Guest guest Posted August 10, 2002 Report Share Posted August 10, 2002 > Mike Brooker <patria1818 > What is Sanskrit's status today? > > What is Sanskrit's Status Today? > Source: Hindu Press International > > MUMBAI, INDIA, August 5, 2002: A recent BBC report by > their correspondent, Sanjeev Srivastava, begins, "One > of the oldest languages in the world, Sanskrit, is in > danger of becoming extinct in India, the country of > its > origin. > > Good riddance! I'd rather study Hindi anyway. All those weird rules in > Sanskrit could drive you insane. -=-=- hari om==- Nick P.S. I'm > half-joking, of course. As a student of Sanskrit, I must respond! First of all, there is a movement currently in India (not large enough yet, but building) to bring Sanskrit back. There is even a village of 3000 people who communicate exclusively in Sanskrit. There are some radio programs, tv shows, periodicals, and even movies in Sanskrit. But yes, it may take the rest of the world to carry it on, if things don't change in India. Sanskrit is of incredibly high value. Not only are many of the greatest spiritual works written in Sanskrit, both Hindu and Buddhist, but Sanskrit is perhaps the most refined and logical language ever to exist. Yes, Nick, it's tough for us English-speaking people to learn. But when you begin to understand the logic of all the grammatical rules, it actually makes much more sense than English. Just a lot more to memorize! Sanskrit is considered to be the only unambiguous natural language in the world. It's the only one considered suitable for use as Artificial Intelligence (computer programming), because of it's perfect logic and unambiguous nature. Of course what also makes Sanskrit special is that it is an energy- based language, not meaning based. English is meaning based - we need to understand the meaning of the word or it's useless. But in Sanskrit, each word, and even each sound has an energetic power... often times beyond definition, but that it has to be experienced. The ancient Rishis experienced Sanskrit, through perceiving them in their deep states of meditation as the vibrations in the cakra system - each cakra had a certain number of Sanskrit letters that vibrated around it, like petals on a flower. We all know that many mantras dont' really have definitions per se, but spiritual energies that can't truly be defined. Amma commented on this in San Ramon this last tour. So Sanskrit has a spiritual power that few other languages have, if any. I think Sanskrit is well worth our time and energy to study. But it's far easier to learn as a child, as any language. When I have kids, I plan to start them early. So they won't have to struggle as much as I have! Blessings, Achinyta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 10, 2002 Report Share Posted August 10, 2002 > > > Good riddance! I'd rather study Hindi anyway. > All those weird rules in > > Sanskrit could drive you insane. -=-=- hari om==- > Nick P.S. I'm > > half-joking, of course. >From my experience, knowing Sanskrit does not help you learn Hindi, any more than knowing Latin would help to learn English. > > As a student of Sanskrit, I must respond! First of > all, there is a movement > currently in India (not large enough yet, but > building) to bring Sanskrit > back. There is even a village of 3000 people who > communicate > exclusively in Sanskrit. There are some radio > programs, tv shows, > periodicals, and even movies in Sanskrit. I believe this is Samskrita-Bharati. Their website says "A movement for social change through Sanskrit". http://www.samskrita-bharati.org/ I have mostly taught myself Sanskrit. I have only about two weeks of formal sanskrit instruction: a workshop with Vyaas Houston (founder of the American Sanskrit Institute http://www.americansanskrit.com/ ) at the Kripalu Center, and a weeklong Sanskrit camp at the Arsha Vidya Gurukulum with Swami Dayananda Saraswati. I am far from being a Sanskrit scholar, but I can read slokas from the Gita, Patanjali's Yoga sutras, Devi Mahatmyam, etc., and can even explain some of the sandhi rules! Keval HotJobs - Search Thousands of New Jobs http://www.hotjobs.