Revival of Sanskrit - A Long Way to Go

In recent times, there have been tremendous efforts to revive Sanskrit both as a spoken language and as a language in vogue. Not to mention many educational establishments around the globe, but there are numerous groups, individuals who have taken up this effort as their lifelong mission. This is a very positive development and extremely laudable. Sanskrit is finding its place in the mainstream media, is becoming the subject of discussions and debates, more articles and books are being published.

In this great movement, there have been some voices to upgrade the language, revise its structure, to keep it current with the changing times. This stems from the fact that some of the Sanskrit phrases used by people now have no grammatical basis. For example: मां स्मारय (should be मया स्मारय), सर्वेषां नमः (should be सर्वेभ्यः नमः), हरि ॐ (should be हरिः ॐ) etc. Some be-modern enthusiast grammarians argue that everyone now-a-days uses such phrases. So, there needs to be a way in the grammar books to justify these kind of usages, or the grammar books need to be updated to include such usages, especially when the use of Sanskrit has increased. After all प्रयोगशरणाः वैयाकरणाः. Grammarians go as per the usage, they do not make up or invent their own rules. The language comes first, the grammar rules go according the usage. That is why there are Panini sutras defining the general rules of usage and also the exceptions to those general rules. And then there are “vaartikas” written by different people after Panini to include some corrections or more usage styles. Fair enough.

However, in this zeal of revival, we should be knowing where we stand and what we are doing. With all due respects to the grammarians and the people who are doing wonderful work of keeping this language alive and helping to spread it. When we say the use of Sanskrit is on the rise and lot of people are taking up Sanskrit, what does that mean? Yes, there is no doubt that the awareness of Sanskrit is on the rise in the last few years. Thousands of people may be attending some classes, seminars or camps conducted all over the world to know about the language. But this hardly qualifies as to count them as Sanskrit-speaking people. The Wikipedia page on Sanskrit mentions about 14,000 Indians with Sanskrit as their first language in the year 2001. Even if there is a ten fold increase in this number by this time, it is still a minuscule to say that the language has a critical mass. And currently, nobody in the world including the grammarians have their native tongue as Sanskrit (well, except maybe a handful in some very orthodoxical institutions). Most of the times, the knowledge of the grammarians appears to be confined to the rules and examples given in the classic treatises on grammar and many times hits the dead end in analyzing and applying various sutras. And people who are learning the language are trying to get a grip on the basics. It is obvious that their usage of Sanskrit is heavily influenced by grammatical constructs and their usages in their native languages.

In these situations, it would be very imprudent to start accepting the incorrect usages of the current times as valid. At the times of प्रयोगशरणाः वैयाकरणाः, entire mass of people across huge areas in and around India supposedly had everyday use of Sanskrit. People who could authenticate the शिष्टप्रयोग (use of words by knowledgeable people) and accordingly frame and re-frame the grammar rules were actually sages or equivalent to sages (ऋषि or ऋषिसदृशाः). Unfortunately, with the decline of Sanskrit for generations, that ability is currently lost. The good news is that with the efforts of thousands of selfless people, the language is growing despite many challenges. That is a tremendous achievement. But we are many generations away to get to the stage where the current grammatical structures can be played with and altered. Until then, the foundations of Sanskrit grammar are very profound to take on any usage needs in the modern times. It would be of great help if the enthusiast grammarians and academicians can guide the learners to understand and practice the correct usage. The responsibility of making an effort to learn Sanskrit in a correct way and passing it to the next generation lies with all of us.

