poorwapaksha-पूर्वपक्ष

Background The word संस्कृत (Sanskrit) means polished or refined. The words like संस्कृति (sanskriti), meaning culture or civilization, and संस्कार (sanskara), meaning purification ceremony all have their roots in this word Sanskrit. Most Indian languages, to a greater or lesser degree, have their roots in Sanskrit. In that sense, more than a mother tongue, Sanskrit is a grandmother tongue. That influence extends beyond the boundaries of today’s India, to elsewhere in Asia. Nepal’s national motto is जननी जन्मभूमिश्च स्वर्गादपी गरीयसी. This was Bhagwan Ram’s response to Laxman during their conversation after the war was over and is found in the Valmiki Ramayana and means, ‘The mother and the mother-land are superior to even heaven.’ The name of the Bangkok airport in Thailand is called ‘Swarna Bhoomi (a Sanskrit term)’, which means the ‘land of Gold’ in English. The name of the national airline of Indonesia is ‘Garuda’, which is also a Sanskrit word and is believed to be the carrier o...

Opening Thoughts   Sri Aurobindo once observed that Bharat is a sacred land, divinely ordained by Brahman as His Karmabhumi for the current Chaturyuga , a cycle of four Yugas—Satyuga, Tretayuga, Dwaparyuga, and Kaliyuga —that represents the eternal, beginningless, and endless nature of the universe, which forms the core essence of Sanatana .  It is, therefore, no coincidence that this hallowed soil has birthed hundreds of thousands of Mahamanavas (illustrious beings) over the millennia. While historical records preserve the names of many, countless others have left an indelible imprint through their profound contributions to humanity, remaining anonymous even as their legacies endure.  The intellectual landscape of Bharat is adorned with luminaries across every conceivable discipline: from the epic narratives of Valmiki and Ved Vyas to the poetic mastery of Kalidas; from the linguistic precision of Panini to the foundational yogic philosophy of Patanjali. In the realm...