Samskrit Universities are facing a lot of challenges like inadequate number of sanctioned teaching posts and grants for infrastructure and developmental activities, attracting students both in number and quality etc. In spite of many such difficulties, every Vice Chancellor is doing his/her best to bring the University to forefront. Yet we need to do a lot for the strategic transformation of both Samskrit institutions and Samskrit education. In this context, let there be more debate among Samskrit lovers. In order to facilitate such discussion, I am giving here the reply given by Prof B. Mahadevan, Professor of Operations Management, IIM Bangalore, Founder VC of Chinmaya Vishwa Vidyapeeth, to a question put to him by me. (Prof Mahadevan is also a scholar of Samskrit and Vedanta. He conducts Bhagavadgita classes regularly in IIM. He also offers courses in Samskrit to IIM students. He is guiding several Samskrit institutions who are engaged in Samskrit education and promotion. Currently he has been entrusted with a project by AICTE to write a course book on Indian Knowledge Systems) Hope you would take this discourse further in your sphere of influence.

Q: What should be the role of Sanskrit Universities today when there is a growing demand for Sanskrit among the educated at one side and a steep decline in both number and quality of formal Sanskrit education on the other side?

A: This has to be addressed independently for each of these stakeholders. There is no “one size fits all” approach possible. We cannot do the same thing to both the constituencies thinking more effort of this kind will bring more results to use.

For those who are educated otherwise and have found a reason to get back to Sanskrit, we need to develop a different method of making them Sanskrit literate and develop a structured path for it. They may not be interested in degrees (a vast number of them), but they need several modules. The first few modules should build their comfort in Sanskrit. This means introduce them to Sanskrit language and grammar in such a way that they start feeling very comfortable with the language, they begin to appreciate the language structure and some important grammatical constructs. Once they cross this stage (my assessment is 80% simply fail to cross this stage even when they started with a genuine desire because today’s models of instruction and teaching etc. cannot deliver this for them), the they need specific modules. Give their age they have specific interests. To name a few, Philosophy, health and wellness, Foundation of good living and Dharma, some kavyas, specific knowledge pertaining to their work, history and knowledge traditions, unique and differentiating lifestyles, assumptions about life etc. If such modular instructions are available, they will be with the Sanskrit domain for long and even graduate to a much higher level later.

For the student crowd, the bottleneck is not at the input (admissions level) although we perceive it there. It is actually at the exit point. What I mean is that if I do not see any other possibility other than going to a high school to teach Rama sabda etc. or languish as a contract teacher in one of the RSS affiliated place, why will I enter into the campus? Unless Sanskrit institutions turn their attention toward the migration paths for a passing out student in many useful ways, they will have no hope for increasing the enrolment. It is not about dancing to the market needs and diluting what is being taught or supposed to be taught. It is about how to put an icing on the cake so that it becomes attractive. Out of 120 credits for a UG program, if the institutions do not set off 24 0 30 credits exclusively address this issue of gridlock at the exit point, I do not see any means of improving the enrolment.

In order to achieve both, Sanskrit Universities must cross-pollinate with other Universities that teach modern subjects, otherwise, new ideas will not germinate to move forward decisively. The level of experimentation, sustained effort to set a target, go after it, get it into a workable idea, offer it through some university activities in a time bound manner, solicit funding support and networking partners to accomplish the task are new directions to go for the Sanskrit Universities. Otherwise the frog in the well syndrome will take over and we will go round and round with more efforts, more spending but less result.
We should not get trapped by “अन्धेन नीयमानाः‍ यथा अन्धाः”
(A few more answers by Prof Mahadevan for my questions will be published at a later date)