Saffronizing education

anil wrote:

Lopamudra wrote:

Gulshan Kumar Ajmani wrote:

Lopamudra wrote:

First of all one needs be clear about what extinct means.It means wiped out or defunct. Sanskrit is not commonly spoken or used as a medium of instruction in colleges or universities or even used in offices but how does it make the language extinct ? If a language has vast treasury of important information which one needs to refer to in various fields, most common of which is Ayurveda, then it is very much in use and can not be dismissed as dead. The alkaloids derived from those medicinal plants mentioned in the vedas are used in various modern day allopathic medicines as well, in addition to ayurvedic and homeopathic medicines. With increasing chronic aliments of modern day, various medical practitioners are referring to those scriptures. And what about vedic sciences ? Are they too lifeless ? If not, how does one make use of them without the use of Sanskrit ?

I wonder if even the Ayurvedic doctors know or use Sanskrit. I also wonder whether medium of instruction for Ayurveda is Sanskrit. No doubt Sanskrit is rich language but very few people know this and hardly anyone uses. Hence this is extinct beyond doubt. 

 

If the Ayurvedic doctors don't use Sanskrit, how do they decipher the text ?

Here's a link to the syllabus for BAMS ( Bachelor of Aryurvedic Medicine and Surgery) It does include Sanskrit and the age old Charaka Samhita

 

 https://targetstudy.com/courses/bams.html

Sanskrit student can join BAMS. It is not compulsory that a student of medical ground can join BAMS. In BAMS knowledge of Sanskrit is compulsory. In 1st year BAMS Sanskrit is a subject.  

I wonder even after seeing the valuable inputs from our esteemed members say that Sanskrit is extinct and a dead language. Sanskrit will never become extinct.

 

 

 

 

No one wants Sanskrit to become extinct. It is the mother of many Indian regional languages. However in today's times its use is restricted to very narrow fields and it is not used like Hindi or other regional languages are used. This does not motivate students to opt for Sanskrit. However it is kept alive by the small section of our population and supported by various institutions which in itself is highly laudable, 

It takes time. It was a forgotten and neglected language. But it's not extinct. With effective reforms and support from the government like providing employment opportunities Sanskrit will regain its position of glory.

You mean to say that Sanskrit will replace English or Hindi at the national level. Emotional statements are not going to help Sanskrit.

There is no question of emotional statements here. I meant Sanskrit should be given its due place. I want both English and Sanskrit should survive side by side. People opt for that language that suits them.

But no one is coming in way of popularising Sanskrit. Itis only because its very limited uses no longer attracts students. a language will thrie if it is used in commerce. Many Indians are studying Chinese for obvious reasons.

Please go through the back pages of this discussion. You can know how measures are taken to popularize Sanskrit. Additionally there are News channels like  DD Sanskrit. Sahitya academy has been publishing Sanskrit works since 1967. It is always good to see the entire discussion forum before expressing your opinion

vijay wrote:

You mean to say that Sanskrit will replace English or Hindi at the national level. Emotional statements are not going to help Sanskrit.

I agree. We need not be emotional about language which is just a medium of expression and nothing more. People are more important. They can derive knowledge and skill through their mother tongue, which can not be Sanskrit, or English. I feel that harping on Sanskrit will only waste time that needs be utilized in research on medicine, space, engineering and other useful pursuits. Resources are limited. By spending these on popularizing Sanskrit or discovering Saraswati  river, public money is being diverted from more urgent uses. 

Have all those measures made Sanskrit popular. Every year less and less students are opting to learn Sanskrit for obvious reasons. I have stated earlier also that efforts to sustain Sanskrit are welcome. But they are not going to help popularise Sanskrit.  Equally it would be good if if you may also see the previous posts for a change before rushing to express opinion.

I already discussed about those measures which are effectively functioning in promoting the Sanskrit. Especially that of Sunil in the same forum. Some of them are Sahitya Academy's yearly publications in Sanskrit every year. And DD Sanskrit channel which features regularly.

