Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha (RSVP) Chancellor and former Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswami has appealed to the Sanskrit academic fraternity to make the language easier to stay in the reckoning.
“While undertaking a new orientation in Sanskrit research and publishing manuscripts is important, making it simple through ‘Everyday Sanskrit’ to reach out to people is equally important,” he noted. “The flowery, sophisticated and literary Sanskrit has its indisputable place, but it is not needed when you to go to buy provisions or talk to your neighbour on current affairs. Simple Sanskrit is needed in everyday context,” he observed.
In his presidential address at the Vidyapeetha’s 19th convocation here on Monday, Mr. Gopalaswami laid emphasis on pursuing research on the unknown but not necessarily on something new. “While the world advocates organic farming by realising the long-term damage caused by chemical fertilisers, let us revisit the Ayurveda, Vriksh Ayurveda, Upavana Vinoda and other knowledge texts,” he said, indicating that ancient texts offered solutions to modern-day problems. He equated the precious manuscripts to a “handful of dust” if the knowledge therein was not unearthed and utilised.
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Guest of honour and noted manuscriptologist M.A. Lakshmithathachar saw the need for Sanskrit scholars joining hands with technologists for achieving synergy. He referred to his recent findings ‘Trinetraloha’, a unique alloy lighter than water, a paint that does not fade even after hundred years and a unique brick-making technology referred to in ‘Vishnu Dharmottara Purana’, which has been validated by scientists. He also cited NASA’s acceptance of Sanskrit as the best suited language for computer processing, referring to its usage for encryption by military forces.
The varsity presented honoris causa ‘Mahamahopadhyaya’ awards to Prof. Lakshmithathachar, Swami Tattvavidananda, K. Satyavageeswara Ganapatigal and Kompella Satyanarayana, while Gopavajhala Bala Subrahmanya Sastry, Prof. Varadachariar Kannan and Dr. Pappu Venugopala Rao were conferred the ‘Vachaspati’ title. In his welcome address, Vice-Chancellor Hare Krishna Satapathy listed out the developmental activities of the year, while Registrar C. Umashankar presented the candidates for medals and prizes. In all, 852 students (both regular and distance mode) received degrees.