Bridging the past and the present - The multifaceted KV Seshadrinatha Sastrigal believes that learning of Sanskrit is important to understand the crux of the Vedas, Ayurveda and the best of Indian philosophy and culture

 

 

KV Seshadrinatha Sastrigal, 85, is a traditionalist, for whom tradition refers to customs and ceremonials by means of which the past speaks to the present. Traditions, for this scholar, relate allegiance to authority, storing up as they do the sedimented wisdom of earlier generations. But what makes Sastrigal different from a whole clutch of scholars in Sanskirt, Vedas and Sastras is his contemporary and radical perspective.

Sastrigal understands that Sanskrit, the language through which, for thousands of years, ancient traditions and knowledge were passed on from generation to generation, has been marginalised, diluted and reduced to a pitiable state. Yet, he refuses to believe that the language can be erased.

In an effort to establish, develop, propagate and bring out the need for retention of Indian culture through the ancient texts, he formed a Trust, Veda Samrakshana Nyasa, in 1984, while he was in Chennai. Now, he has formed a new team for developing this idea in Kerala. Sasthrigal has established a Veda Padasala in Kalady, Ernakulam district, where around 24 students are studying Yajur Veda and Sanskrit. In addition, many others visit him to seek wisdom in this ancient language and the texts of knowledge. Sastrigal was honoured with the ‘Mahamahopadhyaya’ title by the Government of India, the first scholar to receive this title after Independence.

Macaulay, whom we call the father of our modern Indian education system, in his historical speech in the British Parliament, clearly indicated that the ancient system of Indian education needed to be dismantled. This, he considered, was the backbone of the country, its spiritual and cultural heritage. And he achieved the goal of eliminating Sanskrit from being an essential part of the Indian education system.

“That is history. So many foreign powers came to our land and brought with them their languages. But Sanskrit was not attacked. When the Muslim rulers came to India, Sanskrit was allowed to flourish, the beliefs were not touched. But everything changed when the British came. English was injected into every Indian brain; Sanskrit was pushed out of our thinking, our intellect. Along with the language they uprooted out culture and threw it away,” says Sastrigal, a renowned Vedic, Sanskrit and Ayurveda scholar and former Principal of Madras Sanskrit College.

Sastrigal refuses to believe that Sanskrit is a ‘dead language’. “Unfortunately, many consider it to be a Hindu language and, therefore, not inclusive. Ninety-five per cent of Sanskrit literature has nothing to do with religion. You cannot kill this language, it is alive, the Vedas too.”

Learning of Sanskrit

There was a time in the past, says Sastrigal, when everyone, irrespective of caste and religion, studied Sanskrit. “Even girls studied the subject; I can point out so many instances recorded in our texts about this. Plays were written in Sanskrit and were they only for the Brahmins? No, because if there were no people to understand and appreciate these plays, they would not have been written and staged.”

Sastrigal also exhorts us to look at what happened towards the end of British rule and post-Independence in our country. The truth is that British scholars started learning Sanskrit, translated the ancient scriptures and documents into English even while they started a propaganda claiming that Sanskrit was a dying language. “At the same time through efforts of scholars like Max Mueller, Sanskrit was being introduced in almost all universities in Europe.”

Born in Kuzhalmandam, Palakkad, on June 20, 1934, Sasthrigal was a Vedic student at Nurani Vedasastra Patasala from 1944-1954. “Like so many landowning communities, my family was also forced to migrate following the enforcement of the land reforms act that abolished the tenancy system. We moved to Madras [Chennai] where I continued my studies and where I still live.” Sastrigal completed his graduation (Sahitya Shiromani) in 1959, winning the Presidency gold medal. He went on to complete Sahithya Vidwan course, passed the Vedanta Shiromani, Ayurveda Shiromani and Ayurveda Vidwan courses. He then did his research in Chithrameemamsa Vakyasudha under Dr V Raghavan, delving into the depths of Malsyapurana. For a while he was an Ayurveda medical practitioner, taught at the Venkitaramana Ayurveda College, Chennai, and was Principal of Madras Sanskrit College for 10 years.

