Losing the knowledge of Sanskrit would mean losing the ability to understand the scriptural traditions of India, said David Katz, chairman of the board of directors, Muktabodha Indological Research Institute, on Friday.
Mr. Katz addressed a group of enthusiasts at the Asiatic Society Library in Fort on the digital preservation of sacred Sanskrit manuscripts, a task that has been undertaken by the Muktabodha Indological Institute.
Calling Sanskrit as the key to our past, Mr. Katz, who is also a professor of neuroscience and psychiatry, said it goes hand-in-hand with the wisdom in the ancient history of India. “These are not ordinary scriptures. They comprise the knowledge of how to transform our experience of who we are and the world in general. They are a ticket to decreasing the ignorance of our true nature,” he said.
Preserving the scriptures is equivalent to preserving the knowledge of humanity. “It is as if somebody in the West were to lose the ability to read the Bible. These texts and scriptures are that of wisdom. The truths about the nature of the Self that they reveal are universal,” he said.
Mr. Katz also spoke about tremendous interest in the West about Indology. “Western scholars are very interested in Indological studies and Sanskrit. There are more Sanskrit departments in the United States, Europe and Japan than in India. It is important to bring awareness about preservation in India too,” he said.
Having started digitising scriptures two decades ago, the Muktabodha Indological Research Institute has worked on 2,600 manuscripts that are now freely available to scholars and seekers through its digital library. Besides that, the institute has also started a Vedha Shala to teach Vedic chants. In India, the digitisation work takes place in Varanasi.
However, in times like these, where the usage of Sanskrit has reduced, there are several challenges that the team faces in the process of digitisation.
“Often, the scriptures we receive are stained or torn. Our scholars have to then go through various versions to get the accurate record of what is in it. The financial part is a challenge too,” Mr. Katz said.
While cameras and scanners are used for the process, scholars go through the manuscripts and scriptures precisely, before they are typed out by the Muktabodha typists. They are then made available on the e-library.
“There are millions of manuscripts in India and abroad. We rely on our scholars and academic advisory council. We are not going after every text as not all have the same level of significance. Our scholars go through different versions to compare and create a critical edition based on references. They try to identify to the best of their ability the original version,” Mr. Katz said.
Asha Kasbekar, trustee of the Institute, said, “India has a rich past, but poor history. Without Sanskrit, we will not have a bridge to access our own past and heritage. Our past is entirely in Sanskrit. Preservation therefore becomes important. Sanskrit is the key to our ancient history and who we are.”
