Acharya's foreword to stotra ranjani

॥ वर्धतां दैवी वाक् ॥

संस्कृतं नाम दैवी वाग् अन्वाख्याता महर्षिभिः इति काव्यादर्शे आचार्यः दण्डी। इयं संस्कृतभाषा अत्यन्तं प्राचीना। कदा अस्याः भाषायाः उत्पत्तिः इति तु अनुसन्धानस्य विषयः। जगति अस्मिन् सर्वप्राचीनं वाङ्मयम् ऋग्वेदः इति निर्विवादम्। अस्मिन् प्राचीने वाङ्मये एव संस्कृतस्य एतादृशः विकासः आश्चर्यजनकः। अतः एव संस्कृतभाषा अनादिः आदिरहिता इति कथनं प्रसिद्धम्। एतस्याः भाषायाः प्रयोगः आदिकालाद् एव नियमानुसारी। पुनः च इयं यथा भाषणे तथा एव लेखने अपि। उभयत्र अस्याः भाषायाः एकरूपता। अतः एव इयं भाषा अध्ययनाय अतीव सुलभा, तेन एव कारणेन अतीव कठिना च​।

एतस्यां भाषायां विद्यमानानि वाङ्मयानि नितरां हृद्यानि मनसः आकर्षकाणि च। तस्माद् एव कारणात् संस्कृतवाङ्मयं बह्वीसु इतरासु भाषासु अनूदितम्। एकस्य एव वाक्यस्य अनुवादः व्यक्तिभेदेन भिन्नः। वस्तुतः मौलिकं तत्त्वम् ज्ञातुं मूलभाषायाः अध्ययनम् अनिवार्यम्। इदं संस्कृतभाषायाः अपि समानम्। अतः संस्कृतवाङ्मयस्य अध्ययनं संस्कृतभाषया एव करणीयम्। तदर्थं संस्कृतभाषाज्ञानम् आवश्यकम्। संस्कृतभाषायाः अध्ययनाय सत्सु बहुषु उपायेषु सरलः उत्तमः उपायः कः इति प्रश्नः।

तस्य प्रश्नस्य एव समाधानम् इयं स्तोत्ररञ्जनी। अस्य अध्ययनसाधनस्य उद्देश्यद्वयम् - एकम् आध्यात्मिकरूपेण स्तोत्राणाम् अध्ययनम्, द्वितीयम् अनायासेन संस्कृतभाषायाः अध्ययनम् इति। अर्थात् अनेन अर्थज्ञानेन सह स्तोत्रपठनम् इति पुण्यं, संस्कृतस्य अध्ययनम् इति लाभद्वयम्। पुनः प्राप्तेन संस्कृतज्ञानेन इतरेषां संस्कृतसाहित्यानाम् अवबोधसामर्थ्यम् इति महान् लाभः च​।

इयं स्तोत्ररञ्जनी अतीव परिश्रमेण सूक्ष्मेक्षिकया च सम्पादिता। अत्र पाठकानाम् अध्येतॄणां च सौकर्याय श्लोकः, पदच्छेदः, अन्वयः, पदपरिचयः, समस्तपदानां विग्रहवाक्यं, श्लोकस्य तात्पर्यम् इति क्रमः आश्रितः। किं च ये अध्येतारः पाठकाः वा देवनागरीलिप्या न परिचिताः तेषां सौकर्याय सर्वं विवरणं रोमन्-लिप्या अपि लिप्यन्तरणं विधाय प्रस्तुतम्। एतेन भारतीयानां विदेशीयानां च महान् उपकारः। नूनम् एषः प्रयत्नः सफलः इति मम विश्वासः।

