Introduction

      

                                            Introduction 

   Sanskrit , a classical language of the Indo- European family, was the language, a perfect structured one known as ‘ Deva Vani’ , language of gods , chosen by ancient seers as the fittest medium to preserve the rich wisdom in its fullest expression. Through this medium, India had unfolded secrets of wisdom and gifted the first and finest contents of it to the mankind in the form of the Vedas. Knowledge flourished here with all its disciplines fulfilling the social, ethical, psychological, scientific, spiritualistic, aesthetic and philosophical needs of the globe. Scientific method was as old as the human thought in this land, Vedic literature was its main spring  Vedic seers were the first generation scientists. They adopted the method of observation, and intuition to produce the reliable phenomenal expansion of various facets of knowledge.

 Sanskrit, though may not be a spoken language today, but its prominent role in preserving Indian languages, literature, and cultural heritage representing ancient Indian traditions even today, its impact on the languages, literatures of India as well as other countries ,its rich culture  is  palpable. Its vast spectrum comprising all compartments of knowledge is so much no one book can encompass the encyclopedic wealth of data available in the vast literature of Sanskrit. Just a few little touches from the wide range of monumental works are presented for interest and appreciation.

This language had always been a language of the elite class as is connected with scriptures and religious practices. To an ordinary man, Sanskrit is nothing more than stories and myths and religious conduct of the past as described in various texts. They are not properly understood as people in general are not conversant with the depth of the language, literature and most of the stories and literary pieces are read through translations. The stories and myths abound in Sanskrit are symbolic and can be appreciated only when given a deep thought.

One of the striking feature of the vast literature of Sanskrit are the strands of religion, spirituality and science all rolled into one. Spirituality is recognizing that there is something that transcends our embodied human existence. Indian culture gives a religious cloak to understand the mysterious doctrines of life. Religion is a way of life prescribed which gives a practical aspect to know about spirituality for common man. There is always a streak of science to the intellectual eye. A spiritual perspective does not mean giving up life and abdicate responsibilities for choices. There the religious activities enter, to give a practical approach to life. At the same time they are not incoherent as appear to modern man. There is always underlying scientific principle running as undercurrent in all of them. Outwardly the mantras- stotras are ritualistic , for practical application of life. Life is spiritual in nature and the fiber is science. Science explores the external world uncovering the laws of Nature while spirituality delves into the inner realms of consciousness  unveiling the mysteries of the self and the universe. A holistic approach to knowledge is necessary embracing both empirical investigation and inner exploration. To quote Albert Einstein, a visionary, a great scientist and philosopher:-

“ Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.”

By co-operation, lame sitting on the shoulders of the blind can guide both to reach the destination namely knowledge.  A lame can walk cannot see, blind can walk but cannot see. With mutual help, they can reach the destination.

Pythagorus never divorced religion from philosophy and science, which even in his day, left him open to accusation of mysticism.

The oldest treasure but ever new is the Vedas. The Vedas in the form of mantras are the accumulated treasure of spiritual laws realized through intuition by great sages in different times and passed on to the disciples through oral tradition. Vedic mantras are sound vibrations, nada. So they are as ancient  as the origin of sound. They are eternal and as a revealed scripture, they are self-evident and self-authoritative. The Vedas reveal that “ One Truth” to us in the form of many deities. It is the foundation for all religions like Buddhism, Jainism. While many civilizations rose and fell, cities were built and crumbled to dust, books were destroyed. It’s one monument endured, unchanged for it was not built of stone but of sound. For more than several millena , the Vedas have been daily recited in India.They’re recited with accent. If mispronounced  they don’t give the intended meaning, with the result some adverse effect is also seen. Modern Neuroscience also admits that the phonetics of Sanskrit has roots in various points of the body and reading, speaking or reciting Sanskrit stimulates these points and raise the energy levels by resistance against illnesses, relaxation to mind and reduction of stress are achieved.

