Samskrita Bharati (Let Sanskrit become the language of the people!)
# Background--
In 1981, four Sanskrit teachers in Bengaluru started a Sanskrit movement. The name of the voluntary organization that forms the foundation of that movement is—Samskrita Bharati.
During the British era in India, Sanskrit began to be taught through the 'Grammar-translation Method.' In this method, the entire emphasis was placed merely on writing translations. Because of this approach, students only learn how to translate; they do not learn the 'Samskrit language' itself. By pointlessly memorizing difficult rules of grammar in this method, students become discouraged regarding Sanskrit studies and eventually give up the language. Consequently, the number of people learning and teaching Sanskrit was decreasing day by day. Seeing all this, these teachers became absorbed in the thought, "What remedy should be devised for the revival of Sanskrit?"
In reality, Sanskrit was once our mother tongue as well as the language of knowledge. From Kanyakumari to the Himalayas, people used Sanskrit as a language of daily transaction. Various practical sciences such as architecture, astronomy, chemistry, astrology, yoga, ayurveda, and political science were developed only in Sanskrit. The poems and plays in Sanskrit introduce us to our culture and are admired throughout the world for their literary qualities.
Not only this, but binding the whole of India as a nation into a single thread is possible only through Sanskrit. This is because English is a foreign language and Hindi is not universally accepted. Therefore, those two languages do not possess the same power for nation-building as Sanskrit does. There is love for Sanskrit across the entire country, and people have a desire to know, learn, and use Sanskrit in their daily lives. However, as mentioned above, because the method of teaching Sanskrit is not conducive, people inclined to learn Sanskrit are rare. So what should be done? Which path should be chosen? What is the remedy?
A language is that which is spoken. If a language is not on the lips of the people, its existence as a language ceases. Therefore, for an object to be called a 'language,' it must first be on the lips of the people for daily transactions.
If we consider the natural order of learning a language, remember the childhood sequence of learning our mother tongues like Marathi, Kannada, etc. How did we first learn our mother tongue? We learned our mother tongue only by imitating the words our mother spoke. There was no grammar there, nor was there any translation. Therefore, the first step in the natural order of language learning is listening-based pronunciation (hearing and repeating). After that, we directly started conversing. By the time we reached the age to go to school, we were quite practiced in conversation. After entering school, knowledge of the script and reading-writing began.
In Sanskrit education too, this natural order of language knowledge must be accepted. Only then will learning Sanskrit become easy, accessible, appropriate, interesting, and powerful. Thinking this way, those four teachers began experiments in teaching Sanskrit through the 'medium of conversation.' The fruit of their constant efforts is Samskrita Bharati’s 'Ten-day Conversation Class (Sambhashan Varga)' curriculum. In this class, Sanskrit is taught directly through conversation. Due to this, people start conversing in Sanskrit from the very first day.
The work started in 1981 has gradually grown and transformed into a large form, just as a seed becomes a Banyan tree. Making Sanskrit the language of the people is the ultimate goal of Samskrita Bharati. For the past forty-five years, Samskrita Bharati has been working tirelessly toward this.
# Dimensions of Samskrita Bharati---
Currently, Samskrita Bharati works for the promotion of Sanskrit through fifteen departments (dimensions of work)--
- Conversation Class
- Language Awakening (Bhashabodhan) Class
- Enlightenment (Prabodhan) Class
- Camp Leader Training Class
- Correspondence School (Samvadshala)
- Gita Education Center
- Children's Center (Balakendra)
- Saral Examination
- Correspondence (by letter) Sanskrit
- Book Publication
- Sanskrit Exhibition
- Sanskrit Book Fair
- Sanskrit Conferences
- Weekly Meetings
- Shloka Recitation Center and Shloka Recitation Competition
- We have already learned a little about the Conversation Class. The next step is the Bhashabodhan Varga. In this three-day residential class, grammar conducive to conversation is taught.
- After that, in the ten-day Prabodhan Varga, a high-level review of the same takes place.
- Following that is the ten-day Sambhashan Shikshak Prashikshan Varga. This class is held every year in the month of May. There, those practiced in conversation are given training on how to conduct a conversation class themselves.
- People who cannot participate in conversation classes can go to the Samvadshala to learn conversation. Samvadshalas are run continuously throughout the year at two places—Delhi and Varanasi. The Samvadshala is held twice every month (1st to 14th and 16th to 29th). Any person above the age of 16 can participate in this.
- People wishing to learn the Bhagavad Gita study the Gita in Shikshan Kendra. For this, Samskrita Bharati has prepared an independent curriculum called Gitasopanam.
- Young children learn Sanskrit in an entertaining way through games and songs in Balakendras.
- In schools where there is no arrangement for learning Sanskrit, school students can learn Sanskrit through Saral examinations.
- For those who cannot come to conversation classes or the Samvadshala due to busy schedules, arrangements have been made for Sanskrit education through Patrachar (Postal Correspondence) while sitting at home.
- To show the utility of ancient sciences in modern times, Sanskrit exhibitions are organized by Samskrita Bharati from time to time. Subjects like 'Science in Sanskrit' and 'Kautilya's Arthashastra' are its themes.
- Sanskrit book fairs are also organized for the promotion of Sanskrit books.
- To attract people toward Sanskrit, Sanskrit Sammelanam (conferences) are held periodically. There is a triennial cycle for these conferences: the first year features district-level conferences, the second year a provincial worker conference, and the third year an All India worker conference.
- The attraction of learning subhashitas (wise sayings) and stotras (hymns) is very high in our society. Therefore, the facility for Sanskrit education through subhashitas and stotras is made available in Shlok Pathan Kendra (Shloka Recitation Centers). Every year, Shloka Recitation Competitions are also organized through the Shloka Education dimension.
# Free of Cost Work--
The organizers of all these activities are the workers of Samskrita Bharati who work with a selfless mind and a sense of social welfare. A worker of Samskrita Bharati does not take any fee or salary for themselves while working. The teaching of Sanskrit is always free of cost. Where arrangements for food and stay are necessary, only a nominal amount is accepted for those arrangements.
# Outcome of the Work--
The results of these efforts are as follows--
- Currently, except for a few states like Mizoram and Kashmir, Samskrita Bharati workers are present everywhere in India. There are a total of 4,500 centers of Samskrita Bharati across the entire country.
- The work of the organization has expanded to 26 countries outside India.
- So far, Samskrita Bharati has provided training in Sanskrit conversation to 10 million (1 crore) people. Also, 100,000 Sanskrit teachers have been trained to teach Sanskrit through conversation.
- In India, four villages (hamlets) have been developed as 'Sanskrit Grams' (Sanskrit Villages), where everyone from children to the elderly considers Sanskrit their mother tongue and converses in it.
- A total of 6,000 families have become 'Sanskrit Families,' where all members of the house speak only in Sanskrit.
- By assisting this Sanskrit-Chakra-Pravartana (setting the wheel of Sanskrit in motion) started by Samskrita Bharati, let us transform Sanskrit into a language of the people and re-establish India as the Vishwaguru (World Leader).
Jayatu Samskritam! Jayatu Bharatam!!