Learn Your Language and Literature
"Your mother tongue carries your civilisation's memory."
What J. Sai Deepak says
Learn your mother tongue and engage with your own native literature to build a strong foundational identity. Language is the gateway to texts, philosophy, and cultural continuity.
Watch the original: 7 Things Every Hindu Must DoWhy this matters for the diaspora
Children in the West grow up in English-dominant environments. The native language is often the first casualty across generations — and once lost, it's extraordinarily difficult to recover.
Without it, direct access to scripture, poetry, and philosophy is gone. The child becomes dependent on translations and intermediaries for their own heritage.
Three ways to start this week
- 1This week (15 min)
Read 5 pages of an authentic translation of a foundational text. Start with Eknath Easwaran's Bhagavad Gita — accessible, accurate, and available in every library.
- 2This month (5 min/day)
Learn one shloka by heart. Recite it daily. If you have children, teach it to them — even if pronunciation isn't perfect.
- 3Ongoing (15 min/day)
Speak your mother tongue at home for at least 15 minutes daily. It will feel awkward at first. Do it anyway.