All the vedas are not chants for religious rites. They contain wealth of wisdom. Prayers for the good of all, long and healthy life, cordial relationships at home, society, marriage, agriculture etc etc. In short

Vedas is an encyclopedia of all subjects needed for  the intellectual and all-round development of individual towards a healthy happy life and the mission of life , the cream being philosophy covering Theories of creation, evolution of human being, goal of life. Sages were great scientists. In the Vedas, many astounding revelations have been made about the profound secrets of Nature. The time tested wisdom enshrined in the scriptures is that it is a very rare privilege to be born as a human and he is the supreme creation of the Creator. And in this body only one endowed with discrimination, a human has the chance of attaining Bliss and much sought after emancipation from the cycle of births and deaths in which the soul is fully entangled and enveloped under the heap of previous karmas, the theories of creation, the birth of a human body, the development of foetus in the body, the paths to attain liberation are all set forth in scriptures. There is bedrock of science imbedded in the Vedas. The Vedas have six auxiliary disciplines known as Vedangas ( The Veda conceived as a human being and auxiliary texts as his limbs ) for understanding and interpreting for correct pronunciation and performance of rituals. They are Phonetics, Grammar  Metres, Etymology and Exegesis, Astronomy and Astrology, Rituals and ceremonies. Yaska, the author of text on Etymology points out an interesting truth thus:-

“ Due to the incapacity of memory in later generations, narration became necessary, and a book became the place of memory.”

Brevity is the soul of Vedic mantras. It is in Sutra style. The beauty of Sanskrit language is that maximum could be expressed in minimum words. It was fit for oral tradition as the receivers were also mentally, intellectually sharp. Earlier generations relied on oral tradition and memory to preserve and pass it down. However, as human memory and intellectual capacity declined over time, it became necessary to record knowledge in written form to ensure its preservation and transmission to future generations.

All Vedic invocations are conceived in universal brotherhood and prayers for the welfare of all. Thoughts are never wasted and never erased. When we think of something and of course when we pray, we send it out, as it had wings on the air. It is carried by our vibrations and something stronger that we don’t understand, into eternity. They also realized the fact that one cannot be happy without all others being happy. This is Nature’s law as all are connected together.

Vedic sages were keen observers of Nature to correlate the onset of various seasons. One of such hymns is Manduka Sukta, the hymn on frogs. Here there is description of different colored frogs in water and frogs as harbingers of rainy season is another stroke of Vedic poetry.

There is a touching gambler hymn. It is a monologue of a repentant gambler who laments the ruin brought on him because of addiction to dice as he could not resist to the sounds of the dice thrown and rolling on the board. And when he loses everything and when police comes to arrest him, all his relatives including wife, mother do not recognize and desert him. He realizes the value of family life and advises the readers,” Don’t play with dice, do agriculture.”

In the Bhumi sukta , hymn to Earth, the Vedic sages always regarded our Earth as a living entity, a mother, a Goddess protecting our lands, waters, animate and inanimate elements of the environment. Earth is lovingly called as mother. The Atharvaveda Seer declares , “ This Earth is our Mother and we are all her children.” He prays further to Mother Earth to give him the strength not to hurt Her even when using Her for his living.

“ Oh , Mother Earth! When we plough your body for cultivation  please let the plants grow well! Let us not harm your vitality when we use you for our livelihood!”

What a spirit of respecting and preserving this Earth and its environment as a living and breathing entity !

Another striking hymn is Shiva Samkalpa Suktam of Yajurveda on power of good thoughts. We find a profound truth in this simple yet powerful statement of the ancient Roman poet Horace,

“ Rule your mind or it will rule you.”

Mind is like a wild horse, if trained and guided, it can take you to great heights, but if ignored, it can run amok and lead to chaos. This is the uniform, universal declaration in almost all scriptures of the world. Modern research also point out that our mind always in constant motion. Mind is the vehicle of thoughts. All the objects are connected, they are controlled, and associated together only by thoughts, by the imagination of your mind. Mind assumes the shape of any object it intensely thinks of. The Mahabharata says :- ‘  Mind of the human being is alone the cause of his freedom and bondage.’. Parapsychology and subconsciousness, practice of telepathy, Thought-reading, hypnotism, mesmerism and psychic healing also clearly prove the powerfulness of the mind that a higher mind can influence and subjugate the lower mind. You can move the world by thought force. Thought has great power. It can be transmitted from one man to another. Yogis can read them. 

The stronger the thoughts, the earlier the fructification of the work. The focus, direction and degree that is given  the more effective it is in the work it is sent out to accomplish. The Chandogya- Upanishad points that thoughts as finer force is supplied to us by the food we take. If the food is pure, thought also becomes pure. A person can influence thousands of persons through his pure thoughts. The world itself is but the materialization of the thought form of God according to scriptures. Thought waves travel in no time. Human mind is like a wireless machine. What you give, it comes back to you. That is the Nature’s law.

