//shriih//
Dear Friends,
Recently I participated in a national seminar(organised as a colloquium) on "Sanskrit Commentaries : Their Literary and Philosophical Evaluation" at DAV College,Naneola near Ambala in Haryana.
While delivering my address I came upon the question as to why first hand study of the commentaries is no more a practice in our colleges and universities and even in traditional seats of learning.I found that this is largely due to the fact that in the study and teaching of Sanskrit as a language or of the shaastras, Samskrit has taken a back seat and the learners aren'nt conversant with the idiom that was once the proud lingua franca of the whole subcontinent.
A student while reading Kalidasa doesn't care to go through Mallinatha and students of Upanishads don't look to the great commentaries.In Grammar the Mahabhashya has gone to the winds and who should take note of Pradiipa and Uddyota commentaries on it ?Baalamanoramaa and Tattvabodhinii are not browsed for Siddhaanta-kaumudii or the marvelous commentaries on the orthodox and heterodox darshana-suutras are out of taste of the new generation learners and teachers both.
The reason being that there are commentaries in other regional languages including Hindi which promise a easy to do facility beyond the scope of the Samskrit commentaries!Akke cen madhu bindeta kimartham parvatam vrajet ?The normal aim is to fetch good marks and get through exams and not shaastra-maniishaa!
If the shaastras are to be assured kshema-yoga,then we ought to be serious in replacing the practice of being prudent in regional languages during shaastra-carcaa with sincerity in making deft use of Samskrit so that students get to the habit of going back to the heart of the shaastras through our illustrious commentaries.
Some institutions are coming up with the ideal atmosphere for Samskrit and shaastras.
Samskrit is the natural habitat for the shaastras!
The key is in the hands of the teachers.But shall they contemplate and bring back Samskrit to the curriculum and classroom ?
Shall we take necessary steps to stop divorcing Samskrit from shaastras and prevent further erosion ?
With warm regards,
Surendramohan Mishra
Kurukshetram
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment