New Delhi — In a recent address, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta stirred debate by declaring that Sanskrit is not only the most “scientific” language, but also highly computer-friendly, capable of supporting coding and computational commands. Her remarks, which cited “NASA papers” and ancient grammatical traditions, have reignited conversations around the intersection of classical languages and technology.
A Bold Assertion at Sanskrit Learning Event
Speaking at the closing ceremony of a citywide Sanskrit learning initiative, CM Gupta said Sanskrit had features that made it ideal for scientific usage and computing. She asserted, “Even NASA scientists have written papers on Sanskrit and confirmed that it is a scientific language. Coding can be done in Sanskrit. Sanskrit is the most computer-friendly language.”
She also appealed to cultural pride, saying that many Indian languages derive from Sanskrit: “Every state has a mother tongue, but in reality, Sanskrit is our mother tongue. Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Sindhi, Malayalam — all have descended from Sanskrit.”
Her address was delivered in the presence of high-profile attendees including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Delhi ministers, and scholars associated with Samskrita Bharati, which partnered in organizing the free Sanskrit classes across Delhi.
The NASA Reference: What Is the Basis?
Gupta’s claim appears to rest largely on a 1985 paper titled “Knowledge Representation in Sanskrit and Artificial Intelligence”, authored by Rick Briggs. In that work, Briggs explored how the grammatical precision and structure of Sanskrit could align with ideas in artificial intelligence and knowledge representation.
However, it is important to note that the paper does not claim that NASA officially endorses Sanskrit as a coding language, nor does it document large-scale implementations of Sanskrit in software engineering.
Delhi University Launches a Practical Course
Responding to the renewed interest, Delhi University recently introduced an elective course titled “Computer Applications for Sanskrit” in its Department of Sanskrit. The course touches on web development tools, digital text processing, Unicode Devanagari input, OCR (optical character recognition), and interactive platforms. The aim is to blend Sanskrit with computational linguistics tools.
According to faculty, students will learn how Sanskrit texts are digitised, how tools can parse Sanskrit syntax, and how web interfaces might integrate Sanskrit input and output.
Reactions: Enthusiasm, Skepticism, and Context
Public and expert reactions have been mixed. Supporters see Gupta’s statements as a catalyst for reviving Indian linguistic heritage and exploring new frontiers in computational linguistics. Some technology enthusiasts are curious whether Sanskrit can enrich natural language processing, sentiment analysis, or AI models.
However, several linguists and technologists caution that there is no large-scale software system currently built entirely in Sanskrit as a programming language. The historical paper by Briggs remains largely theoretical and hasn’t been followed by major practical implementations. Sanskrit’s complexity also poses significant challenges in computing.
FAQs
Did NASA officially endorse Sanskrit as a coding language?
No. There is no evidence that NASA as an organization has formally endorsed Sanskrit for coding. Gupta’s references trace back to a single 1985 research paper.
What did Briggs’s 1985 paper really argue?
Briggs explored how Sanskrit’s grammatical precision might help in knowledge representation and AI, comparing ancient techniques to early AI formalism. He did not propose full software systems in Sanskrit.
Are any real software systems coded in Sanskrit today?
As of now, no widely known or mainstream software systems are built fully using Sanskrit as a programming language. Most efforts remain experimental or academic.
What does “computer-friendly language” mean in this context?
Gupta likely meant that Sanskrit’s clear syntax, grammatical rules, and structured forms may lend themselves to logical parsing and command structures in computing.
Can coding be taught in Sanskrit?
In theory, programming could use Sanskrit terms for keywords. But practical adoption is a major hurdle due to global standardization on existing coding languages.
Is Sanskrit the “mother tongue” of Indian languages?
This is a cultural claim. Many Indian languages share roots or vocabulary with Sanskrit, but linguistic evolution is more complex than one origin.
Why did DU start a “Computer Applications for Sanskrit” course?
To equip Sanskrit students with foundational digital literacy and to explore bridging classical language and modern technology.
Does this initiative imply that every Sanskrit student will become a coder?
No. The course is elective and introductory, meant to familiarize students with digital tools, not turn them into professional software engineers.
What are the challenges of using Sanskrit in computing?
Challenges include handling inflectional complexity, lack of large annotated corpora, tool support, and community adoption.
What is the cultural significance of this debate?
The debate touches on identity, heritage, language preservation, and merging tradition with modern innovation.
Conclusion: A Technological Vision or Rhetorical Flourish?
Rekha Gupta’s statement that Sanskrit is the “most scientific, computer-friendly language” has undoubtedly captured attention. While her remarks draw on legacy scholarship and cultural pride, the leap from theory to practical use in modern software remains uncharted.
The new elective at Delhi University offers a modest but promising step toward exploring the interface between an ancient language and digital tools. But to transform rhetoric into reality, scholars, developers, and linguists must collaborate to build usable systems, develop toolchains, and validate whether Sanskrit can indeed live up to its modern technological promise.
Until then, Gupta’s claim serves as an invitation—for debate, experimentation, and reflection on how India’s linguistic past might inform its technological future.
Report by Toofan Express