अकबरः तथा बीरबलः कथा (देवः किमर्थम् अवतरति)

आसीत् अकबरः इति प्रसिद्धः राजा | तस्य आस्थानकः चतुरः बीरबलः | एकदा राजा बीरबलं पृच्छति | देवः सर्वत्र अस्ति इति भवान् वदति | सः देवः भक्तान् रक्षितुं भूतलं किमर्थम् आगच्छति | देवं परितः बहवः सेवकाः सन्ति | तान् सेवकान् किं न प्रेषयति इति | बीरबलः किमपि न भणति | कानिचन दिनानि अतीतानि | एकदा प्रातः राजा अकबरः बीरबलेन सह उद्यानं गच्छति | तम् उभयतः अङ्गरक्षकाः अपि सन्ति | राजा अन्यैः जनैः साकं जलाशयं प्राप्नोति | जलाशयस्य समीपे अकबरस्य पुत्रः कन्दुकेन खेलति | पुत्रः जलाशये पतति | अकबरः पुत्रं रक्षितुं स्वयं जले निपतति | रक्षितं राजपुत्रं दृष्ट्वा बीरबलः वदति | हे महाराज एतदेव देवस्य अवतरणस्य कारणम् | भवान् पुत्ररक्षणं सेवकैः न कारयति किन्तु स्वयमेव करोति | तथैव देवः अपि स्वभक्तान् त्रातुं स्वयमेव अवतरति | तत् वचनं श्रुत्वा राजा अकबरः प्रसन्नः बीरबलं पारितोषकेण संमानयति |

Song on Shiva - कैलासवास गौरीश ईश

शङ्करस्तुतिगीतम्

विजयदासविरचितकन्नडभक्तिगीतस्य संस्कृतानुवादः

कैलासवास गौरीश ईश |

तैलधारातुल्यमतिं देहि हरिचरणे शम्भो ||

लोकेस्मिन् अहोरात्रं चानुजाग्रणी भूत्वा

सर्वत्र भ्रमितोऽहं हे महादेव |

अहिभूषण मे त्वम् अवगुणान् नावलोक्य

धर्मविहिते सुपथि देहि वैष्णवभक्तिं शम्भो || १ ||

पापपुण्यानां न मनश्च कारणमस्ति

अनलाक्ष ननु तव विना प्रेरणाम् |

धनुजगतमदहारि भूरि ते प्रणमामि

नमय मे शिरः सुजनचरणकमले शम्भो || २ ||

भागीरथीधर मे भवभीतिं परिहृत्य

परिपालय मां त्वं सततं हि शर्वदेव |

भागवतजनप्रिय विजयविट्ठलस्याङ्घ्र्यां

सर्वात्मना भक्त्या सेवाभाग्यं मे देहि || ३ ||

Why learn Sanskrit?

There are already an umpteen number of articles on the Internet on this subject: Why learn Sanskrit language? Many of them assure that Sanskrit is not a dead language and also is easily palatable by various sections in the Indian society not withstanding their political, regional, religional differences. Some of them state that since most of the Indian languages are heavily influenced by Sanskrit, it would be easy for adults and children in India to learn Sanskrit. And also the articles about research and study by NASA. They are all good and strong arguments.

But from a pure linguistic perspective, here is the summary of the reasons I have come across:

1. Rich language:
   Arguably, Sanskrit has the richest and the most beautiful literary compositions. The only other languages coming close to it in this aspect are Greek, Latin and perhaps the old Persian. All these languages appear to have originated from a common ancestor (language).
2. Impeccable structure:
   Sanskrit language is phonetic (based on sounds) and has very well-defined structure to its grammar and etymology. For this reason, it is easy for anyone, including the non-Indians, to study the language by understanding its rules. The structure also makes it fit for the logical algorithms to decipher and derive different word forms.
3. Universal:
   Though it is the oldest language, infinite and new words can be formed using its structure. This makes it practically usable and relevant forever, for any place and any time, without depending on other languages. (See: The Tale of a Car)
4. Pronunciation:
   Sanskrit is based on sounds and expects clear pronunciation of words to convey the right meaning. Practicing to correctly pronounce different letters and words brings about improvements in one's abilities to differentiate the nuances in vocal sounds.
5. Brain activation using Devanagari script:
   Devanagari script is less prone to errors as it is phonetic, has very little punctuation marks (see uttiSTha bhArata blog), no differentiation between upper case and lower case. But, additionally it is good for our brains. How? Consonants are written in left-to-right order and the vowels mixed with them are either written to the left, top, bottom or right. But while speaking, those vowels always follow consonants. Studies suggest that this needs bilateral activation-participation from both left and right hemispheres of the brain-for reading phrases in Devanagari.
   
