S.R. Arjuna plans to convert Sanskrit phrases into illustrations
S R Arjuna. (Photo: DC)
Hyderabad: S.R. Arjuna is trying to merge one of the oldest languages of the world with technology. The research scholar at University of Hyderabad is creating a process that turns Sanskrit phrases into illustrations, a software that will help mid-level Sanskrit enthusiasts learn the language in an easier way. For his efforts, he is now the recipient of the Raman Charpak Scholarship 2014.
Arjuna explains the software: “It’s a tool to understand the Navya Nyaaya expressions, which is basically the Indian school of logic in Sanskrit. A single expression can go up to several pages and I’m working on a software whereby you feed one expression into the system and it then breaks it down to illustrate it for the user. This way it becomes easier for the user to understand it.”
Now, with a ticket to Paris to work with Gerard Huet, a renowned computer scientist, Arjuna aims to work in the field of computational linguistics to illustrate a language that had for long been the essence of our civilisation.
His own association with the language too goes a long way. “I studied Sanskrit for 12 years, back home in Bengaluru. Then I came to the University to pursue a PhD in Sanskrit Studies. My professor, Amba Kulkarni, suggested this scholarship programme,” he says.
The scholarship is given to scholars working in new research areas and Arjuna is one of 17 people from India to have been selected.
Ask him why he chose a project like this one, and he says, “I wanted to contribute in my own way to this unique language. My aim is to simplify the complexities of Sanskrit for anyone who is eager to learn.”
( Source : dc )
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