“My association with Dr Raghavan opened new doors and helped changed my outlook towards these subjects. When I came first to Madras Presidency for Shiromani, he was pleasantly surprised. At that time I used to work for him at his house. He told me to join the university and begin my research. It was he who instilled in me that interest. He was a hard task master, made us work a lot but we enjoyed working. I was with him for nearly 10 years.”

Talking about his research subject, Malsyapurana, Sastrigal says that it was not just on the Puranas but more on the theory of evolution. “My only complaint is that people today ignore and discard the Vedas and Sastras even before trying to understand them. Can’t they at least listen, read and understand them before coming to a conclusion?”

A lot of scholars seek Sastrigal’s advice on Sanskrit, the Vedas, Ayurveda and even astrology, but though he swears by Ayurveda he considers astrology as a subject with no known source. “Ayurveda is an ancient system of medicine. It is a general philosophy of health and wellness. It talks about proper diet, exercise, sleep, hygiene, and, of course, the use of herbal preparations. Like most traditional medicine systems, Ayurveda was developed and refined over thousands of years, through observation and experience. The term itself means the science of life. But astrology is not a truth. There is no specific mention of astrology in the Vedas, only astronomy is mentioned. For me, astrology does not exist.”

It is important to understand, says Sastrigal, though the practices of astrology and astronomy have common roots, there is an important distinction. “Astronomy is the study of the universe and its contents outside of Earth’s atmosphere. Astronomers examine the positions, motions, and properties of celestial objects. I do that. Astrology attempts to study how those positions, motions, and properties affect people and events.”

New projects

Veda Samrakshana Nyasa in Kalady has ventured into many projects with the advice and leadership of Sastrigal. A website (www.vedanyasa.com) has been created that offers information about Indian culture and traditions, the Vedas and Dharma Sasthras. Digitalisation of various ancient books and treatises on Ayurveda, astronomy, Vedas, etc., which will be made available free of cost to any user, publication of vernacular versions of these works, training and counseling sessions on lifestyle, food habits etc are some of the other projects that the organisation has on its anvil.

“Sanskrit is the greatest language in the world. And if it is taken away from the life of the masses of this country, a light would be gone. The distinctive features of a rich culture will be lost. I have very little time left. My efforts are to educate the present generation not only on the Shodhasa Samskaras (Hindu traditions) but also the Dharmasastras, which can help them mould their life free from all sorrows, pains, difficulties and given them peace of mind,” says Sastrigal

Courtesy: The Hindu, dated 19^th Apirl 2019

‘World needs India’ - Long and intense research leaves Liesbeth Pankaja Bennink sure that this is the only land, where Dharma consciousness prevails

Long and intense research leaves Liesbeth Pankaja Bennink sure that this is the only land, where Dharma consciousness prevails

Your parents sowed the seeds of spiritual interest in you, your mother taught you Dharma, you have said. Can you expand on that?

My mother was a theosophist, although I was too young to realise it. Righteousness — doing the right things and in the right way — and honesty were the two things she insisted on. My father was a seeker. He would be engaged in conversations with Raja Deekshitar, whenever he visited the Netherlands. Both parents were spiritually inclined and I must have imbibed it.

Why India?

I love ancient civilisations. And I’m curious. Yes, it could have been any place — Greece, Africa... Bharatanatyam brought me here and well, the rest, as they say, is history. I love the food, the spicy flavours of the South and the sweets... and of course the warm weather. But that is at the superficial level. What binds me to this land is its heritage, the tradition.

What, according to you is the essence of Indian tradition/culture?

Dharma — that would be the essence of the culture of this land. The consciousness about the right and the wrong. And taking responsibility for the actions — Karma. I agree that there is corruption and malpractice but people are aware of it. It is awareness of Dharma and Karma, which enables us to realise the wrong and the right. Our wrong choices have led to climate change and political upheavals. But course-correction is possible, provided we take the responsibility. This is the best gift India has for humanity and it is for this reason that the rest of the world needs India. In the Gita, Lord Krishna speaks of the dark Kali Yuga and we are already in it. Also this is the land of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, which have so much to teach. It is here that people are living the principle of Dharma.

