that the maturity of Indian culture was killed the day Sanskrit lost its importance and it was killed for those who lost the knowledge of Sanskrit.

The knowledge and use of Sanskrit became limited to the priestly class and a small number of pundits who used it for religious practices. This is presently taught in Vedic Patasalas and is being used at Hindu temples for worshipping Gods. It is deteriorating day by day.

Sanskrit is the most ancient, highly developed, literature-rich language. It is a treasure house of ancient Indian wisdom. It is certainly the vehicle of our culture and key to the heritage of this great civilization. Speaking the language not only helps in learning, but also gives the students pride in their civilizational values. Speaking this language generates energy

The derived languages of India are very close to Sanskrit, but yet they do not gain an importance as high as Sanskrit. Children learning Sanskrit, by the natural virtue of the language, tend to develop intelligence and memory far more than children getting educated in any other language. In effect of the scientific nature of the language, communication of children improves. The language being natural, inculcates a sense of natural understanding, thus creating children of higher understanding about nature, life and God.

The word ”Sanskrit’ is a combination of two words – ”Sanskar’ and ”Krit’; ”Krit’ meaning ”Inculcating’ and ”Sanskar’ meaning ”Essence of Moral Values’. Thus by its meaning Sanskrit means a language that has the capacity to indoctrinate higher values in an individual.

Despite all of these amazing facts about Sanskrit, our political leaders have shown nearly no interest in promoting Sanskrit in schools. Instead, they have hideously driven strategies to kill this language, as is always visible from their policies. It is now, up to every Parents to decide, how they want to bring up their children – their children exposed to the drawbacks of western education system thereby falling into a directionless path and developing loss of individuality or they want them to hold on values and develop a sense of identity through highest morale and understanding about matter, life and God.

Sanskrit can play an amazing role in reshaping the highest philosophy into practice. Sanskrit in no way comes against the modern scientific knowledge, rather it envelops them in true shape, and it delivers them with the sense of natural parameter attached. Hindu scriptures in Sanskrit goes doubtlessly to inculcate patience, tolerance, concentration, confidence, faith, positive attitude and strong will in any individual who religiously study and practice it.

With deterioration and loss of Sanskrit, India is losing its cultural strength, its valuable high morale youths, and its character of producing Gods on this land.

Voice of Hinduism is Sanskrit and why Hindus, it is a say – Sanskrit is the mother of all languages. Isn’t it the moral responsibility of the country to respect and keep the mother healthy?
1 Stars
Abdullah Khan
Hyderabad, India
To talk about Sanskrit is very political in India today,That is the plight of the language.Sanskrit is a beleaguered language in India today, caught in a web of widespread apathy and questions about its utility.
1 Stars
MARK Gnanasigamony -
RAYAGADA, India
I agree Mr. Rajgopalan. You are very much right
1 Stars
MARK Gnanasigamony -
RAYAGADA, India
I agree Mr. Rajgopalan. You are very much right
1 Stars
ARVIND K.PANDEY
PRAYAG, India
Remember hue and cry made over Saraswati Vandana some years ago ?
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Abdullah Khan
Hyderabad, India
I fail to understand why the Muslim Indians continue to permit the Hindu chauvinists to use Vande Mataram to beat Muslims with. Vande Mataram is the national song and if and when it is sung in public, all citizens are expected to stand up, as a mark respect. There is no reason for the Muslim Indians to denigrate it by harping on the old theme. Whatever its context, the stanzas which form the national song were cleared before Independence by a Committee which included Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.
1 Stars
Rajagopalan S
Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Mr Khan

We agree there were acceptance and integration between Hindus and Muslims even after independence in India. There are situations like Sanskrit students not equipping with the recent technological developments in IT and the students are not even reading news papers or listening to TV news etc in most of the cities.

While we respect they are Gurus in the Vedic language, they need to keep abreast of the current worldly affairs / advancements and make themselves available to show their existance and promote the language and culture which we see missing.

To some extent, they are also lacking and not willing to come out of their shell which needs to be arrested in the promotion of this Vedic language. If some thing prevents them to cope with the advanced society, we should support to remove this obstacle.
1 Stars
Abdullah Khan
Hyderabad, India
Thank you for your comment. I agree with you whole heartedly.
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