Sanskrit a “Language of the Future,” Says Assam Governor

Guwahati, 9 February 2026: “Sanskrit is not merely a language of the past, but a language of the future,” said Shri Lakshman Prasad Acharya, Governor of Assam, while addressing the Acharya Jogiraj Basu Memorial Lecture at Gauhati University on Monday. He described Sanskrit as a language that offers “wisdom, humanity, and direction towards liberation,” and stressed that it should not remain confined to academic curricula alone but be integrated into interdisciplinary studies. He also encouraged students and researchers to engage with Sanskrit as a living intellectual tradition with contemporary relevance.

The Department of Sanskrit, Gauhati University, organised the Acharya Jogiraj Basu Memorial Lecture in collaboration with the Professor Umakanta Deva Sharma Foundation at the Phanidhar Datta Seminar Hall of the University. The Governor attended the programme as Chief Guest, while the Vice Chancellor of Gauhati University, Prof. Nani Gopal Mahanta, was present as a Distinguished Guest.

In his address, the Vice Chancellor reflected on key Upaniṣadic ideas such as Brahman, Māyā and Jīva, explaining how these philosophical concepts explore the apparent separation between the individual self and ultimate reality. He outlined the classical progression of śravaṇa (listening), manana (reflection) and nididhyāsana (meditation) as “a disciplined movement from confusion to clarity, shaped through patient inquiry and guidance from a teacher.” He further observed that these traditional frameworks remain relevant in contemporary academia because they offer “a structured way to think about knowledge, experience and self-understanding.”

The memorial lecture was delivered by Mahāmahopādhyāya Bhadreshdas Swami of the BAPS Swaminarayan Research Institute, Akshardham, New Delhi, on the topic “The Aesthetic Beauty of Upaniṣadic Dialogue.”

On the occasion, Prof. Ramesh Kumar Pandey, National President of Sanskrit Bharati, was conferred the prestigious “Sanskrit Ratna” honour by the Professor Umakanta Deva Sharma Foundation in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the promotion of Sanskrit. Prof. Kameshwar Shukla, Head of the Department of Sanskrit, Gauhati University, spoke about Prof. Pandey’s contributions and delivered the vote of thanks.

The programme also witnessed the release of the Acharya Umakanta Deva Sharma Commemoration Volume, edited by Prof. Kameshwar Shukla. Scholars, teachers, researchers, students and admirers of Sanskrit attended the event, which highlighted the continuing relevance of Upaniṣadic thought in contemporary academic study and classroom discourse.