‘Restore Sanskrit to eminence’

Tirupati: Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha (RSVP) Chancellor and Padma Bhushan awardee N Gopala Swamy resented considering Sanskrit a mere ancient language, relating it more to Indian culture and tradition.

Speaking at the 11th All India Sanskrit Students’ Talent Festival (AISSTF) here on Thursday, Gopala Swamy (who was also former Chief Election Commissioner of India) observed that one shouldn’t be merely emotional and relate Sanskrit to Indian culture.

A lot of information exists in various subjects like Astrology, Mathematics, Botany and so on, that should be brought out to the lime light .

“It is the need of hour that, we should take initiative to implement steps for uplifting Sanskrit instead of waiting for someone to bell the cat.

I urge the young Sanskrit students, who have come from various corners of the country to see how they can take appropriate steps in implementing the ideas in the vision document on Sanskrit, how it will generate employment opportunities to the students of Sanskrit, which was submitted to Centre.

He urged the Institutions to collaborate with National Manuscripts Mission (NMM) for digitalisation of manuscripts (who have already digitised more than 40 lakh manuscripts) and to edit and publish the rare manuscripts, which are useful to the present day generation in their life.

RSVP Vice Chancellor, V Muralidhara Sharma pointed out that in our country about 17 Sanskrit Universities are there apart from other Sanskrit institutions and lakhs of students and crores of rupees being spent for the upliftment of Sanskrit.

Numbers are pleasing to see always, but, we need to introspect, if all Sanskrit enthusiasts are serious about their personal contribution to Sanskrit field.

Traditional Gurukula study should prevail and steps should be taken to preserve the same. The teachers should inspire the students to reach new heights and should extend services all round the year.