There was a kingdom called ‘Dhar’ in the old Central Provinces which under independent India has come to be known as Madhya Pradesh. This ‘Dhar’ was none other than ‘Dhara’, the capital city of King Bhoja, the celebrated patron of all arts, who was a byword for generosity and philanthropy.
There is a mosque Dhara. It came to light that some Sanskrit inscriptions were visible inside a niche in the mosque. Since the place belonged to Muslims and without their consent one could not get in and examine the writing, the Epigraphical Department itself could not get at it for a few years. Then some years after the attainment of Independence, men from the Epigraphical Department obtained the permission of the authorities of the mosque and investigated the writing in the inscriptions.
There was a huge wheel depicted on the wall on which were written many verses. These verses were all on Vyaakarana. The entire Vyaakarana Saastra had been written in verse and charted in the form of a wheel. What was during the days of King Bhoja the temple of Sarasvati apparently has now become a mosque.
The intention of the original sculptors and builders was obvious; that in the temple of Sarasvati, the goddess of speech and learning, the science of language should be always present through Vyaakarana which is the mouth of the Veda Purusha. It is claimed that a mere glance at the giant wheel would make the whole of Vyaakarana clear.
Since Vyaakarana had the status of an object of reverence and worship, the wheel of Vyakarana was installed in a temple.
Many years after the temple became a mosque we have been able to get the Chakra through the grace of the Goddess of Speech. The Department of Epigraphy has published the wheel in print. It has also been translated into English.
From this, it is evident that sciences like the Vyaakarana had not been relegated to the background as mere disciplines by Kings and Governments in those days but elevated to a level where they became objects of worship. You can realise from this how purity and refinement in language was considered very important in old times in our country.
|
