World Sanskrit Day, also known as International Sanskrit Day, Sanskrit Diwas, and Vishwa Samskrita Dinam is observed on Shravana Poornima (full moon). This year, Sanskrit Diwas falls on Thursday, 31 August. The day is celebrated to create awareness and promote one of the ancient and oldest Indian languages known as Sanskrit.
Sanskrit language has a great significance, and is known to be the foundation of different classical texts in fields like Literature, Philosophy, Mathematics, and Science.
On the occasion of World Sanskrit Day, different activities are being held to highlight the importance of Sanskrit language, and the measures to preserve it. Some of the Sanskrit Day activities include, seminars, workshops, educational speeches and lectures.
When Is World Sanskrit Day Celebrated?
World Sanskrit Day is celebrated on Shravana Poornima or full moon night. World Sanskrit Day 2023 will be celebrated on 31 August.
What Is the Theme of World Sanskrit Day 2023?
The theme of World Sanskrit Day 2023 is not known yet.
Why Is the World Sanskrit Day Celebrated?
The World Sanskrit Day is celebrated to promote Sanskrit – the World's oldest language. It also commemorates the birth anniversary of Pāṇini –great Sanskrit Scholar and grammarian. Sanskrit is known as the Dev Vani, meaning the language of Gods.
In Hinduism, Sanskrit language has a great significance because many Hindu scriptures like Vedas, Upanishads, and Bhagavad Gita have been written in Sanskrit.
History of World Sanskrit Day
The history of World Sanskrit Day dates back to the year 1969, when Indian Government declared to celebrate the World Sanskrit Day to commemorate the great work of Pāṇini in the field of Sanskrit language and linguistics. (Source: indiaconvey.com).
According to indiaconvey.com, "Sanskrit, an Indo–Aryan language, has managed to leave a mark not only in the Indian subcontinent – its reach extends to continents like Europe. Sir William Jones, an English scholar, came to India in 1783 and served as the judge of the British Supreme Court in Calcutta. He already had a passion for Indic languages and started researching, reading, and understanding the intricacies of Sanskrit. He had a new found respect for the language and owing to this respect, he founded the Asian Society and translated Manusmriti, Kalidasa’s Abhijnana Shakuntala, Ritu Samhara, and Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda into English."
Significance of World Sanskrit Day
The significance of World Sanskrit Day or Sanskrit Diwas includes the following:
1. To promote the ancient language Sanskrit, and highlight its historical, cultural, and intellectual value.
2. Sanskrit is an integral part of India's heritage. Therefore, the aim of the day is to preserve this language for upcoming generations.
3. World Sanskrit Day acknowledges the contribution of Sanskrit language in different fields like Literature, Science, Philosophy, and more.
4. Currently, Sanskrit is not widely spoken in India. The purpose of World Sanskrit Day is to encourage people to study and use Sanskrit language.
5. World Sanskrit Day focuses on highlighting the linguistic, literary, and cultural aspects of Sanskrit on a global level.
World Sanskrit Day 2023: Inspirational Quotes
Following are some inspirational and motivational quotes on Sanskrit language.
"In Sanskrit words are like living beings; depending on context, circumstance and environment their mood varies and meaning differs." [Amit Ray].
"God spoke once. He spoke in Sanskrit, and that is the divine language." [Swami Vivekananda].
"Sanskrit and prestige go together in India." [Swami Vivekananda].
"The one idea the Hindu religions differ in from every other in the world, the one idea to express which the sages almost exhaust the vocabulary of the Sanskrit language, is that man must realise God even in this life." [Swami Vivekananda].
"This Sanskrit language is so intricate, the Sanskrit of the Vedas is so ancient, and the Sanskrit philology so perfect, that any amount of discussion can be carried on for ages in regard to the meaning of one word. If a Pandit takes it into his head, he can render anybody’s prattle into correct Sanskrit by force of argument and quotation of texts and rules." [Swami Vivekananda].
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