'Soul of India': NASA has department for Sanskrit manuscripts research, Karnataka Governor tells students

Bengaluru: Hailing Sanskrit as "the soul of India", Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Friday said US space agency NASA had started a department dedicated for research on manuscripts in the ancient language.

Gehlot was delivering the convocation address at the Karnataka Sanskrit University (KSU), of which he is the Chancellor. He advised parents to allow their children to learn Sanskrit along with the local language.

According to Gehlot, Sanskrit is the language of knowledge in Indian tradition. He said he is "obsessed" with Sanskrit and that is why he took oath in that language at Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

"Sanskrit is the soul of India and a repository of vast knowledge. Historically, Sanskrit was the language of discourse among scholars across the country and was used in all important matters," Gehlot said.

Gehlot said even western nations realised the value of Sanskrit. "Rick Briggs, a renowned NASA scientist, highlighted the greatness of Sanskrit, particularly its grammar. NASA, recognising its potential for computer software, established a dedicated department for researching over 60,000 Sanskrit manuscripts. Countries like the USA and Germany are conducting significant research in this field," Gehlot said.

Sanskrit, Gehlot said, is treated as the second official language in Uttarakhand. "It is the spoken language in Mathur, Karnataka, and remains a commonly spoken language in various parts of India. Many universities worldwide teach Sanskrit, and those proficient in the language have a promising future," he said.

At the convocation, 1,004 students received various degrees.

Honorary D.Litt degrees were awarded to Basavamurthy Madara Chennaiah Swami, Sadguru Dundeshwara Swami, Prof Gauri Mahulikar of Chinmaya International Foundation, Pallathadka Ghanapati Shankara Narayana Bhat, Hithlahally Acharya Sooryanarayana Bhat and Acharya A Haridas Bhat.

Higher Education minister Dr MC Sudhakar, Sanskrit scholar H V Nagaraja Rao, KSU Vice-Chancellor Dr Ahalya Sharma and others were present.