‘Language of the Gods’ Sanskrit is an ancient language, a religious language, and some cynics say a dead language... so why does one Joburg school teach it as part of a modern curriculum? Trish Beaver reports chant the melodic most commonly has religious one has to say them exacily even French and German lin sounds in unison: significanceforHinduscholars right to get the meaning right. gulsts have found roots that go ‘Asaio ma Sacga- who believe it embodies the It teaches the children to pro- back to Sanslart. ‘maya. Tamso ma dyotirga- language in which the Bha- nounoe words in a particular jar Indian students and T: YOUNG voices which is older than Latin. It Sanskrit are so very precise, to have roots in Sanskrit and ‘maya, Mrityor ma Amrita- gavad Gita was written. ‘Way andalsotolisten carefully, parents are the most keen to ‘mgama, Om Shanti, Shanti, But in fact, Sanskrit has “In general, I would say we study the language because of Shanti influenced many religious and are sloppy speakers and we the abviouis link to ‘Tamil and Perhaps becauise the words philosophical worksandBhud- don't pay attention to the way Hindi, have spiritual connotations or distsfrom Tibet alsoclaim tas _wespeak inour everyday lives, “But our school belfeves because the voices are sweet their own, “English changes rapidly that all children can benefit and pure, his daily ritual att pay andiitisnot the same as itwas from the other inherent lessons ‘James Preparatory School has eless ‘a hundred years ago. Yet San- embedded within Sanskrit — become ingrained into the life _ronically, due to its precise skrit is pure and when you construction of grammat, pho. of the schol andcomplex grammatical con- speak, it has to be a very ¢on- netic precision, refinement of ‘They teach Sanskrit to all struction, computer experts centrated effort, as the sounds listening skills and a love for Pupils, regardless of race or _ believeitmay today haveappli- can be very similar, but have the poctic philesophy” Teligion, because of its deep cations in modern computer very different meanings.” Armstrong says the San Classical symbolism and appli- programming. Some believe it yg skrit prayers transcend reli cation inawellroundededuca- will ultimately provide the lest ious divisions and teach the tion. solutions to integrate all com- He also emphasises that children to find inner peace, St James Preparatory puterlanguages, ‘many great prayers and philo- There is a younger version Schoolisasmall privateschool Other computer fundis are sophical sayings were origi. of the St James school in Dur situated in a rather run-down ooking at using Sanskrit as nally written in Sanskrit and ban that also features the Sane part of old Johannesburg. the medium of translation in when they are said aloud, the skit curriculum. ‘The building is a beautiful huge international search words have a melodious tone Sanskrit was. considered historical monument that was engines like Google. and sing-song quality which is “Dew Bhasha”, thelanguage of ‘one of the original schools All thestudents at St James pleasing to the ear: the Gods, by ancient Indians, established when Joburgwasa are taught to read and write “Twas always interested in They attached a great deal of ‘mining slum. basic Sanskrit until Grade 7, old languages and so Sanskrit importance to sound, and so ‘This graceful old structure and while outsiders may feel was something that attracted their writing, poetry or prose hhas since become surrounded that it is a pointless exercise, me. It is recognised as the old- had a rhythmic and musieal by the encroaching decay of the staffers believe that the est language in the worl. Quality theinner city Buton any given subject has so many benefits. “My love for the language Modern Indian languages morning you may hear the Ryan Armstrong, a com- grew asI studied it and began have been greatly inflected Soundof theSanskritalphabet puter programmer and San- tounderstandthe intricaciesof by Sanskrit, and owe much of as the children go through skrit teacher at the school, itand the incredible complex. their vocabulary and expres their paces, believes Sanskrit is not just'a ity of the way it was struc. slonstoits roots, Sanskrit is so Small children as young as language. He learnt it as an tured.” precise in its descriptions of Grade O are taught to become adult in 1904, Armstrongsaysmostof the objects, it has 65 words to familiar with the language, He says: “The sounds in Persianlanguagesare believed describe various forms. ot‘Above: Great concentration is required when pupils recite their Sanskrit prayers during assembly. Right. The intricate patter of the Sanskrit type. earth, 87 words for water, and more than 250 words to describe rainfall, Tn 1784, when English judge ‘Sir William Jones came to Cal cutta, India, tositon the Bench of the Supreme Court, he male a study of Sanskrit Heremarked: ‘The Sanskrit Janguage, whatever be its anbquity, is of a wonderful Pictures: TRISH BEAVER structure; more perfect than the Greek, more copious than the Latin and more exquisitely. refined than either” As little faces concentrate on the words and their voices sing the Sanskrit prayers in the school assembly, itseems to the casual observer that indeed there is something mystical about the process. NEWS 43 SUNDA TUNE NOVEMBER 28 2910,