Demystifying Sanskrit
I have been learning Sanskrit from Samskrita Bharati since December 2017. Learning a new language is an exciting prospect, even more so when it's one of the most ancient in the world and the oldest in Bhārat. My primary reasons for learning it are to read the scriptures and epics from their primary sources, which are in Sanskrit. However, during the past year, I've also come to the realization that Sanskrit is not only an exceptionally structured language in terms of its grammar but is also a fantastic language to converse in and enunciate one's thoughts.
In this post, I will try to elaborate on the various advantages of learning Sanskrit, especially for Indians, and demystifying certain pre-conceived notions about the language among my peers. I would like to present my case for a need to revive Sanskrit en masse in a Q & A format, comprising of questions which I've been asked and sometimes contested with.
Why should I learn a new language? Isn't knowing one or two enough?
Let me be clear in stating that no one should/must learn anything. Learning anything needs to arise out of interest. If one doesn't have any interest or curiosity in something, then there is no point in indulging in it.
Having said that, learning a new language can be quite beneficial to anyone. In this brilliant review of the movie Arrival[1], Alissa Wilkinson writes - "Learning a new language at first is just about collecting a new vocabulary and an alternate grammar — here is the word for chair, here is the word for love, here’s how to make a sentence — but eventually, as any bilingual person can attest, it becomes about imagining and perceiving the world differently." (I recommend reading the entire article to understand the many layers of language, interactions and perception by humans).
Simply put, learning a new language is a way to expand your mind and explore thoughts and feelings you didn't know existed before. I have learned Spanish for a year apart from knowing Tamil, Hindi, and English, and I can attest to the fact that every new language I've learned has improved my sense of communication and perception.
Why should I learn Sanskrit?
Assuming you're inclined to learn a new language now, let me address the subject of choosing Sanskrit as the language of choice as compared to say, French or Spanish.
If you know any Indian language, then you're already familiar with Sanskrit. While we don't realize it, almost every Indian language has borrowed and exchanged words, grammatical rules, etc. from/to Sanskrit which we use in our day to day lives. So the transition to Sanskrit is easier for us than a foreign language.
The breadth of Sanskrit in its grammar and word association is extraordinary. Words can be joined and split in innumerable ways to precisely describe any thought or idea with clarity. There are about 2000 verb roots, with conjugations and prefixes added/derived from them totaling over 1,027,850,000,000 (over a trillion) word forms![2] One would be hard pressed to find any other language with such a vast vocabulary.
If you want to learn a new language, you might as well learn one which is easier to grasp and one with an extensive vocabulary as it will let you communicate more effectively.
Isn't Sanskrit a dead language?
I used to think the same way too, but it is far from the truth. It is well known that Sanskrit was a spoken and thriving language in ancient times and there are many historical reasons for its decline and it not being a language of everyday use. Analyzing the history of its evolution and decline is beyond the scope of this article, nor is it necessary. But let us define what a "dead language" is and if Sanskrit really qualifies as one.
A language is considered dead if there are little to no active speakers. Is this true about Sanskrit? Recent reports suggest otherwise. The number of native Sanskrit speakers has increased by over 10,000 speakers in a span of ten years from 2001 to 2011, to approximately 25,000 speakers (a 71% increase)[3]. While it is still a minuscule number in comparison to India's population, it's a sign of growth. Bear in mind that this number represents people who consider it as their "mother tongue," and due to the abundance of languages in India, most people don't list Sanskrit as their native language.
It is one of the 24 languages recognized by the Indian constitution. It is taught in primary, middle and high school levels across the country. There are 16 Sanskrit universities in India, over 5000 Sanskrit Pathashaalas, and many voluntary organizations like Samskrita Bharati who are teaching and promoting Sanskrit not only in India but across the world. There are more than 100 publications in Sanskrit in India, today. There are villages which speak only Sanskrit in India. The number of people learning and speaking Sanskrit as a secondary or tertiary language is thus estimated to be over a crore (or 10 million). Swedish, for example, has 9 million native speakers. Would you consider Swedish a dead language?
