7 hrs ago
Sitharaman Says AI Can Reveal Sanskrit Literature’s Beauty
Nirmala Sitharaman said AI can help more people enjoy Sanskrit literature.
She spoke at the launch of the Sanskrit Heritage Model in Chennai.
She said language tools should teach more than grammar rules.
They should also explain why poems and stories are beautiful.
AI could explain grammar features such as Sandhi and Samasa.
It could also find similes and study many old texts quickly.
Sitharaman compared the large amount of writing about Shakespeare with the smaller amount of accessible analysis about Kalidasa.
She wants technology to help find old manuscripts and inscriptions around the world.
This could help researchers understand how Indian languages spread and preserve India’s literary heritage.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman urged AI developers to make Sanskrit learning engaging beyond grammar lessons.
She spoke at the launch of the AI-based Sanskrit Heritage Model at Madras Sanskrit College.
Sitharaman said AI could explain grammar concepts such as Sandhi and Samasa and identify literary devices including similes.
She contrasted extensive accessible scholarship on William Shakespeare with the limited modern analysis available on Kalidasa.
The minister called for AI tools to locate and index Sanskrit manuscripts, palm leaves, inscriptions, and archives worldwide.
- Who
- Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Articul8 AI, and developers of the Sanskrit Heritage Model.
- What
- Sitharaman advocated using AI to make Sanskrit more accessible and to analyse, preserve, and locate classical texts.
- Where
- At Madras Sanskrit College in Chennai, with references to archives and Sanskrit links in several regions abroad.
- When
- Tuesday, with the report published on September 15, 2026.
- Why
- To help learners appreciate Sanskrit literature and help researchers locate and study dispersed manuscripts, inscriptions, and historical language connections.
Key facts
- Model
- Sanskrit Heritage Model
- Technology
- AI-based Large Language Model
- Developer
- Articul8 AI
- Launch venue
- Madras Sanskrit College
- Speaker
- Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
- Language and literary features
- Sandhi, Samasa, and Upamas, or similes
- Historical materials
- Manuscripts, palm leaves, inscriptions, global archives, and the Leiden copper plates
Quotes
Nirmala Sitharaman
Union Finance Minister who spoke at the Sanskrit Heritage Model launch
“If I've had this wonderful machine, which knows to perfection if the grammar of any sentence is right, and it can explain why the 'Sandhi' (combination of two sounds or letters) and 'Samasa' (combination of two separate words) will have to be like this. Can throw at me the hundred top 'Upamas' (similes)... A scholar doesn't have unlimited time, whereas this can give me untiring, unlimited extent of time that I'm willing to spend for me to know about it.”
thehindubusinessline.com
“That biggest strength, which is in our DNA, should not be lost. And that tradition should go along with the technology which can take it into the 21st and 22nd century and further.”
thehansindia.com
thehindubusinessline.com
Sources
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