This seminar is conducted under the auspices of Samskrit Promotion Foundation with a view to finding out a new path way to the future for promotion of Sanskrit studies thereby to create and support a movement to Sanskritise India again and through Sanskrit revitalize and strengthen the nation. The goals of Samskrit Promotion Foundation have been well laid down in the covering letter of Prof. Chamu Krishna Shastry dated 20/8/10 sent to all prospective participants. They are -
i. to accelerate the renewed interest of India and the world in Sanskrit as a tool to open the treasures of ancient knowledge,
ii. to handle the modern technology,
iii. to create and support a movement to Sanskritise India again, and
iv. through Sanskrit to revitalize and strengthen the nation. This paper also lays down some issues involved for the achievement of these goals e.g.
a. present plight of Sanskrit education,
b. issue of connecting Sanskrit with today's world,
c. bringing Sanskrit back to the forefront and the like. It is with this background that we have to deliberate on the title of today's seminar viz. "Possibilities and Opportunities for the Growth of Sanskrit Universities & Other Institutions in the 21st Century".
2. Before we get into the ways and means to promote Sanskrit and find methods to accelerate the renewed interest of India and the world in Sanskrit, it is better first to discuss the present plight of Sanskrit education. In the analysis of this plight of Sanskrit education we will find directions to explore remedial measures for not only the amelioration of the present status but also for a definitive improvement in the conditions of Sanskrit education and its promotion and acceptability in wider sections of this country and the world.
When we ponder upon the present plight of Sanskrit education, we find that there are two streams of Sanskrit education - the first one and probably more ancient of the two is called the oriental stream and the second one is the modem stream. In the oriental stream, Sanskrit literature is taught through its ancient texts; the medium of instructions is Sanskrit itself and there is emphasis on textual understanding of the subject proper. The certificates and degrees that are provided under this stream are Purva Madhyama and Uttar Madhyama for the secondary stage and Shastri for graduation and Acharya for post- graduation. There is Vidya Varidhi Degree corresponding to the Ph.D. of the modem stream.
The drawback of this system is that there is hardly any attempt to connect the ancient knowledge with the related present day knowledge of the subject. With the result the student remains unaware with the present day developments on the subject and can not correlate his knowledge with the present day knowledge. This works as a barrier in the dissemination of the ancient knowledge in the present day knowledge areas and obstructs true and meaningful research in the relevant subject. The second drawback with this system is that the whole education of nine years from Purva Madhyama to Acharya is viewed as integrated. Therefore the syllabus of a particular subject is divided, in a way, during these nine years. If a student joins Shastri after his intermediate or Acharya after his B.A., he does not and he cannot understand that section of his subject which has been taught in Madhyama or Shastri. This system of syllabus has led to one more anomaly inasmuch as in the post-graduate classes i.e. Acharya normally few important texts are prescribed and the portions of these books which may not be relevant to the present day context are also taught. The ideal syllabus system should be to have the whole course of the individual subject at all the three levels i.e. Madhaya, Shastri and Acharya differing only in layers of excellence. The third drawback with this system is that ever since the syllabi of the system have been designed in Sampumananda Sanskrit University decades ago, there has been little attempt to revise them to cope up with the present day aspirations and requirement of student community. All other Sanskrit universities which have sprung up have mutatis mutandis adopted these syllabi of Sampurnananda Sanskrit University. This is why oriental system of Sanskrit education has so far remained unconnected with the present day world. There is an urgent need to revise the whole syllabi of oriental Sanskrit education system with the help of Sanskrit scholars throughout the country.
The other stream of Sanskrit education is by way of an optional subject in graduate classes and master's degree in Sanskrit followed by Ph.D. etc. The drawback of this system is that sufficient emphasis is not given on providing efficiency in Sanskrit language. The syllabus in subjects like grammar, philosophy, ancient sciences is too sketchy to understand the tone and tenure as also the core knowledge of the subject. With the result a student who comes from this stream is not proficient in language, can not understand the true import of the Shastras and can hardly communicate in Sanskrit.
There are only a few brilliant exceptions that connect both the streams and can be thorough in their subjects from the present analytical method of understanding as also the old Shastric method of understanding the subject and can communicate fluently in both Sanskrit and the modem languages including English. Though the task of connecting Sanskrit with the today's world can not solely be implemented through these exceptions; but they are a great help in formulating the ways and means to connect not only the two streams of Sanskrit education but to connect the Sanskrit education with today's world and thereby end its isolation.
(i) Due to above drawbacks in the Sanskrit education system there is inadequate response from the society towards admission in Sanskrit colleges and universities. Under the present day scenario, not to talk of Sanskrit, students are not coming to take admission even in the basic sciences like physics, chemistry, zoology, botany or mathematics or lesser priority subjects of arts, humanities and social sciences. It is therefore really an uphill task to increase admissions in Sanskrit colleges and universities. Because talent is not drawn towards Sanskrit subjects, it leads to the paucity of faculties and this leading to a vicious circle and degrading of educational standards.
