The speech in Sanskrit by Jagatguru

ShankaraacharyaswaminaH Srimad Bharatiteertha

Mahaaswaminah on furthering the cause of Sanskrit
language
Free edited translation by K V Ananthanarayanan

I pay respects to Ramachandra who is the nobles scion of the solar dynasty,
who by his radiating smile fills the hearts of the whole world with ecstasy ,
who is as beautiful as a lotus and the gem Indraneealam, and who has
slackened the enemies of Indra with his eternal valour.
I bow again and again to Sri Rama who is the cynosure to the eyes of all the
world, who drives away all dangers, and who besotws on us all wealth,

It gives me great pleasure to state that in the state of Tamilnadu the lovers
of the language of the Gods, Sankrit, have set up an organization called
Samskritabhaarati, and they are spreading the glory of the language through
the activites of the great organization.
Samskritam is praised as the words of God by the great sages. Therefore
Sanskrit is called by us also as the language of Gods. Gods converse in this
language, it is said and therefore this language is called the Devabhaasha. It
is for this reason, there is immense greatness without comparison in this
language. This greatness is not possessed by any of the other languages
which are existing In this world.

The language possessed of such greatness is the subject matter of utmost
respect by all of us. Our firm belief is that Sankrit is the mother of all the
languages. In the case of our mother, we are expected to be of great care
and respect, similarly we are expected to be the most caring and respectful
towards this language. Our culture and civilization is firmly entwined and is
carried forth by this language.It is a facat that, if we are to understand the
culture of India, we have to know Sankskrit. Without gaining expertise in this
language, without gaining experience in using this language, we cannot have

proper and correct knowledge of our civilization and the sanatana dharama.
Many people say that they will study translated texts and from there itself
we would gain knowledge of the principles of Sanatana Dharma. However,
it has to be noted that the cardinal principles of our culture and religion
cannot be properly understood from translated books.

?















?


There are many things in a language like Sanksrit which will not yield to
translaton. How will we be able to translate such nuances? Once such

situation arises in the Shakuntala natakam of Kalidasa. In that drama there is

a very famous child of Shakuntala by name Sarvadhamana. Later on this
prince because famous and ruled India under that name Bharatha and the
country was called Bharatha after him. That Sarvadhamana was very bold
and valorous even in his childhood days. Even when he was a boy of five
years, he would catch hold of lion cubs in the ashrama precints and would
open their mouths. There is a statement from that Sarvadhamana in the play
addressed to a lion cub. Keep quiet, kept quiet, I want to count your teeth.
It is only for this reason that Maharsi Kanva gave the name of Sarvadhamana
or conqueror of everything which was absolutely suitable to the child.
Seeing such a naughty and active child, the dwellers of the hermitage
thought that the child is very active and strong. He would trouble all the
living beings in this hermitage. So they brought for him a toy in the shape of
a Peacock made of clay. Seeing that peacock of clay, one of the indwellers
told the child, bharatha, you see the beauty of the bird ( shakunta
laavanyam). Sakuntha in sankrit means a bird. Laavanyam is beauty. So the
boy was asked to not the Shakuntalaavnyam. In this process the child came
to hear the name of Shakuntala.. (part of shakuntalaavanyam). Immediately
he asked where his mother was. In this conversation, while talking of the
peacock made of clay, the four letters in the name of Shakuntala also sprang
up and the boy anxiously enquired about his mother. When the word and
conversation is translated into another language, from where can the child
get the memory of his mother Shakuntala? Never. Therefore some subjects
are there is our Sanskrit language which we will not be able to bring in their
full context in translation.

When the facts are like this how are we going to learn the essence of dharma
from translated books alone? Such a claim is false in all respects. We will not
be able to learn the deeper meanings of dharma from translated texts.
Therefore, if someone is eager to learn the nuances of dharma, if he wants to
understand the culture of India in depth then it is inevitable that he should
learn Sanskrit language and train himself how to use it. Vedas, Upanishads,
Puranaas and all the great traditional knowledge of India in the Oral
traditions of Sanskrit and even at present they are dependent on this
language. Abhinavagupta who hailed from Kashmir, Appayya Deekshita who
belonged to the deep south and Panditaraja Jagannatha of Andhra Pradesh,
all created their monumental works in Sanskrity without touching their own
mother tongues. Was it because the three did not have love for their own
mother tongue? Definitely not. They loved their own languages. But the
idea that prompted them to compose in Sankrit was that they wanted to
have their creations read and appreciated all over India from Sethu to the Icy
mountains. If they had written their works in their own mother tongues, the
people following those languages alone could have read or even seen such
books. The works became popular all over the country only because they
were written in the language of the Gods, Sankrit. This is the case with great
masters of literature.


? ?
?




There where others who were in deep study of the principles of Vedanta. Let
us take first the great ShankarabagavatpaadaaH. He was eager to propagate
the his ideas about Vedanta everywhere. It was with this desire in mind that
the great saint wrote his books in Sanskrit. What else could be reason that
he did not compose his works in the language of Kerala? What was the
reason why the great RamaaujaachaaryaaH did not create his writings in
Tamil? What was the reason again that MaadhwaachaaryaaH did not use
Kannada language? In fact their respective mother tongues were Malayalam,
Tamil and Kannada. They selected the language Sanskrit alone to educate
people on their own schools of philosophy. This is the paramount evidence
for the popularity and universal acceptability of Sanskrit language all over
India. What more evidence is necessary to underline the universal
popularity of Sanskrit? When facts are like this, some people blabber
otherwise in opposition to Sanskrit, and such thoughts only expose their
utter ignorance.

 ?



