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Sanskrit to be declared a dead language

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I am not too sure about the authenticity of this, but just happened to come across this.
Please visit: Do not declare Sanskrit as dead language | causes.com.

The cause seems quite old going by the date of creation - So, Sorry if this old news out here.

In any case, sanskrit lovers (I assume this site must have plenty) can show their solidarity

This is old stuff. While the census activity was going on (about a year back) there were appeals to declare sanskrit as a "known language" or even as mother tongue. Even if the contents of the blog are true (that is to declare sanskrit as a dead language - which is very highly doubtful) the period of action is long over.
 
Government of India will NOT take any such retro-grade step.

Sanskrit is gaining popularity World wide--even among Elementary-Middle-High School students in Euro-American countries.

Please see :-www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TtODisiKP8Jun 29, 2010 - 3 min -

Please see also in You Tube.:-"British kids chanting Vedhic Sanskrit Mantras"
 
When I was waiting to board my flight to India a retired Indian Airforce High Ranking Personnel who was going back to India was seated near me.

I was reading my sanskrit exam book and he asked me "what are you reading?"
I said "Sanskrit book"

He asked me "what for?"

I said "I am going for a Sanskrit exam"

The he asked me "madam..are you all right? Is there anything wrong with you?Why would anyone in this present age want to study a dead language which is not going to take you anywhere in life"

I asked him his name and I told him "your name and my name are both Sanskrit names..so Sanskrit is very much alive in all of our names..we are born into Sanskrit names..we get married its Sanskrit mantras and even death is all Sanskrit mantras...so I do not feel it is dead"

He added "yes I know but Sanskrit has no benefit to anyone except for a personal interest.
You can't speak it also to anyone and its better to study French which has more commercial value"

I told him "off course it can be spoken and why is money always the factor in life?"

He said "Sanskrit is all memorizing"

I said "No it's all understanding" and I explained to him a few words that are made up of meanings that can be understood.

I gave him a simple example :Pankaja(Lotus)=Panka(mud)+ Ja(born) Meaning Born from Mud cos a Lotus is always in a muddy pond.


I am quite surprised that even during my Sanskrit exams senior students in their late 50's were taking the exam lightly in the sense once they were done writing and left the hall early they would be talking loudly each other in the hall itself and totally not bothered that others are still writing the exam.

I guess for them it is just a time pass.

So far mostly Indian citizens who do not seem to hold too high regard for Sanskrit.
In fact they keep saying they rather study French which has commercial value.
 
I don't think the news is correct. Someone is trying to fool the public. No one sensible enough to understand
importance of Sanskrit in India, will dare to suggest to declare mother of languages as dead language. It may
be a wishful thinking of media to increase their ratings.
Just ignore it.
Brahmanyan,
Bangalore.
 
I made sure the columns related to 'brahmin' and 'samskrit' were filled for all members of my family (with their consent of course) in the last year's census.

This is old stuff. While the census activity was going on (about a year back) there were appeals to declare sanskrit as a "known language" or even as mother tongue. Even if the contents of the blog are true (that is to declare sanskrit as a dead language - which is very highly doubtful) the period of action is long over.
 
If the mantras are pronounced in sanskrit it carries its real meaning and its life (jeevan). If the same mantras are not pronounced in sanskrit it is only a sound. The language should be learnt and not read. Sanskrit is the oldest language and from that language many languages born.
 
Even though we restrict samskrit to vedas, puranas, itihasa and stotras, there is an equally huge collection of secular, science, sringara, niti and kavya literature. There are more than hundred thousand subhashitas (difficult to estimate number).

I fervently hope the internet revolution will lead to samskrit awareness and learning. Lot of reading and learning material is available online; only somebody has to kindle interest and light the flame.

Samskrit has always co-existed with all indic languages and all languages prospered. Not so in the case of english.
 
I fervently hope the internet revolution will lead to samskrit awareness and learning. Lot of reading and learning material is available online; only somebody has to kindle interest and light the flame.

The internet revolution has indeed been very beneficial for samskrit awareness, but there are many unintended consequences also.

Most of the internet sources are in roman script and with transliteration schemes like ITRANS, harward-kyoto protocols etc. many of the new sanskrit lovers have nil to little knowledge of devanagari script.

