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Sanskrit is the mother of all languages

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Sanskrit is the mother of all languages. Even in this planet, the Latin is also derived from Sanskrit.
Lecture on BG 1.2-3 -- London, July 9, 1973:

Sanskrit language is so nice. Therefore it is called Sanskrit, Sanskrit, Saṁskṛta. Saṁskṛta means reform. And the alphabets are called devanāgarī. Devanāgarī means these alphabets... Just like in Europe the Roman letters are used, similarly, in the upper planetary system these alphabets are used, devanāgarī, used in the cities of the demigods. And the language is called Saṁskṛta, "most reformed." And Sanskrit is the mother of all languages. Even in this planet, the Latin is also derived from Sanskrit.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Professor Rowe, a great English scholar in India, an Englishman, professor in Presidency College, he wrote one grammar, English grammar. In our childhood we had to read. He has stated that "Sanskrit is the mother of all languages."
Lecture on SB 7.9.13 -- Montreal, August 21, 1968:

So the Lord appears with two missions. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnām: just to rescue the devotees or the persons in goodness, sādhu. Sādhu. There is description, definition of who is a sādhu. Sādhu means saintly person. In French language, I think it called saint? Saint? But actually the saint is in Sanskrit language also. Santa. Santa. Santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti. In Sanskrit language the saintly persons are called santa. Maybe it is Latin derivative, because in Latin there are many words resembling Sanskrit. And Professor Rowe, a great English scholar in India, an Englishman, professor in Presidency College, he wrote one grammar, English grammar. In our childhood we had to read. He has stated that "Sanskrit is the mother of all languages." Anyway...

So when God appears, incarnates, descends, His business is to protect the devotees, paritrāṇāya sādhūnām. That is His first business. Vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām: and to kill the unfaithful, miscreants. For them, God does not require to come Himself. Side by side, He does so. If God likes, He can kill thousands of miscreants by one stroke. So that business does not depend on Him, that He would come to kill a demonic person. The real business is to protect the devotees, the faithful.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Sanskrit is the mother of all languages.
Morning Walk -- November 10, 1975, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: ...that man, and then Krodha Mahārāja knew that this man would be perhaps hanged by the officials. So the engineer... (break) He was smuggled into Africa. And there, in Africa, he learned Bengali by himself, reading book. And he was Bengali scholar. (break)

Prabhupāda: He was professor of Presidents' College, Calcutta. Their opinion is Sanskrit is the mother of all languages.

Dr. Patel: In Russian language there are so many Sanskrit words.

Prabhupāda: Deva-nāgarī. In the heavenly planets this language is... Heavenly planet the Sanskrit language is used. Therefore it is called deva-nāgarī. Nāgara means town, and deva means demigod. This language is spoken in the heavenly planets, deva-nāgara. But these rascals, they think there is no living entity in any other planet except this.

Professor Roe and Webb, they were professor in Presidency College when we were school children. They admitted Sanskrit is the mother of all languages.
Morning Walk -- November 20, 1975, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: There were so many scholars, even in Paris, Germany, and Italy.

Prabhupāda: Professor Roe and Webb, they were professor in Presidency College when we were school children. They admitted Sanskrit is the mother of all languages.

Dr. Patel: In fact, Persian is the first letter of Sanskrit which looks like that. When you study Persian, so many words-Sanskrit directly taken Persian. In the Russian language, I mean, so many words are there of Sanskrit.

Prabhupāda: No, whole world you'll find Sanskrit. The first word, mother and father, that is Sanskrit, matri and pitri.

Yaśomatīnandana: Ha, everywhere. Everywhere starts like that, all the languages.

Correspondence

1968 Correspondence

Sanskrit is the mother of all languages; there is no doubt about it. In our childhood, we read one grammar made by two English professors, Mr. Rowe and Webb, in Calcutta, Presidential College, and they have given their statement that Sanskrit is the mother of all languages.
Letter to Hayagriva -- Seattle 7 October, 1968:

Your statement "within the month I hope to have some students chanting" is very encouraging for me. Sanskrit is the mother of all languages; there is no doubt about it. In our childhood, we read one grammar made by two English professors, Mr. Rowe and Webb, in Calcutta, Presidential College, and they have given their statement that Sanskrit is the mother of all languages. Besides that, we understand from reliable resources, that Sanskrit is the spoken by the higher planetary denizens. It is therefore called Devanagari. Devanagari means the cities of the demigods. This language is spoken there. And so far, AUM is concerned, actually, the AU, the alphabet A, is the basic principle of all languages. And Krishna says, Aksaranan Akarasmi the A amongst all alphabets, is Krishna. Because A is the beginning of all language. A or Au. So your representation that Sanskrit is the origin of Indo-European languages, is quite right, but our main concern is how we can impress people about the importance of Krishna Consciousness, and your scholarly presentation of the Anglo-Saxon language is very much pleasing to me; I hope in future you have to move amongst the scholars, representing our Krishna Consciousness movement, so I am glad that you are thinking in that way for our future program.

Page Title:Sanskrit is the mother of all languages
Compiler:Tugomera, Aparajita Radhika
Created:17 of Feb, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=2, Con=2, Let=1
No. of Quotes:5