Fwd: [RajivMalhotraDiscussion] Amazing Sanskrit Conference
navaratna rajaramnavaratna
From: Rajiv Malhotra <RajivMal...@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Jan 8, 2012 at 6:02 PM
Subject: [RajivMalhotraDiscussion] Amazing Sanskrit Conference
To: RajivMalhot...@yahoogroups.com
My talk went exceedingly well, an entire Special Panel was on BEING
DIFFERENT and lasted 2 hours. Especially the Q&A was very deep and
engaging, with so many Sanskrit experts in the audience who interacted
for an hour. Numerous new friendships, contacts and invitations have
resulted, not only from traditional Sanskrit heads but also academic
centers. A prof. from Indian Institute of Management (Ahmedabad) wants
me to visit them and give a talk - unsure if I can do it in this trip.
I am delighted that my idea that Sanskrit centers must start purva
paksha of the west has been well received and planted in the soil
securely. It will definitely ignite some action. Several chancellors and
Vice-Chancellors were there, and want further discussions with me on how
to proceed with the launch of "reversing the gaze on" from India. Many
voices felt empowered to think and speak in this manner- they had been
programmed to follow certain channels and live within certain
boundaries, from which they will now burst out with confidence.
Our traditional Sanskrit scholars (the ones who did not get digested
into Western Universalism) are so incredibly sharp in their knowledge
and debating skills, and it was a delight to explain to them "the west's
philosophical DNA" as seen from our lens. My tiger/deer analogy has
caught the imagination in the right circle at the highest levels, and
many prominent persons remarked that we have to stop being like the
deer.
How I wish that our billionaires who gave their tens of millions of
dollars to places like Harvard had, instead, given at least some small
portion of it toward such new path breaking initiatives.
Thanks to your sponsorship, the distribution of BD copies has been going
very effectively. The conference is spread across two prestigious
locations. The talks are in Vigyan Bhavan where we did manage to "sneak
in" many boxes of BD, and with the help of a team of students of
Sanskrit we gave every attendee at my talk a complimentary copy. In
parallel, in the other location, IGNCA (Indira Gandhi National Center
for Arts) is where all the bookstall are. There I made arrangements with
3 stalls to distribute copies of BD. I am glad to say that the owner of
DKPW and also Indica (both good publishers of Indology) enthusiastically
agreed to prominently display BD, and sell it for a token Rs 50 with the
proceeds donated to a local cause. The third publisher I worked with was
Motilal Banarsidas (largest Indology publisher in India) but they
declined to carry it unless they were given commercial terms to make a
profit. They were very candid that theirs is a strictly commercial
involvement and for any cause per se. So I had to take the books back
from them. But we are not missing their participation because the other
channels are working very effectively.
The bad news is: My talk was not videotaped because none of the talks
are being recorded.
There are some other major world conference on relevant subjects that
are being planned on a very large scale - one in Philippines in 2013 and
the next World Sanskrit Conference in 2015 in Bangkok. The organizers
and conveners have approached me to get involved to shape these in the
right direction. They have massive budgets and big potential to make an
impact. Had I the resources, energy and health I would have been able to
utilize these doors that have opened to further our cause. I will still
do my best within my limits. The good news is that the doors have opened
wide. Our ideas are well respected and being welcomed into important
groups.
Malti Auckle
Namo nama.hFrom: navaratna rajaramnavaratna <rajaramn...@gmail.com>
To: bvpar...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Monday, January 9, 2012 3:49 AM
Subject: {भारतीयविद्वत्परिषत्} Fwd: [RajivMalhotraDiscussion] Amazing Sanskrit Conference
अथ चेत्त्वमिमं धर्म्यं संग्रामं न करिष्यसि।
ततः स्वधर्मं कीर्तिं च हित्वा पापमवाप्स्यसि।।
तस्मादुत्तिष्ठ कौन्तेय युद्धाय कृतनिश्चयः।
निराशीर्निर्ममो भूत्वा युध्यस्व विगतज्वरः।। (भ.गी.)
