In today's Vijayavani, Dr. Bhuvaneshwari Hegde, a professor of economics in Mangalore and a popular writer and speaker, has written about her recent introduction to Sanskrit and its power.
I summarise here for those who don't read Kannada:
Having taught economics for a couple of decades, she was wondering how reading Kautilya, the world's most insightful politico-economist, in the original Sanskrit would be so wonderful.
Meanwhile, the case of a neighbour's child who stammered and was ridiculed by all as "Uggappa" (stammered), made her go and get help from a psychologist and therapist for the neighbour's child. That wise doctor advised that the child should be taught to chant Sanskrit shlokas, as it would significantly improve his speech, remove stammering, and make him also intelligent and confident. Once they followed the advice, this proved to be the truth and the magical transformation of the boy was noted with wonder by the professor.
And recently, after an apartment neighbour succumbed to Covid, she was herself sufficiently flustered to go back to the same therapist. Smilingly, he recommended her also to start learning Sanskrit, a cure-all. Accordingly, she approached her colleague and long-term friend Mrs. Vishwas. She enthusiastically enrolled Dr. Hegde into the online "Samskrita Sambhashana Shibira", which opened up a wonder world of Sanskrit and also helped Dr. Hegde make friends worldwide among similar professionals and seniors of great accomplishments who belatedly espoused learning Sanskrit. Dr. Hegde also managed to compose a couplet on Covid in Sanskrit!
Dr. Hegde benefitted in more ways than one. She came to know of the late Dr. Shyama Shastri of Mysore, the great unveiler of Kautilya's ArthaShastra deciphered from age-old manuscripts. He was awarded doctorates and Mahamahoadhyaya honours for his epic labours. Even Gandhiji had applauded the man.
Dr. Hegde also came to know about the wonders of Sanskrit, including the purported first use of the phonograph by Edison to record the first verse of Rigveda recited by Max Mueller (I doubt this story). And the compendium of Sanskrit history nuggets by Sri. Janardana Hegde.
I am really glad I also started this journey 4 years ago, and have benefitted by reading the books of Sri. Janardana Hegde and Dr. Vishwas, luminaries of Samskrita Bharati.
God bless all the proponents of Sanskrit!
