Sanskrit: An ancient language

Sanskrit: An ancient language
- by shivashankararao 03 May 2011
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Category: News
Topic: What should India expect from a young Parliament?
Greatness of Sanskrit
It is reported that Sanskrit
Language is the mother of Latin,Roman and Arabic
languages.
Besides, it is also stated that in Sanskrit language, more than 10,000 WORDS OF RUSSIAN
LANGUAGE are also found.
The most important cause for the continuity of Indian culture throughout the country is undoubtedly Sanskrit. All languages of India with perhaps the exception of Tamil consider Sanskrit as the mother. The world’s most ancient language was used in early Vedic literature about 5000 years back.
Panini’s “ASHTAADHYAAYI”, the most ancient grammar helped to initiate writing. Great epics-Mahabharata and Ramayana-were authored later. Valmiki is considered as the first poet of the world. Aswaghosha’s BUDDHACHARITHA AND SOUNDARANANDA were later works. Kalidasa’s KUMARASAMBHAVA, RAGHUVAMSHA, ABHIGNANA SHAAKUNTALA etc., written somewhere near 5th century. Bhaaravi’s KIRAATHARJUNEEYA was written in about 6th century.
Varieties in Sanskrit literature extends from dramas of Bhaasa (Prtigna Yougharayana, SwapnaVasavadatta etc), Kalidasa, Shoodraka(Mrichchikatika), Vishakadatta(Mudraraakshasa), Bhavabhooti(Mahaveeracharitha, Uttara Ramacharitha, Malathi madhava), Harsha(Ratnavali, Priyadarshika, Nagananda), Mahendra Vikrama(Mattavilasa) etc.,
Vishnu Sharma’s PANCHATANTRA started the art of story telling. Baana’s KADAMBARI started the novel writing. Goddala’s ‘UDAYA SUNDARI’ started the love stories., also called Champoo kavya. Bhojaraja’s SHRINGARA MANJARI is a novel where different types of love are explained. Somadeva’s KATHA SARITHSAGARA is a treasure of stories. Kshemendra’s ‘KALAVILASA’, DARPADALANA, DESHOPADESHA etc., are works of satire dealing with corruption, and other evil practices.
Patanjali’s MAHABHASHYA started the analytical writing. Aryabhata and Bhaskaracharya wrote of mathematics and astronomy. Charaka and sushrutha wrote of medicine. Koutilya on politics and administration.
Bharathamuni’s NATYASHASTRA started the art of criticisism. Bhamaha, Dandin, Vemana, Rudratha, Anandavardhana, Kuntaka, Udhbuta, Lollata, Dhananjaya and others including Raja Bhoja were famous critics of the time.
DOWNFALL
The downfall started with foreign aggression from about 1200 AD. Even then there were some efforts to further the literature. Amarachandra, Someswara, Balachandra, Vastupala, Princess Ganga, Ahobila, Dindima, Gopala, Manadeva, Neelakanta, Venkataadhvari and others were the famous writers of the time. These efforts continued even during the British period.
Even now Sanskrit is providing a storehouse for the words required to write scientific and technical books. This has come to the personal experience of this author.
WHY IMPORTANCE OF SANSKRIT?
There are four reasons.
1. The accuracy of grammar, beauty of the expressions and the sound of Sanskrit is not found in any other language of the world. It provides the basis for all other Indian languages like what Greek and Latin are for the western languages.
2. Indian culture rests on Sanskrit. Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, Epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana, Yoga sutras are all in Sanskrit. It is these that have bonded India together.
3. Sanskrit is rich in literature by poets like Kalidasa, Bharavi, Banabhatta, bhartrhari etc., It is not that it deals only with spiritual matters. It caters to all needs of all people including finance, politics, law, mental health, mathematics, astronomy, medicine, engineering and many others.
4. It provides values applicable to the whole humanity. It not only provides a hope for the individual that he can rise to the level of the divine and through that concept, one can identify with every one else and thus helps in developing brotherhood in the whole world.
SPECIALITY OF SANSKRIT
expressions of vowels and consonants.
Consonants have no independent expression without the vowels. This system is not seen in other languages. (Example: - FRY, DRY. In come and coma, “co” has different expressions. TOP, MOP, JUM, CHUM – here, O AND U have expression like “a”.) Such anomalies are not found in Sanskrit.
2. From the MOOLA DHATHU, it is possible to create a number of words in Sanskrit. There has been no change in either the words or their meanings from times immemorial.
3. There has been no change in the rules of grammar and hence the same type of poetical works is there irrespective of when the works were created.
4. There is a speciality in the literature connected to Vedas, Upanishads and Puranas. Although there is a difference in the style in these works, there is no difference in the words used.
SHOULD WE NOT PROTECT SUCH A BEAUTIFUL AND UNIQUE LANGUAGE WHICH IS OUR PROUD HERITAGE?
SHIVASHANKARA RAO K N

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