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Part 1: The Divine Language of Sanskrit Praṇām to our noble lineage of Śrī Alakvorījī, and praṇām Swāmījī. Good morning to all of you. I would like to share something about Sanskrit today. We could discuss it extensively, but our time is limited, and my knowledge is also limited. Therefore, I have chosen a few points that I believe you may find interesting. First, I will mention the scriptures and literature I am referring to: the foreword to the Ṛg Veda, Mantra Yoga and Primal Saṅgha, and, of course, Swamiji's works like Hidden Powers in Humans and other sources such as the Encyclopedia of Hinduism. I have not brought it with me. From the internet, Sanskrit is described with words like noble, poetic, divine, sweet, ingenious, and perfect. All these superlatives are true. Simultaneously, Sanskrit is our mother language. The word "Sanskrita" originally means "composed." "Sam" means together or put together, and "kṛta" means done. In the Ṛgveda, it is explained as complete, ready, prepared, and accomplished. Sanskrit originates from Vedic Sanskrit. We are discussing classical Sanskrit; Vedic Sanskrit is more complex but more precise. All Vedic literature is composed in Vedic Sanskrit. There are four Saṁhitās: Ṛgveda, Yajurveda, Sāmaveda, and Atharvaveda. Then come the Brāhmaṇas, Āraṇyakas, Upaniṣads, and the six scientific specializations (Vedāṅgas): Kalpa (rituals), Śikṣā (phonetics), Nirukta (etymology), Vyākaraṇa (grammar), Jyotiṣa (astrology and astronomy), and Chanda (rhythm and meter). All this work was created thousands of years ago. This Vedic Sanskrit originates from a language known as the ancient European language. Perhaps this is the language referred to in the Vedas, which state that in ancient times, people could articulate speech, but that language lacked a fixed grammatical structure. That could be the ancient European language, the source of all European languages. There are many language families; the Indo-European branch is one. According to recent scientific research, even seemingly dissimilar languages share a similar inner structure. Thus, many scientists now suggest there was one original language, possibly that ancient European language. The Indo-European language branch is vast, spoken by about 3 billion people in 60 countries, encompassing roughly 400 languages. All these languages share something with Sanskrit in vocabulary, grammar, and structure, including our own languages. Sanskrit is a highly systematic language where everything is clearly defined. Learning Sanskrit helps to organize the mind, making it a perfect tool for those with restless or disordered thoughts. Studying Sanskrit, or at least learning mantras, is a great blessing for everyone, especially children. It brings order, enhances memory and concentration, and provides a foundation for learning other Indo-European languages. It is said that children who learn Sanskrit face no learning difficulties. Sanskrit is the language of mantras, which have a healing effect on the entire organism—not just the physical body but all the kośas. They harmonize the whole being. I would like to share my personal experience with Sanskrit. I began studying it years ago for a year or two and noticed a significant improvement in my memory and mental clarity. After a break, I resumed three years ago and had a similar, though less intense, experience. If I skip studying for a few days, I feel something is missing, much like when one neglects āsana or prāṇāyāma practice. Thus, learning Sanskrit is more than language study; it is something broader. Sanskrit is a perfect language capable of expressing all thoughts and thinking processes. It has terms for everything and possesses an unlimited capacity to create new words. Sanskrit adjectives, nouns, and verbs are based on verbal roots. There are about 2,000 such roots, each capable of producing up to 900 different forms. In contrast, English might derive only two or three verbs from a single root. With this vast capacity, Sanskrit can name and discuss anything at any level of knowledge. Modern languages often struggle to find terms for subtle spiritual states or philosophical concepts, leading to imprecise descriptions. Sanskrit does not have this problem. For example, Sanskrit has around 80 different words for water, about 100 for a king, and another 100 for a woman, each with a nuanced meaning. This richness makes Sanskrit poetry exceptionally beautiful, as one can select the perfect word. Due to its clarity, logic, and precision, Sanskrit leaves no room for