What are the temples you have visited, apart from Chidambaram?

I have visited several temples, names of which I cannot easily recall... My guru Rajamani took me to Tirupati, where we participated in rituals. It was a beautiful experience. And Narthamalai...

You are convinced that the beliefs as practised in India are not superstitions. Please explain

This is the land of Sanatana Dharma — it is a way of life. It lays down do’s and don’ts and emphasises on purity — everything to elevate a human being at the spiritual level. To teach people, impart knowledge about so many things — astronomy, astrology, biology and so on. I would say that Man primarily is an Intellectual being and secondarily a Material being. It is the material that creates Maya and distracts him and it is to raise above that, a discipline was put in place. It is connected to the Universe, a kind of code. Failure to understand the code leads to doubts. For instance, Saturday is not the preferred day to buy new clothes. The reason is that the day belongs to Saturn and it would be appropriate to purchase metals instead on that day.

And we have lost a lot in the past few years?

The invasion and occupation of foreigners have robbed the country of its amazing wealth, not only material but intellectual. Knowledge. Sadly most of it has been lost for ever. The people of this land were made to believe that they were inferior to the West. Gradually, the people succumbed and started doubting themselves. It was all a part of an agenda to destroy India and its glory. The brain drain, which has happened in the past three decades, has taken away precious talent. Inside temples, I find the original granite replaced with marble, which takes away the Energy and those harsh tubelights. With the abolition of the Devadasi system, an inherent part of temple heritage has been wiped out. Wootz steel has completely disappeared from the Tamil land, although attempts are being made to revive it. Prof. Sharada Srinivasan has been conferred Padma Shri for her efforts in this direction.

Certain things can only be felt and not explained. Do you agree?

Well, what first is a feeling or intuition gets a shape if you search for the science behind it. Words and images do emerge. From the Unknown to the Known. But yes, some concepts, say Upanishadic or Advaitic can only be realised and not described. There could be things, which are beyond the human level of expression. Quite possible.

How difficult or easy has been your research? In India, information generally is tough to access and documentation not really meticulous. Often riddled with suspicion and scepticism. Especially when the seeker is not an Indian.

No, it was not easy at all. First, the topic of my research was not just history or philosophy, per se. It dated back centuries and often the information was not direct. It had to be decoded and this required help. Especially way back when Internet was not known and communication was not advanced. It was difficult to access texts and books. Raja Deekshitar showed me the way and his family was wonderful.

You are sure Aryan invasion never happened. Can you explain?

Well, as a young student, even I subscribed to the theory that light-skinned people crossed the mountains to overthrow the natives and occupy their spaces. But that was before I came to India, met Raja Deekshitar and learnt about the way the Rishis lived, the Vedas and so on. There was a huge gap between the India I read in text books and what I saw and learnt from guru Rajamani and Deekshitar. I read books debunking that theory. Thirty years of research has taught me that Sanatana Dharma was a way of life on this land thousands of years ago, when people lived with Nature and had mastered the movements of planets. They belonged here.

History, Spiritualism, Art — you straddle all spheres. Are they exclusive or complement each other in your research?

There are no contradictions here. Specialising in one aspect is a Western concept, which doesn’t work. Things are interconnected. One leads to another. Ayurveda, Yoga, dance, Sanskrit, art, astronomy, astrology, metaphysics... they are all linked, holistic. Like the Cosmos. Like a temple. The outer prakara leads to the inner corridors and deeper the niches and still deeper the sanctum or the centre. The Chit Sabha of Chidambaram. Like Indra’s Net, the multifaceted jewel, where each face reflects the others infinitely.

Have you been to the North of India?

I have not seen the North. So can’t talk about it.

How do you keep in touch with Bharatanatyam?

Through practice. At least to keep myself flexible. I meet some of my friends in the field. And I read books. I would mention Unfinished Gestures of Devesh Soneji as one of the brilliant works on the subject in recent times.

Courtesy: Ms. Geetha Venkataramanan (geetha.v@thehindu.co.in)  - The Hindu – Friday Review dated 15^th February 2019