In a first since partition, Pakistan brings course on Sanskrit, to launch program on Bhagavad Gita
Following the programme's success, an official said the LUMS is also planning to introduce courses on Bhagavad Gita and Mahabharata. “Hopefully, this sets a momentum... In 10-15 years, we could see Pakistan-based scholars of the Gita and the Mahabharata,” the official said.
In a first since partition, a university in Pakistan has introduced a course in Sanskrit. The Lahore University of Management Science (LUMS) had initially started a three-month weekend workshop on the classical language, but launched a full four-credit university course after the programme received a tremendous response from the locals.
A top official of the university said the weekend workshop was offered for everyone, including students, researchers and academics. He said Pakistan has a rich but neglected Sanskrit archives at the Punjab University library.
"A significant collection of Sanskrit palm-leaf manuscripts were catalogued in the 1930s by scholar JCR Woolner, but no Pakistani academic has engaged with this collection since 1947. Only foreign researchers use it. Training scholars locally will change that," Dr Ali Usman Qasmi, Director of the Gurmani Centre, told The Tribune.
"After we saw the response, we decided to introduce it as a proper university course. Even though the number of students is still small, we hope it will grow over the next few years. Ideally, by spring 2027, we should be able to teach the language as a year-long course," he added.
Courses on Bhagavad Gita, Mahabharata soon
Following the programme's success, Qasmi said the LUMS is also planning to introduce courses on Bhagavad Gita and Mahabharata. “Hopefully, this sets a momentum... In 10-15 years, we could see Pakistan-based scholars of the Gita and the Mahabharata,” Dr Qasmi said.
According to The Tribune, the credit for the launch of this course goes to Dr Shahid Rasheed, who is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the Forman Christian College in Lahore. Dr Rasheed said that he learnt Sanskrit using online platforms, under Cambridge Sanskrit scholar Antonia Ruppel and Australian Indologist McComas Taylor, as there were no local texts available in the country.
"Classical languages contain much wisdom for mankind. I started with learning Arabic and Persian, and then studied Sanskrit," Dr Rasheed was quoted as saying by The Tribune. "It took almost a year to cover classical Sanskrit grammar. And I'm still studying it."
"I tell them, why should we not learn it? It is the binding language of the entire region. Sanskrit grammarian Panini's village was in this region. Much writing was done here during the Indus Valley Civilisation. Sanskrit is like a mountain – a cultural monument. We need to own it. It is ours too; it's not tied to any one particular religion," Dr Rasheed added.