Finding A Way To Learn Sanskerta In Old Malay

~ i wake up at 4.00 am, everyone is sleeping soundly and some snoring loudly on the bunk sleepers, i take a self photo, a visible evidence of myself when i am on the upper bunk doing people-watching how mankind lives so peaceful with no fracas within this small coach that crams with bunk beds ~

Day 44

2.4.2024
Tuesday

Paharganj, Delhi

The ticketing agent was able to foresee I would get a conversion of my train ticket on waiting list into a confirmed ticket based on his experience dealing with the indian railways, as he confidently iterated to me. He asked me to check online or go to the ticketing counter in Udaipur City railway station to get it confirmed at the final hour. What he had expected came true. When the final ticketing charts were released an hour before departure, around hundred tickets on waiting list were confirmed with bunk sleepers. That meant, many first-hand ticket holders had cancelled their trips last minute before the train departed from Udaipur.

I was allocated a bunk sleeper of the middle bunk out of the three-tier sleepers. Because beside me, there was a family of five people travelled on the train, they wanted to sleep together, so they asked me to change my middle bunk with her daughter's side upper bunk sleeper. I agreed, as long as there was a bunk sleeper for me to sleep. That would suffice to take a rest over the night.

I had left the hostel at 12.30 pm. Earlier before the ticket was confirmed, I worried I may not have a proper sleep in that night when I needed to sleep on the floor of the train, so I took an afternoon nap on the platform's floor while waiting for the train to come. I was very tired and once I slept, I had slept for two hours. Beside me were many people resting or sleeping at the waiting platform. I was just observing the habitual behaviour like one local indian of what they did while waiting long hours at the railway station.

I was aware both Moustaffa and Earthling Seng were with me in my mind while sleeping. I was too tired to pay attention to them, but the conversation between them was arresting my subconscious mind because they were having a dialogue about my intention of finding a way to learn sanskrit language. I had a deep thought during this trip, and the trip is about ending, I need a plan to go about what I should do next.

As usual Moustaffa was a man of few words. He had been very polite and unassuming. He was talking to Earthling Seng, but I only heard Earthling Seng's voice in the sleep. Moustaffa had wanted Earthling Seng to tell me, if I learn sanskrit, I should do the sanskrit in the malay version, known as sanskerta, which is also the classical language of the people living in the malay archipelago. When Java has many hindu kingdoms some three thousand years ago, such as Mataram, Srivijaya or Majapahit, or even Langkasuka, the hindu sanskrit has made an immense inroad influencing on the old malay or ancient java language. So, the modern language we are using in this malay archipelago today is an evidence of transformation of old sanskerta language.

Moustaffa knew I was searching for sanskrit books in India. He said it would be very tough to learn the sanskerta language on my own. In learning this very old classical language, I need a teacher to teach me. At better position, I need a guru, a hindu guru to guide me through. According to Moustaffa, the learning of this old classical language is also a way of deepening my sadhana while practising hinduism. But he insisted to Earthling Seng, let me do the sanskerta instead of sanskrit.

The sanskerta and sanskrit are one of the same. The only difference is, the sanskerta is the old malay language used in the malay archipelago several thousand years ago. On the other hand, the sanskrit is the ancient language of the hindus in India. The sanskerta's roots come from sanskrit texts. The sanskerta is written in roman alphabets but sanskrit is a vedic ancient literature written in its distinct texts. I agreed with Moustaffa, because sanskrit is written in its distinct texts, it is tough to pick up by a beginner like me. The sanskerta is also tough to learn, but because of its texts written in roman alphabets, it is more learning friendly.

Moustaffa said, there are many sanskerta books in Indonesia. Sanskerta language was the lingua-franca in this malay archipelago during the heights of the hindu kingdom when the people in the malay archipelago were hindus. So, there are many good books I may find in Indonesia.

Moustaffa also asked Earthling Seng to tell me, he had spoken to the acharya, a hindu religious teacher who illustriously is a learned person in sanskerta in another world. According to the acharya, anyone who speaks and writes in malay from this archipelago will adapt to this classical sanskerta very quickly because malay language is inspired from sanskerta. The acharya had said the same connotation Moustaffa did. Sanskerta is learning friendly because the modern malay language has too many sanskerta loan words. According to googles, 40% of the sanskerta loan words can be found in the modern malay language. But some scholars have claimed, at least half of the vocabulary words in the mordern malay language comes from classical sanskerta.

I have not seen the hindu acharya whom has spoken to Moustaffa, but in this year very recent, I feel his presence in the space of my heart when I introspect deeply during meditation, and my minds and emotions are calmed down by his presence in the heart.

I agree with them. I should do sanskerta slowly but not in rush. I find the old classical sanskerta book in the public library in Shah Alam two years ago, but later I could not find them on the shelves anymore. Those old books are put on reading in the library only but not for taking out, however, I do not know why these books are missing. When I get home, I will try to find some books written in sanskerta to read. It's difficult to find these books in this time.

~ each compartment has three tiers of bunk sleepers, the middle tier is the toughest bunk because the commuter is in between the lower and upper sleepers ~

~ i wake up after sleeping for two hours on the floor in the mid afternoon like any local indians, resting on the floor is not a taboo, there is no hoo-ha for it ~