इयं स्वाध्यायसामग्री श्रीमत्याः रोहिणी बक्शी वर्यायाः मानसप्रसूतिः। तस्याः संस्कृतविषये अनुरागः, संस्कृतसेवा, संस्कृतप्रचारतत्परता, सततं संस्कृतविषये चिन्तनम् इति सर्वस्यापि इदं फलम्। तस्याः सहयोगिनः आचार्यनारायणन्-नम्बूदिरि, विद्यावारिधिः विनायकरजतः एवम् अन्येषां च परिश्रमस्य एव इदं फलम्। अस्मिन् पवित्रे कर्मणि अर्थशास्त्रविदः भारत​-नीति-आयोग-सदस्य च डा.बिबेकदेबरायवर्यस्य प्रेरणं प्रोत्साहनं च अविस्मरणीयम्।

एषा अध्ययनसामग्री सर्वेषां पाठकानाम् अध्येतॄणां च उपकारकः प्रीतिकरः च इति मम विश्वासः इति शम्॥

Sanskrit – the Divine Language

Sanskrit is known as divine language. It is perfect and more copious than any other language in the world. It is beyond debate that Sanskrit Grammar is the most flawlessly structured and constructed as compared to the grammar of other languages. Further, it is a well acknowledged fact that the literature of Sanskrit and particularly Rigveda is the most ancient literature of the world. Sanskrit literature is well acclaimed for its richness in thoughts, spiritual content, culture etc. Though there are translations available of this treasure in many languages, they are subjected to the individual mind, adaptation, understanding and so on. To comprehend the original thought content in Sanskrit one must read the unadulterated original works in Sanskrit. This is not possible unless one has a fair knowledge and comprehension in Sanskrit. There are many readers available in the market and also online resources to learn Sanskrit. However, there is hardly a study material available to make the learner learn Sanskrit instinctively during the process of learning.

One such innovative effort is made through this Stotra Ranjiñī that presents the language indirectly through the process of learning stotras. In this reader various stotras are presented in a comprehensible methodology, through which one can understand the meaning of a particular stotra as well as learn Sanskrit language. Here, śloka, word-split, word-order, explanation of each word, defining the compounds, and meaning are given in a sequence, so that learner could understand every little bit of the śloka completely at his/her own pace and progress. Further, transliteration of the ślokas and other important feature are also given to facilitate the learner who do not know Devanāgari script. This makes the Independent Study Reader more attractive and globally accepted. Further, the readers are doubly benefited to be acquainted with various stotras besides learning Sanskrit. I hope that this Stotra Ranjiñī will attract the readers globally and prove the most competent tool for learning Sanskrit and stotras.

This Stotra Ranjiñī is indeed a brain child of Smt. Rohini Bakshi a Sanskrit scholar who is known for her love for Sanskrit besides her services for the propagation and preservation of Sanskrit language and the treasures hidden in Sanskrit. I congratulate her for her efforts in bringing out this reader that would benefit readers globally. I also congratulate Sri Narayanan Namboodiri and Dr.Vinayak Rajat Bhat who put their efforts in giving shape to this Stotra Ranjiñī. I know that publishing this reader would not have been possible without the motivation and encouragement of Dr. Bibek Debroy an eminent Economist and Member, Niti Ayog, Government of India.           

I hope that this Reader will attract the readers worldwide and facilitate their Sanskrit learning.

*****

The importance of learning #Sanskrit and having a good teacher

@iksusara

We are grateful for the hard work that has been done by so many volunteers who have set up websites and blogs translating stotras and pujas. But sometimes there are mistakes and it can be very frustrating. If you don't know Sanskrit, you are stuck with whatever word and translation that is given. However I have been fortunate enough  to learn a little Sanskrit, and more importantly to have met an Acharya, whose patience and intellectual generosity knows no bounds. He's never condescending, always ready to answer even the most basic query. I wish all enthusiasts had the opportunity to interact with someone like him to increase their knowledge. 

This exchange is only one example of many, many that I have had with him. Despite all his commitments, he responds as soon as possible and in more detail than one could possibly expect! I humbly request you to follow him, and to learn Sanskrit yourself to access the ancient scriptures in a more informed manner. For this is only one word in a stotra. Imagine the skills you need to read the shastra, purana, veda!