   I would like to add another important one:
6. Holistic approach while speaking:
   Because of Sanskrit's unique constructs and ability to join sounds and words in various combinations, it is up to the speaker (or author) to make use of these constructs in his/her own way and capacity to bring about the communication with the audience. Also, the coherence needed for verb usage, adjective/nouns (विशेषण/विशेष्य) forces one to think before uttering a sentence. This needs quick coordination within the brain to assemble the proper words in their proper forms. For a new learner, this may take some time to get used to this style. But, as with any fine arts (and science), with little practice, it becomes truly enjoyable and highly satisfying experience while one's brain stops thinking by words, but starts thinking in terms of overall meaning of the message to be conveyed. Perhaps this is similar concept to the alien script in the recent movie Arrival.

References:
The Analyst Blog, Sanskrit@James UK School

Swami Vivekananda (स्वामी विवेकानन्दः)

स्वामिविवेकानन्दस्य जन्म १८६३तमे वत्सरे जनवरीमासस्य द्वादशदिनाङ्के कोलकातानगरे संभूतः | दत्तोपाह्वविश्वनाथस्य भुवनेश्वरीदेव्याः च पुत्ररूपेण प्रादुर्भूतस्य तस्य जन्मनाम नरेन्द्र इति | बाल्यावस्थायामेव सः योगादिशास्त्रेषु तथा धर्मग्रन्थादिषु स्वबान्धवैः सुप्रभावितः |

नरेन्द्रः विश्वविद्यालये १८८४तमे वत्सरे अध्ययनं समाप्य ब्रह्मसमाजनामकस्य संघटनस्य संपर्के आगतः | परमात्मनः साक्षात्कारे अत्युत्कटा जिज्ञासा नरेन्द्रं श्रीरामकृष्णपरमहंसस्य समीपे नीतवती | परतत्वस्य विषये रामकृष्णस्य निजानुभवं परिशील्य तं स्वगुरुरिति स्वीकृतवान् | रामकृष्णस्य मार्गदर्शने नरेन्द्रः अध्यात्मविद्याध्ययनं योगध्यानाभ्यसनं च कृतवान् | १८८५तमे वत्सरे रामकृष्णस्य देहात्यागानन्तरं नरेन्द्रः रामकृष्णमठं संस्थापितवान् | सः पारिव्राजकव्रतं स्वीकृत्य स्वामी विवेकानन्दः इति प्रख्यातः |

तत्पश्चात् परिव्राजकः विवेकानन्दः भारतदेशस्य बहुषु प्रदेशेषु संचरन् समाजे विविधस्तरस्थैः जनैः सह मिलित्वा प्रत्यक्षानुभवं प्राप्तवान् | १८९३तमे वत्सरे अमेरिकादेशं प्राप्य चिकागोनगरसंभूते सर्वधर्मसंमेलने "हे मम सहोदराः तथा सहोदर्यः" इति सभिकान् संबोधयन् भाषणं दत्तवान् | ततः तस्य कीर्तिः न केवलम् अमेरिकादेशे अपि च सर्वे लोके जनजनिता | तदनन्तरं विवेकानन्दः इङ्ग्लण्डदेशेऽपि परिभ्रम्य जनेभ्यः नैकानि भाषणानि श्रावयितवान् | अमेरिकायां तथा युरोपदेशेषु अनेके जनाः विवेकानन्दस्य वर्चसा पारमार्थिकविचारेण च आकर्षिताः | तेषु जनेषु निकोल तेस्ला, मेरी लुइस, भगिनी निवेदिता, डेट्रायिट्नगरवासिनी भगिनी क्रिस्तिना प्रसिद्धाः |