The worst type of offence in in transliteration and translation of slokas etc. and with very little knowledge of sandhi-viched or grammar by the posters, one can find many fabulously funny and sheer absurd translations which will test the grey matter of the first time reader.

Although there are many softwares for bringing out the output in sanskrit, like Barha etc. many old time internet users like are comfortable with ITRANS. May be a new revolution in learning devanagari script will be ushered in after the initial spurt in sanskrit.
 
ITRANS I feel is a problem, rather a necessity with some section of the TBs only. Sanskrit on the other hand written in any other South Indian language such as Kannada, Telugu or Malayalam dont offer the issues of transliteration listed in post #11. If all one knows is Tamil scripts and 52 Alphabets more then there is a problem.
 
Sanskrit is known for over 2000 years. This is widely used in all religious ceremonies,
hymns, mantras, etc. In fact, sanskrit is defined as refined, purified, cultured, etc.
It is a systematic language. If one has to go through ancient literatures or religious
books, knowledge of sanskrit is inescapable and will be very useful. Another advantage
of sanskrit, for one word, one can find so many equal or parallel words, which I used to
observe, while I used to attend Swami Chinmayanantha Lectures those days. To further
add to the glory of the Sanskrit terminologies, In DRDO, all their missiles are named after
our hindu mythology viz. Prithvi, Akash, Agni, Nag, etc. Similarly, in ISRO also, their
rocket propulsion units are named from Sanskrit language. In Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan
sanskrit is taught free. In Shankara Madam also, sanskrit is taught. Hence, one cannot
say, sanskrit does not exist. It has its own value. Foreigners making use of sanskrit
language to go through our treasures to invent new things.

Balasubramanian
Ambattur
 
Listen to this
[video=youtube;0UavldvDoz8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UavldvDoz8&feature=youtu.be[/video]
 
Although the term "dead language" sounds malicious, it is actually a technical term which means "a language which is not used significantly in everyday communications".

This is opposed to "extinct language", which is a language that has no speakers left.

Following these definitions, sanskrit actually does follow the definition of "dead language", as it is used primarily for educational and religious function, and not in every day communication.
 
Although the term "dead language" sounds malicious, it is actually a technical term which means "a language which is not used significantly in everyday communications".

This is opposed to "extinct language", which is a language that has no speakers left.

Following these definitions, sanskrit actually does follow the definition of "dead language", as it is used primarily for educational and religious function, and not in every day communication.
hi
in Mattur ,karnataka....its every day communication....all walks of ppl communicate each other.in sanskrit...sometimes we dont know much

abt others...its ignorance...may be majority never communicate,..there are many world languages like that....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ge2420TEdg



[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMWostFwwJc

[/URL]
 
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Actually, the two videos you posted are proof of the point itself. It is only because sanskrit no longer has a natural speaking population, that villages like those have intentionally tried to "repopularize" it through various means. But it is artificial - not a natural consequence of history, hence, at the moment, doesn't change the status of sanskrit.

Why is necessary to fight against sanskrit being a dead language? Saying that doesn't demean its position in history or culture. Just like saying Latin is a dead language doesn't demean Western culture or history.
 
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There is a big difference between latin and samskrit, even though the the 'wise' call them as dead languages. Latin is no longer used in churches or religion related activities, but samskrit is widely used in temples, religious rites and personal functions, and in every day prayer of many hindus.

Perhaps nominating samskrit as a link language insted of hindi would have improved the status, popularity and usage of samskrit with more government funding and support. I believe it was a close choice between samskrit and hindi, hindi selected by the chairman's vote.

It is said that latin is not dead because most of the european languages have borrowed from latin; samskrit is still a living language and all indian languages have assimilated many samskrit words. Dead language is not an appropriate term to describe samskrit.
 
There is a big difference between latin and samskrit, even though the the 'wise' call them as dead languages. Latin is no longer used in churches or religion related activities, but samskrit is widely used in temples, religious rites and personal functions, and in every day prayer of many hindus.

Perhaps nominating samskrit as a link language insted of hindi would have improved the status, popularity and usage of samskrit with more government funding and support. I believe it was a close choice between samskrit and hindi, hindi selected by the chairman's vote.