Earlier this week we translated verses from शिवाष्टकम् on #SanskritAppreciationHour. One particular compound was problematic as a result of different spellings on different websites (all of decent to good repute.) The verse was:

कपालं त्रिशूलं कराभ्यां दधानं पदाम्भोज नम्राय कामं ददानम् ।

बलीवर्द्यमानं  सुराणां प्रधानं शिवं शङ्करं शम्भुं ईशानं ईडे ॥ 6 ॥ 

The compound in question appeared in three different sites as बलीवर्द्यमानम् बलीवर्धमानम् and बलीवर्द्ययानम् Puzzled, I approached Acharya Ramanuja DEVANATHAN (@iksusara) And he clarified for all or our benefit.

“Right word is बलीवर्दयानं, Other textual variations have no valid to the context. बलीवर्दः यानं यस्य सः=बलीवर्दयानः=शिवः, तं बलीवर्दयानं, बलीवर्दः=bull, one who has bull as his vehicle. बलम् अस्य अस्ति इति=बली, one who has strength. बली च ईवर्दः च=बलीवर्दः। ईवरौ ददाति इति=ईवर्दः one who gives wealth and boon. ई=wealth, वर्=boon, ई च वर् च=ईवरौ। So बलीवर्दः means one who has strength and gives wealth and boon. Shiva has बलीवर्दः as his vehicle.”

I then asked Acharya:

Out of curiosity and only for purpose of discussion, I got balee-vardhamaanam from this site http://www.hinduliterature.org/sanskrit/stotrams/shivashtakam.php … Now, maana ending is aatmane pada present participle (growing, increasing) in my understanding, it cannot be used as a causative (preraka) as in - he causes strenght to increase. But in Hindi we do use vardhamaana in that sense. Could that be the cause for confusion?

He replied:

वर्धते>वर्धमान is OK. Same can be used as causative also. This is known as अन्तर्भावित णिच्। This simply means use of कर्तरि is treated as णिच् (causative), though there is no णिच्। The issue here is, it should be then बलिवर्धमानं not बलीवर्धमानम्। बलिः is both masculine and feminine gender (though meaning differs). So it should be with short vowel and with long vowel. Even if we take this बलिन् (बलम् अस्य अस्ति), then also it will take short vowel in a compound. So if we treat this as with short vowel (बलिवर्धमानं) then there arises another issue I.e. छन्दोभङ्गः। Meaning also does not fit into context. If it is बलवर्धमानं then OK. Again here छन्दोभङ्गः। Hence, it should be बलीवर्दयानं and meaning also clear. So it should be with short vowel and not with long vowel.

Call For Paintings! #SanskritAppreciationHour

Budding artists! This might be your big break. Members of the #SanskritAppreciationHour team are putting together a collection of stotras and ashtakas in a digital book.

We would like to embellish this with original artwork. Plates of Ganesh, Vishnu, Shiva, Surya and Ganga are required.

If you are looking to reach a wider audience, consider partnering with us. We are not able to compensate you at this stage, but the stotra-book will have a wide readership in India and abroad; your work will receive deserving recognition.

How it works:

Send us your plate (or plates) via email to sanskritappreciation@gmail.com.

The artworks will be displayed on a website, under five (deity) categories.

People will be urged to visit the website, where they can vote for your artwork(s). We will ask our followers, you can ask friends and family!

The painting receiving the most number of votes in each category will be chosen for the stotra-book.

There will be 5 plates in all, finally.

Look forward to seeing some brilliant devotional art!

On behalf of #SanskritAppreciationHour,
Rohini Bakshi

Vichar Mahakumbh: Sanskrit as a Language of Spirituality, Values and Education

Sanskrit as a Language of Spirituality, Values and Education 

I was glad to have been invited as a speaker in the ‘Vichar Mahakumbh’ held in Ujjain from 12-14 of May 2016 in which thousands of delegates and participants had gathered to do ‘vichar manthan’ on the topic “The Right Way of Life”. After reaching the venue I found my name among the list of speakers in a session called ‘Spirituality, Values and Education’. As a number of Sanskrit scholars and enthusiasts also had gathered in the convention, I decided to speak on Sanskrit as a one stop solution to the crisis in the field of spirituality, values and education. The time given to each speaker was 5-10 minute in which I managed to communicate to the gathering a few important features of Sanskrit and highlighted that we Indians must give the knowledge of Sanskrit to our children. The children of India must not grow ignorant about Sanskrit and the whole tradition therein.  