error and is considered the best language for computers. It is also musical and metrical. Sanskrit grammar is the oldest and most perfect in the world. NASA holds Sanskrit in high regard. I read about a NASA project that sought to engage a thousand Sanskrit scholars from India for scientific work. However, the scholars declined to allow the language for such uses. Consequently, NASA started its own Sanskrit school to train experts, though I am unsure of the project's success. Experts also claim that Sanskrit aids in speech therapy, mathematics, and other sciences. It improves concentration, develops speech and imagination, and enhances vocal quality—a benefit noted by speakers and actors. Sanskrit is primarily the language of mantras—vibrations that influence our body, mind, and psyche. Mantras reflect the fundamental vibrations through which the universe is created and sustained. Thus, studying Sanskrit means studying the language of mantras. Reciting the Sanskrit alphabet is considered a form of japa. Sanskrit is called the divine language or the language of the gods. Its systematic structure mirrors the system of the universe, expressing creative powers. We often miss its true essence and meanings, leading to misunderstandings. For instance, the word "guru" lacks a precise translation in Czech; "spiritual teacher" or "master" do not capture its exact meaning. Only personal experience can convey it, but the Sanskrit word expresses it perfectly. The word "guru" is composed of syllables: "ga" represents motion, the root of all words meaning movement. When we chant mantras to Śrī Gaṇeśa, the vibration "ga" is present. Addressing Gaṇeśa helps us move forward, overcome obstacles, and reach our goals. The bīja mantra for Śrī Gaṇeśa or Gurudev is "Ga" or "Gum," with the nasal sound common in all bīja mantras. This bīja mantra signifies guidance, authority, motivation, and value. The sound "ra" is connected to light and fire; "ra" is the bīja mantra of fire. "U" represents creative power, aiding effort and endurance, and symbolizes the primal vibration, nāda. Thus, the guru is one who guides us toward our origin, toward light (ṛ) and the original vibration (om), while helping remove obstacles and achieve our goal. Similarly, the word "śānti": the sound "ś" is used to calm someone. This vibration represents calming, harmony, and balance. "Śam" is the bīja mantra of peace. The long "ā" represents bliss (ānanda). "N" and "T" are stabilizing vibrations. "I" represents wish or will (Icchā śakti). We correctly say "śāntiḥ" in mantras; the "ḥ" sound releases energy, relaxes, and supports meditation. Chanting "Śānti" brings peace and harmony. Another example of Sanskrit's precision is the pair "sukham" and "duḥkham." As Swamiji has said, they cannot be directly translated into English. We might render them as happiness and unhappiness or pain. Analyzing the words: "su" means good or proper, and "kam" means space. Thus, "sukham" is a good or comfortable space. "Duḥ" means being burned by fire, suffering, or pain, so "duḥkham" is a painful space. When we experience happiness or unhappiness, we feel it as a space or phenomenon enveloping us. Consider "ahaṅkāra" (ego). "Ahaṁ" means "I," and "kāra" comes from "karoti" (to do, to act). So "ahaṅkāra" literally means "I am doing, I am acting." When we think, "I am the doer," that is ego. Conversely, "nāhaṁ kartā" ("I am not the doer") helps diminish the ego—a very useful mantra. Sanskrit also allows us to understand philosophical terms untranslatable in other languages. For example, "māyā" (illusion). The root "mā" means to measure. Māyā is the energy or power that sets borders and limits; it creates boundaries, making the unlimited appear limited. Thanks to māyā, we experience the limitless as limited. Words themselves carry deeper meanings. For instance, "brother" in Sanskrit is "bhrātṛ," from the root "bhr," meaning to carry, support, or bear responsibility. Thus, a brother is one who supports and has responsibility. Similarly, the words for husband and wife convey specific roles. Understanding these meanings provides deeper insight and orientation. Now, a poetic example: the word for bird, "vihagā." "Viha" means sky or air, and "ga" means motion (as in "gacchati," to go). So, it is "one who moves in the sky." Sanskrit grammar is extremely detailed. The science of grammar, "vyākaraṇa," means "to make clear." Studying grammar purifies the mind. This ancient grammar does more than explain language; it delves deeper, developing spirituality and spiritual philosophy. It is part of a spiritual teaching