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 10, 2002 Report Share Posted August 10, 2002 Relevant to this topic, check out this website: http://shantishanti.com/. These girls taught themselves Sanskrit, starting from the age of 9, without their parents even knowing at first. They can speak it conversationally and they know it so well that there¹s no university in the US where they can really learn anything now. They performed for Amma in Los Angeles this summer. Here¹s a quote from the site: "I was stunned by the depth of their awareness as they performed to a captivated audience." Wayne W. Dyer, author of Wisdom Of The Ages and Manifest Your Destiny "A true masterpiece, Shanti Shanti brings tranquility and harmony to anyone who listens. The sounds of ancient India come alive with the angelic voices of Andrea and Sara Forman." Dr. John Gray, author of Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus Special Bonus CD Included With This Book! Dreaming In Realtime: The Shanti Shanti Story tells the story of a wonderful odyssey into the discovery of how magical life can become, when we're forced to let go of our conceptions of what can - and can't - happen to us. Linda Forman tells a captivating and spiritually intriguing saga of her family's journey toward a completely new life. Their experience is ultimately defined by the startling realization of an overwhelming and constant spiritual presence that is governing every aspect of their existence. Andrea Forman, Linda Forman's nine-year-old daughter, appears to have an unusual affinity with Sanskrit - an ancient, sacred language that no one else in the family speaks. Thinking their daughter's ability is just an anomaly, and unable to provide a reasonable explanation, Linda and her husband, Robert, find their understanding of life shaken to the core when they discover their second daughter, Sara Forman, also seems to have an extraordinarily deep connection with this dead language. The harder they try to explain the phenomenon away, the more mystifying their lives become, until the sensation that is Shanti Shanti explodes onto the scene - and the Forman family is forced to acknowledge the powerful hold destiny is exerting over their lives. >> > >>> > > Good riddance! I'd rather study Hindi anyway. >> > All those weird rules in >>> > > Sanskrit could drive you insane. -=-=- hari om==- >> > Nick P.S. I'm >>> > > half-joking, of course. > >> >From my experience, knowing Sanskrit does not help you > learn Hindi, any more than knowing Latin would help to > learn English. >> > >> > As a student of Sanskrit, I must respond! First of >> > all, there is a movement >> > currently in India (not large enough yet, but >> > building) to bring Sanskrit >> > back. There is even a village of 3000 people who >> > communicate >> > exclusively in Sanskrit. There are some radio >> > programs, tv shows, >> > periodicals, and even movies in Sanskrit. > > I believe this is Samskrita-Bharati. Their website > says "A movement for social change through Sanskrit". > http://www.samskrita-bharati.org/ > > I have mostly taught myself Sanskrit. I have only > about two weeks of formal sanskrit instruction: a > workshop with Vyaas Houston (founder of the American > Sanskrit Institute http://www.americansanskrit.com/ ) > at the Kripalu Center, and a weeklong Sanskrit camp at > the Arsha Vidya Gurukulum with Swami Dayananda > Saraswati. I am far from being a Sanskrit scholar, > but I can read slokas from the Gita, Patanjali's Yoga > sutras, Devi Mahatmyam, etc., and can even explain > some of the sandhi rules! > > Keval > > > > HotJobs - Search Thousands of New Jobs > http://www.hotjobs.com > > Sponsor > > > Aum Amriteswarayai Namaha! > > Ammachi > > > Terms of Service > <> . > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 10, 2002 Report Share Posted August 10, 2002 Ammachi, Rick Archer <rick@s...> wrote: > Relevant to this topic, check out this website: http://shantishanti.com/. Thanks for this URL! Part of my hair was standig on edge as I read about them. My heart opened with joy as I listen to them singing in Sanskrit (there are a few short mp3 in their site) Their version of the Shanti Mantra is quite potent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 10, 2002 Report Share Posted August 10, 2002 Thank You Achintya Your writing on sanskrit was so apt... yes it is one of the few 'mantric' languages- in that its words revolvearound seed vibrations or 'bijas'.. the actual name for sanskrit is 'samskritam' which actually means 'Perfectly Done'- an apt name given that it is the only unambiguous language in the world as far as the grammar rule go.. It is sad that the British ruler's Stupidity, in particular Macaulay's colossal ignorance of the wealth that