Reviving glory of Sanskrit

Sanskrit is one of the oldest languages. Along with Greek and Latin, it occupies a pivotal place in shaping the world's civilization and culture. These three languages are called classical languages. If Greek and Latin deeply influenced European languages and civilization, Sanskrit was responsible for influencing the Indian sub-continent's languages and civilization.

Recently, two of my literary works were translated into Sanskrit by Professor Janardhan Rao. They were published by Samskrutha Bharathi, an all- India Sanskrit Institution established in 1981 for propagating the language. One of my books entitled 'Nishkriti' (Deliverance) was translated into Sanskrit (An anthology of ten short stories). Another is a novel, "Avasthavikudu" (Unrealistic Fellow) with the same title in Sanskrit too.

The first book was released during World Sanskrit Sammelan held at Bengaluru from January 7th to 9th, 2011. The second book was released again at Bengaluru during Sanskrit Sahithiyotsam held from February 22 to 24, 2013. These books were again released in Warangal recently at a function organized by Sahrudya Sahithi in which many stalwarts of Sanskrti language participated. Prof.S.Laxmana Murthy, a Sanskrit scholar, released the books and spoke in Sanskrit. Others like Shattagopalachary, a Sanskrit teacher, Prof.Janardhan Rao, a translator, Ogeti Krupalu, ex-secretary of Samskrutha Bharatham from Hyderabad also spoke in Sanskrit to prove that Sanskrit could be a spoken language too.

Janardhan Rao worked as a Professor in chemistry for 35 years. After his retirement in 1998, he started learning Sanskrit and did M.A. in Sanskrit; ever since he has been concentrating on propagating the language. He is now translating some Telugu novels and short stories into Sanskrit. He also teaches Sanskrit in many colleges. All lovers of Sanskrit in Warangal are becoming his disciples.

Sanskrit is considered as a divine language. Many great works like the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Bhagwad Gita, which symbolise the essence of Indian ethics and culture, were written in Sanskrit by Aryan scholars around 5,000 years ago. Some people believe that the Vedas are Apourushayalu; that they were composed not by human beings but by God Himself.

The great German Sanskrit scholar Max Muller concluded that Aryans lived somewhere in Central Asia at the beginning of civilization. Thereafter, a few moved to Europe and a few to India. On what basis did Max Muller arrive at that conclusion? On the basis of similarities among Greek, Latin and Sanskrit. There are many words like Pithru, Mathru, and Bhrathru, etc which sound almost the way in Greek, Latin and Sanskrit. Based on this similarity, Max Muller came to the conclusion that it was one language which later split into three languages.

On the basis of this theory, many Indian and Western historians believed that Aryans migrated to India from Central Asia in the Second century B.C. Even Jawaharlal Nehru, in his 'Discovery of India', says that Aryans migrated to India a thousand years after the Indian Valley period.

He says: 'The Aryan migrations are supposed to have taken place about a thousand years after the Indian Valley period; and yet it is possible that there was considerable gap and tribes & people came to India from the northwest from time to time, as did in later ages and became absorbed in India'.

This theory that Aryans are not native Indians but migrated from Central Asia is now discarded by many Indian historians like Romila Thapar who, in 'The History of Ancient India', says that there is no significant proof that Aryans migrated to India from Central Asia. Sanskrit, though it once flourished in India and great classics and scientific, social treatises were written in it, seemed to have declined from 8th century A.D. The adversaries of this language started calling it a dead language as no one spoke it and no book was written in it.

To revive the glory of this ancient language, admirers came together and established 'Samskrutha Sambhashana' in Bangalore in 1981. They started an agitation to make people speak in Sanskrit. Chamu Krishna Murthy and Janardhan Hegde, who were in the forefront of this movement, opened a Sanskrit speaking school (Shibiram) in 1982.

They conducted this shibiram at a village called Muthur in Karnataka from January 14, 1982, to January 24. Villagers learnt and started speaking in Sanskrit. Thus Muthur became popular in India as the Sanskrit village. Encouraged by this development, Chamu Krishnamurthy has increased his efforts to make Sanskrit a spoken language all over India. In 1994-95 he established an institute 'Samskrutha Bharathi' with branches all over the world. It organizes weekly and quarterly meetings where children are taught Sanskrit. It is distributing CDs to students for practice.

In 2008 the institute launched a program to establish that the language is not just a kavya Bhasha (language limited to poetic works) but a spoken language too. They have decided to translate novels and short stories from Telugu and other Indian languages into Sanskrit.

These translations should be simple and easy to understand by those who are learning the language. Translations from various Indian languages were released at World Sanskrit Sammelanas held in Bangalore between 2011 and 13. Thousands of enthusiasts from all over the world attended these gatherings and purchased the translations. Nearly 1000 copies of the translation of Nishkruti were sold.

I feel extremely happy that my books were translated into one of the greatest languages of India and they have also become popular.

The first book was released during World Sanskrit Sammelan held at Bengaluru from January 7th to 9th, 2011. The second book was released again at Bengaluru during Sanskrit Sahithiyotsam held from February 22 to 24, 2013 www.ampashayyanaveen.com