A saint with peace, harmony and spiritual waves sends out into the world thoughts of harmony and peace. They travel with lightening speed in all directions and enter the minds of persons and produce in them also the thoughts of harmony and peace . Where as a worldly man whose mind is full of jealousy, revenge and hatred sends out discordant thoughts which enter the minds of thousands and stir in them similar thoughts of hatred and discord.

‘ To rule your mind, ‘ means to develop self-awareness and discipline. It involves recognizing your thought patterns, understanding your emotions  and consciously directing your mental focus. This is not about suppressing thoughts or feelings but about understanding them and steering them in positive, productive direction. One effective way is through mindfulness and meditation. When we are mindful, we are better equipped to make choices that align with our values and goals  rather than being driven by fleeting emotions or external pressures. Another aspect of ruling your mind is to cultivate a positive thinking and choosing to focus on solutions and possibilities to face and overcome the challenges  rather dwelling on problems.

Shiva Sankalpa Sukta is a prayer addressed to the mind by the aspirant who prays that his mind may have always auspicious thoughts. To summarize ,The mind is a wanderer in the waking state and returns to the deep sleep, that mind is unique and lives in all beings, it is endowed with intelligence, consciousness, fortitude and immortality and the light within all beings and that without which no action is possible, that mind is immortal, because of which the past, present and future are known, through which rituals are performed, the mind in which Vedic mantras are established like the spokes in the hub of a chariot wheel and by which the minds of all beings are pervaded, may that mind which guides men like a good charioteer who controls the horses ( sense organs ), and which dwells within and is ageless, fast have auspicious thoughts!

The human mind is the cause of peace and happiness when purified and the source of sorrow when impure, and if conquered, it grants accomplishment and perfection ( Siddhi ); but when unconquered, it generates failure. It well behoves human beings to bring and keep the mind under his control. The full theme of the hymn is an ardent prayer:-

‘ Tanme manah Shivasamkalpam astu !

May my mind have auspicious thoughts !

The eight supernatural powers attained  by the control of mind are described in the Yoga sutras of Patanjali.

Concept of long life- Aging is generally associated with a decline in quality of life. Little wonder that the concept of anti- aging has inspired legends and literature for centuries. Even now medical field is trying to explore the same through medicines and gadgets. In fact the craze is for immortality. Any created thing perishes one day. This is Nature’s Law.  One cannot fight against biology in the end.All religions formulate values and ethical codes for leading a happy , peaceful life, pointing out the immortal soul in the form of consciousness exists inside the body. Without understanding, man aspires for physical immortality which is against the law of Nature. The real import, as enshrined in Vedic mantras is that as long as we live, we should have a healthy life with healthy organs, dedicating ourselves to the welfare of the humanity, leading a life worthy to ourselves and to others. To put in the words of the seers:-

“ Om. Oh gods, may we hear with ears what is auspicious;

May we see with our eyes auspicious; 

May we enjoy the term of life allotted by the deities, praising them with our body and limbs steady.

This mantra is a common prayer the well being of all( not one singular being), prosperity, and peace seeking blessings from various deities for a harmonious and prosperous life of all.

Plato considers old age as a natural process. He distinguished old age from disease and then suggests a way of living a healthy life to harmonize movement of soul and body.

All the systems of Indian Philosophy have scientific theories in them namely Logic, Metaphysics and universe with categories, Atomic theory, Consciousness and matter ( Energy and Matter ) and the emergence of the Universe through the interaction of these two, Practical aspects of Spiritual practice and meditation for Self-realization and liberation, performance of Vedic rituals as the source of righteousness, Philosophical teachings of the Upanishads dealing with the nature of Reality, the Self and the ultimate Principle.

Many Sanskrit books in Philosophy and Science are written in the form of poetry as   it is easiest to remember something written in verse form than in prose.

Einstein once said, “ We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific could have been made.” Indians were known for their proficiency in the field of Mathematics. The great Aryabhatta worked out the value of Pi. He was the one, along with few astronomers to find out the distance between Sun and Earth besides the fact that Earth revolves around the Sun. He arrived at these conclusions way back in 500 B.C without the aid of telescopes.