is in India's culture, along with the apathy of the indians, lead to the closing of sanskrit colleges across India. losing sanskrit meant that indians would not be able to read their magnificient scriptures in he original- the upanishads, the veda and the Gita become even more inaccessible.. what a loss! In sanskritam , there are mantric powers to certain sounds- in the vedas there are words that on the surface mean nothing , but on repetition and meditation, their inner meanings are revealed. Sri Aurobindo's 'Secret of the Veda' is a classic book that describes this. I hope by Amma's grace, india takes to sanskritam again. bala HotJobs - Search Thousands of New Jobs http://www.hotjobs.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 10, 2002 Report Share Posted August 10, 2002 So when we call Ammachi as "Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi" are we using a Sanskrit name? i.e. the Holy Mother of Immortal Bliss?? xo Prashanti Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 10, 2002 Report Share Posted August 10, 2002 > So when we call Ammachi as "Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi" are we using a > Sanskrit name? i.e. the Holy Mother of Immortal Bliss?? > Right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 10, 2002 Report Share Posted August 10, 2002 > > Relevant to this topic, check out this website: > http://shantishanti.com/. > > Thanks for this URL! > > Part of my hair was standig on edge as I read about > them. My heart > opened with joy as I listen to them singing in > Sanskrit (there are a > few short mp3 in their site) Their version of the > Shanti Mantra is > quite potent. > Don't just listen to the mp3's. BUY THE CD'S! THEY ROCK! Did anyone catch them at Amma's programs in L.A.? I've had some e-mail contact with Andrea & Sarah Forman. I may be their biggest fan east of Nevada Keval HotJobs - Search Thousands of New Jobs http://www.hotjobs.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 11, 2002 Report Share Posted August 11, 2002 Thank you so much for this. I am going to pass it on to my Hindu Homeschooling list. This falls very much under this catagory and I am just so amazed at what children will do when they set their mind to it and are moved by spirit to find a passion. Jai Ma! Shelly Mommy to 5 CT Rick Archer wrote: > Relevant to this topic, check out this website: http://shantishanti.com/. > These girls taught themselves Sanskrit, starting from the age of 9, without > their parents even knowing at first. They can speak it conversationally and > they know it so well that there1s no university in the US where they can > really learn anything now. They performed for Amma in Los Angeles this > summer. Here1s a quote from the site: > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 11, 2002 Report Share Posted August 11, 2002 Hear! Hear! And don't forget all the Sanskrit works in medicine (ayurveda), poetics, city planning, mathematics, political science, dance and theater, architecture, logic, and on and on. Aikya Ammachi, "Connie Habash" <Connie@a...> wrote: > > Mike Brooker <patria1818> > > What is Sanskrit's status today? > > > > What is Sanskrit's Status Today? > > Source: Hindu Press International > > > > MUMBAI, INDIA, August 5, 2002: A recent BBC report by > > their correspondent, Sanjeev Srivastava, begins, "One > > of the oldest languages in the world, Sanskrit, is in > > danger of becoming extinct in India, the country of > > its > > origin. > > > > Good riddance! I'd rather study Hindi anyway. All those weird rules in > > Sanskrit could drive you insane. -=-=- hari om==- Nick P.S. I'm > > half-joking, of course. > > As a student of Sanskrit, I must respond! First of all, there is a movement > currently in India (not large enough yet, but building) to bring Sanskrit > back. There is even a village of 3000 people who communicate > exclusively in Sanskrit. There are some radio programs, tv shows, > periodicals, and even movies in Sanskrit. But yes, it may take the rest > of the world to carry it on, if things don't change in India. > Sanskrit is of incredibly high value. Not only are many of the greatest > spiritual works written in Sanskrit, both Hindu and Buddhist, but > Sanskrit is perhaps the most refined and logical language ever to exist. > Yes, Nick, it's tough for us English-speaking people to learn. But > when you begin to understand the logic of all the grammatical rules, > it actually makes much