that leads to self-realization, transmitting direct divine experience through precise knowledge of grammar, proper word usage, and exact pronunciation. It is said that adhering to grammar and terminology gradually removes veils from consciousness, allowing clear perception of Vedic teachings. Grammar teaches that the origin of sound is Brahman: "Nāda, Rūpa, Parabrahma"—sound, vibration, is the form of the highest reality. I would like to discuss the origin of Sanskrit. The Sanskrit term for language is "vāk." According to Vedic ṛṣis, who viewed the world holistically, "vāk" encompasses not just human speech but all sounds—animal sounds, nature's sounds, the sounds of the entire universe. Every part of the universe has its vibration, a seed mantra (bīja mantra). Every element possesses a bīja mantra. We know the bīja mantras of the five basic elements, which correspond to the five human cakras: Mūlādhāra—laṁ (earth); Svādhiṣṭhāna—vaṁ (water); Maṇipūra—raṁ (fire); Anāhata—yaṁ (air); Viśuddhi—haṁ (ether). The ṛṣis perceived the foundations of speech in the cosmos, gaining knowledge of these primal vibrations. By attaining high levels of consciousness, they could communicate with animals and inanimate nature. In Leela Amrit, you can read how Śrī Devpurījī spoke with animals. In Western tradition, St. Francis of Assisi is another example. The Ṛg Veda tells of Ṛṣi Viśvāmitra, who communicated with rivers. Once, at the confluence of the Satluj and Beas rivers in northern India, he was returning from a king with many carts of gifts. Fearing he could not cross, he begged the rivers to slow down. Initially, the rivers refused, stating their speed was set by God and should not be altered. The ṛṣi addressed them with great devotion and wisdom, calling them mothers and sisters. Eventually, they agreed to lower their levels and slow down, allowing him to pass. However, they warned him never to forget his words and to pass them to future generations, so people would not disturb the natural flow of rivers, as doing so would disrupt their own flow of life. I read this story during a time of floods, and it spoke to me profoundly. Speech, vāk, is a kind of vibration—waves emerging from the unconscious and taking the form of sound. Vāk is the language of nature, governed by cosmic law, and is the mother of all sounds, vibrations, and languages. The Ṛgveda says Vāk is the shining queen of the universe, the endless expanse. Speech is considered a goddess. The Vedas define two primal powers in the universe: Prāṇa and Vāk. Prāṇa is formless life energy, and Vāk is that which gives name and form. Part 2: The Divine Architecture of Speech and Language Prāṇa is the energy that enables speech (vāg). It is the essence of speech. Conversely, we can say that vāg is expressed prāṇa. The Ṛg Veda explains there are four levels of speech, a concept Swamiji often mentions. The highest is Parā, the supreme level. Here, speech is unmanifested; it is the level of pure consciousness and silence—the dormant sound connected to the Mūlādhāra Cakra. Thus, the foundation of speech lies in the Mūlādhāra. Next is Paśyantī, where the wish to speak appears and speech begins to manifest. This is the mental level of speech, associated with the Maṇipūra Cakra. Then comes Madhyamā, the prāṇic level of speech where words and sentences are formed. This level is connected to the Anāhata Cakra. The final level is Vaikharī, the actual expression of words where sound is fully manifested. This is the level of the Viśuddhi Cakra. This capacity for articulated speech is unique to humans. Animals have limited capacity, often expressing everything through just two or three vowel sounds. The Ṛg Veda, the most ancient Veda, witnesses the creation of Sanskrit. Later literature, such as the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, states that humans, animals, birds, and reptiles once spoke with an articulated but undefined, unclear speech. The Ṛg Veda refers to this as primitive speech. It says that scholars, after some time, agreed on the need to form a grammar. These original scholars were called Devas, meaning deities or beings of light. Perhaps they were so highly developed they were beings of pure light. In the Vedas, these scholars appealed to the god Indra to define and clarify speech, a task he undertook. In the Vedas, Indra is a form of the supreme divinity, unlike his Purāṇic role as lord of the gods. These devas worked for a thousand years to create the grammar. As described in texts, they analyzed the root sound of each word, utilized prefixes and suffixes, and formed