Sanskrit scriptures are not only the repositories of just moral teachings but also of scientific revelations. The battle of Mahabharata became inevitable when after all possible attempts to reconcile failed.  The blind king Drtarashtra expressed his desire to know the happenings in the battle field. Considering the king’s urge, Sanjaya, the king’s trusted counselor and attendent who was provided with the faculty of distant vision by the Sage Vedavyasa could see a ‘ Live Telecast’ of the whole expanse of the battle field and simultaneously report to the king. It was a ( remote ) technology in use even during the days of Bronze Age , Age of Mahabharata. In the Bhagavad Gita also ( part of the Mahabharata), Lord Krishna bestows upon Arjuna the Divine eye to behold His mystic opulence.

Drones or unmanned aerial vehicles may seem like recent technological inventions. But

Vimana Shastra- Aeronautics- it was an advanced science. Bharadwaja’s text on Aeronautics with diagrams is well known. Mind-driven Pushpaka  Vimana, which belonged to Kubera taken away by Ravana is mentioned in Ramayana. In fact Rama with his retinue returned from Lanka to Ayodhya by this only after the war. Not only this many other aerial cars driven by mind’s desire are mentioned. Kardama prepared one at the desire of his wife. Maya asura gave the vehicle flying at desire to Shalva.

Science of entering the body of another person through advanced Yoga ( Parakaya-pravesha )was well known practice. Adi Shankaracharya entered the body of King Amaruka to learn the Art of love to win over his debate with Mandana Mishra and his wife Bharati who was the judge in the debate. Tirumular, a Siddha in South India entered the body of a shepherd. King Vikramaditya was an expert in this art.

In statecraft , the texts of Chanakya, Shukra and others are the authority.

Sanskrit contribution to medical field knows no boundaries. Faith in the physician and medicine is a must for cure. Charaka in his compendium in Ayurveda covers all relating to medical field. Sushruta’s work is a blueprint on surgery. Both of them cover  Heart diseases and treatments.  What a vivid description of Blood circulation in Bhela samhita, Respiratory physiology of Shargadhara Samhita !! In the words of Shargadhara samhita, “ Prana vayu after forcing through the interior of the lotus like heart goes out through the throat to drink the outside air. After taking up the nectar of the outside air, it enters the body again to nourish the whole body and to keep up the digestive fire.”

The Surgery of Sushruta recognizes more than 125 different instruments after the shape of beast and birds and other shapes. The qualifications  of a surgeon are practically the same as are recommended in the present days. A light refreshment is enjoined to be given to the patient before a surgical operation, while abdominal operations, and operations in the mouth are advised to be performed while the patient is fasting. Sushruta enjoins the sickroom to be fumigated with the vapors of white mustard, neem leaves and resinous gums of Shala trees which foreshadows the antiseptic therapy of modern times. The surgeon is justified to handle his knife only when the affected vital organ is not strong enough to effect the cure on its own. All kinds of operations were performed with utmost smile and caution.

The practice of fine arts was a regular feature in the cultural life of ancient India. It was the sign of cultural upbringing of man and woman which earned them a position of respect in society. The proliferation of arts was so elaborate that according to traditional counting, they are numbered as many as sixty-four. 64 Arts in Sanskrit and 64 Aya kalaigal as they are known in Tamil.

Fine arts were/ are the friend, philosopher, guide and the most intimate beloved companion of man since ancient times. Such is the true nature and influence of Art. In between struggles with reality, life rests and sleeps and dreams art. These dreams must have been visiting human feelings, ever since the first primitive man drew his first sketch on the walls of his primitive dwellings, imitated the sounds of birds to the clapping of hands, dancing around the fires. Poets, litterateurs, musicians, dancers, painters, sculptors all over the world have dreamt their dreams, expressed them and made the world richer and sweeter thereby. In ancient India the pursuit of sixty-four arts were part and parcel of their education. Every prince and princess, every son and daughter of aristocrats had to gain proficiency in all or most or least some of the arts failing which he or she would not get an honored place in the society. Common men learnt some arts for livelihood. The list is detailed in various texts in classical literature of Sanskrit. Just for interest to name a few apart from singing, playing on various kinds of musical instruments, dance, acting, there are descriptions of  arts connected with body decoration such as dress, cosmetics, perfumes, ornaments, making garlands and floral ornaments, painting the body, teeth, nails, art of hair styles, dyeing of clothes, art of making bed and decorating, art of cooking, archery, carpentry , art of gardening and botany, the art of physical culture like walking, gymnastics, games, Yoga mudras, asanas, breathing exercises , boxing, wrestling, hunting etc. Amusing arts like puzzles  some of them requiring wit and wisdom, some knowledge of words, some memory and some played for mere fun and joy. There were like composing verses in Sanskrit and regional dialects, reading , reciting poems and passages, the art of communicating ideas by use of fingers and gestures, the art of cryptography and many more. 

