Sanskrit Resurgence

It is called the ‘Devabhasha‘ or the language of the Gods. The divine language manifested from the mouth of Brahma is imperishable. Right from the Vedas to the epics like Valmiki’s Ramayana & Vyasa's Mahabharata, they were all written in Sanskrit; one of the oldest languages of India. Who can forget Panini, the grammarian who wrote a treatise on Sanskrit grammar? Having studied Sanskrit for two years in college, I can vouch for the ethereal beauty of the language.

But the oft-repeated question is - who speaks Sanskrit today?

Hard to believe, but in this village you are caught off guard when you hear people speaking in Sanskrit. As you observe closely, the truth sinks in that Sanskrit is the 'lingua franca' of the place. Everyday communication takes place in Sanskrit and people across ages speak the ‘language of the Gods’ fluently.

Mattur is a village in the Shimoga (shivamogga) district of Karnataka, India where Sanskrit is still alive. According to Shri Aswath Avadhani, the Brahmin families came from neighboring states almost 500 years ago and settled down in the Agrahara - a Brahmin settlement.

Here they follow the Gurukul system of education. Built as a square, with a temple at the center, Mattur has a village Paathshala or a traditional school. The students undergo rigorous training under their Sanskrit masters and learn Vedas from the age of 10.

The younger generation has ensured that Sanskrit teaching is just not restricted to Mattur but goes beyond. They use the internet to conduct online classes and spread awareness of Sanskrit across the world.

The Sanskrit village seems to be the only ‘connection’ we are left with to the ancient times when Rishis and Munis chanted verses from the Vedas, Shastras, and Upanishads for the good of the world.

One hopes that this 'divine village' will stay this way for a long time.

Image credit - Santosh Krishnan
Inset - Pic of Mattur from Inditales.com

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