Today’s A Journey
through Aesthetic Realms
will be presented
in Hindi, Sanskrit
and English, with
subtitles in Arabic,
Aulacese (Vietnamese), Aulacese (Vietnamese),
Chinese, English,
French, German,
Hindi, Hungarian, Hindi, Hungarian,
Indonesian, Italian, Indonesian, Italian,
Japanese, Korean,
Mongolian, Persian,
Portuguese, Russian
and Spanish.
Other than the guru
who can tell anything?
Other than the guru
who can tell anything?
The strong current
of illusion
comes in between
The strong current
of illusion
comes in between
Namaskar (greetings),
blessed viewers,
and welcome to
A Journey through
Aesthetic Realms.
Sanskrit is the earliest
attested Indo-Aryan
language and the primary
language of worship in
Hinduism and Buddhism.
Today, it is still one of
the “22 scheduled
languages” of India,
with over 14,000
native speakers, and
it is the official language
of the federal state
of Uttararkhand.
There are many more
preserved texts
in Sanskrit than those
in ancient Greek
and Latin combined.
The important scriptures
of Hinduism, such as
the Vedas, Bhagavad-Gita,
Mahabharata,
Upanishads, Vedanta,
and Ayurveda,
are all written in Sanskrit.
The first Sanskrit text
which still exists today
is the holy Rig Veda.
It is believed to have
been composed between
1700 and 1100 BC.
The word Sanskrit is
composed of the syllables
“sam” (together) and
“krtam” (created) and
means “completed,”
“refined,” “perfected.”
It is believed that
Sanskrit was created and
refined over a period of
more than 1,000 years.
Dr. Vagish Shastri is
one of the world’s
foremost authorities
on the Sanskrit language.
He has thousands
of students from
all around the world.
Before his retirement,
he was the director of
the Indological
Research Institute at
the Sampurnanand
Sanskrit University
in Varanasi, India.
For 30 years, he was also
the chief editor of the
Sanskrit research journal,
“Sarasvati Sushama,”
and has written 40 books
and edited more than
300 research papers.
We had the honor
to interview Dr. Shastri
at his institute
in Varanasi, India.
All sciences,
Indian sciences,
depend upon
the Sanskrit language.
In Buddhism,
two branches are there:
Mahayana and Hinayana.
So, Mahayana depends
upon Sanskrit.
Without Sanskrit –
no Pali.
Pali came from Sanskrit.
And Jainism’s language
was Prakrita.
So, the Prakrit language
also depends upon
Sanskrit, and
meditation, Ayurveda,
philosophy, and
different kinds of music.
No Sanskrit, no music,
no songs, no chantings.
Sanskrit is a really
musical language.
Sanskrit pronunciation is
the same as the rhythm
of music.
As we say, mahabharata,
so we should sing
mahabharatam –
this pronunciation.
M, one beat,
Ha, two beats.
mahabharatam.
Every word of Sanskrit
is music.
So, Sanskrit is
the soul of India.
Not of India only, also of
the Indo-European
languages.
Because the European
languages also
depend upon Sanskrit.
Sanskrit is the root.
In Hindi, 75 words are
borrowed from Sanskrit.
Without Sanskrit,
Hindi is nothing.
New technical terms are
translated from English
through Sanskrit.
Without Sanskrit,
no translation.
All books of Ayurveda
are written in Sanskrit.
Without Sanskrit, no life.
And we know that
Sanskrit is also
a Divine language.
Can you tell us
more about this?
As you ask the question,
when Sanskrit
came into existence,
same question as
when the ocean came
into existence, when
Himalayan mountains
came into existence.
So Kailasa Shiva is
connected to Sanskrit.
And Sanskrit is Divine
because it is the same
rhythm of our heart.
We can operate
every word of Sanskrit
to find the meaning,
the real meaning.
I give an example:
“Divine” in Sanskrit is
diviam, “div” root.
Div means to shine.
From div came “days.”
“Day” is shining, Divine,
Deospiter – Jupiter.
Jupiter comes from
Deospiter.
