Uttarakhand Governor Dr KK Paul called Sanskrit not a mere language but a valuable part of the Indian heritage and tradition, nourishing and enriching the society with wisdom and “sanskaras” for centuries. “It is symbolic of Indian culture and civilization envisaging philosophy, science and literature,” he said while addressing the sixth convocation of Uttarakhand Sanskrit University in Haridwar on Saturday.
He said that the epics and other literature created in Sanskrit had a treasure of knowledge which should not remain confined to those who knew Sanskrit. “It should be made available to the entire country and the world by using information technology. Research Scholars and Sanskrit scholars must be linked to this effort. The Sanskrit University must define its role in this context and make itself a centre of excellence in Devbhumi Uttarakhand just like ancient universities of Takshashila and Nalanda where scholars from across the country and abroad should come and study and research,” he said.
He said though having a glorious past the language is now riddled with many challenges. “ These challenges can be met only if old traditions and current systems go hand in hand. The entire world today is being attracted towards Ayurveda, Yoga and nature cure and literature, things which are in Sanskrit composed by Maharishi Panini, Maharishi Patanjali and Maharishi Katyayan . The scientific basis of Sanskrit can be seen in these works and the world has accepted this,” the Governor.
“In order to link employment with Sanskrit, the university should start courses like museology. This would also help in the conservation and propagation of Sanskrit and enable students of Sanskrit to find employment in the archaeological department and museums,” he said.
Congratulating the award-winning students, he called upon them to decide upon their career while keeping in mind the values inherent in Sanskrit which would help them enrich society and the nation and strengthen it. He said he felt proud to award them the medals and had the feeling that he had given the task of nourishing Indian values and heritage in safe and reliable hands.
“In the globalisation era, there is a great need for studying scientifically the Sanskrit language and research on it. Sanskrit could be used in a scientific manner in computers and IT. This would help fulfill the need for making the wisdom of Sanskit classics available easily to the entire world,” Dr Paul said.
In course of the convocation, the Governor gave away degrees and medals to 40 students from the 2014-15 and 2015-16 batches. Students were given D.litt, Ph.D, graduate, post -graduate and other degrees.