Expanding practical popularity of Sanskrit
09 Apr 2020 10:52:42
By Vijay Phanshikar :
Samskritam Path, Adhuniko Bhava! - Learn Sanskrit, Be Modern! This motto of Sanskrit Bharati has begun reverberating in the minds of increasing numbers of people in Vidarbha, expanding greatly the community of what the organisation calls Sanskrit Kutumb - Sanskrit Families -- in which two or more people converse in Sanskrit language on an everyday basis with amazing efficiency and ease.
“On a 10-point scale, we can safely assert that we have risen to 6-7 points of our dreamed achievement,” says Prof Vijay Kumar, Vidarbha Regional Secretary of Sanskrit Bharati, which has become a movement whose cognisance the whole country has been taking for the past couple of decades. “We have come to a stage when we now look forward to a future of tremendous influence for Sanskrit language in which all the intellectual and spiritual treasure of India is enshrined. In these efforts, our motto has made a major contribution. It attracts people, young and old, to learning Sanskrit,” says Prof Vijay Kumar, who is also the Dean of the Faculty of Vedvidya, Director of Board of Planning and Development, and Registrar of Kavikulguru Kalidas Sanskrit University, Ramtek. Like a man possessed, Prof Vijay Kumar is travelling to the nooks and corners of Vidarbha to expand the work of Sanskrit Bharati which is no longer just a not-for-profit organisation but has also turned into a worldwide movement in the past three decades. These efforts have made a lot of difference.
The language that many described as a ‘dead language’ until a few years ago is now being considered a vibrant medium of practical communication in growing numbers of families in Vidarbha -- and elsewhere in the country. “Sanskrit Bharati operates in 18-19 countries around the world. So effective has our work been that I did not have to use a single non-Sanskrit word in my travel to several cities in six states in the United States of America some time ago,” Prof Vijay Kumar states in a upbeat tone. “Of course, we realise that we have to travel a great distance to achieve the goal of our mission. All we can say now is that we have been able to achieve a very satisfying start.
We will have to build from this point on. It is an uphill task and we will need lots of volunteers and full-time workers. But the real satisfaction is that the methodology we have adopted has succeeded. “Previously, Sanskrit used to be taught in an awkward and unscientific manner. It used to be taught in different language-media -- such as Marathi, English, Hindi. That translation-mode was useless since studies in that fashion did not enable students to learn Sanskrit correctly. So, Sanskrit Bharati started using the universal wisdom of teaching Sanskrit in Sanskrit.
That made learning of grammar a happier and easier process. That helped us in restoring the practicality of Sanskrit as a medium of popular communication. This is a major change in popular conception about Sanskrit,” Prof Vijay Kumar says. Sanskrit Bharati has adopted a three-pronged approach to teaching-and-learning of Sanskrit: Bhasha Shikshan (Learning of Language), Shastra Shikshan (Learning of Sciences), and Jeevan Shikshan (Learning of Life Principles and Values and Adoptable Style). “When we talk of Sanskrit as a usable mode of communication, we do not insist upon just the language. We use Sanskrit as a signature of India’s pride, identity, self-respect.
We follow what we call NLLP -- Natural Language Learning Process -- beyond the translational mode, and through conversational mode. We have also brought out books based on this approach,” Prof Vijay Kumar says. Sanskrit Bharati has built a good educational infrastructure of 10-day ‘Sanskrit Sambhashan Shibir’, ‘Nirantar Sanskrit Adhyan Kendra’, annual ‘Bhasha Bodhan Varga’, Prashikashan Varga’, Patralaya Prashikshan Yojana’ (on-line correspondence courses).
A monthly magazine ‘Sambhashan Sandesh’, too, adds value to the effort. And then there is ‘Sanskrit Bal Kendram’ to help little kids to imbibe Sanskrit. Prof Vijay Kumar is very energetic while talking about the connect Sanskrit Bharati has tried to establish with the schools. “The response is good. We have books also ready for standards 8, 9, 10, and 11 for school students. books for the 12th standard are under making. The effort is to promote active participation in the learning process, and we are happy about the levels we have achieved. We also work among college students with encouraging results,” Prof Vijay Kumar adds. Sanskrit Bharati’s national President is Dr Gopabandhu Mishra, while Dr Shrinivasa Varakhedi is its Vice-President. Shreesh Deopujari is the national Secretary of Sanskrit Bharati. Vidarbha Regional President is Ramesh Mantri.