And deo comes from
the “div”-root,
div means to shine.
So, Sanskrit language
is the Divine language,
shining, it gives rays
to all, in all directions.
As you talk about
the Sanskrit language,
can you recite
some classical verses
for our audience?
As a prayer to the guru:
The Guru is the Creator
(Brahma)
The Guru is
the Preserver (Visnu)
The Guru is
the Destroyer (Shiva)
The Guru is directly
the Supreme Spirit.
I offer my salutations
to this Guru.
I offer my salutations
to this Guru.
Salutation to the guru,
this is the meaning.
Tasmai śrī guravē
namaḥ -
salutation to that guru.
It usually requires 12 years
to learn Sanskrit,
and many hours
of pure memorization.
Dr. Shastri long wished
to make it easier
for students
to learn the language.
Then, through meditation,
he found a technique
with which the students
are able to learn Sanskrit
in a very short time.
I ran away from
my marriage
to search for a guru.
So I went to Himalayas.
That time, Ganges River
was very fast,
very beautiful. And there
was a very nice sound
of waves and the waters.
I stayed on the bank,
along bank, far and far
in the mountain. I heard
trumpet of elephants.
And one day I could not
find any person.
I was hungry, so I was
thinking where to go?
Then in the evening,
I saw three persons
coming to me.
They were only wrapped
in some cloth.
So they had given me food.
And they asked me,
“What purpose you came?”
They were living
in the mountain cave.
So I told, that I was
finding God realization.
So they had given me
technique, I lived there
I think one month.
Every day,
so they will appear,
they appeared always
in the evening.
So they were giving some
lessons, and at the end
I became senseless.
I don’t remember
where I was. I saw light,
beautiful light, colored.
And I felt heat in my body
although it was cold,
Himalayas.
So I felt unexplainable
shanti (peace), and I was
receiving something,
new thoughts.
And I found explanation
of letters of Sanskrit.
The base of my Sanskrit
teaching I found there,
(Wow.) natural law.
So my Sanskrit teaching
depended upon that.
Dr. Shastri named
the method he had
acquired the “Vagyoga
Mnemonic Method.”
It is based on what
he calls the natural law,
the eternal principles
which exist in nature itself.
Through natural law
you can learn
the whole Sanskrit.
No need any grammar.
People were not knowing
before, this technique.
And they told Sanskrit
is very difficult.
But now Sanskrit
is child’s play.
Therefore, many people
from foreign countries
come to me and they
learn Sanskrit easily.
Countless students
have succeeded in
studying with Dr. Shastri.
His children and
grandchildren were
taught Sanskrit from birth,
so Sanskrit is
their mother tongue.
One of Dr. Shastri’s
more prominent students
was pop singer Madonna
whose album,
“Ray of Light,” included
lyrics in Sanskrit.
A lot of students come
from all around the world
to your institution
to learn Sanskrit,
and you provide pure
vegetarian meals.
Vegetarian food is called
shakahari.
This vanaspati
(plant kingdom)
provides energy.
Plants give oxygen.
Meat does not give oxygen.
In ancient times,
our rishis, saints,
meditated and going inside,
looking inside,
found mantras through
vegetarian food.
So, vegetarian food
really has energy –
energetic food,
fresh vegetables, leaves.
And this vegetable food
is really medicine.
We don't take medicine,
except our food.
We can make our food
as medicine, yes.
For example?
As there are some leaves,
so we can make this food
and we can use it here,
so pimples disappear.
And sandalwood, we eat
so we can remove cancer.
Many trees, many plants
give us energy,
give us medicine.
So we use vegetable food
as medicine. So,
no need to take
other medicine extra.
So, it’s necessary
to take vegetarian food,
and if people take meat,
it gives disease.
Because animals
have disease,
so disease comes.
Urea comes through meat,
many diseases
come through meat.
Therefore, meat is not
good for health.
So rishis in ancient times,
they were taking
vegetarian food
and they were meditating
and found mantras –
the Sanskrit language.
