Prof. Vempati Kutumba Sastry: Sanskrit Speeches and Poetry (audio)

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Brahmajnana, Yoga and Dharma are the three essentialities of Hinduism; wherever it travels, these three must spread. Shankara's philosophy may compel the homage of the intellectual, Sankhya attract the admiration of the analytical mind, Buddha capture the rationalist in search of a less material synthesis than the modern scientist's continual Annam Brahma [Matter is Supreme], but these are only grandiose intellectualities. The world at large does not live by the pure intellect...

A goal of life, a practice of perfection and a rational, yet binding law of conduct, - these are man's continual quest, and in none of these demands is modern Science able to satisfy humanity. In reply to all such wants Science can only cry, Society and again Society and always Society. But the nature of man knows that Society is not the whole of life. Yajnavalkya's universal dictum stands: a man loves and serves Society for the sake of the Self and not for the sake of Society.

What Science could not provide, India offers: Brahman for the eternal goal, Yoga for the means of perfection, dharma (swabhava-niyatam karma) for the rational yet binding law of conduct. Therefore, because it has something by which humanity can be satisfied and on which it can found itself, the victory of the Indian mind is assured.

Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan is the apex organization of the Govt of India to oversee the development and promotion of the Sanskrit language all over the country. The organization oversees all government-sponsored sanskrit learning activities in India. Maananiiya Prof. Vempati Kutumba Sastry is its former Vice Chancellor ('kulapati'). Sri Kutumba Sastry is a highly acclaimed scholar in the sanskrit language and literature with decades of experience in teaching Sanskrit to advanced students in several Indian universities.

On this webpage, we present some of his speeches and poetry. We are grateful to Sri Kutumba Sastry gaaru for giving us the permission to publish his works online for everybody's benefit.

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