Sanskrit and Bharat (संस्कृतं भारतञ्च)

Sanskrit and Bharat (संस्कृतं भारतञ्च) elaborates on the integrity of Sanskrit language and Bharatavarsha, and the importance of Sanskrit learning in bringing about an all pervasive reawakening of Bharat. The article is extracted from a speech by Dr. Chamu Krishna Shastry during the inaugural session of the Non-formal Sanskrit Education Cell, IIT-Bombay (August, 2022).

• बहुभाषाभाषित्वम् ॥ bahubhāṣābhāṣitvam

Sanskrit was not just the medium of communication, it was the language of science, knowledge, education and more in Ancient Bharat that was always a multi-lingual civilization. All Indian languages co-existed, complemented and supplemented each other. Infact, there was a give and take, not just of words but even thoughts.

• संस्कृतमूलम् ॥ saṁskr̥tamūlam

Many words in Indian languages have a Sanskrit origin. Their sentence construction, phonetics, arrangement of letters, are all similar. There was oneness amongst the languages that facilitated homogeneity in knowledge. Thus, from the time of creation until now, Sanskrit has been the thread binding the civilization of Bharat together.

• ऐक्यतायाः आधारः ॥ aikyatāyāḥ ādhāraḥ

Sanskrit literature, Adhyatmik knowledge and Indian knowledge systems are the binding agents of Bharat. Sanskrit language and the common thoughts across Indian languages are foundational to the unity and integrity of Bharat. Though the languages are many, the sentiments are unified. And Sanskrit is instrumental in unifying Bharat. Therefore, Sanskrit is important to understand the nation of Bharat.

• व्युत्पत्तिः ॥ vyutpattiḥ

The etymology of 'Bharat' emphasizes on its inherent relationship with knowledge.

’भा’ इत्युक्ते प्रकाशः ज्ञानम् वा । भायां नाम ज्ञाने रतः तल्लीनः वा इति भारतशब्दस्य व्युत्पत्तिः । 'bhā' ityukte prakāśaḥ jñānam vā । bhāyāṁ nāma jñāne rataḥ tallīnaḥ vā iti bhārataśabdasya vyutpattiḥ ।

Bharat is essentially a society immersed in knowledge. Therefore, the revival of Sanskrit language is the reawakening of the knowledge tradition.

• What is the Indian Knowledge System ?

Different systems like Nyaya Vyavastha (Judiciary), Arthika Vyavastha (Finance), Prashasana Vyavastha (Governance), Shikshana Vyavastha (Education), Samajika Vyavastha (Social Order), Kutumba Vyavasta (Institution of family), etc. hold a civilisation together. And the knowledge that stands as the atman within these systems is the knowledge of adhyatma (losely translated as spirituality) or bharatiya darshana. This knowledge is the very 'Prana' (life force) of the various systems in a society.

There are various branches of Indian knowledge (shastras) such as Vedanta, Ayurveda, Yoga, Natya, Artha, etc. The one amsha or characteristic common to these branches is adhyatma or darshana that deals with the knowledge of creation, relation between paramatma and jivatma, etc. Darshana pervades all branches of knowledge be it music, dance, yoga, ayurveda or vedanta itself. It brings about balance in the society.

• धर्माधिष्ठानम् ॥ dharmādhiṣṭhānam

Like Adhyatma, Dharma also is very much indigenous to Bharat; it is rather the foundation of Bharat. Simply put, Dharma is the behaviour required for a well-run and happy society. It is that which is required for the peaceful and happy living of everyone in the society. It is said,

धारणात् धर्मः इत्याहुः । dhāraṇāt dharmaḥ ityāhuḥ ।

Meaning: That which holds viz. the person, family, society, institution, country, science, all living beings, the creation and the environment; That which enables the sustenance of all living beings, environment, the creation itself is dharma. Accordingly, dharma manifests in various forms such as personal, societal, special, national, etc.

The motto of the Parliament is धर्मचक्रप्रवर्तनाय ।

The Supreme court's slogan says, यतो धर्मस्ततो जयः ।

In chapter 18 of the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says, धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय ।

This dharma is to be protected and followed. But first, that dharma is to be understood.

It is a non-translatable with no synonym.

Infact, many Sanskrit words do not have synonyms in other languages.

For eg. Papa is sometimes loosely translated as sin. But what is the english counterpart to Punya ? There is none. For, the concept itself is alien to the English culture.

