Sanskrit?.....Just one chapter is needed in school text book of ever grade to begin the process of change in
mindset and bring about love for essential Indian-ness..... So, what would that one
chapter be?
This is a suggestion to those who are in the enabling
circumstances- Please include one chapter in school textbook that helps students
to understand how Sanskrit relates to their own language and other major
international languages and why many intellectuals have described it as ‘mother
language’ they have opted as medium of
education.
For example, the chapter can include, the presence of
elements of Sanskrit language that are adapted in other languages. Further, the content can also include the logical
arrangement of Varnamala in Sanskrit. Abundant synonyms of each word and yet how
each synonym has a slightly different meaning, other anecdotes and humor related
to Sanskrit, quotes from experts, its IT enabling characteristic, etc., wealth
of literature, some examples of fine descriptions (Extracts from ‘Shakunta’l,
description of citizen of Ayodhya from ‘RaghuVansh’ etc.) A word of caution,
just describing language features will not give enough impact unless it is contrasted
and shown how different it js when compared to some popular international
languages. (example: Absence of many syllables (p, ch, etc) in Arabic, its architectural
inability to combine syllable ‘r’ with following letter(there is no way, you
can write or speak, chocolate… written and spoken as Shokulate, or Petrol..written
as spoken as Betatorl, etc..) Plus the artificiality in assembly of letters to
create spellings in the European languages
and their inability to write what is spoken…Absence of many vital words. There is
no word for ‘Punya’ the antonym of Sin, no proper word for Tapasya, … austerities-asceticism-penance-etc.
are not equivalents) http://nmsresolution.blogspot.ca/2014/04/sequencing-of-alphabets-in-sanskrit-and.html
The scope and content of text should vary, based on grade. A
lesson in class 5 will have less depth but as one progresses upward, the 12th
grade, will have maximum depth to unravel all that is special about Sanskrit
and all that is absence in other international languages.
A student who goes through this grind will have a natural
respect and appreciation for Sanskrit and will know why Sanskrit is recognized
by many intellectuals, world over as ‘mother language’. For those who do not
know, even Tamil language has about 50% Sanskrit-sourced words and a lot of
elemental Sanskrit grammar. Sanskrit as source language is one factor that
unites Indians despite their diversities. Know it.
At the present pace of education reforms, Sanskrit is not
likely to get a place it really deserves. Hence as an interim measure, above
suggestion will help produce many citizens who will love Sanskrit and will also
know why, even if they may not be able to read of write or understand too much
of Sanskrit. It is Sanskrit language that gives us ‘Sanskriti’ while devoid of
it, rest of the people merely have their ‘culture’. We already know culture is
an organic growth in a given ecosystem. Culture is more or less bottom-up
situation. On the contrary, ‘Sanskrit’ is a top-down system of behavior where
grandeur inspires an individual to grow above pettiness and then generates an
evolved bottom-up ‘sanskritik Culture’.
