World Sanskrit Day 2025: Modi, VP Radhakrishnan call for preserving ancient language

Share:
Audio Loading voice…
World Sanskrit Day 2025: Modi, VP Radhakrishnan call for preserving ancient language

Synopsis

From the Vice President to multiple Chief Ministers, India's top leadership united on World Sanskrit Day to call for preserving the ancient language — a coordinated cultural push that goes beyond ritual greetings and signals an intensifying institutional effort to mainstream Sanskrit in modern India.

Key Takeaways

Radhakrishnan called Sanskrit the 'timeless language of India's knowledge, philosophy, and civilization' in a post on X on 28 August .
PM Narendra Modi delivered his World Sanskrit Day message in Sanskrit itself, marking the occasion of Shravan Purnima .
Home Minister Amit Shah described Sanskrit as the 'foundational bedrock' of India's knowledge tradition, citing the Vedas, Upanishads, and Shastras.
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta and UP CM Yogi Adityanath also extended greetings, urging preservation and propagation of the language.
World Sanskrit Day is observed annually on Shravan Purnima to promote study, teaching, and preservation of the ancient language.

Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, 28 August extended greetings on World Sanskrit Day, urging collective efforts to preserve and promote the ancient language's enduring contribution to India's knowledge, philosophy, culture, and intellectual traditions. Senior leaders across the political spectrum joined in, marking the occasion with appeals to connect future generations to Sanskrit's legacy.

VP Radhakrishnan's Appeal

In a post on X, Vice President Radhakrishnan described Sanskrit as the 'timeless language of India's knowledge, philosophy, and civilization,' saying it has shaped the country's cultural heritage and intellectual traditions 'for ages untold.' He called on citizens to collectively preserve, promote, and propagate the language. 'Let us resolve to preserve, promote, and propagate this invaluable treasure of Sanskrit, connecting future generations to its eternal tradition of wisdom while enhancing its significance in the modern world,' Radhakrishnan said.

PM Modi on Sanskrit's Continuing Relevance

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a message delivered in Sanskrit, marked the occasion of Shravan Purnima, noting that the language has been a continuous carrier of India's knowledge, thought, and creativity. 'On this special day, we appreciate all those in India and around the world who study and teach Sanskrit and who are striving to pass on the timeless treasure contained in it to the next generation,' Modi said. He added that Sanskrit's positive influence remains visible across several fields even today.

Home Minister Shah and Other Leaders Join In

Union Home Minister Amit Shah described Sanskrit as the 'foundational bedrock of India's tradition of knowledge, culture, and consciousness,' noting that the Vedas, Upanishads, and Shastras — composed in Sanskrit — have illuminated the path of knowledge for humanity for centuries. 'My respectful salutations to all scholars and teachers who have made unforgettable contributions to the preservation and dissemination of the Sanskrit language,' Shah said.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta called Sanskrit an 'invaluable heritage' of India's civilisation, highlighting its role in the Vedas, Upanishads, philosophy, literature, and science. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath went further, describing the language as 'the divine expression of India's eternal tradition of knowledge, philosophy, science, and culture,' and urged all to resolve to propagate it widely. 'In the prestige of India, there are two Sanskrits: Sanskrit and culture,' Adityanath said.

What World Sanskrit Day Represents

World Sanskrit Day is observed annually on the day of Shravan Purnima to celebrate the ancient Indian language and its extensive contributions to literature, philosophy, science, and spirituality. The occasion also serves as a platform to encourage study, teaching, and preservation of Sanskrit among younger generations. Notably, the coordinated messaging from the Centre and multiple state governments reflects a sustained institutional push to mainstream Sanskrit within India's contemporary cultural and educational discourse — a trend that has gathered momentum over the past decade.

Point of View

Prime Minister, Home Minister, and multiple Chief Ministers on World Sanskrit Day is not incidental — it reflects a deliberate cultural positioning that has intensified since 2014. What is less discussed is the gap between rhetorical commitment and institutional reality: Sanskrit's share in school enrolment and university uptake remains marginal despite repeated policy emphasis. The real question is whether this annual chorus of preservation pledges translates into curriculum reform, funded chairs, and digitisation of manuscripts — or whether it remains a symbolic ritual that flatters the base without moving the needle for the language itself.
NationPress
28 Aug 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

What is World Sanskrit Day and when is it observed?
World Sanskrit Day is observed annually on Shravan Purnima to celebrate the ancient Indian language and its contributions to literature, philosophy, science, and spirituality. It also serves as a platform to encourage the study and preservation of Sanskrit among younger generations.
What did PM Modi say on World Sanskrit Day 2025?
PM Modi extended greetings in Sanskrit, marking the occasion of Shravan Purnima and describing the language as a continuous carrier of India's knowledge, thought, and creativity. He appreciated all those in India and around the world who study, teach, and work to pass on Sanskrit's legacy to future generations.
What did VP Radhakrishnan say about Sanskrit?
VP C.P. Radhakrishnan described Sanskrit as the 'timeless language of India's knowledge, philosophy, and civilization' in a post on X. He called for collective efforts to preserve, promote, and propagate the language, connecting future generations to its tradition of wisdom.
Which other leaders extended World Sanskrit Day greetings?
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also extended greetings. Shah called Sanskrit the 'foundational bedrock' of India's knowledge tradition, while Adityanath described it as 'the divine expression of India's eternal tradition.'
Why does World Sanskrit Day matter for India's cultural policy?
The occasion reflects a broader institutional push to mainstream Sanskrit within India's cultural and educational discourse. The coordinated messaging from the Centre and multiple state governments signals sustained political will, though critics note that enrolment in Sanskrit programmes remains limited despite repeated pledges of promotion.
Nation Press
The Trail

Connected Dots

Tracing the thread behind this story — newest first.

8 Dots
  1. Latest 3 hours ago
  2. 2 months ago
  3. 2 months ago
  4. 3 months ago
  5. 3 months ago
  6. 10 months ago
  7. 11 months ago
  8. 1 year ago
Google Prefer NP
On Google