Southern Star-June2023 English

 Sir William Jones, who was a linguist, Orientalist and founder of Asiatic Society, wrote in 1784 ' Sanskrit language, what ever might be its origin and age, is wonderfully constructed, better than Greek, plentiful than Latin, pleasingly polite than either, yet bearing strong resemblance in the origin of verbs and in grammar. This could not have happened accidentally. Every linguist studying these three languages has to bear in mind that there must be a common origin which is lost in the period of time. Sir Jones was followed by many European scholars, studying in Sanskrit who laid down the foundation of a new science called comparative philology (Historical study of different languages)German scholars were particularly ahead in this study and lot of credit goes to them for progress in the Knowledge of Sanskrit. In Germany most of the Universities had a department in Sanskrit with one or two professors in charge. There were many Sanskrit Pandits in India,but they were of the old style with preconceived and set ideas. They also were not familiar with foreign languages, except, Arabic and Persian, to conduct the comparative study. Therefore many scholars went to Europe(Germany)under the guidance of German scholars to study philology in Sanskrit. These Indian Pandits were at advantage because being Indian they could enter into the soul of the  writing ,visualize the circumstances and mingle with the situation. The disadvantage was that the Indian scholars had preconceived ideas, age old beliefs and traditions, which came in the way of free opinions.

A language is not just a grammar or a discipline of communication. It is an expression of the mental capacity of a culture. It is an actual example of the thoughts and aspirations, that have made the culture. As the years pass by, the meaning of the words and Ideas change, though the phrases are the same. It becomes difficult to understand the meaning and the feelings of those old phrases and words in the context of the current period. One must have a romantic and poetical approach to understand, the  meaning of the words and the mind of the people who used them. Richer and greater the language, more difficult is the task. Sanskrit, like other classical languages, have plenty of words which are poetical, with deep meaning and associated ideas, which can not be translated into foreign languages with the same feelings. Even its grammar and an old dictionary is in poetical format. Though it is difficult  to  understand the true mood of Ancient Sanskrit and enjoy the world described in the literature, even for the Sanskrit scholars ,we can do so to some extent as we still follow those old traditions and dream about that bygone era. Most of the modern Indian languages are derived from Sanskrit language. Many of the spoken words and expressions are in Sanskrit. Many important words, full of meaning, used in Sanskrit poetry and philosophy are difficult to get translated into foreign language ,though they are routinely used in local language. Astonishingly, Sanskrit though long dead as a popular language of the people, is still energetic. But for the foreigners it is difficult to understand. One needs a Poetic mind to understand Sanskrit and very few scholars have it. While comparative  study of Sanskrit has progressed considerably with plenty of research performed, it is mostly fruitless and without any significant result. Most of the translations are not worthy enough or giving justice to the Originals. Therefore world has been deprived of a literary work which should have been a heritage of Human Race.

Disciplinary and respectful approach and thorough understanding of the English, produced a masterpiece of the translated version of Bible in English and the English language became richer and dignified. Same thing happened about the European classics which originally were in Greek and Latin language. These translations allowed common subjects to know the true history as well as enjoy the beauty of the Classics. Unfortunately same type of work has not been done yet for the Sanskrit Classics. There are plentiful of Sanskrit scholars as well as poets in Sanskrit. But two together is rare. Moreover hardships in daily life diverts the attention elsewhere. This has to change. We have to find other ways to translate and preserve our Classics. We will have to be creative and not just translate the classics word by word ,giving explanatory notes. We will have to enter the world of beautiful, musical and imaginative classical Sanskrit creations. Otherwise the translations will be without vitality ,originality and freshness, showing the wasted efforts of the translater.

