Is Yoga a Language Killer?

Language loss in the Indian Himalayas

This was a DRAFT, which became published in some other articles, like this one in the Wire. Not all of it was included and most of the images were left out. So, this version presents a more comprehensive picture.

DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/4GVPB Patrick McCartney CC-By Attribution 4.0 International

Language-killer = bhāṣā-hantṛ

As a consequence of the global popularity of yoga, there is an unspoken threat to the marginalised languages of South Asia, such as the Central Pahari languages, Garhwali and Kumouni. This occurs via the banal support and shared appreciation that Hindus, Hindu supremacists and global yoga consumers have for the Sanskrit language.

The title is meant to be provocative, and grab your attention. I hope that by the end of the article, should you get that far, that it becomes apparent what I mean, when I ask the question, ‘Does yoga help kill languages?’ Today, Sanskrit plays a central role in the global yoga industry, as well as a peripheral role in the wellness and…