विवेकानन्दः भारतमागत्य दीनजनपराणि बहूनि कार्याणि कृतवान् | तेन अनेकानि पुस्तकानि अपि लिखितानि | १८९७तमे वत्सरे सः रामकृष्णसमाजसेवासंस्थां स्थापितवान् | १९००तमे वत्सरे विवेकानन्दः पुनः युरोपप्रदेशस्य तथा अमेरिकादेशस्य प्रवासं कृत्वा सनातनधर्मस्य महतीं प्रकाशयितवान् |

अविरतकार्यात् परिश्रान्तस्य स्वामिनः विवेकानन्दस्य देहारोग्यः अवगतिरापन्नः | १९०२तमवत्सरस्य जुलैमासस्य चतुर्थदिने सः ध्यानसक्त एव दिवंगतः | स्वामिनः विवेकानन्दस्य जीवनकथा भाषणमालिका ग्रन्थाः च अद्यापि जगति जनेभ्यः बहूपयोगिनः | तेन कठोपनिषदः उद्धृतम् अधस्तनवाक्यं सर्वेभ्यः अतीवस्फूर्तिदयकम् |

उत्तिष्ठत जाग्रत प्राप्य वरान्निबोधत |

A Resolution for the New Year

Here is an idea for the new year's resolution, if you have not already made one.

Converse in Sanskrit by 30th June.

Sounds impossible? If it is not challenging, then what is the fun in setting a resolution?

For most people, the new year's resolutions (or any kind of resolution) fail. That is because people confuse wish with resolution. A resolution can be called "sankalpa" संकल्पः whereas a wish is just "aasha" आशा. A wish is just a dream. A resolution needs planning and follow up. So, for the above wish to materialize, what would be your plan?

There are many ways a goal can be achieved and the approach may differ for each individual. But it is important to have a plan and follow it. Failing to plan is planning to fail. Here is one example of what this plan might look like.

1. Write down the purpose of your resolution. 
2. Everyday early in the morning read the forms of one noun or one verb (from any book or online resource like the grammar page on this site :)).
3. Everyday set a time to read a few sentences in Sanskrit and make sure to understand the grammar and meaning of each word (Friends of Sanskrit Facebook group is a good start :))
4. While driving (caution), or exercising, or during any slack time, listen to Sanskrit audio recordings. There are many available on the internet (like the listing on this site :)).
5. One can learn to swim only by jumping into the water. Just start talking in Sanskrit with whomever you can and whenever possible, START IT NOW - with your family, colleagues, friends, whoever can bear with you! If you or anyone in your family had practiced any musical instrument before, you probably know the feeling. Initially it would be jarring for others and frustrating to you. But this is an important phase. Studies show that people who endure this difficult phase, eventually succeed with their efforts. So, be patient and do not give up.  If you feel like giving up, read the purpose of your resolution again. You may find yourself using many English or native language words many times and also words with incorrect grammatical forms. That is perfectly fine. This is similar to a child learning the language for the first time. They do not feel shy about their mistakes, but just talk and learn, focus on communicating the message, and have fun! But for the grown ups like us, learning a new language is a bit different. Every language has its idiosyncrasies, its own style. It may take a little while to get used to the Sanskrit-style.

We can make Sanskrit as our common communication or link language once again. It depends on how committed we are to our resolution.

नूतनसंवत्सरस्य शुभाशयाः |

The Tale of a Car

The Tale of a Car

Why We Should Keep the Sanctity of Sanskrit Language

Yes, Sanskrit is the most ancient language. It is artistically beautiful, malleable as one desires, for everyone including our seers, poets, writers, researchers and experts in each and every field we can imagine, and importantly for common man. At the same time, Sanskrit is very scientifically structured as a language, almost giving the impression that it is an "engineered" or "designed" language. After all "Sanskrit" itself means "processed". This aspect also makes it the favorite subject for grammarians, etymologists and linguistic experts.

