Sanskrit — The language of the Gods!

World Sanskrit Day was celebrated this year on 12th August 2022.

In literal translation, Vishva-samskrita-dinam is celebrated all across the country of India to promote the resurgence and preservation of the language. It is also celebrated to spread awareness and respect for India’s most ancient language. It is observed on Full Moon day and this year it fell on the 12th of August.

Gayathri Mantra in Sanskrit

I am sure most of us took Sanskrit as our third language in school so we could score better marks in exams. I am guilty as charged too. However, there is more to this subject than scoring extra grace marks. Let’s dive into this beautiful language that has been the base for many languages across the world to form.

1. Apart from being one of the oldest languages, Sanskrit is considered a sacred language. It is known to have first appeared in 1500 BC and was called the language of the Gods because it is believed to have been created by Lord Brahma himself who passed it to the rishis/sages.
2. Sanskrit is recognized in the constitution of India as both a classical language and an official language.
3. The principles of the language were used to create basic computer languages like FORTRAN.
4. Sanskrit consists of about 50 letters and is the official language of just one Indian state — Uttarakhand. However, there are still some areas in India where the language is largely spoken like — Mattur and Hosahalli in Karnataka, Jhiri, Mohad and Baghuwar in Madhya Pradesh, Sasana in Odisha, Ganoda in Rajasthan.
5. Sanskrit combines sound vibrations and is often used for mantra meditation in an area that is teeming with Hindu temples. It has also been proven to help in speech therapy. Research suggests that learning the language improves brain power and learning mathematics and science better which helps the students improve academically.
6. St James Junior Schools in London has Sanskrit as a mandatory language.
7. Sanskrit also played a significant role in influencing several languages in Europe, including Farsi.
8. Samskrita Bharati is a non-profit organization that aims to revive Sanskrit as a language. They are headquartered in New Delhi but has branches in almost all states in India. Do have a look in case you want to learn the language in your state.
9. History suggests that the Sanskrit language started declining during the 13th century when the Islamic invasions of the Indian subcontinent happened thereafter expanding the Muslim rule in the form of Sultanates and the Mughal Empire.
10. According to the 2011 data, 24,821 people have registered Sanskrit as their mother tongue, in comparison to 14,135 people who had said Sanskrit was their mother tongue in 2001.

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