It is said that latin is not dead because most of the european languages have borrowed from latin; samskrit is still a living language and all indian languages have assimilated many samskrit words. Dead language is not an appropriate term to describe samskrit.


Very true...Actually I am quite sick and tired of trying to convince people that Sanskrit is NOT a dead language.
Bloody hell all our names are sanskrit!
What else do we need?

Sometimes I feel like buying a gun and the next person who says that Sanskrit is a Dead Language will be shot Quick Gun Murugan style and I will say "now you are dead! Mind it!"
 
Samskrit would have been the beneficiary, had been selected as the official language.


Article 351. Directive for development of the Hindi language
- It shall be the duty of the Union to promote the spread of the Hindi language, to develop it so that it may serve as a medium of expression for all the elements of the composite culture of India and to secure its enrichment by assimilating without interfering with its genius, the forms, style and expressions used in Hindustani and in the other languages of India specified in the Eighth Schedule, and by drawing, wherever necessary or desirable, for its vocabulary, primarily on Sanskrit and secondarily on other languages.

राजभाषा
 
Thanks Renuka Maam..(post 19) well said.. :

The Oldest Language in the world====================When I went to the Mutt to have His darshan for the first time there were four foreigners there, an Israeli, an Italian, a German and a Britisher. They had come to do their PhD in Philology on the topic of 'the most ancient languages in the Occidental and the Oriental world'. They were studying Latin, Hebrew and Greek languages in the Occidental part and Sanskrit and Tamil in the Oriental part.He went inside to do His Anushtanas; they had wanted to a photo of Him but His kaingaryams refused.
They were heartbroken that they could not take a picture. All the four of them were standing near a tree since morning. They asked His Sevakas when He will be done with the poojas but get an unconvincing reply.
I told the foreigners that we Indians are used to the way of life at the Mutt, but how come you all have been standing for the past 6 hours?
One of them looks at his watch and exclaims, 'oh my God, has it been 6 hours? He is a Man of Certainty and is Beyond Time!'
Periyavaa came in after 10 minutes and we all went and prostrated to Him. Looking at the man (who had the camera hanging on his neck) who had wanted to take the photos, He gestures with His hands that he can take the pictures now. He posed for three photos and stops him before the fourth and enquires as to why they have come.
They tell him their purpose.He asks, "So, did you arrive at a conclusion as to which is the most ancient language?"The Israeli replied, "Hebrew is the most ancient in the Occident; but in the Oriental, people say that both Sanskrit and Tamil are the oldest, we are confused and that is why we are here for Your opinion"
.
He said, "There is another language which is the most ancient than all these, it is the Vedic Language. It is the Source of even Sanskrit and Hebrew.""There is a verse about Rebirth in Hebrew, can you recite it completely?", asked Him to the Israeli by giving the man the first two words.
The Israeli recited it for 3 to 4 minutes. Swamigal looked around and asked some boys, have you studied Rig Veda, can you recite this particular verse?"Those boys recited it for 5 minutes.
He asked me, "Can you ask them if they understood what these boys recited now?"
The four men remain quiet.Swamigal turns to the boys and says smilingly, "you all will definitely not understand what this man had recited in Hebrew!"
He turns to me and says, "tell that Israeli that what he had chanted before is the same as what these boys chanted!"
I told him, "Swamiji says that what is you had chanted is 'verbatically' same as the what the boys had chanted".Swamigal corrects me, "What? Do not use the word ‘verbatically’; tell him that both the chants are 'alphabetically' the SAME!!!"
He said He will prove it and asked if we have a paper and a pen."In Vedas it is mentioned that the world has been classified into 32 portions/regions. And in each of the 32 geographic regions, Vedas say how the Veda Aksharas have changed/pronounced in those places!"

He asks each of them which region they come from and then explains to them how a particular Veda Aksharam is changed in their individual places! He asks the boys to recite verse from Rig Veda again and tells the men how each Aksharam in Rig Veda in that verse will sound in their Regions!
The Sarveshwaran tells me, "I will now say this verse with some difficulty as it has been a long time since I had Abhyasam, ask that Israeli if he understands my recital!"To the boys He says, "I will now say it in a slightly different form based on how each Aksharam will sound in Hebrew. Please do not think it is wrong; there is this injunction in the Vedas that it can be recited this way also."

