साहित्यम्

संस्कृत भाषा साहित्यॆ आधुनिक लॆखका: इति विरला: ऎव सन्ति । इतिहास, पुराण, आद्ध्यात्मिक स्तॊत्राणि, उपनिषत्क्था इति कतिपय काव्यालङ्कार् भरित रचना: लॆखकं नव रचनायां वारयत्यॆव । अथवा, स्वयं स्व रचनां अल्पं अगण्यं वा मन्यमान: विरमति । तमिऴ भाषायां श्री रामायण काव्यारंभे महाकवि
कंबन वाल्मीकि महर्षॆ: रामायण काव्यस्य तमिऴ् भायाषां रचयितुं प्रवृत्त: कथयति ’महात्मा वाल्मीकि महर्षॆ: काव्यं नाम क्षीर सागर: । तत्र यदा ऎकॊ बिल्लुक: सागर स्थितं दुग्धं पिबति, तद्वत् अहमपि यत्किञ्चित् वक्तुमुद्ध्य्तॊऽस्मि – इति.  कंब काव्यं लोके प्रसिद्ध्: । काव्यालङ्कार, नीति, धर्म,  मानव चरित्र चित्रणादि विषयॆ तत्र भवान् अपर: वाल्मीकिरॆव । संस्कृत भाषा ग्ञानं साहित्य रसं आस्वासितुं, स्व्च्छ उच्चारणार्थं च सहायकं भवति । किन्तु रचनायां आधुनिकानां उत्साह्ं न दृश्य्तॆ ।
तदनन्तरमपि यत्किञ्चित् लिखितुं प्रथित: गृहीत कलम: सॊचति – मनसि कृत संकल्प: प्रारभति – तदा पूर्व पठित काव्य नाटक स्मरणं बाधयति। अहो ! अयं वृत्तान्त: पूर्व श्रुतमॆव – रामायण, महाभारत, भागवत, अन्य ग्रन्थायां कथितमॆव -इति विरमति ।  पुनरुक्ति दॊष: न स्यात् इति ।
अत: आधुनिक समाजानुकृतं लिखामि इति उद्ध्यतॊऽहं । न चापि काव्यं नवमित्यवद्यमिति उक्तमॆव । सामाजिक कथा प्रवहति स्म । तदा एक: अस्म्द् परिवार शुभ चिन्तक: महानुभाव: आगत: । मम कथां पठित्वा तूष्णीं आस्त । मया पृष्ठं – आर्य ! कथं संस्कृत भाषायां मम रचना इति ।
स: अवदत् ’संस्कृतं सुन्दरमॆव – कथा विषयं …’
अहं  ’किमिति ?’
एष कथा नायक: गणिणि तन्त्रायां विशिष्ठ:
अस्त्यॆव – तत: किम् ?
मम पुत्रॊऽपि, विशिष्ठ विग्ञानी – अमॆरिका दॆशं गत:
ऒहॊ –
तव कथा नायक: तत्र अत्यर्थं संमानित:, स्ंतुष्ठ: च । ईदानीं पुन: भारत दॆशागमनॆ मतिं न करॊति । तव कथा नायकवत् ..
प्रति दिनं मातरं,  पितरं च सादरं आह्व्यति, ..
श्रीमन् ! किमिद्ं ? न वा इदं भवत: अभिप्राय: यत् भवत:परिवार कथामॆव मया लिखितमिति  ?
तदॆव, तदॆव्, श्रीमान् बन्धु महानुभाव: सहर्षं आमॊदयति स्म – मम पुत्र कथा ऎव – भवतु – संस्कृत भाषायां लिखितॊऽसि । तन्नूतनमॆव -चिरं जीव -इथि वदत: गत: ॥

Translation:
In the Sanskrit literature latest works by writers of the latest generation are very few. Almost nil.
Sahityam, i.e. literature in Sanskrit is an ocean. There are the Ramayana, Maha Bharatha, Bhagavatha stories, plus the sthothra – prayer songs written by very great people, written with style and beauty, one hesitates to venture to add anything new. No comparison. The great Tamil poet Kamban wrote the Valmiki Ramayanam in Tamil verses. He had followed the Valmiki Rishi for the legendary Sri Rama charitram.  He says ‘ Valmiki maharishi’s work is the Ocean of milk. I am like the cat that sets its foot from the shore eagerly to taste the milk, – ‘ Kamban wrote the Kamba Ramayanam, it is no less in grandeur or style to Valmiki maharishi’s own Srimadh Ramayanam in Sanskrit. Kamban is praised as the second Valmiki by the devotees. He is quoted in every walk of life, Dharma in ordinary life to justice and even in politics.
Knowledge of Sanskrit helps to understand and enjoy great literature. Helps in reading the sthothras without mistake. But to write it is difficult.  Even then if the writer starts, imagines a story,  he feels that  had already been told by some one. Retelling is a great mistake according to Sanskrit literature rules.
So, I started with a story of the modern society. It flowed uninterrupted – I was fairly satisfied with my work –
Then, one of our family friends, a nice person, and  well wisher, came.  I showed him my piece of work and asked ‘Mama.
how is it? I have  written in Sanskrit.
He hesitated and said, “Nice, your Sanskrit style is good – but the text..”
I asked ‘Sir, what is it?’
He said – Your hero of this story is an engineer, expert in  Computer Science
So, what?
My son is also an expert in Computer Science, is now in America.
Oho
Your hero is well settled there, well paid and is happy, does not think of coming back to India.
My son also.  He calls us daily ..
I said ‘ Sir What is your implication – I have written the story based on your son’s achievements?
He said happily, yes, yes, that is it — it is the life story of my son – but don’t lose heart, you have written in Sanskrit –
That is new, my blessings – so saying he left.