The origin of the language is unknown, or anybody's guess. The most ancient scripts in Sanskrit, the Vedas, have a very wide range of guesstimate on their age - 1700 BC, 1300 BC, 1500 BC, 2000 BC, 7000 BC, 75000 BC... And some say they are eternal. In any case, these guesses are for the age of Vedas, not the language. The Vedas themselves are in completely mature linguistic form with poetic meters and usages. That means the age or origin of Sanskrit language is even harder to guess.

Over the period, the usage of Sanskrit declined and the mankind lost an unimaginable number of invaluable literary works forever. But for a long time, probably until the British arrived in India, Sanskrit remained as the link-language between various geographies in that country. It is likely that during this time, Sanskrit was started to be associated with certain communities in the contemporary social structure and being seen just as a vehicle to study the scriptures and the Vedas. With all that decline and negligence, even the amount of currently available literary works in Sanskrit is very huge.

Given this, one would start wondering how relevant Sanskrit is in today's world. Though it has a rich history, can it be revived as a language in the modern times? Is it capable of being used as an everyday-language? Every populace in the world naturally will support and promote its own language. Some of the scholars around the world may be interested to study Sanskrit for academic and research purposes. But in its home country, where most of the regional languages are based on Sanskrit, not a single population in India owns the language and nurtures it. Whose language is it anyway today? Can we imagine it to be the link-language again, at least among the Indians? And why should we care?

Here lies the strength of Sanskrit as a language - its ability to survive and thrive in these times, and forever in future - because of its sound scientific structure. The language is based on a unique concept called dhatus (धातु). Dhatus are not words. They are properties of objects, entities or things, but not objects themselves. Dhatus are abstraction of objects. And the words are derived from dhatus. Dhatus cannot be used directly in the language, but only the words derived from dhatus can be used. Anyone in the computer world today would understand and appreciate this concept. Dhatus are like classes and the words derived from dhatus are like objects (in the computer OOPS parlance). This arrangement makes the language very flexible, making it possible to generate infinite number of words - for everything that was imagined before and everything in the world that might be conceived in future.

For example: One of the words for bird is खगः which is derived from ख (sky) and ग (going) (खे गच्छति). Now, this खगः can be literally (and has been) used to represent not only a bird, but any object that goes in the sky - it could be an airplane, sun, a planet, a satellite etc. The actual meaning can be known only by the context.

This approach makes the language self-sustaining forever. As new objects are invented, other languages have to make up a word or borrow it from other languages, and add it to their dictionary. And as the objects go out of fashion, they need to be removed from their dictionaries. But not in Sanskrit. Based on the usage or purpose of an object, a new word can be synthesized mainly with the help of dhatus and combining multiple words into one. In recent times, using the same logic, there have been considerable and appreciable efforts to coin new words to represent the objects that did not exist before.

(Reference: The above idea/class/object is explained in the article here nicely.)

For example: पत्रभारः (paperweight), मृदुमुद्रा (rubber stamp), अङ्कनी (pencil), बाष्पस्थाली (steam cooker), शीतकम् (fridge), मिश्रकम् (mixer) etc.

However, in some cases, the foreign words sneak in. Case in point: Many books show a bicycle as द्विचक्रिका (two wheeler), a bus as लोकयानम् (people carrier). But a train goes as रेल्-यानम् and a car remains as कार्-यानम्. In many gatherings, these words have been questioned and challenged by the audience. But mostly they go unanswered or get a reply like "this kind of usage is there among people". Really? While it makes sense to use the proper and people nouns like Google, Facebook etc. "as is", for vehicle types and like there should not be dearth of संस्कृत words. While we are ready to use बाष्पस्थाली, why not use लोहपथयानम् or लोहपथी or लोहपथगा for a train? And शकटः, शकटी, शकटिका, यन्त्रयानम् for a car? There is no need to dilute this language for the sake of convenience. Sanskrit deserves the respect and demands from us to keep its sanctity.