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World Sanskrit Conference In Delhi: Presidential Speech
After the end of the sessions of any conference, the participants shall talk about the conference with enthusiasm. ‘Oh, the conference was like this, like that, ….’ so on and so forth. The moment you will hear the word conference you shall experience horripilation.
One has to remember the presidential speech forever, if not, at least for one week. It shall be published all over the news papers and especially Sanskrit Magazines. Sanskrit professors shall discuss the points of the presidential speech in front the students. ‘‘An important event took place regarding Sanskrit and I am part and parcel of that event” this kind of thinking shall be sprouted in the hearts of the students and they shall be encouraged to discuss the matters regarding the papers (not all, a few selected) and of course, presidential speech.
In reality, what is going on? Before telling that, I would like to inform you about Kannada conferences. Put questions on Kannada conferences to any student who has been studying Kannada as major subject in their BA degree course. You will realize that he/she does know something about conferences, like, who presided the conference, what the important points he/she has raised in his/her presidential speech so on and so forth.
Meet Sanskrit professors and ask the same question. I doubt whether you will have the same satisfaction.
I personally do not know that where the first world Sanskrit conference was held and who presided. I can now find the answer now because of internet-that is different matter. But, while I was a student in the Sanskrit department of a reputed University struggling to have freedom from hearing the boring lectures of Ph.D.holding professors, I did not even slightest hint that these kinds of Sanskrit conferences were being conducted.
The traditional pundits are better. You may be wonderstruck to observe that these pundits do know contemporary scholars with the titles of their modern shastric works. They react quickly. They react sharply to the unacceptable views.
Mahamahopadhyaya Kuppuswamishastri, being president of Sanskrit conference conducted in Kolkatta(28th 29th and 30th September 1926 )by Kolkata Samskrita Parishad, threw a bomb by stating that the author of Vyutpattivaada, erred in understanding the sentence ‘‘upasadbhishcharitvaa maasamekam agnihotram juhothi”. He lamented that the Naiyaayikas sit always in their ‘avacchedaka ‘ den and have narrow sighted views. They do not come out of their ‘avacchedaka’ cage, he opined. ‘The Naiyaayikas don’t have interest in anything other than Nyaayashaastra’- this is the summary of his sarcastic remarks.
This generated very heated debate. In the magazine namely Vidyodaya, scholars wrote letters to the editor strongly protesting Kuppuswamishastri’s remarks on Gadadhara. The sentence ‘‘upasadbhishcharitvaa maasamekam agnihotram juhothi” is wrongly analyzed by Bacchaa Jhaa and Kuppuswamishastri’s comment is depended upon the same Baccha Jhaa, some opined. Some scholars, in their letters showed how the ‘avacchedaka’ concept is very important in placing Shastic theories in unambiguous and strictly disciplined sentence patterns.
See? How the traditional pundits are lively.
In the presidential speech of so called world Sanskrit conferences, no mention is made of Sanskrit publications with Sanskrit introductions even though they are brim over information. As per my knowledge goes, no president of World Sanskrit conference has mentioned Abhidhaanarajendrakosha, the prakrit-Sanskrit encyclopedic dictionary on Jainism. No president has mentioned Dharmakosha, an encyclopedic collection of Dharmashastra and Upanishad bhashyas. In the Sanskritists’ circle you may hear Encyclopedia of Indian philosophy by Potter because the work is produced in English!
Traditional pundits may have sat in ‘avacchedaka’ cage. But the Ph.D holding professors have been scrolling in English cage.
Who knows, as a reader, you yourself may be the president of World Sanskrit Conference. One or two hints I would like to give you for your successful speech.
Get ready and make arrangements to rain sycophancy to Sanskrit publications with English Introductions. Praise some selected American and European scholars to the sky. Don’t try to know about any research thesis written in Sanskrit. Don’t even mention any modern Sanskrit work as if it is not existing at all. Denounce Indian government with strongest possible terms for not doing anything to promote bogus ‘projects’.
Your duty will be over, Mr.(or Mrs.) President!
N.B. Indian Government has been funding to so many private ‘Sanskrit-uplifting’(?) organizations where either guys with zero knowledge in Sanskrit or Sanskrit-degree-holders with cheating mentality are becoming directors. They appoint good young scholars and cheat them by not giving salary they deserve. Without checking credentials of ‘directors’, modern ‘Sanskrit Academies’ are given money. Here credential means writing ability in Sanskrit and not having mere Sanskrit M.A. degree or professorship in University. Instead of forming enquiry committee against money-devouring directors of ‘‘ Sanskrit research(?) academies”, government has been pampering them.
About the Author
I born in the year 1956, I would like to become fulltime writer in Sanskrit.
Aabhaanakajagannatha, a collection of 1300 of my own Sanskrit proverbs is recently published.
My another work is, ‘dve mukhe(two faces)’. It is a work of two humorous long poems. It is available at ‘Serene Woods. com’ As per my knowledge goes, this is the first time a Sanskrit work is published online.