the grammar accordingly. Words that did not fit this scheme were set aside, while those in common use were accepted as fixed. Thus, these scholars gave existence to a scientifically balanced, divinely created language, which had previously existed in many dialectal forms. Because it was crafted by devas, it is called the divine language. One grammatical tradition states that the first among these scholars was Brahmā himself. He passed this work to Bṛhaspati, the guru of the gods and representative of wisdom. Bṛhaspati passed it to Indra, who then passed it to the Ṛṣi Bharadvāja. Ṛṣi Bharadvāja is considered a genius, the most brilliant among them, and his authority is accepted in the Hindu world to this day. Even Pāṇini, the grammarian who codified Sanskrit grammar, acknowledges Bharadvāja. Bharadvāja brought this knowledge to other ṛṣis, who passed it on. This shared work spanned about 2,000 years, ultimately creating the grammar of Sanskrit. According to the Ṛg Veda, it was no easy task. The text describes how scholars sieved the language with precise minds, much like grain is sieved, demonstrating the exacting and long-term nature of the work. In the Vedas, this creation of grammar is called the first yajña, the first offering. A second yajña followed, during which the Vedic metres (chandas) were created. Vedic mantras appear in various metric structures, one of the most famous being Gāyatrī. The classical Gāyatrī metre has three lines of eight syllables each. Only after these two yajñas—establishing grammar and metre—were the Vedas revealed, which is logical. The most famous Sanskrit grammarian is Pāṇini, who lived around the 5th century BCE. He refers to Ṛṣi Bharadvāja and about sixty other predecessors from different grammatical schools, mentioning nine ancient grammatical systems, though only his system is preserved today. Pāṇini wrote the Sanskrit grammar called Aṣṭādhyāyī, "the book of eight chapters." It is considered the most perfect grammatical textbook in existence, and Pāṇini is regarded as the greatest grammarian. His rules remain valid and are considered the most exact. The Aṣṭādhyāyī is the oldest preserved grammar book. Pāṇini mentioned performing tapasyā for Lord Śiva, whose blessing enabled his work. I would like to mention the decrease or corruption of speech we witness daily. All life in the universe, including human life, has its own rhythm, expressed in the cycle of the four yugas. Each yuga has its own vibration and characteristics. In Satya Yuga, the human intellect is perfect and clear, the mind is clear, and memory is perfect. There is a saying that if you told something to a small child in Satya Yuga, the child would remember it for life. Humans lived in harmony with the universe, nature, and themselves. They understood karma—the natural, social, and personal order—and followed it naturally, achieving inner stability. Then comes Tretā Yuga, where all human qualities are reduced by one quarter. In Dvāpara Yuga, they are reduced by another quarter. Finally, in our Kali Yuga, only one quarter of those original qualities remains. This is a general corruption, which includes the corruption of language. Sanskrit itself is proof of this decline. It is very important that our language be as exact and rich as possible. Consider hearing-impaired people: their greatest challenge is missing information because they cannot receive it through words. Their quality of life is lower because they miss terms, information, and names. It is said that when hearing-impaired parents have children, by the age of ten, the children are intellectually more advanced. Deaf people often do not develop abstract thinking as widely. Similarly, with speaking: rich speech aids our development, while limited speech limits our development. I read an article about an experiment to create a very simple, easily learned language. If people relied only on such a language, they would become simple themselves, with no inner capacity for complex feelings. Let us hope they do not succeed. Language immensely influences its user. For example, Eastern languages have more fricative sounds and use more limits; generally, their speakers are more thoughtful, experience more feelings, and are more sensitive. Thus, language shapes you. Sanskrit is a very rich and developed language. Modern languages lack such richness. As grammar simplified, we lost many rules and, with them, something of our inner life and space. Many languages lack proper vocabulary or the grammatical capacity to express certain concepts. Many lack the neuter gender. Sanskrit has a dual