SANSKRIT
THE LANGUAGE
OF
GODS
EDITORS NOTE
Dear Readers,
5th September is celebrated as Sanskrit Day but not all of us know too
much about this sacred language. Since Sanskrit Day also appears in
the Rotaract calendar, we decided to make a bulletin especially for
you on this subject. While researching for it, we came across lots of
interesting things but were unable to incorporate them all in this
bulletin. (We are making a bulletin not a book you know!) But still there
is a lot you might find of interest specially the origin of the
Panchatantra stories (originally written in Sanskrit).
Have a pleasant read and Happy Sanskrit Day!
Your Editors,
Rtr. Naushin & Rtr.
Shraddha
DID YOU KNOW?
The meaning of Sanskrit is refined, decorated or produced in perfect
form.
IMPORTANCE OF SANSKRIT
Sanskrit has been the language of India's soul. A well-known western
scholar has described it as the Mother of all languages. Our ancient
Indian sages called it the Language of the gods, "Devabhasha". Nobody
can truly understand and appreciate the spirit of Indian culture, if he
does not know the Sanskrit language. Sri Aurobindo, while speaking of
the importance of the Sanskrit language for India, said:
"It is of the utmost value to a nation, a human group-soul to preserve
its language and make it a strong and living cultural instrument. A
nation, race or a person which loses its language cannot live its whole
life or real life."
And in the words of Jawaharlal Nehru:
"The past has gone and the present is with us and we work for the
future. But I have no doubt that whatever the shape the future may
take, one of the biggest, the strongest, and the most powerful and
the most valued of our legacies, will be the Sanskrit language."
Sanskrit is the only language which was spoken all over India in the
past and it is the only language which can still unify the country.
The versatile literary creations in the Sanskrit language have evoked
a deep sense of awe and wonder among scholars of the world. All the
profound spiritual wisdom of India embodied in our ancient scriptures
like Vedas, Upanishadas, the Gita. Puranas and Shastras are expressed
in the Sanskrit language. No wonder great Indian sages like Sri
Aurobindo and Swami Vivekananda viewed Sanskrit language as the
most perfect medium for expressing spiritual and philosophical ideas.
But interestingly, even some of the modern scientists in the high-tech
field of computers; have discovered that Sanskrit is the best
language for the latest generation of Artificial Intelligence machinesystems. But the people of India are turning away from this treasure
house of our ancient Indian culture and do not realize its value.
HISTORY
Sanskrit is a member of the Indo-Iranian sub-family of the IndoEuropean family of languages. Its closest ancient relatives are the
Iranian languages Old Persian and Avestan. Within the wider IndoEuropean language family, Sanskrit shares characteristic sound
changes with the Satem language and also with Greek.
In order to explain the common features shared by Sanskrit and
other Indo-European languages, many scholars have proposed
migration hypotheses asserting that the original speakers of what
became Sanskrit arrived in what is now India and Pakistan from the
north-west some time during the early second millennium BCE.
Evidence for such a theory includes the close relationship of the
Indo-Iranian tongues with the Baltic and Slavic languages, vocabulary
exchange with the non-Indo-European Finno-Ugric languages, and the
nature of the attested Indo-European words for flora and fauna.
The earliest attested Sanskrit texts are Hindu texts of the Rigveda,
which may be located in the Greater Punjab region and adjacent
Afghanistan, and dated to the mid-to-late second millennium BCE. No
written records from such an early period survive. However,
scholars are confident that the oral transmission of the texts is
reliable: they were ceremonial literature whose correct pronunciation
was considered crucial to its religious efficacy. 13
The oldest surviving Sanskrit grammar is Pini's Adhyy ("EightChapter Grammar"). It is essentially a prescriptive grammar, i.e., an
authority that defines (rather than describes) correct Sanskrit,
although it contains descriptive parts, mostly to account for some
Vedic forms the use of which had become rare in Pini's time.
The term "Sanskrit" was not thought of as a specific language set
apart from other languages, but rather as a particularly refined or
perfected manner of speaking. Knowledge of Sanskrit was a marker of
social class and educational attainment in ancient India and the
language was taught mainly to members of the higher castes, through
close analysis of Sanskrit grammarians such as Pini. Sanskrit, as the
learned language of Ancient India, thus existed alongside the Prakrits
(vernaculars), which evolved into the Middle Indic dialects, and
eventually into the contemporary modern Indo-Aryan languages.