more sense than English. Just a lot more to > memorize! Sanskrit is considered to be the only unambiguous > natural language in the world. It's the only one considered suitable > for use as Artificial Intelligence (computer programming), because > of it's perfect logic and unambiguous nature. > > Of course what also makes Sanskrit special is that it is an energy- > based language, not meaning based. English is meaning based - > we need to understand the meaning of the word or it's useless. > But in Sanskrit, each word, and even each sound has an energetic > power... often times beyond definition, but that it has to be > experienced. The ancient Rishis experienced Sanskrit, through > perceiving them in their deep states of meditation as the > vibrations in the cakra system - each cakra had a certain number > of Sanskrit letters that vibrated around it, like petals on a flower. > We all know that many mantras dont' really have definitions per > se, but spiritual energies that can't truly be defined. Amma > commented on this in San Ramon this last tour. So Sanskrit has > a spiritual power that few other languages have, if any. > > I think Sanskrit is well worth our time and energy to study. But it's > far easier to learn as a child, as any language. When I have kids, > I plan to start them early. So they won't have to struggle as much > as I have! > Blessings, > Achinyta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 11, 2002 Report Share Posted August 11, 2002 Vyaas Huston is great, if you can stand the intensity. It's worth it because you come away with a solid start in a classical language. Sanskrit has been associated with caste injustice since it was mainly the upper castes which learned it. We are unaware of that and so perhaps can appreciate the language and what is written in it. Aikya Ammachi, Mike Brooker <patria1818> wrote: > > > > > > Good riddance! I'd rather study Hindi anyway. > > All those weird rules in > > > Sanskrit could drive you insane. -=-=- hari om==- > > Nick P.S. I'm > > > half-joking, of course. > > From my experience, knowing Sanskrit does not help you > learn Hindi, any more than knowing Latin would help to > learn English. > > > > As a student of Sanskrit, I must respond! First of > > all, there is a movement > > currently in India (not large enough yet, but > > building) to bring Sanskrit > > back. There is even a village of 3000 people who > > communicate > > exclusively in Sanskrit. There are some radio > > programs, tv shows, > > periodicals, and even movies in Sanskrit. > > I believe this is Samskrita-Bharati. Their website > says "A movement for social change through Sanskrit". > http://www.samskrita-bharati.org/ > > I have mostly taught myself Sanskrit. I have only > about two weeks of formal sanskrit instruction: a > workshop with Vyaas Houston (founder of the American > Sanskrit Institute http://www.americansanskrit.com/ ) > at the Kripalu Center, and a weeklong Sanskrit camp at > the Arsha Vidya Gurukulum with Swami Dayananda > Saraswati. I am far from being a Sanskrit scholar, > but I can read slokas from the Gita, Patanjali's Yoga > sutras, Devi Mahatmyam, etc., and can even explain > some of the sandhi rules! > > Keval > > > > HotJobs - Search Thousands of New Jobs > http://www.hotjobs.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 12, 2002 Report Share Posted August 12, 2002 I, too, took courses from Vyaas Houston, who first inspired me with passion for Sanskrit! He's an excellent teacher. Keep in mind, though, that his pronounciation isn't always correct. But he truly carries the energy of the language, and has a fabulous way of teaching it. My current teacher, Dr. Sarasvati Mohan, is outstanding. You can take classes with her in person, and she also has the best correspondence course I have seen. Her website is: http://www.samskrtam.org Sanskrit Academy. She's located in San Jose, CA. Blessings, Achintya > Message: 3 > Mon, 12 Aug 2002 01:54:05 -0000 > "aikya" <aikya > Re: Sanskrit > > Vyaas Huston is great, if you can stand the intensity. It's worth it > because you come away with a solid start in a classical language. > > Sanskrit has been associated with caste injustice since it was mainly > the upper castes which learned it. We are unaware of that and so > perhaps can appreciate the language and what is written in it. > > Aikya > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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