These arts encompass a wide range of skills, from practical crafts and performing arts to intellectual pursuits and esoteric knowledge  reflecting the holistic approach to education and personal development and means of livelihood in ancient Indian culture.

Architectural  marvels were/ are everywhere in the ancient world Egypt, Greece , Rome and others.

India represents its advanced architectural and construction techniques. Mayamata, Samarangana Sutradhara are well known treatises on housing, temple architecture and iconography.  These architectural marvels remain a timeless and influential form design concepts and secrets of its durability  even today. Now researches are going on finding the materials used and exploring the same for modern constructions .Geometry and Astronomy played a big role in the construction. The principles of construction and architecture were based on experience of natural phenomena and in harmony with environment, rituals and life style of the region. On a philosophical level, a Hindu temple represents much more. It is a manifestation of the entire cosmos. They  served as centers of worship , community gatherings for participation in  religious rituals, festivals and other social activities. There are pillars in some temples that produce musical notes of varying frequencies when tapped with a finger. It is believed that these pillars were tapped to produce musical sounds to accompany to musical instruments to accompany chants and dance performances in the temple. Apart from the deity premises, there were ( still are ) multiple halls and sculpture galleries depicting scenes from epics and other scriptures  and inscriptions of songs . Thus they are permanent record keepers. The entire songs of . Annamacharya in original can be found on the walls of  Venkateshwara temple at Tirupathi, South India. In the good olden days, temple hall was the perfect center for performing arts. According to Shilpa shastras, the rocks were chosen for musical pillars with acoustic properties. Temple’s tall tops called gopurams had some science behind it. Inside it were/ are  filled with grains and husks( bad conductors of electricity) so as to prevent lightening strikes and save the nearby areas. It was a protective means. Every twelve years the old  grains are removed by replacing with fresh ones. Regarding the materials for the structure, local materials like metals,stone, wood, resins were used . The preparation of various types of glue ( miixing, proportions) for construction of temples, mansions, houses, images, walls and the like are mentioned in detail when cement and modern materials were unknown. Even now these glues known asAshtabandhana are prepared in  temple premises for fixing or refixing images of Gods. Mostly from unripe fruits, flowers, seeds, bark,secretions from trees, resin etc. Various compositions of various glues are also given.. One interesting glue used is Vajrasanghata. A compound of 8 parts of lead, 2 parts of bell-metal and 1 part of iron rust. 

Music has a very rich base in Indian culture. From the cosmic dance of Lord Shiva, Nataraja to the earliest one is Natya Shastra of Bharata followed by numerous texts spread all over the centuries.

Bharata’s Natya Shastra of fifth century BCE is an authoritative treatise for the performing arts such as music, acting, dance.. the concepts dealing with the sentiments and theory of enjoyment of different sentiments is the corner stone of the philosophy behind music. 

Music notes are seven, considered originally from the sounds of animals. Creation of the world itself is said to have started with melody . It is called Nada. By the fusion of fire ( metabolic fire in the human body) and Prana ( breath), Nada is produced. From the different swara ( notes ) combination, ragas are produced.  The classical songs resonate with devotion and high philosophical thoughts set in different ragas. The tunes called ragas are even connected to certain time of the day and seasons. in olden days music healing was known. A particular raga had the power to produce rain, another could light a lamp when sung. Indian classic music, existing for over 2000 years, is all about feelings and spirituality.

Music has always been considered to be of divine origin in the culture of Hinduism. 7 swaras or notes correspond to 7 chakras ( meditative centers) in the human body. According to Swara Shastra, 72 basic ragas correspond to 72 subtle nadis and its effect can be seen on the listeners. India’s rich musical heritage has a lot to offer to modern Psychiatry. Ragas are explored to treat any malaise in the body.