SOME SANSKRIT SHLOKAS
Sanskrit mantras, when recited in combination with the sound
vibration, have a specific effect on the mind and the psyche of the
individual.
Here are a few of them:
THE GAYATRI MANTRA
Om Bhur Bhuva Svaha Tat Savitur Varenyam
Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi Dhi Yo Yonah Prachodayat Om
TRANSLATIO
ON OF THE SHLOKA:
S
O Lor
ord, Thou are
a the prrotector of
o life and
d of breath
h,
disspeller of miseries and besto
ower of happiness.
ha
Thou arre the cre
eator and the mostt acceptab
ble intellige
ence,
po
ossessing eternal qualities.
q
M Thine qualities
May
q
a Thy in
and
nspiration
paass to us.
AUM sah
ha naavav
vatu |
OM! May
y that Brah
ahman pro
otect us both
b
(Teach
cher & Disc
ciple);
saha naubhunak
n
ktu |
May that
t
Brahm
man nouri
rish us botth;
ssahaviiryaa.n karavaaavahai |
May we work
w
in haarmony with
w great vigor;
ttejasvi naaavadhiitam
mastu |
May ourr study be
e illuminatiing and fru
ruitful;
maa vidv
vishhaavaahai ||
Maay we nott hate eac
ch other.
AUM
Om..
shaa.n
ntiH shaa.n
ntiH
Peac
ace, Peace...
sh
haa.ntiH ||
Peace.
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They
are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one
another in a spirit of brotherhood. (Article 1 of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights)
NUMBERS IN SANSKRIT
DID YOU KNOW?
In the Republic of India, in Nepal and Indonesia, Sanskrit phrases are
widely used as mottoes for various educational and social
organizations (much as Latin is used by some institutions in the West).
The motto of the Republic is also in Sanskrit.
Republic of India
Satyameva Jayate "Truth alone triumphs"
Nepal
Janani Janmabhmisca Svargdapi garyasi
motherland are greater than heaven"
Goa
"Mother
and
Sarve Bhadrni Payantu M Kacid Duhkhabhg bhavet "May all
perceive good, may not anyone attain unhappiness"
Life Insurance Corporation of India
Yogakshemam Vahmyaham "I shall take care of welfare" (taken
from the Bhagavad Gita)
Indian Navy
Shanno Varuna "May Varuna be peaceful to us"
Indian Air Force
Nbha Sparsham Dptam "Touch the Sky with Glory"
Mumbai Police
sadrakshanaaya cahlaaha nighranayah "For protection of the
good and control of the wicked"
Indian Coast Guard
Vayam Rakshmaha "We protect"
All India Radio
Bahujana-hitya bahujana-sukhya "For the benefit of all, for the
comfort of all"
Indonesian Navy
Jalesveva Jayamahe "On the Sea We Are Glorious"
NAMES OF FLOWERS
Shtpatri - rose
Suryavati sunflower
Sudarshana- lily
Kamalam -lotus
Malikabela
NAME OF FRUITS
Aamram
- mango
Kadlifalm banana
Narangm - orange
Drakshfalm- guava
NAME OF ANIMALS
Ajaa goat
Ashva- horse
Gajh- elephant
Makrh- crocodile
10
Vanarh- monkey
Rasbh- donkey
FIVE SENSES
Chakshueyes
Gihva tongue
Strotrm ears
Ghranam nose
Tvak- skin
NAME OF BIRDS
Kak- crow
Kukuth- hen
Mayurh- peacock
Kapoth- piegon
11
WORDS THAT HAVE
ORIGINATED FROM
SANSKRIT
You might be surprised to know that all of us know a little bit of
Sanskrit. There are many words that we use and come across in our
day-to-day life that have actually originated from Sanskrit. Here is a
list that you can look through:
Agni
from Sanskrit Agnih, which means "fire".
Ahimsa
from Sanskrit ahims, which means "not-harmful".
Ashram
ultimately from Sanskrit sramah, a religious hermitage.
Avatar
from Sanskrit avatarana, which means "descent". 15
Ayurveda
from Sanskrit yurvedah, which means "knowledge of life".
Banyan
from Sanskrit vanija, which means "a merchant".
Basmati
through Hindi ultimately from Sanskrit vsah.
18
Bhagavad-Gita
from Sanskrit, which means "song of the sublime".
