New Delhi (NVI): Has the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit got contemporary relevance in that it can reveal old secrets and solutions to global issues like to environment, water planning and health? Yes, says the Vice President of India M Venkaiah Naidu, adding that it contains a treasure trove of still hidden knowledge.
“Today world is facing many challenges relating to environment, water planning and health. Sanskrit has a lot on these issues. Many countries in the world are studying Sanskrit for this reason. Our educational institutions should also carry out similar research, “ Naidu told the World Conference 2019 organised by Samskrita Bharati here on Sunday.
“Almost all of our ancient knowledge and wisdom is in Sanskrit, be it Chankaya’s Arthashastra, or Bhaskaracharya’s Mathematics or Patanjali’s Yoga. With this knowledge, our ancestors enriched our nation. We should also make use of this knowledge treasure given to us by our sages,” the VP said.
It may be mentioned that in addition to Indian subcontinent, significant collections of Sanskrit manuscripts and inscriptions have been found in China, Myanmar, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia. Sanskrit inscriptions, manuscripts or its remnants, have been discovered in dry high deserts and mountainous terrains such as in Nepal, Tibet, Afghanistan, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan. Some Sanskrit texts and inscriptions have also been discovered in Korea and Japan
On this occasion, Naidu also advocated for the need of schooling in mother tongue. “Governments should take steps to have medium of instruction up to 10th standard in mother tongue,” he said. “There is no problem in learning English or any other language, but the foundation should be in mother tongue.”, he added.
Jai Ram Thakur, Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Union Minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, President, Samskrita Bharati, Prof. Gopabandhu Mishra were among the dignitaries present at the World Conference which saw participation of over 4000 delegates from 593 districts in the country and from 21 countries world over.
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