Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday underscored the significance of Sanskrit, declaring it as the mother of nearly all Indian languages. He emphasised that no language is being opposed, but equally, no individual can be disconnected from their mother tongue.
Speaking at the valedictory session of the 1008 Sanskrit Sambhashan Shivirs held in New Delhi, Shah said that promoting Sanskrit is not merely about reviving an ancient language, but about contributing to the comprehensive development of the nation. He stated that the enrichment of Sanskrit would have a ripple effect, empowering every language and dialect in India.
“While there is no opposition to any language, no one can be distanced from their mother tongue, and Sanskrit is the mother of nearly all Indian languages,” he remarked.
Highlighting Sanskrit’s distinctiveness, Shah said it is not only the most scientific language in the world but also boasts an unparalleled grammatical structure. He lauded Sanskrit Bharati for its bold and commendable efforts in organising the 1008 conversation camps, adding that the decline of Sanskrit began even before colonial times and its revival would require persistence and patience.
He said a conducive atmosphere has emerged for Sanskrit's resurgence under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Today, the government, society, and collective consciousness are aligned and determined toward Sanskrit’s revival and advancement,” he said.
Shah recalled that since 1981, Sanskrit Bharati has worked to bring the vast troves of Sanskrit knowledge to the public, training and enabling millions to speak and understand the language. He added that many renowned scholars worldwide have acknowledged Sanskrit as the most scientific language ever developed.
Calling for a forward-looking approach, the Home Minister said, “We must now move beyond discussing the decline of Sanskrit and instead focus on its resurgence.” He mentioned several initiatives taken by the Modi government to support this mission.
Among them is the ‘Ashtadashi’ scheme, under which around 18 projects have been implemented. The central government is also providing financial support for publishing, bulk purchasing, and reprinting rare Sanskrit texts. He also noted that honorariums for eminent Sanskrit scholars have been increased.
Also Read: IAF chief meets PM Modi over Pahalgam terror attack
Shah drew attention to the New Education Policy (NEP) introduced by the Modi government, saying it strongly emphasizes the Indian knowledge system, with Sanskrit at its core. He said the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan has been upgraded to the status of a Central Sanskrit University.
Further, under the Sahasra Chudamani Yojana, retired distinguished Sanskrit scholars are being appointed as educators to further spread the language’s wisdom.
One of the most ambitious efforts, he said, is a nationwide manuscript preservation campaign worth approximately ₹500 crore. As part of the Gyan Bharatam Mission launched by Prime Minister Modi, this initiative is focused on collecting, digitising, and preserving Sanskrit and Prakrit manuscripts. The corpus will be enhanced in every annual budget.
So far, over 52 lakh manuscripts have been documented, around 3.5 lakh digitised, and about 1.37 lakh made available online. Shah said a team of scholars from diverse fields and languages has been formed to translate and preserve these priceless texts.
He stressed that the answers to many of the world's present-day challenges could be discovered by unlocking the deep wisdom embedded in Sanskrit through revival, propagation, and simplification.
Also Read: India seeks partners, not preachers: Jaishankar to Europe
Shah shared that Sanskrit Bharati has introduced over one crore people to spoken Sanskrit, trained more than one lakh Sanskrit teachers, and helped 6,000 families adopt Sanskrit as their everyday language. Additionally, there are now 4,000 villages in India where all communication is conducted entirely in Sanskrit.
Globally, Sanskrit Bharati has set up 4,500 centres across 26 countries and, in 2011, successfully organised the world’s first World Sanskrit Book Fair.
Describing Sanskrit as the embodiment of India’s faith, heritage, truth, and timeless wisdom, Shah said, “The radiance of knowledge and enlightenment is inherent in the Sanskrit language.” For millennia, intellectual exploration across fields like philosophy, science, medicine, and the arts has produced a wealth of knowledge that survives in Sanskrit texts, he said.
He asserted that this wisdom — found in the Vedas, Upanishads, and other classical Sanskrit literature — must reach the global stage. The ongoing work by Sanskrit Bharati, he added, marks an important first step toward that vision.
Shah also noted that Sanskrit was the first language to refine the use of meter and syllables, which has helped sustain its relevance over the ages. Among the dignitaries present at the event was Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.
Also Read: Rajnath vows 'befitting' reply to any attack on India
Follow us