(ii) Sanskrit education is not on the priority agenda of the governments and the society. It is viewed as a means only to prepare the priests and teachers. This presumption has to be removed by making Sanskrit a subject of wide applicability and a multi-purpose medium to serve various aspects of the society.
(iii) Because of this apathy of the governments and the society towards Sanskrit, inadequate funds are provided towards Sanskrit education and therefore it suffers from a lack of infrastructural facilities.
(i) The most important task and perhaps the only one to mitigate the present day difficulties in the Sanskrit education is to connect Sanskrit with today's world. In other words to remove its isolation and amalgamate it with the present day education system. Sanskrit education should not be only the study of a language, literature or philosophy of Sanskrit but the entire gamut of knowledge, connected with science, technology, humanities, social sciences, commerce, economics, sociology and the like. Vast Sanskrit literature contains authentic material on almost all present day subjects with which the society is concerned. The unfortunate aspect of Sanskrit education is, barring some brilliant exceptions, nobody has looked into the vast ocean of learning individually or institutionally. Therefore, if we have to accelerate the renewed interest of India and the world in Sanskrit as a tool to open the treasures of ancient knowledge and to handle the modern technology or to create and support a movement to Sanskritise India, it is absolutely necessary this vast ocean of ancient learning should be thrown open to the present day society so that they are aware of its utility to them.
(ii) By providing Sanskrit input in all modern subjects in all institutions including the IITs and IIMs in the syllabi relating to the individual subject. The task of throwing open the treasures of ancient knowledge can not be achieved by making these subjects available in the Sanskrit colleges and universities alone or by including these subjects in their syllabi but by providing Sanskrit input in all present day colleges and institutions in the related subjects. This will at once introduce Sanskrit and its potentialities to the entire present day teaching and student communities of all faculties.
(iii) Subject wise areas should be identified in which there is sufficient material in the form of Sanskrit texts to be included in the related subjects.
I have identified some thirty-three areas where material contained in the Sanskrit texts can be included in the present day syllabi of these subjects. These are -
1. Languages and Linguistics
2. Literatures of all Indian and foreign languages taught in India
3. Ayurveda\ and Medical Sciences
4. Astronomy and Astrophysics
5. Physics and Nuclear Science
6. Mathematics including geometry, algebra calculus, trigonometry, mensuration and binary system
7. Alchemy
8. Metallurgy
9. Meteorology
10. Aviation Science
11. Military Science
12. Equestrian Science
13. Ancient Zoology
14. Ancient Botany
15. Medicine for the trees ( Vriksha Ayurveda)
16. Agriculture
17. Environmental Sciences
18. Sculpture
19. Architecture
20. Vastu
21. Navigation
22. Mechanical Sciences (Yantra Vidya)
23. Visual Arts - drawing, painting etc.
24. Performing Arts - dance, drama, music
25. Statecraft Arthashastra Political Science
26. Dharma Shastra and Ancient legal and administrative system
27. Traditional history and Civilization studies
28. All branches of philosophy : Vedic and Non-Vedic
29. Various crafts necessary for the day-to-day need of the society included in the sixty four vidyas
30. Management and Behavioural Sciences
31. Ancient Geography and Cosmology
32. Sociology
33. Trade and Commerce.
Many more can be identified similarly.
iv) Subject-wise task forces are to be created for making specific recommendations for inclusion in the syllabi of those courses. These task forces should include the experts of those subjects and an eminent Sanskritist who is expert in the ancient literature of that subject. They have to be drawn from the country as a whole.
v) Then there should be coordination with the central and state governments, the University Grants Commission and the Sanskrit universities and the institutions for the implementation of this scheme (i.e. inclusion of Sanskrit inputs in all modem day subjects). This can be done through the agencies like the Samskrit Promotion Foundation, the premier religious institutions which exercise sufficient influence on the society and the government, through a group of members of parliament and legislatures who love Sanskrit etc.
vi) At the universities and Sanskrit institution levels specific committees or boards have to be created of scholars of related subjects to provide and recommend text books pertaining to the subject in Sanskrit with translation in English or Hindi or other Indian language as the need be. Fresh text books have also to be prepared drawing material from Sanskrit treatises containing material on the relevant subject.
vii) This, ofcourse, is a very big task but there appears to be no other method of connecting Sanskrit with today's world and without connecting Sanskrit with today's world, the problems and difficulties of Sanskrit education can not be solved. Unless Sanskrit becomes a need for the mass student community, the dream of Sanskritising India again or to revitalize and strengthen the nation through it can not be achieved. Once a mass base for Sanskrit is created in the society, the problem of inadequate admission, the apathy of the governments and the society, the inadequacy of funds and therefore of infrastructure shall automatically be solved. This will facilitate true and meaningful research and can answer some of the most perplexing socio-political or academic questions that the present day globalized society is facing. This will give our country a direction to play a pivotal and leading role in the knowledge based society of Asia and the world. Here alone lie the possibilities and opportunities for the growth of Sanskrit universities and other institutions in the 21st century. It needs a big resolve, and that to a dedicated one, and here and now, is the time we do it under the banner of Samskrit Promotion Foundation.
[Some examples of ancient texts solving present day problems or answering some perplexing academic questions]