And The Sarveshwaran starts to say it, slowly. Wonder of Wonders, the Israeli starts to recite it Together with Him!!! (Sarveshwaraa, I am unable to type now due to a flood of emotions...)
We were all Stunned!
"I told you earlier, the same verse in Rig Veda is present ditto in Hebrew, but the Aksharas have changed slightly. (like we say Yamuna but in the North it is Jamuna, Va in the south is Ba in West Bengal, Paa in Tamil is Haa in Kannada etc) Therefore, the most ancient language in the world is the Vedic language!"Swamigal asked the four men to prepare a table and fill it with how the Rig Veda Aksharams sounded in their language.
This was completed in 15 minutes.
The Israeli was shocked and exclaimed, "this is something unimaginable!"He asks him, "what do you think now, do you now agree that everything has sprung from Vedas?"The look on the Israeli was not convincing.He says, "what, is he thinking that why, could not have Vedas originated from Hebrew?"The man says, "yes, it could have been the reverse also, the Vedas could have come from Hebrew".
Periyavaa replies, "you have only the lock, whereas we have both the key and the lock! It is even mentioned in the Vedas as to which Maharishi from here in India went to your region and spread/taught Vedas in Israel!"The man seemed to be convinced in the end. ( Translated from Thiruvannamalai Shri.Gowrishanker tamil video interview… )
 
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Because they want to know how to extract brahmasthram from it...LOL


O.K.. We all discussed , argued ... What we can do now to make the Govt. to understand and give due importance to sanskrit..?

With due respect to all Gurus, paramatchariyaars, Sankrachariyaars...I would like to ask..why with so many follwers nothing has been done to promote sanskrit..? Why it is still kept as the language which can be read, write & understand only by FEW..? ..Why it is not popularised so that it will attract common man..?

For Example in TamilNadu..Sanskrit is treated as dead language .. as a tool to 'bait' Brahmins..by these so called Drividan political parties ..So it is the political system which kills this language and as long as it treated only as a language for worship ..there is no scope for it to spread.. It is true it contains very valuable info. right from Maths to astronomy but how common people will understand its importance..?

TVK
 
O.K.. We all discussed , argued ... What we can do now to make the Govt. to understand and give due importance to sanskrit..?

With due respect to all Gurus, paramatchariyaars, Sankrachariyaars...I would like to ask..why with so many follwers nothing has been done to promote sanskrit..? Why it is still kept as the language which can be read, write & understand only by FEW..? ..Why it is not popularised so that it will attract common man..?

For Example in TamilNadu..Sanskrit is treated as dead language .. as a tool to 'bait' Brahmins..by these so called Drividan political parties ..So it is the political system which kills this language and as long as it treated only as a language for worship ..there is no scope for it to spread.. It is true it contains very valuable info. right from Maths to astronomy but how common people will understand its importance..?

TVK

Efforts have been made extensively by Samskrita Bharati.
People these days only study a subject for commercial gain.
So they prefer to study French etc as a second language.

Actually people in India have no excuse not to learn Sanskrit!
Sanskrit scholars walk around India..out here in Malaysia we do not have people teaching Sanskrit..every effort needs to be one's own.

Sometimes when things are too readily available no one appreciates its beauty.
 
Very true...Actually I am quite sick and tired of trying to convince people that Sanskrit is NOT a dead language.
Bloody hell all our names are sanskrit!
What else do we need?

Sometimes I feel like buying a gun and the next person who says that Sanskrit is a Dead Language will be shot Quick Gun Murugan style and I will say "now you are dead! Mind it!"

But I think your anger is more due to the fact that you are misinterpreting the term "dead language" . A dead language is merely one that is not naturally used as a primary, everyday method of communication within a significant population (and artificial attempts to set this up don't count).

The term doesn't have anything to do with whether the language has child languages that exist today (sanskrit does) or whether its vocabulary has been heavily borrowed into others (it has).

So by no means is Sanskrit an extinct language....but technically....yes, it is a "dead" language, just going by definitions.
 
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