Why Should I Learn Sanskrit?
Sanskrit evolved many thousands of years ago and is known for its perfect structure and semantics which takes man back to the ancient wisdom of the human mind. Due to its unique characteristics, the language is researched and taught in some of the best universities in the world especially in the US, Germany, England and many other parts of the world.
Learning Sanskrit improves our thought processes by activating certain portions of our brain. The language is well formed and enables us to learn many other languages with ease. Chanting Sanskrit texts creates an inner state of calmness and relaxation. It is also highly suitable for artificial intelligence systems.
For the last several decades, there has been a growing interest in learning the Sanskrit language in many parts of the world. People everywhere can benefit in many important ways by acquiring the knowledge of spoken and written Sanskrit.
Benefits of Learning Sanskrit Language
The following are the key advantages of learning Sanskrit:
- Learning Sanskrit increases the size of portions of our brain relating to understanding or cognition as explained by neuroscientist James Hartzell.
- Once someone learns Sanskrit, it becomes much easier for him/her to learn any other language.
- The language is highly structured and has a clear process by which compound words can be formed by combining the more simpler words.
- There are many ancient Sanskrit texts on a variety of subjects such as Mathematics, Astronomy, Astrology, Engineering, Yoga, Ayurvedic medicine and so on. This vast knowledge will be more accessible to us upon learning to read and write Sanskrit.
- Sanskrit as a language is highly suitable for artificial intelligence systems.
- Chanting Sanskrit mantras can create a profound state of relaxation and calmness.
Sanskrit Importance and Research
Apart from improving your brain’s ability to learn new subjects, there are also a variety of ancient Sanskrit texts on numerous topics.
The highest advantage of Sanskrit is that it opens up our mind to thousands of years old knowledge on practically any subject on this planet including Mathematics, Technology, Languages, Spirituality, Religion, Philosophy, Engineering and Science.
If you are interested in medicinal knowledge of Ayurveda, or Vedic Mathematics or ancient Science, or Astronomy or Astrology, you can refer to the original Sanskrit texts upon learning the language.
So by learning the language, you will be able to research and further expand mankind’s knowledge of the various sciences as is practiced in the current times.
Here are a few additional resources on Sanskrit and Science:
1) Sanskrit and Science by V.Kameswari
2) IIT Indore’s Sanskrit Science courses
3) Mathematics and Astronomy from numerous worldwide sources
Health Benefits of Learning Sanskrit
Learning Sanskrit improves our brain’s thought patterns whereby we can more easily grasp new knowledge and concepts. This further results in better speech patterns and improved communication across multiple languages.
Upon doing MRI scans of the brains of Sanskrit scholars and pundits, it was discovered that they have more grey matter in their brain than general people.
The thickness of their cerebral cortex was also found to be much more than other people. The grey matter in areas of the brain responsible for long-term and short-term verbal memory was also found to be much higher.
These findings were noted in independent studies conducted by the neuroscientist James Hartzell.
Importance of Sanskrit in Today’s World
Knowledge of Sanskrit makes it easy to learn many other languages and is a great foundation to have for language formation and verbal memory. That’s the reason why many Indians can fluently speak English and many other European and Asian languages.
Learning multiple languages creates global integration and sharing of knowledge and ideas. For this, knowing Sanskrit can be highly beneficial since many European languages and even English contains some words from Sanskrit.
This is also a reason why many top universities across the world have Sanskrit courses and faculty.
Importance of Sanskrit Grammar
Sanskrit alphabets are carefully structured around numerous sounds that originate from our mouth, nose and throat. This makes the language very structured and easy to grasp, though it often appears a bit complex for beginners.
Panini’s grammer which was widely adopted in many ancient texts is widely known as the most complete and correct grammar ever written.
Sanskrit texts is well thought out and precise and due to this fact, the language is still exactly in the same form today as it was thousands of years ago.
Artificial Intelligence Systems
As detailed by Rick Briggs, the tremendous precision and versatility of Sanskrit makes it suitable for computer processing and artificial intelligence.
Words carry the same meaning irrespective of the context or where they are placed in a sentence. It is also possible to create short compound words or sentences in Sanskrit by combining many other simple words.
Health Benefits of Learning Sanskrit
All human emotions are beautifully expressed with Sanskrit words. There are many Sanskrit seed sounds that create the environment depicted by the word, for example, shreem stands for abundance.
Chanting Sanskrit mantras can create a profound state of relaxation and calmness.
Sanskrit mantras are mind tools that help calm and purify one’s body, mind and soul. Simply reciting the mantras or being in an environment where these mantras are recited creates sound vibrations that connect our mind and soul to the mantra’s inner state of being.
Therefore, a good knowledge of Sanskrit can be very helpful for a joyful and natural state of being.
Power and Ease of Communication
New ideas and methods of communication are further enhanced by learning Sanskrit.
Most Sanskrit learning begins with the alphabets and by learning simple Sanskrit spoken words. So the best way to quickly gain confidence in Sanskrit is to attend a spoken Sanskrit class either in a regular class or at an online class.
Most of these classes also teach simple Sanskrit songs for beginners which makes it easy for anyone to start speaking a few lines in Sanskrit. There are also a variety of certificate courses that gradually take beginners towards proficiency in Sanskrit.
Why is Sanskrit Important For Kids?
College is definitely a good time to benefit from a knowledge of Sanskrit and it will enable you to better learn any other subject in college with ease.
Ideally, it’s best to start learning Sanskrit in your school years. College is yet another great time to start learning the language. College is one major step towards the completion of formal education and it is also a time when the mind is sharp and clear, and free from most societal pressures.
In fact, many schools in Europe have introduced Sanskrit and some schools in England have made Sanskrit compulsory for kids since it helps students to grasp Mathematics, Science and other languages better upon learning and chanting Sanskrit texts.
Sanskrit Courses in USA and Abroad
Samskrita Bharati centers are available all over the world and it is also very popular in a number of US states.
There are also online classes and distance programs offered by Samskrita Bharati US for a nominal fee.
Samskrita Bharati operates with the knowledge that the best way to learn a language quickly is by starting to speak in the language. Therefore, their beginner classes are focused on basic vocabulary and grammar which will allow students to converse with each other on a daily basis.
I’ve been lately very interested in Sanskrit and in my family, we’ve all attended spoken Sanskrit classes and I’ve also written a few exams at Samskrita Bharati.
My husband has completed a variety of Sanskrit exams and we’ve made it a habit to speak at home in Sanskrit to the extent possible. So far, I’m amazed by Sanskrit and have the urge to constantly learn more of it.
Though I’ve grown up reading, speaking and writing English most of my life, learning Sanskrit was not as difficult as I thought. The spoken Sanskrit classes at Samskrita Bharati have been very helpful as a beginner.
Other Sanskrit Resources
If you’re looking to quickly start exploring Sanskrit, consider getting The Cambridge Introduction to Sanskrit. It goes into the history of Sanskrit and explains the various nuances of Sanskrit grammar in simple language.
Once you are adept at reading Sanskrit comfortably, there are numerous Sanskrit texts available all over the world and large digital repositories that hold ancient Sanskrit manuscripts.
Many US universities and UK and German universities also regularly conduct Sanskrit courses.
However for a beginner the best introduction to written Sanskrit is available in The Cambridge Introduction To Sanskrit, and the best introduction to spoken Sanskrit can be found at Samskrita Bharati centers worldwide.
