Pundit APJ Kalam on the Vedas

By Vijay Kumar

Yesterday the President Pundit APJ Abdul Kalam visited Sanskrit Vidyapeetam, Mantralayam, Andhra Pradesh and remarked:-

++ I have come across two great teachers, one in the primary school and another in the St. Joseph’s College. My primary school teacher Sri SivasubramanyaIyer was a great Sanskrit scholar apart from being my science teacher. Everyday he used to perform SandhyaVandanam three times a day.

++ My college teacher Prof ThothathriIyengar who taught me complex numbers and number theory was also a Sanskrit scholar.

++ While the base of these two great teachers was science and mathematics, their life was shaped by the ancient wisdom of Sanskrit scholarship.

++ Recently, I have come across a great scholar Dr MA LakshmiTathachar of Sanskrit Academy, Melkote, Karnataka who has been carrying out intensive research in Sanskrit including the agriculture using organic farming.

++ Such is the richness of Sanskrit and I am happy that Sanskrit Vidyapeetam is preserving and nurturing this great language.

++ Though I am not an expert in Sanskrit, I have many friends who are proficient in Sanskrit.

++Sanskrit is a beautiful language. It has enriched our society from time immemorial.

++ Today many nations are trying to research on the Sanskrit writings which are there in our ancient scriptures.

++ I understand that there is a wealth of knowledge available in Sanskrit which the scientists and technologists are finding today.

++ There is a need to carry out research on our Vedas particularly Atharvana Veda for eliciting many valuable information in Science and Technology relating to medicine, flight sciences, material sciences and many other related fields.