Media Statement by Veda Shikshana Samithi on Samskrita Promotion

[media. syndicate]

Bangalore

Date: 22^nd January 2015

Importance of Samksrita language does not need elaboration.  Although Samskrita universities are operating in the formal education set-up, opportunities are not available for all students to choose Samskrita as first, second or third language.  There are many voluntary organizations and private institutions striving hard to support Samksrita.  Although structured short-term courses, Correspondence certification courses, and spoken Samskrita workshops are conducted by these institutions, they remain outside the ambit of official education system.  Samskrita education is also taken up by self-sustained groups pursuing language, literature, treatises related to specific branches of knowledge, and Vedas.  Samskrita promotion activities of prominent Mutts, and societal groups and individual scholars are not integrated in the education system.  In this context, Kiran Desai issued the following statement of Veda Shikshana Samithi.

“VSS draws the attention of all concerned to the immediate need of recognizing quality Samskrita initiatives of the civic society by the government and integrating them into the university education system.  While providing recognition and resources to Samskrita initiatives, the government should retain the autonomy of programmes sustained by non-governmental institutions.

VSS calls upon Ministry of Human Resource Development, and State Education Departments to recognize Sanskrit courses such as those offered by Bharateeya Vidya Bhavan, short term courses such as those offered by Surasaraswathi Sabha, correspondence course such as those offered by Samskrita Bharathi, traditional Samskrita Vidyalayas managed by Mutts belonging to Shaiva, and Vaishnava order, Vedic classes conducted by thousands of Vedic scholars in private and public premises across the country.  VSS also requests governmental measures identifying all individuals, institutions and initiatives engaged in Samskrita Education and extending recognition and material support to them with immediate effect.”

NOTES

Initiatives of the civic society refer to any initiative motivated by cultural, historical, and Sanatanic elements and related to Samskrita.

Non-governmental institutions refer to Trusts, Societies, and Charitable companies, Commercial establishments, Individuals, unregistered social groups, and any other recognized and unrecognized social entities. 

Samskrita Bharathi offers a correspondence course having simple graded examinations at four levels - Pravesha, Parichaya, Shiksha, and Kovida.  The course duration at each level is six months.  On-line coaching  and speaking classes are available for course registrants.

Sri Surasaraswathi Sabha conducts simple Sanskrit Examinations in five levels.  Meritorious students who pass the examination with distinction are recognized.  The Sabha, with the assistance of competent scholars, has prepared scientifically graded textbooks, which facilitates the earnest to learn and master the language. Prathama, Dwiteeya, Triteeya, Tureeya and Pravesha are the five examinations, which are conducted by the Sabha twice a year during January and August (Usually the last Sunday of the month). Dedicated Sanskrit scholars, who train the earnest students voluntarily, are verily the backbone of the Sabha.

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan conducts short-term courses on Sanskrit Language, Sanskrit Vyakarana Pravesha, and Bhagavad-Gita.  Courses are also conducted covering life and philosophy of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, ‘Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu (Sanskrit poetics on Bhakti-rasa) of Rupa Goswami (Section 1-2).  The word-to-word meaning of the text, explanation with reference to context, and the exposition of the Bhakti-rasa in Sanskrit poetics as per Gaudiya Vaishnavite tradition will be covered in the teaching of this course.

Vedic Schools are managed by various non-governmental organizations in almost every state and major cities of the country training thousands of students at a reasonable cost.

Vedic scholars formally trained by traditional institutions are spread across the country.  They are engaged in various professions that includes paurohitya and Jyothisha.  Many of them, thousands in numbers, are conducting Veda classes to the interested disciples without any expectation in return. 

PDF version of the statement