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संस्कृतभारती - कोङ्कणम्
FAQ's :

Is Samskrit a difficult language ?

Some people think that Samskrit is a difficult language. The reason for it is that people have not heard conversations in simple Samskrit. No language is difficult or easy. A language is either simple or is matured by time and use. It is seen that colloquial language is always simple but the one used in lierature is gracefully ornate. Then, how is it that people have this impression that Samskrit is a difficult language? The main cause for that lies in the method of teaching it. For more than hundred years the Grammar Translation Method has been adopted from Primary to University level. This is not the Indian method. It is a foreign one. Samskrit was being taught through Hindi or English or some other regional language. This is one of the reasons why Samskrit has reached such a sad situation.

Therefore from the Primary stage itself Samskrit should be taught only through the Samskrit medium.


Was Samskrit ever a colloquial language?

Yes! Formerly Samskrit was the languge of everyday dealings. There are many instances in the Mahabhashya of Grammar to prove this.


Then how is it that Samskrit is no more the language of our day-to-day dealings ?

There are various reasons for this including historical ones. The development of regional languages could also be a reason. During the foreign rule the foreigners made their language the state language. There is a social reason as well! In the medieval age many drastic changes took place and it had an adverse effect on Samskrit as well. The greatest harm was done to Samskrit by the education policy of Macaulay.


Is Samskrit the language of any particular caste ?

No! Formerly also Samskrit was the language of all irrespective of status in life or their caste. The first poet Valmiki was a hunter. The great poet Kalidas was a shepherd. The great sage Vyas was born of the daughter of a fisherman. The king Shreeharsh and the king Bhoj were Kshatriyas. Thus people from various castes were scholars in Samskrit. So Samskrit was and can remain the language of all. The speciality of Samskrit Sambhashana

Abhiyan (the movement for conversational Samskrit) is that it teaches Samskrit without any distinction to all. Caste, creed, class, language, region, community, status etc. have no bearing on this.


If Samskrit becomes the language of day-to-day dealings, what will be the plight of Hindi and other Indian languages ?

There will be all the greater spread of Hindi and the other languages. Samskrit is complementary to all Indian languages. Samskrit is not an alternative for other languages like Hindi, Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati, Bangala, Punjabi etc. Samskrit has its own special position. Samskrit is the language of common culture of all the regions of India. Samskrit neither competes with nor does it stand in opposition to any other language.


How much time is required to learn Samskrit ?

The timefactor depends on how much time you can spare with interest for its study. If you learn through the conversational method, you will be able to converse well within two to three months. After attending the conversational class for ten days (two hours daily), you can strengthen your Samskrit by using the monthly magazine - Sambhashan Sandeshah.


Is it necessary to simplify Samskrit ?

Not at all! It is not necessary to simplify Samskrit. There is a difference between simple Samskrit and Samskrit made easy for learners. Making Samskrit easy implies loosening of some present rules. If this happens some deformity will enter in the form of the language. We dont intend to do so. Our aim is to protect Paninism and Samskritism which are there in Samskrit. There are a few simple ways for having day-to-day dealings in Samskrit. By implementing those ways one can teach simple Samskrit.


In Spite of a lot of effort on the part to the Government the spread of Hindi was not impressively effective in the country. Then will it be possible to teach Samskrit ?

The teaching of Samskrit will not be as difficult as is teaching a new language because we find many Samskrit words in all Indian languages. The sentence pattern in Indian languages is also the same as that in Samskrit. One more reason is that all Indians have traditionally the opportunity of hearing Samskrit in their life. So we can say that all indians have an indirect acquaintance with Samskrit. Of all the educated people in India, at least 20% people have studied Samskrit during their schooling. So with a little more effort they can converse in Samskrit. From no part of our country has there been any opposition to Samskrit. If only 1% of the effort and money spent during the last 200 years in learing English be spent on teaching Samskrit, the result will doubtlessly be ten times better.


What is the future of Samskrit ?

The future of Samskrit is bright. The number of Samskrit learners goes on increasing all over the country. Samskrit is being studied in 35 countries across the globe. The work of research has been undertaken in 110 Scientific Research Centres. The experts on Computer Science have started learning Samskrit because Samskrit is now regarded as the fittest language for computers. Today, in India 90 lakh people learn Samskrit. There are eight Samskrit Universities. The next 5 to 10 years will witness a sweeping change in the position of Samskrit. The cognizants say that the rise of Samskrit has already started and that the twentyfirst century will be a Samskrit Century.