There is a very false notion for some people that Sanskrit language is not for
everyone. They feel that this language is only for some. This false publicity
was resorted to by the foreigners, the English people who ruled over us for
about 250 years. They spread the false notion that this language is a dead
language. It is not suitable for all the people. This scandal was started by the
intruders to our country. But people among us who lacked intelligence and
who were just following the will of the mob accepted this false propaganda
as true. So for many among us also the false notion that Sanskrit is a dead
language gained acceptance. So they thought. What is the use for us with a
dead language? With this faulty notion many among us did not care to learn
this language. Now it is our immediate duty and need that this false notion
should be eradicated.. Sanskrit is not a dead language. It is the language of
eternity, the amruthabaashaa. The eternal nature of this language should be
established by us.

?


?

? ?
?
?

When I was delivering a speech earlier a point was established regarding the
eternal nature of Sasnkrit language. I raised the issue, you are calling Sanskrit
as a dead languageIf you are calling Sankrit as a dead language for the reason
that all the people in the world are not speaking in this language, then all the
languages in the world are dead languages. . What is the material with you
to establish that idea? Which is the language in which all the people living in
this world are conversing? There is no single language by which all the people
are exchanging ideas. If only the language spoken by all is to be called a living
language, then there in no language in the world to qualify that test and
therefore all the languages will be categorized as dead languages. Then there
is another argument. Nobody is speaking in Sanskrit.. If Sanskrit is to be
treated as dead language on this count, then that presumption is also false.
Lakhs of people are conversing in Sanskrit language. We see it even in the
present days. Are there no scholars who do speak in Sanskrit? Are there no
laymen who make valiant attempt to speak in Sanskrit out of their great
affection and respect for the language? Are there no people who are
propagating the spread of this language? Are there no people who use the
language for exchange of ideas on a day to day basis? If this language is to be
deemed as a dead language because it is not spoken by many people, that
idea is not correct because in fact many of the people use this language for
conversation. On the whole it is madness only to call this language as a dead
language.


?





? ?
? ?
?

It is heard that this language is getting more acceptance and respect in

foreign lands. This is indeed shameful in a way to we Indians. The foreigners
are praising this language, they are exhibiting great respect for this language,
they are giving a special place as a subject of study for this language in their
universities. When this is the fact, how shameful it is for us Indians that we
are not evincing much interest in the study of this language? This condition
should not be allowed to continue. The notion among people of India that
Sanskrit is a dead language, should be eradicated. Another issue is that there
is a false notion that there are impossible grammatical rules in this language.
Those rules are very difficult for us to understand, they claim. Therefore
they try to keep away from this language. This idea is also unwelcome.
Which language does not contain its grammatical rules? Does not English
have a grammar? Does Tamil not have its grammar? Does the language of
Andhra not have its grammar? Which language does not have a grammar? If

there is a language, there should necessarily be a set of grammatical rules

attached to it. Such rules are to be necessarily learned by the students of the
respective languages. Grammar is not a unique feature of Sanskrit alone. Just
as other languages have their grammatical rules and those languages are to
be learnt and applied by the students of the respective languages, the
grammatical rules of Sanskrit also are to be learnt. And we should use the
pure language.





? ?

Therefore it is meaningless to take shelter to the existence of grammatical

rules to state that Sanskrit language is not taken up for study by us. I can
find only one reason for people not studying and using this divine language.
Lack of care and devotion. Only lack of interest and lack of devotions keeps
us away from the study of this language. If you shed that lack of devotion you
will be eager to study this language. Then you will gain erudition in this
language. If that lack of reverence is shed by you you will become capable of
speaking in that language. Many young children are speaking in that
language now. How are they learnig to speak? It is absolute devotion. This

language is our mother.If I am not able to study and converse in this great
language, I will be arrayed in the line of the worst idiots. Such motivation
triggers their enthusiasm to study the language. There are foreigners who
are coming forward even to teach the grammar of Sanskrit. Recently such a
foreign teacher came to Shrinagagiri to meet me. I find commitment in him.
If all of us work with such commitment, all of us will be capable of learning
Sanskrit.









--
--

?
There is another reason for the lack of interest among people to study
Sanskrit. The administrators, those who are in influential posts, ministers,
etc., feel that if there is growth for Sanskrit, their own local languages may
suffer in the baragain. This fear is out of place. If Sanskrit Language is
encouraged, the incidental benefit out of it will accrue to the local language.
In the state of Karnataka, there is a talk that English words are being
substituted in administration with Kannada words. They call the engineer
abhiyantaa. Can you find a work abhiyanta in kannada lexicon? It is not
there. Abhiyanta is a Sanskrit word. To make it look like Kannada they have
made it abhiyantaaru. The principal is now called praamsupaala. The words

praamsu and pala come from Sanskrit alone. Lecturer is called upanyaasaka.
Upanyaasaka again is Sanskrit. From where else it can come?















Therefore if there is improvement and encouragement in the study of
Sanskrit, the theory that our local languages will be weakened is
misconceived. Our own language will never be weakened on account of
Sanskrit. When the Sanskrit language gets a shot in the arm, our own
languages also achieve improvement. Therefore, whatever reasons are set
forth for discouraging people from studying Sanskrit are all erroneous. We
should she such erroneous concepts and should betstow our attention to the
study of Sanskrit. All of us will be able to study in depth our ancient
philosophies. By that way, following our dharma, knowing our tattwa, we
can progress towards spiritual elevation and physical well being. If all
people learn Sanskrit across the country in unison, it will be a fillip to

national unity. Therefore the great attempts of all who consider the study of
Sanskrit and its propagation as a means of the welfare of all, have my
special blessings. You just follow this path without hesitation. You go along
this path to success. It is said. The ant once it started walking will cover
hundreds of miles. But the master of speed, the Garuda, if he does not move
ahead will stay only where he it. Do not feel like the Vainateya.. Take slow
and steady steps like the ant.