As a child,
Dr. Shastri remembered
his previous life, and
this memory helped him
to play all kinds of
musical instruments
effortlessly, without
having studied them.
When I was three years old,
I remembered
my previous life.
When I was near about
16 years old,
I remembered.
One musician was there
when I was living
in the college.
He was playing the flute.
So he told me, “Please
learn music while you
are learning Sanskrit.”
So, this challenge
came to me,
and my previous life,
my memory came again.
So, this is God’s gift to me.
I play every
musical instrument.
(Without learning?)
Without learning.
Dr. Shastri also
teaches meditation
on the inner sound.
He shared with us
how he met his guru
and was instructed
to keep the method secret
for 25 years.
I have written one book,
this is called “Vagyog
Kundalini Meditation.”
Many of my disciples
have written their
experiences about
this automatic sound,
Divine sound.
This is my finding,
1956. I practiced
my austerities,
and I found my guru.
So I was such in search
of a good guru,
and I met him.
And early in the morning,
he came to me, and
chanted some mantra and
my energy awakened.
And he told me, preserve
this energy for 25 years,
you will not give to others.
After 25 years, you give,
it will return back to you.
So now I give, I can
give this energy to all.
I am teaching many,
many students.
Near about 1,000
students in kundalini yoga.
And once, 340 people
came to me, in one hotel.
And one lady requested
me, “Please teach them.”
I gave energy
to all of them
and they heard the sound.
As Dr. Shastri explained,
Sanskrit originated
in the inner sounds
which can be perceived
in deep meditation.
The syllable Om
is accepted to be the root
of the Sanskrit language.
The Katha Upanishad
states:
“The goal which
all the Vedas declare,
which all austerities aim at,
and which men desire
when they lead the life
of continence, is Om.
This syllable Om is
indeed Brahman (God).
Whosoever knows
this syllable obtains
all that he desires.
This is the best support;
this is the highest support.
Whosoever knows
this support is adored
in the world of Brahma.”
Can you tell us
what is the meaning
of Om from Sanskrit?
There are three letters
in Om. A, U, M.
In Sanskrit, we can say
A, U, Ma.
And it becomes Om.
Om is the Name of God.
Dr. Shastri explained
to us the “bija mantras,”
which are the sounds
which resonate with
the different chakras.
A means Vishnu,
U means Brahma,
Ma means Shiva.
Three Gods are inside
of this Aum. This is
called bija mantra,
“bija” means seed.
So, Om is here,
at the third eye.
Here is hang.
Here is yang, in the heart.
Here is rang,
at the navel.
Here is vang,
below the spine, lang.
These are all
the bija mantras.
Sanskrit verses of praise
are beautiful in both
sound and meaning.
The “Shiva Rudrashtakam”
from the Hindu
epic Ramayana
was composed
by the saint Tulsidas,
and goes as follows:
“I salute Shiva
who is the form
of Nirvana
He exists everywhere
He is God
He is the form
of the Vedas”
Namami, I salute.
Shami shana means Shiva.
Namami Shami shana,
which is
a form of Nirvana.
Nirvana means salvation,
moksha. Nirvana,
Buddha, God, Nirvana.
So I salute Shiva
who gives Nirvana; who
is the form of Nirvana.
Dhivum, He exists.
He exists everywhere.
Vyapakam –
spread everywhere.
Brahma – He is God.
Veda swarupam –
He is form of Veda.
Form of the Vedas.
Vedic script. The Vedas
were the first inscription
in the whole world.
So in the song,
the writer says that
“O Shiva, you are
the form of the Vedas.
And you are the form
of Nirvana… No end.”
Our thankfulness
Dr. Vagish Shastri, for
sharing your knowledge
of the Divine Sanskrit
language.
May your noble endeavors
continue to be blessed
with much success.
Thank you, gentle viewers,
for joining us today
on A Journey through
Aesthetic Realms.
Now, please stay tuned to
Supreme Master
Television
for Our Noble Lineage,
after Noteworthy News.
May peace be with you.
To learn more about
Dr. Vagish Shastri,
please visit