conversations with those who hold myopic views towards Sanskrit and its beauty to help shed more light on its profound abilities to support a liberal education. In Sanskrit, there is an adage, “स्वगृहे पूज्यते मूर्खः स्वग्रामे पूज्यते प्रभुः। स्वदेशे पूज्यते राजा विद्वान्सर्वत्र पूज्यते॥” (svagṛhe pūjyate mūrkhaḥ svagrāme pūjyate prabhuḥ । svadeśe pūjyate rājā vidvān sarvatra pūjyate ॥). English translation: “A fool is worshipped in his home. A chief is worshipped in his village. A king is worshipped in his kingdom. A knowledgeable person is worshipped everywhere.” With such a language that has symbolized our heritage, can we be oblivious in recognizing its inherent value? Surely evidence suggests that Sanskrit can play a similar, if not a better role to that of English today if we truly understand it. This is not to say that one cannot have a liberal education without a background in Sanskrit or any other ancient language. However, to those who say Sanskrit is a dead language, to those who say Sanskrit is a dying language, and to those who say Sanskrit is a nonviable language, perhaps it is time to reconsider. A growing number of Prominent ancient texts in universities in India and worldwide already have either Sanskrit, Wikipedia. Original here. robust or expanding Sanskrit departments, and Organizations like Samskrita Bharati USA have well-established Sanskrit learning programs for youth and adults alike. Consider this: in the 2001 Census of India, 14,135 people registered Sanskrit as their mother tongue. This number grew to 24,821 according to the 2011 figures, representing a growth rate of over 70 percent. It is essential to keep in mind that these numbers only represent native Sanskrit speakers; they do not take into account those for whom Sanskrit is a second language or even the thousands more outside India who have studied Sanskrit. Additionally, the Government of India spent Rs. 643.84 crore (USD 85.82 million), from 2017 to 2020, representing a substantial increase in spending proportions compared to previous years. Such data clearly shows that the language is undergoing a revival, as more and more people seem to realize its accompanying merits.
It may now be time for us to embrace Sanskrit once more; to rediscover not just our heritage but also to unlock the next level of learning and liberal education. Tarang
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