The Sanskrit day, known as “Viswa Samskrita Dinam”, was celebrated on 22nd August 2021. In the Indian constitution, Sanskrit holds a special status as a classical and an Eighth Schedule language. To keep this ancient language alive, in 2020, the Uttarakhand Government announced to develop ‘Sanskrit Grams’ across the state for regular use and teaching of Sanskrit.
Key Takeaways from the Sanskrit Day Celebration
This annual event of celebrating Sanskrit Day commenced in the year 1969. It was initiated thanks to the notifications issued by the Union Ministry of Education to engage central and state governments. Since its inception, Samskrita Bharati, a non-governmental organisation, has been actively involved in promoting the day. This event is usually scheduled for the full moon day, also known as Poornima of the Shraavana month, according to the Hindu calendar.
A Brief Overview of the Sanskrit Language
Sanskrit is one of the oldest known languages in the world and a significant part of India’s linguistic history. Often referred as the mother of many contemporary languages, it enjoyed the status of a pan-Indian language during the Vedic period. The ancient documents including the Vedas were composed in what is referred to as Vedic Sanskrit.
Sanskrit was prevalent in different parts of India before modern derivations and regional dialects began to take over. Classical Sanskrit, closely related to late Vedic, was widely used in the northwest part of the subcontinent. Its grammar was intricately discussed in the Aṣṭādhyāyī (“Eight Chapters”), composed by the scholar Pāṇini in around 6th-5th century BCE.
Sanskrit in Various Scripts
Sanskrit has been written in various scripts like Devanāgarī and regional scripts including Śāradā (north), Bāṅglā (east), Gujarātī (west), and several southern scripts, along with the Grantha alphabet which was specifically devised for Sanskrit texts.
The Scientific and Computer-friendly Language
Sanskrit is considered a scientific language and believed to be the most computer-friendly language. In his book ‘The Sanscrit Language’, English Philologist William Jones connected Greek and Latin to Sanskrit in 1786.
Sanskrit – A Living Language
While Sanskrit is not as widely spoken today, it is far from extinct. The village of Mattur in Karnataka’s Shimoga district has preserved the language. There also exists a world-famous Sanskrit newspaper named ‘Sudharma‘ which has published since 1970 from Mysore in Karnataka and is available online.
Eminent Sanskrit Authors and Their Works
Many eminent authors have worked in Sanskrit literature including Panini, Patanjali, Adi Shankaracharya, Ved Vyas, Kalidas, Bhāsa, Kālidāsa, Śūdraka, Ashvaghosha, Bhāravi, Māgha. They have contributed significantly to the literary wealth of India with works like Svapnavāsvavadatta, Śakuntalā, Vikramorvaśīya, Kumārasambhava, Raghuvaṃśa, Mṛcchakatika, Buddhacarita, Kirātārjunīya, Śiśupālavadha, Rāmāyaṇa, and Mahābhārata.
Promotion of Sanskrit by the Central Government
The New Education Policy (NEP) ambitiously plans to “mainstream” Sanskrit in schools and higher education. The government has established the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan in Delhi to promote Sanskrit, with schemes like Ashtaadashi to sustain the growth of Sanskrit further. Other promotions include teaching through Non-formal Sanskrit Education (NFSE) program, financial aid for Publication and Reprint of Sanskrit books, merit scholarships and annual Presidential awards for Sanskrit Language.