Tradition of Sanskrit is like the Ganga, says Sushma
NEW DELHI: External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday suggested that Sanskrit should be propagated so that “it purifies the minds of the people and thus sanctifies the whole world.”
The minister inaugurated a five-day conference of Sanskrit scholars from 60 countries in Bangkok on Sunday. Swaraj also announced that a post of Joint Secretary for Sanskrit has been created in the external affairs ministry — who will be tasked with the propagation of the language.
In her speech in Sanskrit, Swaraj called it a “modern and universal” language and said its tradition is comparable to the river Ganga. “The Ganga remains sacred from Gomukh, its source, to the Ganga sagar where it enters the ocean. It sanctifies the tributaries, which attain the very nature of the Ganga. Similar is Sanskrit; which sacred by itself and sanctifies all that come into its contact.
“Therefore, Sanskrit should be propagated so that it purifies the minds of the people and thus sanctifies the whole world. You Sanskritists do bathe in the sacred Sanskrit Ganga and are blessed,” she told the gathering.
“In the present days, you are aware that scientists hold the view that Sanskrit can play an important role in developing software for language recognition, translations, cyber security and other fields of artificial intelligence,” Swaraj said.