The three-day long International Sanskrit Conference began at Raj Bhawan in Dehradun on Friday. Around 300 Sanskrit scholars from across the country and abroad gathered to participate in the first of its kind international congregation on the classical language of India that is the quintessence of Indian culture and heritage that harks back to a hoary, luminous past.
“Sanskrit scholars from all over India and 14 countries, including the US, Japan, Canada, Belgium, Thailand, China, Nepal, Spain, Bhutan, Indonesia and Bangladesh are participating in the conference. They discussed about how to revive the glory of the ancient language,” said Dr Aziz Qureshi, Governor of Uttarakhand after attending the inaugural ceremony.
The deliberations focused on the revival of the ancient Indian language in the computer age through its application to modern sciences and research papers being read there. “These papers will be published in the form of a book after the event is over,” he added.
In his address, Chief Minister Harish Rawat said, “Sanskrit is language of the gods and it is a source of our strength. Currently, as many as 79 languages are on the verge of extinction. languages thrive when the economy is progressing. Now, we can boast of a 90 crore middle class population. It has emerged over the past 67 years. The figure would reach 130 crore in the next decade. We have become the biggest consumer market of the world. Now the people would come to us and learn our language, be it Sanskrit or Garhwali or Kumaoni, to do business with us.” Finance and Higher Education Minister Dr Indira Hridayesh said that in order to keep Sanskrit language alive, we will have to connect it with employment. For this, we will have to include it into primary education curriculum.
In his address, the State Education Minister Mantri Prasad Naithani said the State Government has decided to open five Sanskrit schools in each block of the State. With this, we would provide Sanskrit education to all, irrespective of class and community. We would spare no effort to emancipate the language from the stigma of being attached to a particular community, he said.
National Sanskrit Commission chairman Prof Satyavrat Shashtri said Sanskrit makes human values and human relations more alive. To promote this language, people professing religions like Islam, Christianity and others will have to come together. There is need to strengthen the Sanskrit dictionary. We have been engaged in preserving around 50 lakh manuscripts, translating the ancient books and spreading Indian values in the world through Sanskrit language.
Japanese scholar Dr Takahero Kato disclosed that there is a sterling message of world peace hidden deep in Sanskrit literature. Invoking the power latent in the hymns, we can procure unimaginable results. Dwelling on the different strands of timeless philosophy as personified by Shankaracharya, Madhwacharya and Ramanujacharya, he elucidated pragyavaad as enshrined in the hoary scripture, Geeta.
Bangladeshi scholar Prof lubna Mariam said that Bangladeshi Muslims are different from Muslims from other countries because their collective life bears the strong stamp of the cultural genius the country is a proud repository of. “Culture holds the prime place in our national scheme of things and religion comes next. Ours is an open society in the true sense of the term,” she asserted.
Belgian national Gerda Stais alias Jaya Devi explained Sanskrit literature bears no gender bias against women. However, it exalts them on a different plane. It is against viewing women as mere bodies. It treats them as special in tune with its all-embracing metaphysical premise.
USA’s linda Rose explained the importance of ‘Ohm’ in terms of science. It has now been scientifically proven that ‘Ohm’ evokes positive impact on human body. lauding Maharashi Vashisth as peerless in the galaxy of spiritual giants, he said one would have to work hard to discover the treasure trove hidden in him.
Dr Omprakash Pandey said Sanskrit is a cosmic language. It is a natural language too while other languages are popular. It is directly associated with nature, solar family, solar movement and the like. He also linked the flight to Mars with the evolution of Sanskrit as a language with cosmic connotations.
Sanskrit University working council member lt Gen (Retd) Mohan Bhandari said Sanskrit’s impact on military dictionary is profound.