In plain words
Students keep reciting the Śānti mantra all the time. But they make no fitting effort to understand its inner meaning. What is the inner meaning in this mantra, 'Sahanāvavatu, sahanau bhunaktu, saha vīryaṃ karavāvahai'?
Together, as one, let us move; together, as one, let us grow; together, as one, let us build up wealth and friendship, strength and virtue; together, as one, let us light up the understanding we have gained; together, as one, let us live as friends, with plenty.
This mantra is the very form of that inner meaning.
The sweetness in the Sanskrit language, the … in the Sanskrit language, is not to be seen in any other language. 'Sarve janāḥ sukhino bhavantu' 'sarvaśuddhaṃ nirāmayaiḥ' means: let all of us have a pure heart. It means that every human being should be healthy in body and mind. 'Sarve bhadrāṇi paśyantu' means: let us have good vision. The words of Sanskrit hold many inner meanings, such as that we should have a sacred vision.
In all the languages of the countries of Europe, Sanskrit words appear in large numbers. The Latin language arose from the words of Sanskrit itself. The English language arose from Latin itself. If we examine any small word closely, English and Latin are only different forms of Sanskrit. Mother is called mātṛ in Sanskrit, māṭur in Latin and mother in English. It is pitṛ in Sanskrit, pēṭar in Latin and father in English. It is bhātṛ in Sanskrit, bhātur in Latin and brother in English. It is duhitri in Sanskrit, …dhar in Latin and daughter in English. So English is like the child. Latin is like the mother. Sanskrit is like the grandmother. In this way it is the sacred Sanskrit language that stands in the place of mother to all languages.
A great scholar from abroad, Lūyūrēnō, carried on research in Bhārata for many years. When he was leaving for his own country, many students and teachers of Bhārata went to the plane to see him off. Lūyūrēnō was much pained and shed tears. Somehow he composed himself and said, 'I am leaving Bhārata with great difficulty.' 'The people of Bhārata themselves regard this Sanskrit language, which is like nectar, as a dead language. Institutions of learning and learned people make no effort to have Sanskrit studied.