27 Feb 2020|Noida | F-3 Seminar Hall
One Day National Seminar ‘Sanskrit Samwad 2020’ organized at Amity University
One-day national seminar 'Sanskrit-Samwad 2020' was organized on 27th February 2020 at Amity University campus, Sector 125, Noida, under the joint aegis of Amity Institute for Sanskrit Studies & Research and Uttar Pradesh Sanskrit Sansthan, Lucknow. The theme of the seminar was 'Scientific tradition in Sanskrit Literature'. Participants and experts from the Sanskrit institutions of Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Uttrakhand attended the event.
Objectives of the conference were to make public aware about the scientific tradition found in Sanskrit literature, to motivate research through Sanskrit medium, to establish dialogue among Sanskrit scholars and students, to honour scholars who have contributed to the promotion and development of Sanskrit, to organize debate and Shlok recitation competitions and to acquaint Sanskrit students of other institutions with the AISSR, AUUP.
The program was organized in F-3 Seminar Hall, where book exhibition and posters related with the theme of the conference were also displayed. The book and poster exhibitions were sponsored by Sanskrit Bharati.
The program started with the registration of participants. In the inaugural session, the conference chair Dr. Dharmendra Singh Rathore, elaborated upon the subject of Science and Sanskrit and also said that we would have to adopt scientific temperament forsaking superstitions.
Honourable Professor Ramesh Chandra Bhardwaj, Head, Department of Sanskrit, University of Delhi, referenced the Mahabharata, Puranas, Brahmins, Astronomy to narrate the historical facts of the periods of scientific knowledge in Sanskrit. Along with the periods, he emphasized on the antiquity of Indian culture and civilization by citing the copper c14 test. He also said that when we looked at the material existing in the Sanskrit literature, it had become evident that the development of metallurgy took place first in India.
The Vice-Chancellor, AUUP, Prof. (Dr.) Balwinder Shukla hailed the event of Sanskrit Samwad 2020. In the beginning of the lecture she also explained the importance of Sanskrit and mother tongue. Regarding Indian culture, she said, "We should be proud of Indian culture. The promotion of Sanskrit is necessary for the development of our society".
Prof. Santosh Kumar Shukla, Dean and Professor, School of Sanskrit and Indic Studies, JNU, described the scientific knowledge available in Sanskrit as well as the association of Science with Sanskrit. He also said that Sanskrit was the language of Vedas, which was the root of all knowledge. No stream of knowledge is untouched by Sanskrit. There are many texts in Sanskrit on the subjects of medicine. He said that scientific knowledge on all subjects like Psychiatry, Chemistry, Biology, and Botany existed in Sanskrit, but this knowledge was destroyed with linking of education with livelihood by Britishers.
Saraswat Guest Dr. Daya Shankar Tiwari, Department of Sanskrit, University of Delhi, spoke on the subject of Mathematical tradition in Sanskrit. He narrated about the use of mathematics in Vedang astrology. Citing references of the Yajurveda in this sequence, he told the mathematical traditions were manifested in the temple construction. In the same context, he also mentioned the mathematical traditions in the Samaveda, Ramayana etc. Referring to Aryabhata, he has mentioned that ancient Indian mathematics is the most useful even today.
Mr. Dinesh Kamat, All India Organization Secretary, Sanskrit Bharati and Dr. Brajesh Gautam, President, Sanskrit Teachers Association, Delhi, got a thunderous applause from the participants while they were conferred upon the prestigious ‘Sanskritopaksk Samman’. Their citations were impressively recited by Dr. Shruti Kant Pandey, the convener of the conference. While delivering the acceptance address, Shri Kamat has strongly expressed that the entire Sanskrit world is a family. With this type of program conducted by Amity University, Sanskrit will definitely reach to a large number of people and once again Indian culture will get global recognition.
The second session of the symposium began with the Shlokocharan and Prashn Manch, i.e., Quiz competition in which participants from various universities, colleges and gurukuls participated enthusiastically. The guests and the audience present in the auditorium enjoyed the melodious presentation of the shlokas. In Shlokocharan competition, Nitish Bhardwaj of Ramjas College, University of Delhi, Deep Chandra of Sri Motinath Sanskrit Sansthan, Delhi, Manaswini of Holi Child School, Delhi, and Rishi Kumar Mishra of Lal Bahadur Shastri Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, New Delhi, won the first, second, third and consolation prizes respectively.
In the Quiz competition, Rahul Kumar and Madhumala of Hansraj College, University of Delhi got first prize, Vishwambhara and Tushar Gandhi of St. Stephen's College, got second prize and Mr. Lal Bahadur Shastri Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, New Delhi's Ashu Kumar Thakur and Harshit received the third prize, respectively.
In the concluding session, Professor Girish Chandra Pant, Head, Sanskrit Department, Jamia Millia Islamia University, said in his address that when we talked about science, we would have to look at Sanskrit Vedic texts. Dr. Vinay Kumar Vidyalankar Honorary Professor, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, elaborated in his speech the great role of Sanskrit literature in the context of science and gave special emphasis on the study and research of Vedic texts to see the coordination of Sanskrit and science.
The conference ended with cultural program, Report presentation and Vote of Thanks by Dr. Devendra Nath Ojha, and recitation of the National Song.