Bhakti
from Sanskrit bhakti, which means "loyalty". 24
Bhang
from Hindi bhang, which is from Sanskrit bhangah "hemp".
25
12
Bharata
from Sanskrit bhrata. 26
Bidi
through Hindi ultimately from Sanskrit vtikam. 27
Brahma
from Sanskrit brahm, which means "a prayer". 28
Brahmin
from Sanskrit brahmana-s, from brahman. 30
Brinjal
from Persian badingn, probably from Sanskrit vtingana. 31
Buddha
from Sanskrit buddha, which means "awakened, enligtened",
refers to Siddhartha Gautama, founder of Buddhism 32 Also
refers to one who is enlightened in accordance with the
teachings of Buddha or a likeness of Buddha 33
Candy
from Old French sucre candi, via Arabic and Persian probably
ultimately from Sanskrit khanda "sugar", perhaps from Dravidian.
34
Chakra
from Sanskrit cakra, which means "a circle, a wheel".
Cheetah
from Hindi chita "a leopard", from Sanskrit chitraka, which means
"speckled".
Chit
from Hindi chitthi "a letter, note", which is from Sanskrit chitra-s
"uniquely marked".
Cot
from Hindi khat "a couch", which is from Sanskrit khatva. 48
Dahl
through Hindi ultimately from Sanskrit dalah, meaning cotyledon
of a pea pod, a type of Indian food, also refers to lentil in the US
Devi
from Sanskrit devi, which means "a goddess". 56
Dharma
from Sanskrit, which means "law, justice". 57
13
Dhoti
through Hindi ultimately from Sanskrit dhnoti, traditional
garment of men's wear in India.
Emerald
from Latin smaragdus, via Greek ultimately from Semitic or from
Sanskrit marakata, "emerald".
Ghee
through Hindi ultimately from Sanskrit ghritam. 69
Gurkha
via Nepalese ultimately from Sanskrit goraksah, "a cowherd". 74
Guru
via Hindi ultimately from Sanskrit guru-s, which means "a
teacher". 75
Himalaya
from Sanskrit himalayah, which means "place of snow". 78
Hindi
from Hindi Hind, via Persian Hindu "Sind" ultimately from Sanskrit
sindhu, which means "a river". 79
Jackal
from Turkish akal, from Persian shaghal, from Middle Indic
shagal, ultimately from Sanskrit srgalah "the howler
Jain or Jaina
through Hindi ultimately from Sanskrit jaina, which means
"concerning the saints". 84
Jungle
through Hindi jangal "a desert, forest" ultimately from Sanskrit
jangala-s, which means "arid
Lilac
via Arabic lilak from Persian nilak meaning "bluish", ultimately
from Sanskrit nila, which means "dark blue". 100
Loot
ultimately from Sanskrit lota-m through Hindi, which means "a
booty, stolen thing
Maharajah
through Hindi ultimately from Sanskrit maha-rjn, which means
"a great king". 103
14
Maharani
through Hindi finally from Sanskrit mahrjn, which means
"consort of a maharajah".
Mahatma
from Sanskrit mahatman, which means "a great breath, soul".
Mahout
via Hindi ultimately from Sanskrit mahmtrah
Mantra
from Sanskrit mantra-s which means "a holy message or text".
111
Maratha
from Sanskrit Maharastra, which means "a great country". 112
Namaste
through Hindi ultimately from Sanskrit namas-te, which means
"bowing to you".
Neem
through Hindi ultimately from Sanskrit nimbah, a kind of tree.
Nirvana
from Sanskrit nirvana-s which means "extinction, blowing out".
Opal
through Latin from Greek, probably ultimately from Sanskrit
upalah.
Rama
from Sanskrit Ramah, which means "pretty". 136
Ramayana
from Sanskrit Rmyanam, which means "the gait of Rama".
Rupee
through Hindi rupiy ultimately from Sanskrit rpyakam, an
Indian silver coin. 143
Sambar
through Hindi ultimately from Sanskrit ambarah, a kind of Asian
deer
Sari
through Hindi sari and Prakrit sadi, finally from Sanskrit sati
"garment". 157
Satyagraha
from Sanskrit satyagraha, which means "insisting on truth". 158
15
Shampoo
via Hindi champo probably from Sanskrit capayati, which means
"kneads". 161
Shawl
from Persian shal, finally from Sanskrit satI, which means "a strip
of cloth". 162
Shiva or Siva
through Hindi ultimately from Sanskrit Sivah, which means
"gracious".
