Sambodhi 2018 Vol 41

Author(s): J B Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 21

12
Balram Shukla
SAMBODHI
Persian translation of Sanskrit texts suggest two things simultaneously; the richness of Sanskrit, as well as the appreciating perspective of the Persian scholars. In the present discussion the focus is on the other side of the coin. Here, we shall confine to a brief examination of the status of Sanskrit translations of Persian works. While surveying the literature translated from Sanskrit to Persian, we feel a little disheartened as there is paucity of such translations. It is important to identify causes leading to this neglect. In ancient India, abundance of original literature reached to such an extent that the lack of translated texts in Sanskrit was, in fact, a matter of pride. Both the originality and vastness of the scholarship that flourished here was quite amazing. In later centuries, however, the feeling of pride developed into a narcissistic feeling which led to self-centeredness it seems.
The glory of liberation which was reflected in the guiding principle of आ नो भद्राः क्रतवो यन्तु विश्वत:2 (Let the noble thoughts come to us from all over the world) changed into the thinking of - prestatzea HORIGHHA: 1 poi a afi fer yfi HanaT: 113 (Let people from all over the world learn from the Brahmins of this country.) Gradually this feeling aggravated to such a point of complacency that even crossing the sea was prohibited in the Dharmashastras. A great focus of the Indian scholarship turned towards the apprehension of F0590 FT 9744 (Lest we should be Mlechhas). Although one may come across various generous statements, though they are substantially less frequent than the former. For instance we find a statement in Varāha Mihir - FOTOETTE
Plak prafud feetat i muna asfa yount for godarags (Yavanas are Mlechhas, in them this Jyotisha-Shastra is well established. If they are also venerated like sages, what about a Brahmin who knows astrology.) and 21977 419 47976 (The language of Yavanas is purifying.). Certainly it was an age of contraction of the Indian psyche, when it was advised that - न पठेद् यावनी भाषां प्राणैः कण्ठगतैरपि (One should not study a foreign language even if one's life is endangered). With this mindset the scarcity of translation was quite natural.
Keeping the above mindset in view, one does not wonder when one finds that the first known Sanskrit translation of a Persian text was not done by an Indian, but by an Iranian scholar. It was a Zoroastrian priest named Nairyosangh of 14th century who undertook this type of work. He was one of the refugees who took shelter into India to flee from the atrocities of violence in Iran (Baghbidi 2012:1).