number, used specifically for addressing two entities. Word formation and verb conjugation differ; Sanskrit has singular, dual, and plural. Many languages lack cases like the accusative or genitive. Sanskrit also has so-called medial verbs, which we lack. They have special forms expressing activities done for oneself, for one's own spiritual development. One such word is sevate (to serve, seva). When we do seva, we do it for our own development. Similarly, yajña (to offer): when we make offerings, we do it for our own benefit. Fortunately, some connections remain. Indo-European languages share much vocabulary with Sanskrit, including numbers and family terms like mātṛ (mother) and bhrātṛ (brother). It is said that Czech has exactly 250 words in common with Sanskrit. I will speak a bit about Czech, but you can find comparisons for many languages online, such as Sanskrit with Serbian or Russian. In Czech: To swim is plavat (Sanskrit: plav). To laugh is smát se (Sanskrit: smi). Winter is zima (Sanskrit: hima). There are derived words. We know the word Kṛṣṇa, meaning "the black one." The Czech word černý (black) is directly derived from Kṛṣṇa. There are newly accepted words: the Czech word tygr (tiger) is from the word vyāghra. Other relations are less obvious. For example, the Czech word medvěd (bear) in Old Czech meant "the one who knows about honey." In Sanskrit, honey is madhu and to know is vid (věd in Czech). Thus, madhu-věd would translate as such. Books have been published on the original Proto-Indo-European language, its basic grammar, and its reconstruction by scholars like Mr. Vavroušek. This is for linguistic scholars, but the information is available. One author, Mr. Bychovský, notes about 700 shared word roots between Czech/European languages and Sanskrit, stating this is just a selection—there are many more we are not aware of. We also share a Vedic heritage in mythology. Many Greek and Slavic deities or myths derive from the Vedic tradition, as do Germanic myths. The word for divine: Sanskrit deva, Latin deus. The Slavic word bůh (god) is related to Sanskrit bhaga, an aspect of the divine meaning giver or merciful, seen in the term Bhagavān. In Sanskrit, Dyauḥ Pitā (Sky Father) is the Greek Zeus Pater (Zeus). The accusative form Dia comes from Dyaus. The Roman Jupiter is Dyaus Pitar. The Vedic Varuṇa (deity of sky and waters) relates to Greek Uranus (god of sky). The Vedic deity Parjanya, god of rain and storms titled ruler of the gods, relates to the Slavic Perun, god of lightning, also addressed as a ruler. The Slavic deity Svarog, god of fire and heavenly light, relates to Sanskrit Svarga (heaven). There are many such examples of similarity between Czech and Sanskrit. I mention Czech, but it is similar across many European languages. This similarity was crucial during our national revival in the 18th and 19th centuries under the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Our national scholars studied Sanskrit, calling it our "father language." They proved its ancient origin and, by extension, the antiquity and fullness of the Czech language. The first abbreviated Sanskrit grammar in Czech was published in 1883, written by the Czech scientist Jungmann. Sanskrit also helped in creating the Czech dictionary, reconstructing Czech grammar, and enriching vocabulary. For example, the Czech word for verse, sloka, comes directly from Sanskrit śloka. At the end of the 18th century, the European discovery of Sanskrit was a great boost, constituting linguistics as a science. This ancient Sanskrit linguistic tradition served as the model for modern linguistics in Europe, which had no such tradition of its own. European linguists adopted this system, merely labeling it with Latin terms. Thus, our linguistic science is essentially Vedic linguistic science. Scientists have long been aware of the similarities between Sanskrit and European languages. It is understandable that people who share a language also share a past. Genetic research has proven this. There is a specific gene, M17 (part of the haplogroup R1a), shared by a vast majority of people speaking Indo-European languages. This genetic branch is dominant among many Europeans and many people in Northern India, particularly among high castes. This genetically suggests a common origin. Let me conclude with a quotation from the famous 19th-century Indologist Max Müller: "We all come from the east, and we go eastward. Everyone should feel that we are returning to our original home, full of memories, if you are able to understand them, if you are able to read them."