The Dilemma of Sanskrit Revival - Part 3

...Continued from Part 2

Final Part of the Series

The Scholarly Dysfunction

The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything. - Albert Einstein.

In this great times of Sanskrit revival efforts, aren't there any scholars or experts who have studied the language deeply and can guide this movement? Apparently, there are plenty. Unfortunately, most of them have built a wall around themselves and have chosen not to take up the role of guiding the people. Many of them even have fallen for the populist approach and have adopted the same mis-constructs in circulation. Their excuse is this quaint quote "प्रयोगशरणाः वैयाकरणाः" - which means - it is not a grammarian’s job to tell people how to use a language. It is like a historian with the mindset: I have nothing to do with what is going on in this world - good or bad, but just will just record it. This point is so out of place in the current context. Yes, a language does grow based on how it is used by its speakers. But that is true when a language is live, in widespread use and its speakers know what they are doing with the language. The growth has to be in the right direction. Because of such inaction and indifference by experts at the time of need, history has witnessed many great things, even entire civilizations, sink into oblivion. Hopefully, the language experts will understand their responsibility, abandon the fears of social dislikes and start guiding in the right direction.

किं कर्म किमकर्मेति कवयोप्यत्र मोहिताः - Bhagavadgita
Even the learned ones are confused in determining what is right thing to do and what is not.

Shu-ha-ri
Shu-ha-ri is a Japanese principle used in many practices. In order to master a science or art, these three stages are followed. Shu means first follow and master the current framework. In the ha stage, you can add your innovations if needed. In the ri stage, you can deviate from the framework if needed. So, first find out what is currently out there, focus on understanding it, and use it correctly. But, in this time of instant gratification, we need to watch out for our tendency to jump to the third stage, knowingly or unknowingly, altering the framework, trivializing it, downgrading the quality of the language. That cannot be called Sanskrit - a Refined Language.

Another blog post on similar subject - Revival of Sanskrit, A Long Way To Go