Even if you do, dead languages have been revived in the past. The most famous example, of course, is Hebrew, which was not spoken for thousands of years before being restored in the 19th century to now become a flourishing and thriving language in the state of Israel.
What is the use of Sanskrit in day-to-day life?
Many! Let me list out a few. Due to its rich vocabulary and grammar, speaking and learning Sanskrit improves not only your pronunciation and speaking skills but also your memory and retention power. Indeed, it has been established that memorizing Sanskrit verses has increased the size of brain regions associated with cognitive function[4].
One would genuinely appreciate the art of effective communication with Sanskrit as it is clear and unambiguous, something which is sorely lacking in this day and age of social media. It opens the door to a vast amount of literature written in Sanskrit which deals with topics ranging from medicine to philosophy to yoga and economic and military treatise. If you're religiously/spiritually inclined, you would understand the various mantras and prayers you chant every day, which makes you connect with your roots even more.
In my mind, Sanskrit is also an ideal "linker" language. There has been an increasing hostility among speakers of Southern Indian languages towards those in the North due to a supposed "Hindi imposition." While English has been a linker language among the urban centers of India, it is still spoken by only 10% of our population. Sanskrit, as I mentioned above, shares common roots with every other Indian language, and can be an effective bridge.
Lastly, the effectiveness and use of a language are mostly dependant on its speakers. The more we use Sanskrit, the better will its purpose be.
Is Sanskrit a formal language?
Given the number of texts and scriptures associated with Sanskrit, a vast majority of people tend to think that Sanskrit is a formal language only meant for literature. I used to think this way too until I started learning Sanskrit.
The easiest way to draw comparisons is by looking at literature in other languages, both within and outside of India. William Shakespeare is considered one of the greatest writers of all time, but do we speak English the way his plays are written? Clearly, most, if not all languages have a literary version and a regular version, and the same goes with Sanskrit. Make no mistake, it is as "normal" as any other language you currently know and speak.
Is Sanskrit religious in nature?
A follow up to the above question is about the religious nature of Sanskrit. Indeed, Sanskrit has a special place among not only Hindus, but followers of all Indic faiths, and is considered a "deva bhasha" (Language of the Gods). The scriptures and holy texts of these faiths are written in Sanskrit. Clearly, its association with Indic faiths is beyond question, and they complement each other.
Is this a basis for dismissing learning Sanskrit though? Many languages evolved through religion, including Arabic, Hebrew, Latin, etc. In fact, their sacred nature has also been one of the reasons for their continued existence while many other languages became extinct. They are cultural heritage which has been handed down by our ancestors and thus need to be preserved and celebrated, rather than looked down upon as vestiges of a bygone era.
And Sanskrit need not be a language restricted to those adhering to a particular religion or faith. Naheed Abidi and Mohammed Hanif Khan Shastri, both Muslim Sanskrit scholars, were honored by the Government of India with a Padma Shri for their contributions to Sanskrit.
Will I forget my mother-tongue if I learn Sanskrit?
This might look funny, but I was asked this question, and I wanted to address it. Of course, we won't forget our native tongue by learning Sanskrit. On the contrary, we might actually understand our native language better, as we will be learning the roots of many words through Sanskrit and how they evolved differently. It is one of the more exciting things about learning Sanskrit.
Is Sanskrit challenging to learn?
Yes. But then, isn't learning anything new a challenge at the beginning?
I am reminded of the excellent example my Sanskrit teacher gave - it is like driving an old motorcycle. It is difficult to start, but once it's rolling, there's no stopping it! :)
Like I mentioned at the beginning, no one is forcing one to learn Sanskrit and challenge themselves. This post is an attempt to clear misconceptions around it and a humble request for the need to revive it and experience the various benefits of learning the language. I hope this post helps in getting you motivated to start your journey in this beautiful language! :)
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