Sikh
through Hindi sikh "a disciple", ultimately from Sanskrit siksati
which means "studies". 165
Singh
via Hindi Singh finally from Sanskrit simhah which means "a lion".
166
Singapore
via Malay ultimately from Sanskrit Simhapuram, literally "the lion
city".
Swastika
from Sanskrit svastika, which means "one associated with wellbeing, a lucky charm
Yoga
through Hindi ultimately from Sanskrit yoga-s, which means
"yoke, union".
16
SANSKRIT LITERATURE
Sanskrit literature is very famous as a rich source of knowledge.
A popular gem of Sanskrit literature is the Panchatantra.
Panchatantra was written in Sanskrit in 200 BC by a great Sanskrit
scholar named Vishnu Sharma. Panchatantra is a collection of animal
stories (fables) each giving valuable insight into politics, moral code of
conduct, and practical wisdom. It teaches the practical aspects of life
like - understanding people; choosing reliable friends; coming out of
difficult situations wisely; and living in peace while facing deceit,
hypocrisy and many problems in life.
Origin of Panchatantra is mentioned in the beginning of Panchatantra
itself. It is said that in certain state in Southern India there was a city
named Mahilaropya where a just King named Amarshakti used to rule.
The king had three sons named Vahushakti, Ugrashakti, and
Anantashakti. The three sons who were though intelligent were not
interested in any kind of learning or education. King Amarshakti was
worried about the future of the state and the princes.
When consulted, his ministers told that, it takes a minimum of twelve
years to learn Sanskrit grammar itself. Besides this the princes need
to know other scriptures like Dharma Shashtra (by Manu), Artha
Shashtra (by Chanakya) and Kama Shashtra (by Vatsyana), which will
need many more years to learn. After such disappointments a
minister named Sumati counseled that, for the princes it is necessary
to know the essentials of few scriptures than the details of all the
scriptures. He suggested a scholar named Vishnu Sharma who was
famous for teaching Neeti Shashtra in a short time.
On counsel of minister Sumati, the king invited the great scholar
Vishnu Sharma and requested him to take charge of the princes and
make them knowledgeable in political and practical wisdom. In return
he offered a hundred villages. The scholar accepted to take the
17
princes to his ashrama (hermitage) and make them knowledgeable.
But, he did not wish anything in return. For him his work was his
reward. He said "O King, listen to my words carefully. I will not sale
knowledge in return of hundred villages. Still, if I can not make your
sons expert in Neeti Shashtra, in six months, I will change my name.
This is my vow. I do not wish any wealth. I am eighty years old now
and my senses have faded away. I do not need any wealth now.
However to fulfill your wish I will entertain myself with teaching. Note
down today's date. If I do not make your sons expert in Neeti
Shashtra in six months, may I not see heaven."
Vishnu Sharma compiled Panchatantra - the five books/principles
which is a collection of animal stories. The princes listened these
stories with interest and in six months were indeed knowledgeable in
the necessary branches of political wisdom, moral code of conduct,
and practical wisdom.
TATTOOS IN SANSKRIT- THE LATEST FAD
Lots of celebrities like David Beckham and Rihanna are getting tattoos
done in Sanskrit thereby creating a new fad. In addition to Rihanna
who also has a Sanskrit prayer tattoo from the Bhagavad- Gita, MTV
winner actress Jessica Alba (Sin City), musician Tommy Lee (Motley
Crue), dancer-singer Kimberly Wyatt (Pussycat Dolls), actress-singer
Alyssa Milano (Whos the Boss), Golden Globe winner actress Gillian
Anderson (The X Files), etc., have felt an attraction to the ancient
sacred language of India and gotten Sanskrit tattoos on them.
However this has also resulted in the latest controversy. LONDON Americas leading Hindu scholars are urging top tattoo artists to read
up on their Sanskrit after noticing inked text on singer Rihanna and
soccer player David Beckhams skin is misspelled.
According to some experts, Rihannas latest tattoo inspired by the
holy text of Bhagavad- Gita is incorrectly written. Similarly, David
Beckham has his wifes name Victoria on his forearm in the Devanagri
script and it appears to read, if literally read, as Vihctoria.