Music is a form of art that is easily accessible to anyone anytime anywhere especially in this digital age. Every element in the universe originates from a sound vibration, hence it is no wonder that music can touch anyone. It is connected to the conscious meditation. From very early times philosophers like Plato, Confucius laid emphasis on the need for music training for all. According to Plato, musical training is inseparably linked to character formation, and should not be considered an island unto its own.

Indian musical tradition has its roots in the Vedas. Vedas are chanted with 3 accent pitch level normal (svarita ), high or raised ( Udatta ), and low or not raised ( Udatta).Sama Veda mantras are recited almost as sung  rhythmically with these accents. Hence SamaVeda is said to be the origin of Indian music.

 There are seven notes. Sa, Re/Ri, Ga, Ma,Pa, Dha, Ni in Indian music. And according to tradition, each note is associated with sound produced by a particular animal or a bird. 

       Chakras in the body——  Swaras——————-Source of  the note, Animal or bird 

Muladhara                             Sa                                 The cry of the peacock 

Svadhishtana                         Ri                                The lowing of a bull 

Manipura                              Ga                                 The bloating of a goat

Anahata                              Ma                                  The call of the heron 

Vishuddha                          Pa                                   Call of the cuckoo 

Ajna  ( Agya )                   Dha                                 Neighing of the horse

Sahasrara                           Ni                                    The trumpeting of the elephant 

Thus the sounds of animals and birds played a foundational role in shaping the musical notes that form the basis of Indian classical music, underscoring the deep connection between nature and the evolution of music in Indian tradition. The cries of birds and beasts might have attracted the primitive man and he imitated those sounds to denote alarm, passion, pain and joy like feelings . As the man began to produce through his vocal organs to express his feelings, he might have also found out claps or drum beat could be effectively used to draw attention to or to articulate rhythm and it became a means of enjoyment to himself and to others.

Sangita Makaranda, a treatise on Indian classical music describes the process of  music.  It describes thus:- ‘ The Atman ( Soul) desirous of speaking out of its intention excites the mind; and the mind operates on the vital heat of the body by setting the air in the Brahmagranthi, rises up and produces sound through navel,heart, the neck, the head and the face. The sound is the origin of music.’

Sangita means that music which adheres to rules. Classical music is not just artistic or entertaining, but also it sublimates man’s body, mind and soul thus making him  a liberated soul. Indian scriptures call God as Nada Brahman and music as Nada Yoga.

       The interesting point is the ancient  theory  regarding the origin  of musical notes from animal kingdom is corroborated by the modern findings too. Thus Science validates the truths which spritualists had known long before.

New discovery shows the vocal organs of mammals, including human share a common genetic link. As an example of deep homology, bird song and human voice have been built from same genetic blue print.

Music is a central part of Indian culture and deeply rooted in Indian philosophical and cultural fold. It is linked to religious practices, beliefs performed in temples and places, used in ceremonies and festivals or a form of devotion and meditation. The sound Om encapsulates both the micro and macro and the form and formless. When a particular mantra is recited, it is translated into pure energy, in the form of vibration which corresponds with the energy of Nature at large. Each alphabet lose their physical essence and transcend the space and time boundaries through meditation and expresses the whole, that from which it emerges and goes back to it.  The recitation of stotras create a state of trance.The merging through the interplay of language, music in any language in a certain tone and rhythm, allows for a communication to be built through the cosmos.  Music comes closest to cosmic language. In Beethoven’s words:- “ music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy.”

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Sanskrit’s relevance to modern times can be explored in beauty aids also. Hair dyes have been dealt with in detail in Atharvavada, Brhatsamhita. Navanitaka, an older work of second century CE describes as many as eleven hair dyes recipes and refers to 46 ingredients used in their preparation. The Gandhayukti section of Brhatsamhita offers rich material for a chapter on the historicity of ancient Indian cosmetics. For example, a formula for obtaining 84 perfumes of fragrance of Vakula flowers is set forth there. There is an all-purpose perfume called Sarvatobhadra. There is mention of mouth-perfumes made into small tablets for chewing similar to mouth freshners of today. Scented oils ( also in Agnipurana ), tooth-sticks( Charaka, Sushruta samhitas) , dyeing of clothes, Bath powder, Talcumpowder are all enlisted In Brhatsamhita.