Here am providing the note that I had prepared on the same day for my talk. 

Sanskrit as a Mantric Language 

Any language can be released from its inertia and elevated to the level of Mantra. It all depends upon the users of the language: how and for what purpose the language is being used. But in the case of Sanskrit it has been designed from its very inception as a Mantric language. The language is so flawlessly structured that anyone who comes in contact with it feels a greater force behind its words. The musical and rhythmic beauty of this language, its power of expression, the purity and vibration of its sounds, the eternal relationship between its words and senses, all these have made Sanskrit a wonderful language which, like a Mantra, has the power to uplift and illumine and enlighten. 

The ideal of a spiritual or Mantirc language is to reproduce as faithfully as possible, within the limitations of human consciousness, the vibratory rhythm or sound values of an experience in a pregnant utterance. A Mantric language is an ideal language and it enables the individual to express his experience (1) with no loss or minimum loss of the content of the experience, (2) with minimum expenditure of energy, and (3) using minimum words. When we look at Sanskrit, we find all these ideals are in full manifestation. What can be more precise than the Upanishads and the sutra writings!  

The quality of a language then depends on the efficiency and effectiveness with which the language enables the individual to express his experience; how perfectly it can communicate and arouse in the listener the exact experience of the speaker. It has to encompass the infinite variety and richness of life, its moods, its depths and its heights and reflect them like a perfect mirror, without any distortions. This is a difficult and challenging task. It demands the capacity to harmonise contradictory qualities. The language must be supple and flexible, capable of subtle shades and nuances, and yet efficient and efficacious, clear, precise and unambiguous. It must be compact and pithy and also rich and opulent; concise yet suggestive, strong and powerful yet sweet and charming, capable of growth and expansion to meet new challenges of the future, and at the same time an inspiring repository of all the great achievements of the past. An impossible demand, one would say. But Sanskrit has successfully met this challenge as perhaps no other language has. When we look at Sanskrit, we find that in the course of its long evolution it has acquired a fullness and completeness. In other words, this is a language which is complete in all the dimensions of its personality. Its power of expression is commendable. Its power to create new words is incredible. Its flexibility is remarkable. Its linguistic structure is unblemished. Its richness of vocabulary is unparalleled. Its literature marks excellence in all fields of knowledge. This is why it is known as ‘Sanskrit’ – that which is sculpted to perfection and has been well structured and refined to the utmost.  

As a Mantric language Sanskrit works like a Force functioning at many levels of consciousness, ever purifying, ever formative and creative. It not only tells us or makes us feel that we are potentially Divine but also helps us in manifesting that and leading us from the level of man-animal (pashu) to man-Human (viira) to the man-Divine (divya). In this way Sanskrit has immense power to make the Divine Life possible upon the earth. This is the sole purpose of a Mantra: to bring in the transformation. It is in this sense that Sanskrit is a Mantric language. This is the language that attunes us with the cosmic creative vibration which is capable of bringing the real change. This is the language which tells us in numerous ways that all is Divine and shows us how live life in the right way. 

