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Speak Sanskrit in a month
SAILAJA. B.
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A course at CIEFL facilitates the learning of Sanskrit. If you want to become proficient in the language, enrol in the course beginning on June 17.
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LANGUAGE LESSONS: Age no bar.
IT IS one of the ancient languages which attracted scholars like William Jones and Max Mueller. Sanskrit, the language of the Vedas and Upanishads, shares linguistic similarities with other European languages. People in a village in Karnataka still converse in Sanskrit. Children are taught Sanskrit in the U.K. The Centre for India Studies, Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages (CIEFL), has started a 30-day Simple Sanskrit Speaking course. This is a scheme of the University Grants Commission (UGC) which identified CIEFL last August to run this course on an experimental basis. An instructor has been appointed by the U.G.C. The third course is scheduled to begin on June 17.
The first two courses, which began in March had about 70 and 90 students respectively. J.P. Dimri, Head, Centre for India Studies, says that by this December, ten such courses will be completed. He explains, "This is the first level. We propose to have more advanced levels of speaking Sanskrit courses probably from September.
Dimri says, "The first objective is to search for texts about India in foreign languages, translate them into English and other Indian languages. As part of this, we have already been organising a series of lectures on the interpretation of India in these foreign languages. The M.A. students of CIEFL have enrolled for this course already. The second aim is towards the credit-cum-cafeteria system. Here, Panini's Grammar, Bhartrihari's Vak Padiyam, Patanjali's Mahabhashya, Indian Poetics-Aesthetics theory, Phonetics in Indian tradition, Indian Logic, Philosophy of Language (text based) are proposed to be studied in detail. A grade will be allotted to each student in the exam. The minimum qualification for these courses is a degree."This would be in three levels - and is entirely theoretical. An understanding of the Gita would be taken up in the first level, reading of a few stories of the Panchatantra in the second and grammar (compounds, irregular word forms)in the third. This would be conducted twice a week for about fifty hours.
For the general public, the classes are held in the morning. "The response is tremendous. We have elders and youngsters joining this course," says Sripathi, Instructor for the Simple Sanskrit Speaking Course.
How do candidates view the course? "This course is really great. Though I have a M.C.A degree, I was quite eager to join it so that I can speak Sanskrit fluently. Now, I send mails to my other friends in Sanskrit," says Ushashree, a student. Abhijeet feels "there is need to learn and speak in Sanskrit as it is the mother of a few Indian languages." By learning this language, we can understand the shastras too." "More than anything, it was fun to learn and speak in Sanskrit! But I hope a separate class is allotted for conversation among the students,"says Sheetal, a journalist. So, get, set to speak in the `language of the gods'. For further details, contact J.P. Dimri/ Krishna on 7098131.
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