Similarly, Naivedya, Prasada, Abhisheka, Tirtha etc are all indigenous to Bharata. They are thoughts and principles stemming from Sanskrit and do not have english counterparts. Thousands of such concepts are unique to Sanskrit and dharma is one among them that is to be understood. And having understood the intricacies of dharma, it is to be implemented in individual, familial and social life.

By dharmasamsthapana is meant reinstating dharma in all shastras like science, education, governance, trade and commerce, etc.

(This can be achieved through studying Sanskrit.)

Through the medium of Sanskrit and by studying the sanskrit language we must understand and propogate the Bharatiya Jnana Parampara.

(Sanskrit was not just the medium of communication, it was the language of Science, knowledge, education and more in Ancient Bharata. With the emergence of Macaulay's minutes in 1835, Sanskrit was replaced by English. It is not about a resistance to English. The multi-lingual heritage of India is proof that Bharata has never been a language-despiser (despised languages). May all languages exist. However,)

Bharata was never a single language speaking nation. It was always a multi-lingual civilization. All Indian languages co-existed, complemented and supplemented each other. There was a give and take, not just of words but even thoughts.

Since Sanskrit-based learning system has fallen behind in the formal education system, there is a gap that has arisen between Sanskrit and modern learning. That needs to be filled. Sanskrit schools, colleges and universities should engage in the teaching of modern subjects while the modern educational institutes should teach Sanskrit.

What encompasses Sanskrit learning? It is the study of

1. Language
2. Arthashastra
3. Arogyashastra
4. Nyaya
5. Vidhi
6. Shilpa
7. Sangeeta
8. Kala, etc.

All branches of knowledge have Sanskrit texts of ancient times. They should be studied.

In ancient times the groupings of knowledge texts were different as compared to the groupings of knowledge texts today.

For eg. We think of Puranas as a collection of stories on deities. What goes amiss is the understanding that they were created to acquaint common people with the tattvas, darshanas, siddhantas and vicharas in the Vedas.

In a study of selected Puranas including the Agni Purana carried out in Shringeri, shlokas relating to 18 modern subjects like Mathematics, Geography, environment, psychology, vedanta, shilpa, medicine, etc. were found by the scholars. When scholars from various specifis fields like these study the Puranas carefully, many more such fields can be identified. The shlokas that seem to be an instance of adhyatma or vedanta in the first reading, when read in minute detailing reveal hidden meanings. Until now, veda mantras and shastra granthas have been studied from the perspective of adhyatma. There is a need for them to be re-studied through the scientific lens with needs of the current times in mind.

Infact, the potential for knowledge exploration and the methods for the same provided in the Vedas can be useful even today.

For eg. lakshana parishkara in nyaya shastra.

Nyaya shastra states that thr lakshana or definition of a padartha or entity should be dosha rahita or devoid of faults. In this context, avyapti, ativyapti and abhava are enlisted as the 3 possible defects in a definition.

One of the possibilities is to use this defining tool 'lakshana parishkara' given by Nyaya shastra to redefine modern definitions. Similarly, many such thoughts can be mined.

Modern definitions should be redefined on the basis of lakshana parishkara - it is a defining tool (nyaya shastra). to comply

The journey of learning should progress from Sambhashana to Shastra adhyayana. And through the study of Sanskrit language, the heart and atman of bharata may be revived making it Samrddha, Sashakta and a Vishvaguru. That should be the aim. On the foundation of sanskrit, dharma, adhyatma and language, we should bring one and all together and facilitate the unity of sentiments towards Bharata. That accomplished, reawakening of the language and culture will follow. There will be a multifaceted reawakening of Bharata from all sides viz. Social, cultural, financial, dharmik, adhyatmik and educational. That will be the dawn of the new awakened Bharat.

1835 - Macaulay minutes

2035 - 200 yrs of Macauly

To change that before 2035 - 10 yrs action plan.

Sanskrit was once the most influential literary language in India, and texts written in the language could be understood by millions of people throughout the South Asian world. These texts contain profound meditations on every point on the spectrum of human concern: existence, reality, God, love, duty, marriage, war, death, violence, laughter, beauty, perception, nature, anatomy, urbanity, ritual, desire, food, purpose, meaning, and language, among hundreds of others. Moreover, Sanskrit texts are the repository of non-modern modes of thought, and they present distinct conceptions of the world that are often at odds with the understanding we have today. By learning how people used to think, we better understand both ourselves and the world we have inherited.

References

• http://www.learnsanskrit.org/introduction