The Utmost Flexibility of Sanskrit and its Power of Expression 

Sanskrit is immensely capable of expressing every kind of human experience, spiritual, aesthetic and intellectual. It has an unambiguous linguistic structure. Its grammar is perfect. It is unimaginably rich in its vocabulary. It provides various alternatives and possibilities from which the speaker can choose just the right word and the right structure. Here comes the significance of synonyms in Sanskrit. This is a language where synonyms are plenty. What is a synonym?   In most languages, synonyms are different names for the same object. They are words that grow out of a convention and do not often have any inherent significance. One could have used the same word to denote a completely different object and, if the convention was sufficiently strong, the word would become a synonym for that object. But this is not so in Sanskrit. Firstly, the name is not just a convention but grows out of a root with the addition of specific suffixes. Therefore, its meaning too is not a convention but is very specific and determined. The synonyms of a word are not just alternate names, where one can replace one by another. Each synonym grows out of and reveals a special quality or attribute of that object. In this sense Sanskrit is not an object specific but a property based language. One has to choose from the many possibilities the one that conveys best the exact property in mind.  

For example the word fire has as many as thirty-four equivalents in Sanskrit. The dictionary called Amarakosha prepared by Amarasimha is a dictionary of equivalent words in Sanskrit. Fire is known by many names like: Agni, Vahni, Jvalana, Anala, Shushmaa, Dahana, Paavaka, Hutabhuk etc. Each word here has a specific and different connotation and leads to a particular experience with fire, represents a particular quality of fire. For example vahni comes from the root vah ‘to carry’, and means that which carries (the offerings to the gods); while jvalana  comes from the root jval ‘to burn’, and means that which is burning; similarly paavaka comes from the root puu  ‘to purify’, and means that which purifies; and shusmaa comes from the root shush ‘to dry’, and means that which dries up. The word anala means ‘not enough’ na alam, it conveys that nothing is enough for the fire. It is the all devourer, ever dissatisfied one. The entire creation can go into the mouth of the fire still it is not enough. So, it is for the writer or the speaker to decide the most appropriate word for ‘fire’ in a given context. This adds to the expressiveness of Sanskrit.  

As a perfect language Sanskrit has the capacity to grow, to meet the demands of completely new experiences. It not only allows but enables its users to create new words to suit their needs. From this point of view, Sanskrit is extremely elaborate and sophisticated. Sanskrit has the ability to create new words and any amount of words to meet the challenges of future. It has got a beautiful system of formation of words by combining its root-sounds with suffixes and prefixes. 

The Practical Value of Learning Sanskrit 

Learning Sanskrit is always fascinating. Sanskrit, as many conscious learners have experienced, generates joy, clarity, purity and peace. It is indeed a perfect harmonizer (saamarasyaparaayaNaa) that harmonizes the body, mind and soul. It leads to true happiness and fills the heart and mind with a perfect sense of immortality. Its purity draws us, inspires us, and constantly reminds us of the true aim of our life, makes us conscious of the Truth that exists within us. The rhythmic beauty and melody of this language, vibrational purity of its sounds, richness of its phonetic quality, transparency of its root-sounds and their senses, richness of its vocabularies and thought contents, all these have made Sanskrit not just great but a language of relevance in all ages.  

Sanskrit as a highly systematic and structured language, trains the mind to think logically, brings clarity of expression, develops intellectual strength, provides keen insight into the meanings of the words, and refines the various levels of consciousness. The vibrational quality of Sanskrit has a direct impact on the functioning of the brain, and can help in enhancing memory and the ability to concentrate. Sanskrit, when taught right from an early age, helps immensely in the inner growth of the children by empowering the inner faculties like concentration, memory, observation, thinking, imagination, creativity etc. This indeed is the true aim of Education: to help a child to grow from within. Herein lies the most practical value of learning Sanskrit.  

Conclusion 

It is not enough to study Sanskrit and learn it in terms of its vocabulary with grammatical structure and usage – that may serve only a preliminary acquaintance. But a real and intimate entry in it would demand a proper initiation into its native character, its inherent nature, its vision, its philosophy and science and yogic and occult dynamism. Sanskrit, when learnt and taught with this vision in the mind, becomes a fit vehicle not only for communication but for transformation as well. It is not just a language. It is, indeed, a self-existent truth and power that can arouse in us the ideas of Truth and Reality. 

-Sampadananda Mishra, SAFIC, Puducherry, India