Revival of Sanskrit is a good measure taken by the government but I too have my own doubts as to whether it can become as popular as English or Hindi, which is  because of the vast communication base they have . Sanskrit if at all can be used within India like other languages in years to come when it is revived on a large scale..However,it is a welcome step !

Nobody expects that Sanskrit will become a popular language like Hindi or English, but definitely there will be some change. The efforts of people to protect a language and trying to restore its past glory need to be appreciated. Instead of discouraging by showering negative thoughts it is always desirable to ignite a spark of positive hope.

Neither damning Sanskrit with faint praises nor crying hoarse from rooftops and writing its obituary would serve the cause of an informed debate and discourse. Those who choose to cleverly dodge some of the searching and pertinent questions raised by a few truly knowlegeable members are quite aware of the hollowness of their arguments.Sanskrit can do without patronage of any political party and villification campaign run by a few for reasons best known to them.It has survived through all ages till date. It is the heritage of the world,our link to the history,a repository of knowledge encompassing all branches of it.A nation looking forward to a great future must be made aware of its great,otherwise we would be reducing ourselves to the status of cultural vandals!!!

chinmoymukherjee wrote:

Neither damning Sanskrit with faint praises nor crying hoarse from rooftops and writing its obituary would serve the cause of an informed debate and discourse. Those who choose to cleverly dodge some of the searching and pertinent questions raised by a few truly knowlegeable members are quite aware of the hollowness of their arguments.Sanskrit can do without patronage of any political party and villification campaign run by a few for reasons best known to them.It has survived through all ages till date. It is the heritage of the world,our link to the history,a repository of knowledge encompassing all branches of it.A nation looking forward to a great future must be made aware of its great,otherwise we would be reducing ourselves to the status of cultural vandals!!!

Let us see reality. Sanskrit is not likely o be of everyday use for conversation and correspondence. In this sense, this is extinct. But as most Indian languages are derived from Sanskrit and we follow religious and cultural traditions even using these languages derived from Sanskrit, we retain our cultural identity.  Sanskrit is not really so necessary even for religious purposes. Tulsi Das Ramayan is written in Avadhi, a variant of Hindi and is more in use than Balmiki Ramayana.  I saw in Kurichhheta (Haryana) that even the last rites are performed thee in Hindi instead of Sanskrit unlike places like Haridwar.    

Your idea of a language and its uses is completely different from that of mine. It is not  its spoken currency but the power of its enriching ideas that is the sole criterion. If a question as profound as: If god created man or man created god,could be asked in a language a few thousand years back which still continues to brainstorm us.If a youth today continues to be influenced and inspired by the quote "Vanijye basati Luxmi" or "Udyoginong purushasimham upaiti Laxmi,daibeno dayam iti kapursho badanti" pragmatically laying importance on enterprise in life.How can you deny it is not an use? Why do you cling on to your unsustainable position by disregarding the views of dominant majority and treating the subject very superficially.Even an average school English dictionary. would not justify your use of the word "extinct" in your misplaced zeal to finish off Sanskrit! Sadly that won't happen ever! Never!

There is subtle difference between both languages, removing works of eminent Urdu writers cannot be tell as correct but learning Sanskritised Hindi, I do not understand what is that about but if some government intends to impact education on perfect Hindi then I think there is nothing wrong with it.

No language which has a script and in today's times can become extinct. When a member uses the term extinct  in a relative manner, he means from the widespread use that Sanskrit enjoyed about 1200 years ago. This is a reality. Also Sanskrit was the language of Brahmins and lower castes were not supposed to learn it.

The truth that Shudras and other lower castes are not allowed to learn Sanskrit was a bygone era's matter. If enough support is given by the Modern Government and the people, it certainly regains its lost glory.

Sanskrit has not lost its glory. It is only that its followers lost power and glory to foreign invaders about 1200 years back. Sanskrit paid the price.

Let's not the discuss why Sanskrit is in this state today. Bygone days should be set aside and think solid plans to bring back its glory .