Objectives

All the Sanskrit Universities and Vidypaeetha-s have large quantities of data both in terms of volume and type. The nature of data varies from scripts (for texts) to voice data (stored on tape) etc. These data have lot of volue to entire mankind and need to be preserved and nourished. The very nature of this type of system (viz., data exchange in real-time and very continuous) calls for good amount of computerisation and that too networked across centres.

 To prepare a global bibliography of Sanskrit studies and scholars.

To prepare and train up a unique blend of traditional scholars with modern and scientific knowledge who performs a rare feat of bridging the gap between the traditional scholars and Modern Scientists.

To prepare translation of the rare & basic Sanskrit texts into regional languages for the benefit of Common man.

To assist the institutions to develop the hardware, software and the technical capability to place the information in the modern technical framework.

To develop computerized linkage among the different institutions so that each institution can have access to the database available in the other institutions.

To make use of the principles and techniques available in Nyaya, Vyakarana, Mimamsa and Vedanta for developing new paradigms for the computer language.

 To develop packages for training for the faculties in the scientific work and shastraic world for making best use of the infrastructural facility.

To facilitate preservation of the information on rare manuscript, Vedic literature and Sastras.

To develop hyper-texts of various commentaries/texts of immense value.

To present the database available in different institutions in a Computer framework.

To conduct training camps/workshops  in Natural Language Processing  to sanskritists and  Linguists.

To build up awareness  to use computers in sanskrit research among traditional scholars.

 

To develop Machine Translation Systems  from English and  regional Indian languages  to Sanskrit  and vice versa

 

Vision :

 

·      The Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha, Tirupati has got initiation into this high technology based project with the already available staff and looking for magnanimous efforts in the II phase of the project to host the contents on website and to make data available on inter-net for 24 hours. 

 

·      Many Sanskrit texts have been keyed in with many invaluable commentaries. They explore the meaning contained in original texts. It is necessary to link those different commentaries with paraphrasing to make scattered parts of commantary easily excessible. The Vidyapeetha in the II phase will be venturing into this field to provide links through electronic form with the application of  HTML.

 

·     There is an enarmous data/ research material in English concerning Sanskrit Literature, Philosophy, Puranas and other fields of Indological learning. These research materials will also be integrated and will be made available on inter-net in the II phase of the project.

 

·      Having got actual practical experience so far in the project, there is a need to consider the adequacy of the amount earmarked for data entry of the texts and the break-up in view of the following :

 

1.     The texts are related to shastras and as such, require great skill/expertise for keying in to avoid errors. Also, scholars need time to acquaint and pick up sustainable speed.

2.     Word-split, Mark-up for sandhi and samasa and also analysis are being tried with programs based on DESIKA and hence, we may use a semi-automatic system towards the end and not all scholars creating content need be engaged in this.

 

Potentiality for Research :

 

                        This Sanskrit Net will provide the necessary computational tools and utilities for shastraic text with the help of Computer medium on different platforms like DOS,                      MS-WINDOWS, and employing various processes like : Search for patterns (inclusive exclusive, wildcards), words (plain/accented), phrases, any/all words, exact match, tagged items, lexical (qualified) search etc., sort in ascending, descending, lexical orders; words and letters, Index on multiple tages, string length etc. retrieve strings (plain/accented), for accented words, get all variant (differently accented) forms for semantic/phonetic study, concordance - occurrences, format (pattern/delimiter/alphabet set) specifiable, statistical analysis - frequency, occurrences, percentage, morphological frequency, tags (documents/ source structure) etc., transliterate - plain/accented text; input options - ISCII (7-bit or        8-bit)ISFOC, Editor functions, data entry in Devanagari/ Grantha/Roman, spell check,    morphological anlysis etc. (DESIKA-based), Authoring Tools for w3ord-splitting in Sandhi and Samasa, preparing various Indices, critical editions of manuscripts etc.

 

Potentiality for creating new paradigms :

 

                        This Sansk-Net would actively participate and devise a new architecture of a futuristic ‘knowledge processor’ optimised for linguistic processing and including speech, in a big way, drawing from the work on creation of a compedium of all shastric treatieses and based on the tenets of Indian Metaphysics, Grammar, Epistemology, Phoneties etc. The Sanskrit Institutions have a major role in providing requistic inputs and participating in such a challenging but highly exciting task.