It is not known, for how long ago, Sanskrit ceased to be a spoken language of the common people. Even in the days of Kalidasa Sanskrit  was not spoken generally though it was a language of elites. This situation continued for centuries and the language spread throughout South East and Central Asian countries which were the Indian Colonies. There used to be regular performances and dramas in Sanskrit in combodia in 7th century. Even today Sanskrit is used for ceremonial purposes in Thailand. In India the durability of Sanskrit language is amazing. Though Afghans conquered India and Persian language became a popular Court language, from 13th century onwards and even though local language literature became popular in India, Sanskrit continued to be used, though its standard declined. During a lecture at Oriental Conference held at Trivandrum in1937 Dr. Thomas, who was the Orientalist and an editor of China Weekly, suggested that as Sanskrit was still a popular language, it should be recommended as a common Indian language. Though number of the people in India knowing Sanskrit is not known, still it is considerable, specially in South India. Simple spoken Sanskrit is easy to understand, specially for the people who speak local languages which are derived from Indo-Aryan language like Sanskrit. Even Urdu language contains many Sanskrit words. Dravidian languages of South, considered to be apart, are full of many Sanskrit words in their vocabulary. Books on various subjects in Sanskrit are being written since medieval times till today, though they are not of any highstandards.Public lectures are also arranged, but attended by few select audience.  It is a matter of pleasant surprise, that Sankrit is still being practiced in the country. This continued use of Sanskrit undoubtedly prevented regional languages from developing fully, and they were looked down upon as crude and vulgar, unworthy of any creative work. Inspite of this, the regional languages proliferated and developed into literary forms. In Thailand also, when need arose for new scientific, technical or governmental terms, help of Sanskrit was taken.

In ancient India importance of sound in phonetics was recognized. Hence the literature was full of rhythmic and musical words. Correct pronunciation of words was emphasized upon as in the olden days teaching was mainly oral. In ancient times there was no mass production of books, therefore the books were memorized entirely and the knowledge was handed down from generation to generation orally. This emphasis  of sound in literature led to some wonderful creations. On the other hand it created some crude and artificial combinations. Even now Vedas are recitated out of memory and in musically rhythmic format according to the rules laid down in ancient times.

The modern Indian languages, including the Dravidian languages of the South, are derived from Sanskrit. Therefore they are classified as Indo-Aryan languages. Out of all of these Hindi and it's variation Urdu is most understood all over India. Apart from these main regional languages, there are some languages used by tribals. The story of India having five hundred languages is a myth. On the contrary Europe has hundreds of languages, with Germany only, having sixty. The problem in India is not with the number of languages, but is confined to  Hindi-Urdu dilemma, where there are two different literary styles with two different scripts, but hardly any differences colloquially. Solution is being found in the common form called Hindustani. Among the other Indo-Aryan languages are Pashto, practiced in North East Frontier region and Sighalise used in Cylone. It is now recognized that Sanskrit as an Indo European language has roots in classical and modern European languages, including Slavonic and Lithuanian languages.

The End

President's gratitude :
Thank you to all the Rotarians and Ann of RCPS. Thank You for being there at the Inauguration of the Dialysis Centre
Sneha and Myself were really overwhelmed by the Participation of Rotarians and Ann's in the Thank you Again.
Special Thanks to PP Rtn Abhijit Joag , PP Rtn Dr Kiran Purohit, PP Rtn Viren Shah and PP Rtn Vinod Agarwal for the efforts taken in financing, supply and documentation arrangements of the Dialysis Centre.
Thanks Again
Pres. Rtn Sanjeev & FL Sneha Ogale.

One of the highlights of their journey was their visit to Khardung La Pass, situated at an altitude of 18,380 feet. KIRANGEET braved the challenging terrain and reached the summit. They were rewarded with panoramic views of the surrounding mountains.

Continuing their road trip, KiranGeet reached famous Nubra Valley. Captivated by the contrasting sights of sand dunes with the backdrop of towering mountains, both enjoyed camel rides too.

Their journey took an exciting turn as they reached Thang Village, the last Indian village on the border with Pakistan. Here, they had the opportunity to interact with the local residents, gaining insights into their daily lives and experiences living in such a unique and challenging environment.

The couple's tour concluded with a visit to the 'Hall of Fame,' a tribute to the brave soldiers who had served in the region.

Conclusion: We all Rotary club members were touched and were almost in tears when the duo ended their presentation with patriotic song. From the awe-inspiring landscapes to patriotic experiences, their journey was a testament to the beauty and diversity of our country.