It is interesting to find how the ancient cultures found cures for baldness.  Garuda Purana recommends paste of burnt Ivory ash with goat’s milk application to grow hair on bald head in seven days. Early Egyptians created a compound for reversing baldness using fat of crocodiles, goats  snakes, cats, lions and hippopotamus. Saffron, Clove, honey are given to treat dental problems like pain, strengthening weak teeth is delineated in ancient Indian scriptures. Ayurveda gives a holistic approach to cure and maintain healthy and sweet voice by taking ginger powder with honey.

Sanskrit has no less contribution to Horticulture. All aspects connected with crops like preservation of seeds, grafting, manuring, diagnosis of diseases of trees and other related materials are profusely available in texts like Brhatsamhita  ,Krishiparashara ,Abhilashitarta chintamani, Vrkshayurveda, Upavanavinoda etc. To cite one example, how to find out soil-health ?  Sesame treatment for the soil. The Sesame plants in full bloom, when cut into pieces and allowed to mingle with soil, would become an excellent green manure for the soil for further cultivation. It is also held if this sesame crop does not flourish in a field, nothing could be grown there with advantage. Similarly when the fruits of a tree are destroyed prematurely  it should be watered with milk that has been cooled after being boiled with horse gram,green gram, black gram, sesame and barley. Being treated thus, it will have abundant flowers and fruits. It is interesting to note the details on transplantation of plants from one country to another and growing three kinds of fruits on the same tree in different branches.

A look at the Home-science section of Sanskrit literature. Books like Pakadarpana offers varied and exciting recipes such as preparation of different dals ( lentils), vegetable dishes from plantain  brinjal  white pumpkin  lotus stalk etc Even non-vegetarian dishes have been mentioned. Preparation of sweet dishes and setting of curd are its special features.

Since Vedic teachings are esoteric, The Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranas were written to aid the common man to understand the Vedic teachings through interesting stories and attain the goal of life namely the realization of the self, the ultimate freedom from the cycle of births and deaths.

Then the vast classical literature in all its genres poetry, prose, poetry mixed with prose, dramas , folk tales, , historical kavyas, including books on Jainism   Buddhism . It also abounds In literary feats where genius poets played with and on the richness of Sanskrit in vocabulary and grammar. To give a few illustrations:- Bhatti kavyam also called Ravanarjuniyam is a epic poetry delineating the story of the king Kartavirya Arjun along with illustrations from the grammar of Panini. RaghavaYadavaPandaviya- Use of a Treble Entendre, relating to three stories at a time the tales of Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagavata. Nalaharishcandriya- In its natural order  the verse relates the story of Nala and in the reverse order the story of Harishcandra. Ramakrishna viloma kavya - If the first half of each verse is read, it relates the story of Rama, in the reverse order the story of Krishna. Another feat of poetic genius- Kankanabandha Ramayana -  A single verse of 32 letters arranged in a circular form ( in the form of a bangle ) and by reading them from left to right and right to left, starting from any letter, we have 63 verses forming. If rewritten  a regular poem. A commentary interprets the verse so as to dedicate the whole to the story of Ramayana. A single vowel  or a consonant forming a verse and all consonants strung together to form a verse conveying some beautiful meaning.

Sanskrit literature  comprising That of great poets like Kalidasa, Bharavi, Magha, Shrihasha , Banabhatta, and others is not mere literary works with figures of speech, metres  and other things. Each work is a mirror of the society  geography, philosophy  science, religion of those periods. They are encyclopedia enclosed in art form.

The concept of soulmate found  in Greek culture is seen in Indian culture. The depiction of  Shiva Parvati as Ardhananarishvara , one part of body representing male, the other female, both of them one full unit scientifically philosophically representing energy and matter without which creation is not possible, such a theme of eternal love and reunion in successive life time is a recurring motif in classical Sanskrit literature.  In Kalidasa’s epic poem “Raghuvamsham” in the invocatory verse, the poet presents a beautiful and profound allegory that  compares the relationship between Lord Shiva and Parvati to the inseparable bond between a word and its meaning. Just as words and meanings together are essential for communication and comprehension  the deep , intrinsic relationship between the divine couple illustrating their unity, harmony and complementary role is essential  for the existence and functioning of the cosmos. Kalidasa prays to this divine couple to bestow upon him the knowledge of words and meanings enabling him to compose the great poem. Purity of a woman’s heart and her one-pointed devotion to her husband gives her immense miraculous powers and she is assigned the role of goddess to be worshipped. This is set an ideal for conjugal felicity in family. 

