Remarks by Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj on the launch of the ‘Little Guru’ App in Bhutan
“God spoke once. He spoke in Sanskrit and that is the divine language.” : Swami Vivekananda.
Lyonpo Thakur Powdyel, former Minister of Education and Distinguished Personality;
Dr. Moksha Nanda Adhikari, eminent Sanskrit Scholar;
Colleagues!
Indeed, the Sanskrit language is Deva-Vani ('Deva' Gods - 'Vani' language) as it is believed to have been generated by the Creator, Lord Brahma who passed it on to the Rishis (sages) living in celestial abodes, who then communicated the same to their earthly disciples from where it spread on earth. The origin of the language in written form is traced back to the 2nd millennium BCE when the Rig Veda, a collection of sacred hymns, is believed to have been written after being continued for centuries through the oral tradition and the preservation of verbal knowledge through the Guru-Shishya ‘parampara’.
Sanskrit is the soul and spirit of India and all Indian languages, as well as several languages across the world. It is indeed one of the greatest treasures bequeathed to the world by India. Dr. David Frawley better known as Pandit Vamadev Shastri, distinguished Sanskrit scholar and recipient of the Padma Bhushan Award from the Government of India has observed that “Sanskrit has been the most influential language in world history, guiding India and Asia for centuries across countries from China to Indonesia. Most notably, Sanskrit has been the language of higher consciousness, with its secrets yet to be fathomed.”
Sanskrit is no stranger in Bhutan! I was pleased to learn that a Sanskrit Language Module was introduced in early 2002 for undergraduate students of the College of Language & Culture Studies, Trongsa. I am given to understand that Bhutanese scholars who study Language and Buddhist Studies harbour a close affinity with Sanskrit as 80-90% of the original Buddhist literature traditional texts and scriptures belonging to the 13th-14th century were written in Sanskrit and have been subsequently translated into the Tibetan language and Dzongkha. Even today, several mantras and other remarks conducted in rituals and prayers in Bhutan are in Sanskrit.
I am indeed thankful to Dasho Lungtaen Gyatso, President of the College of Language & Culture Studies and his brilliant students who have ensured their virtual presence at this programme through video messages in Sanskrit.
I am particularly pleased that today we have gathered to take forward an initiative that aims to promote and popularize the Sanskrit language. To this end, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations has collaborated with GamappSportswizz Technologies to develop an App: ‘Little Guru’. This ‘Little Guru’ App will be the world’s first Gamified Sanskrit learning App that uses gaming techniques, AI and advanced user interface to ensure that learning Sanskrit is easy and fun. And this morning, in the presence of a distinguished Bhutanese Sanskrit scholar, our Chief Guest Lyonpo Thakur Powdyel and I will have the privilege of launching the App in Bhutan, introducing a novel and innovative channel to learn Sanskrit. May I add that this launch will be a double celebration as it is taking place today on 9 April 2021, which also happens to be the Foundation Day of ICCR. I do hope that all of us present here will spread the message about this unique modern day App that promises to teach us one of the most ancient languages of the world.
Before I conclude, I will share that Little Guru is a subscription based App that is being made available by ICCR for Bhutanese nationals at a special rate of US$ 0.99/month or US$7.99/year.
Thank you, Tashi Delek.
