भारत नेपाल संस्कृत सम्मेलनम्: Relevance of Sanskrit in the Contemporary World- Glimpses of Indo-Nepal Sanskrit Conference

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There is now increasing awareness about the importance and relevance of Sanskrit through out the world Sanskrit was, at one time a spoken language, medium of instruction and education, language of the major texts of Philosophy, Science, Mathematics, Astronomy, Artha Shastra, Management, Economics, etc Influence of Sanskrit on many languages in India and in other countries, not only in the past but also in the present times is now fully recognised Computer software experts in England, Germany, and USA, as also in other countries, have recognised the usefulness of Sanskrit grammar, Sanskrit Sabdaboda, in developing computer software language processing and analysis in linguistics. Over the past three to four hundred years, we have lost touch with Sanskrit due to the influence of the external forces, and we are now passing through a period of crisis of values, crisis of self confidence and crisis of vision. India can prosper and rise to new heights only when we tackle this triple crisis by appropriate measures.

Relevance of Sanskrit and Sanskrit literature for the modern times can be appreciated when we understand the unique wisdom available in the Sanskrit Literature. It is only in Sanskrit literature that we get a profound National ethos and source for National Identity useful for National integration. The main feature of the National ethos is the blend of materialism and spiritualism which the Sanskrit literature pronounces. This approach of holistic man and integrated rationality of human behaviour in the frame-work of Value based system would provide a balanced perception of our challenges of development and human welfare. The emphasis given in the Sanskrit literature, on the concepts such as consciousness, duties managing oneself, control on consumerism, social ownership of resources, provide to it a unique relevance in the modern world. Sanskrit Ethos brings. out a new development and management paradigm in which, each individual is expected to perform his duties efficiently for social welfare Bhagavadgita is the most profound treatise on management and human psychology providing many important analytical and practical insights into human behaviour. Recent researches have brought out that the history books written by western scholars in the 18th and the 19th centuries, have distorted the facts about India's ancestral Scientific wisdom and the many FIRSTS of achievements of Indian Scientists realised much before the thinkers of the rest of the world.

The century beginning from 2001, should be dedicated to the cause of a new renaissance for bringing Sanskrit and the wisdom based on Sanskrit literatue to the centre stage of our intellectual pursuits. We should promote the study of Sanskrit and Sanskrit literature in the schools, colleges and science institutions. We should set up Sanskrit Science study centres in Sanskrit Institutions as also in the Science institutions Unfortunately, tendencies of leaming about the wisdom from Sanskrit literature from translations are increasing. We should enable all the interested persons to study the texts from Sanskrit itself and not from translations To achieve this end all Sanskritists at National and global levels should work together with collective spirit, missionary zeal and untired efforts.

Nepal has a rich tradition of scholarship in Sanskrit arid ancient literature The contributions made by Nepal to the different aspects of Sanskrit literature are indeed very significant. It should be stated with great appreciation that the Mahendra Sanskrit University and B.P Koirala Foundation and Indian Embassy in Nepal had taken the unique initiative of organising the first ever Conference in Kathmandu on the interesting theme of "Sanskrit and Indo-Nepal Relations" in 1998 This conference was well attended by a large number of scholars from India and Nepal I had the privilege of being invited to this Conference and also of delivering a lecture on "Sanskrit and Contemporary. Challenges at this Conference. It was during this Conference that a decision was taken to organise a similar Indo-Nepal Conference in India in the near future. At this time I had made the offer to hold such a Conference in Tirupati under the auspices of Rashtnya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha (Deemed University), Tirupati. It is in this background that this present Conference has been organised and we are pleased to find that it has been a great success, judging from the high standards of the papers presented and the lectures delivered at the Conference. We are indeed grateful to the Royal Embassy of Nepal in India, BP Koirala Foundation, Embassy of India in Nepal and to the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India for making this Conference a success. We would like to express our gratitude and appreciation to His Excellency Dr. Bhekh Bahadur Thapa, Ambassador, Royal Embassy of Nepal in India for gracing this occasion with his august presence and inaugurating the Conference. We are also grateful to Dr. Rita Thapa, Directress, Department of Health Systems and Community Health (CHS), World Health Organisation, South-East Asia Regional Office, New Delhi for her august presence and insightful lecture during the Conference. We are also thankful to the Mahendra Sanskrit University, Dang, Nepal and all the scholars from Nepal and from India for making significant contributions to the deliberations of the Conference.

At the end of the Conference we have brought out a memorandum containing several resolutions of the follow-up initiatives that need to be taken up for pursuing the various ideas emanating from the Conference.

I would like to express my warm appreciation of the untiring efforts made by Professor D. Prahlada Char, Vice-Chancellor, Rashtriya Sansknit Vidyapeetha, Tirupati and his colleagues for making this Conference a success.

I hope that this Conference volume would be found useful and inspiring by all those who have interest in this important subject of relevance of Sanskrit in the Contemporary World.

Sanskrit has a unique place in the subcontinent of Bharat It permeates through the fabric of life in this so Ever when most of the countries in the rest of the world were still in the rudimentary pursuits of knowledge Sanskrit had well defined the concept of "FULL MAN here Pathways for ideal living had been paved here it has been through ages efficiently discharging the agential duties in building up the global integrity and universal fraternity. The sister nations like Nepal also proudly claim and proclaim that they belong to this ageless Sanskrit culture They walk hand in hand with Bharat to achieve the "single global family. Particularly Nepal which is on the slopes of venerable Himalayas has much to share in this regard.

When some noble laureates and the academic stalwarts of both India and Nepal met in the recent past they aspired that the non religious content of Sanskrit should serve as an effective instrument in achieving the 21st century's ideal human fulfilment Hence they felt if necessary to prove its relevance in the contemporary world. Consequently Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha at Tirupati and the Mahendra Sanskrit University in Nepal have shouldered the responsibility of organising an Indo-Nepal Sanskrit Conference with the generous financial support of MHRD. India and B.P. Koirala India Nepal Foundation, Nepal. The conference has been successfully organised in December 2000 in the premises of Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha, Tirupati. Many dignitaries, scientists and scholars from both the countries have participated in this conference and delivered their valuable lectures on wide range of subjects pertaining to Sanskrit wisdom. Their thoughts have been churned and the nectarous deliberations have been offered for the benefit of the world.

It is obvious that whether the business men or the administrators, the politicians or the social reformers, the learned or hoi pollol - all have a feeling of love and veneration for Sanskrit. But there should be a unifying spirit to inspire all those in order to identify and utilise the potency of Sanskrit for the ultimate good of all the global citizens.

It is hoped that the contributions made in this conference are worth inspiring in this direction.

Hence those readings of the conference are all preserved in this volume and wish that the admirers of Sanskrit will cherish the volume and team together to march forward.