Saṃskṛta Bhāratī Class Prayer

Beautiful dedication to Samskrit said at the beginning of the Saṃskṛta Bhāratī community class

Every week, I attend a community Sanskrit class at Saṃskṛta Bhāratī here in Udupi. They start the class with the following classroom prayer:

पठामि संस्कृतं नित्यं
वदामि संस्कृतं सदा
ध्यायामि संस्कृतं सम्यक्
वन्दे संस्कृतमातरं

संस्कृतस्य प्रसाराय
नैजं सर्वं ददाम्यहं
संस्कृतस्य सदा भक्तो
वन्दे संस्कृतमातरं

संस्कृतस्य कृते जीवन्
संस्कृतस्य कृते यजन्
आत्मानं आहुतं मन्ये
वन्दे संस्कृतमातरं

paṭhāmi saṃskṛtaṃ nityaṃ
vadāmi saṃskṛtaṃ sadā
dhyāyāmi saṃskṛtaṃ samyak
vande saṃskṛtamātaraṃ

saṃskṛtasya prasārāya।
naijaṃ sarvaṃ dadāmyahaṃ
saṃskṛtasya sadā bhakto॥
vande saṃskṛtamātaraṃ

saṃskṛtasya kṛte jīvan
saṃskṛtasya kṛte yajan।
ātmānaṃ āhutaṃ manye
vande saṃskṛtamātaraṃ॥

I asked the main organizer Natesh and my teacher Niranjana to share the meaning of this prayer with me and it was absolutely beautiful and describes exactly how much love I feel for Sanskrit. So I’m sharing it here!

पठामि संस्कृतं नित्यं - I will read Sanskrit every day

वदामि संस्कृतं सदा - I will speak Sanskrit always

ध्यायामि संस्कृतं सम्यक् - I will think in Sanskrit properly

वन्दे संस्कृतमातरं - I will respect Sanskrit’s Mother (Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, music, art, speech, wisdom, and learning)

संस्कृतस्य प्रसाराय - I will spread Sanskrit

नैजं सर्वं ददाम्यहं - I will spend my time and wealth spreading Sanskrit

संस्कृतस्य सदा भक्तो - I will respect those who speak Sanskrit

संस्कृतस्य कृते जीवन् - I live for the sake of Sanskrit

संस्कृतस्य कृते यजन् - I will sacrifice for the sake of Sanskrit

आत्मानं आहुतं मन्ये - I think I am being called from my heart/soul to (serve) Sanskrit

🙏 🙏 🙏