Revival of Sanskrit is need of the hour

G D Sharma
Considering the special importance to the growth of development of Indian languages and the unique contribution of Sanskrit to the cultural unity of the country, new methods of teaching the language and its revival should be encouraged. It should be taught like a modern subject as modern Indian philosophy.
It is well known fact that Sanskrit is mother of all Indo Aryan languages and it is in this language in which our Vedas, Puranas and Upnishads have been written and in which Kalidas, Banbhatta and Dandi wrote their classics. Teachings of Shankracharya, Ramanuj, Madhawa Charya, Vallabhacharya and others would not have been woven in Indian culture if Sanskrit would not have been available to them as a medium of expressing their thoughts.
Panini a great philologist of rare eminence had once said, he who knows my grammar knows God. While paying tributes to this language for its mathematical and psychological perfection he had also said, “he who would track language to its lair must indeed end as omniscient.”
It would be of some interest to note that Sir William Jones one of the brilliant men of 18th Century came to India in 1783 as a Judge of Supreme Court of Judicature at Fort Williams in Bengal became interested in the study of Sanskrit. Within 6 years, he became a master of the language. He translated “Shakuntla Play” in English. In his significant words he said, “Devnagri character, in which Sanskrit language is written, is adapted to the expression of almost every known gradation of sound, and every letter has a fixed and invariable pronunciation”.
Paramhans Yogananda was a great God realized saint of 20th Century. He has recorded in his commentary on Bhagwat Gita, “fifty sounds of the Sanskrit alphabets are on the petals of the “Sahastara”….. a thousand petal lotus shaped receiving centre of cosmic energy (seated in medulla oblongata of every human being). The sounds of Devnagri alphabets effect 72000 “Narees” (nerves) in our physical body”.
In the year 1957, the Government of India set up Sanskrit Commission. At page 71, it has recorded, “that Sanskrit is one of the greatest languages of the world and it is classical language par excellence not only of India but of a good part of Asia as well. At page 73, it is stated that “Indian people and the Indian Civilization were born in the lap of Sanskrit and it went hand in hand with the historical development of the Indian people and gave the noblest expression of their culture which has come to us as inheritance of priceless order for India, may for the entire world.”
Historically and culturally, it is established that Sanskrit is the elder sister of Greek and Latin and cousin of English, French and Russian.
Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru had said, “if I was asked what is the greatest treasure which India possesses and what is her finest heritage, I would answer unhesitatingly –
it is the Sanskrit language and literature, and all that it claims. This is a magnificent inheritance and so long as this endures and influences the life of our people, so long the basic genius of India will continue.”
The Supreme Court in a Constitutional Bench case in the year 1993 known as Unikrishnan’s case had brought home the importance of education. It was held that education is a preparation for living and life here and hereafter. Education is a social and political necessity. Victories are gained, peace is preserved, progress is achieved, civilization is built up and history is made, not in battle fields but in educational institutions which are seed beds of culture. In the year 1994 i.e. after one year in Santosh Kumari case, two judges of Supreme Court considered the importance of teaching Sanskrit in educational institutions as an elective subject in secondary schools. It was stated that it is the education received in early stages that widens the contacts of child or youth with surroundings of the world, with contacts of men. It inspires them with lofty idealism.
It is worth-while to mention here an interesting incident. A professor of Cambridge University was deeply engrossed in his calm chamber. An agitated British soldier during 2nd world war entered his chamber and accused the professor of not sharing trauma of second world-war. England was under great threat from German Air-force bombing. The professor asked the soldier, for whom he was fighting war. The reply came from the soldier to defend his country. What is that country for which blood shedding was being made, asked the professor. The reply of the soldier was for the territory and its people. On further inquiry made by the professor the soldier replied that it is the culture of England which he wants to defend. Professor replied, I am contributing to that culture. Both of them became friends as soldier was fully satisfied.
So far as, “we the people of India”, are concerned, we have held in high esteem the cultural heritage of this ancient land. Learning of Sanskrit is undoubtedly necessary for protection of this heritage. The stream of our heritage would go dry if we discourage the study of Sanskrit.
Sanskrit is also mentioned as one of the Indian recognized languages in the VIIIth Schedule of the Constitution and without learning Sanskrit it is not possible to decipher the Indian philosophy on which our culture and heritage are based.
Our Constitution requires giving of fillip to Sanskrit because Article 351 casts a duty on the Central Government to promote the spread of Hindi. It has been also provided in that Article that concerned authority would draw, whenever necessary or desirable to depend or borrow for its (Hindi language) vocabulary, primarily on Sanskrit. For all these reasons the Supreme Court had held that Sanskrit alone can become as an elective subject, while not conceding, this status to Arabic and/or Persian languages. Article 351 unfortunately, is not made applicable to the J&K State although Jammu city has remained a very important centre of learning Sanskrit during Dogra Rule.
For the interest of general public, I would quote from Kashmir valley’s history that when in 14th century Islamic State was established in Kashmir Valley, Sanskrit continued to be the official language of Muslim Rule for about 150 years till the time when a religious bigot who was born in Sultan dynasty known as “Sakandar But Shikan” (idol breaker) ascended the throne. He switched to Persian as official language. Muslim Rule remained in Kashmir valley for 500 years.
Sultan Sakandar had destroyed hundreds of temples and thousands of Sanskrit books and Hindu Holy Scriptures all written in Sanskrit. He persecuted Hindus and made them to flee from Kashmir valley for safety. Now, Kashmir valley has become a barren land for teaching and learning Sanskrit. What a pity after Independence of India. During Sikh Rule lasting for 27 years in Kashmir and thereafter during 103 years under Dogra Rule Sanskrit language was encouraged and taught in schools including one degree college which was the only college in Kashmir valley. There existed Government funded “Sanskrit Paathshalas” also. It is note-worthy that only book of history of sub-continent of India known as “Raj Tarangni” was written in Sanskrit poetry by a Kashmiri scholar namely, Kalhana in Kashmir and nowhere else. The need of the hour is to restore the glory of Sanskrit by establishing Sanskrit University in Kashmir by the name “Sharda University”.
How foreigners view Sanskrit language?
A foreigner great philologist, jurist and a scholar of ancient India (1776-1794) had to say about Sanskrit:-
“The Sanskrit language, whatever be its antiquity, is of a wonderful structure, more perfect than the Greek, more copious than the Latin and more exquisitely refined than either, yet bearing to both of them a stronger affinity, both in the roots of verbs and the forms of grammar, than could possibly have been produced by accident, so strong indeed, that no philologer could examine them all three ….. they had the same origin with the Sanskrit. …”
He was fascinated and impressed by the richness in every sphere of the Sanskrit language and put it on the top, after having deeply studied languages like Greek, Latin, Persian, Hebrew, Arabic and the Chinese of course of his own English.
Max Muller was a superb Sanskrit scholar. He says, “if I was asked under what sky, the human mind has most fully developed, pondered over the greatest problems and found solution to some of them, even those who might have studied Plato and Kant, I must point to India.”
His translation of Rigved, authoring, “History of Ancient Sanskrit literature” are priceless treasures. He had also said, “It is a gift what India can teach us”.
Sanskrit is gaining popularity and prominence globally, why it cannot be accepted in a well known part of our country from where it has originated?
Courses are available and taught in colleges and universities in Australia, North America, Belgium, Denmark, Britain, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, Russia, Norway, Netherlands, Switzerland, Japan and Thailand.
In China Sanskrit is being taught and getting popularized. We must develop an intense liking for our own language i.e. Sanskrit.
(The author is former Justice J&K High Court)
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