Kalidasa mentions Bioluminescent plants in Kumarasambhavam where the herbs illuminated the caves in the Himalaya mountains at night when the lovers used to meet there.

Kalidasa refers to milky way in the sky while traveling from Lanka to Ayodhya in the aerial car. 

He describes the smell of first rain drops of water falling on the earth scorched by the heat of the sun which now scientists call as ‘ Petrichor.’

Humanization of plant kingdom is a part of all poetry, the cream being in Kalidasa’s Abhijnana Shakuntalam where to the heroine Shakuntala, the appearance of a bud in a flower is almost like  joy of birth of a son.

Seasons and their respective flowers is another hall-mark description in Kalidasa’s Ritusamharam.

Meghadutam mentions different kinds of clouds.

Kiratarjuniyam of Bharavi is political commentary in epic form.

Kalhana, a Kashmiri historian , best known for his work ‘ Rajatarangini’ which describes the chronicle of kings of Kashmir. He outlines the qualifications , qualities, and responsibilities a historian should possess, he himself exemplifying the same. They are impartiality, thoroughness , knowledge of Geography and History , accuracy, clarity and eloquence, detachment from power, Ethical integrity, insight and wisdom .

Ancient wisdom presented in almost all the works has proved to be of a higher order in many spheres of practical work.

There are both explored and unexplored texts on Architecture  Astronomy  Astrology  Chemistry  Aeronautics, Philosophy  , Politics, poetics, Epigraphy,Grammar, Music, Lapidary sc  Equestrian lore, Elephant lore, Lexicography, Mathematics  Medicine, Music  Theft and on topics like Mining, Earthquakes, Exploration of water-springs  Comets and others scattered in different Samhitas.

In any comparative study whether language  literature, law or any field of knowledge, Sanskrit can form a rich base. Many findings arrived on the basis of Sanskrit texts can startle the modern scientist. These have only scratched the surface area of rich mine of Sanskrit which has tremendous potential for research.

Further Sanskrit has a characteristic of its own- an ennobling ethical sublime idealism. That knowledge can be a panacea for all types of ailments . The humanistic appeal of qualities like love, compassion, kindness,charity, tolerance the inculcation of which form the creamy layer of Sanskrit literature can add a touch of charm  liveliness and success in any walk of life whether in family, society, business, management or anything. A knowledge of proper study of the Bhagavad Gita and Bhakti literature can impart the Art of living by which man can discover in himself the equipoise to stand up to life’s situations, meeting efficiently the ever changing world of challenges he has to meet. let alone the modern medical research findings on music, yoga, meditation as cure for diseases like Neurosis, High blood pressure, Migraine etc, even with chanting or listening to the chanting of Vedic mantras, soul-stirring beautiful Sanskrit songs sung, Yoga and meditation, the mind can be revived from all fatigue andit can get recharged with all its potentialities. Karma and rebirth theory understood in the right perspective can instill will power and motivation and can make life meaningful.

Apart from the universal appeal of Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita( though a part of Mahabharata only ),puranas,, Panchatantra, Hitopadesha, there are plenty of books in classical literature in  its varied genres dealing with all  spheres of life. Chanakyaniti, Hitopadesha , Bhagavad Gita are all roped in to highlight the principles of management in them as relevant to modern requirement.

The real parameter to judge research is its relevance to social needs. The sublime thoughts of the seers and sages put down in writing thousands of years ago are not archaic remains or fossils from the cavern of past but the facts experienced by the seers themselves. Their statements are marked by a keen desire to promote human welfare with the motto being, ‘ Let the entire world be a single family’

Now is the time for new image. This is the time for fusion of tradition and modern. Cut flowers are beautiful. But their freshness remain for how long ? When we have strong healthy roots of past rich culture   Why not nurture it and get beautiful flowers which will not only make the birth soil fragrant but will make the entire atmosphere ever fragrant ?