Modi hails reprint of world’s first printed sanskrit grammar, gifted by Croatian PM

Croatian PM Plenković gifts rare Latin text by Filip Vezdin as leaders vow to boost India-Croatia trade, culture and strategic cooperation

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hailed a reprint of the world’s first printed Sanskrit grammar, presented to him by Croatian counterpart Andrej Plenković, calling it “a remarkable symbol of the enduring intellectual and cultural bonds between India and Croatia.”

The gift capped Modi’s landmark trip to Croatia, the first ever by an Indian prime minister and underscored centuries-old scholarly ties. Written in Latin in 1790 by Croatian missionary-scholar Filip Vezdin (also known as Ivan Filip Vezdin), the work Sanskritum Linguae Instituti is regarded as the earliest printed grammar of Sanskrit.

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Posting on X after departing Zagreb, Modi thanked Plenković and expressed hope the gesture would “strengthen our bonds even further.” Plenković, in a social-media note, said Vezdin was among the first Europeans to study Indian languages seriously, and his grammar remains “a symbol of early cultural linkages.”

During a formal exchange ceremony at Zagreb’s historic St. Mark’s Square, Plenković also handed Modi Croatia and India: Bilateral Navigator for Diplomats and Business by Croatian diplomat Siniša Grgića, envisaged as a roadmap for future cooperation.

Modi arrived in Zagreb on Wednesday to full ceremonial honors at Franjo Tuđman Airport. Streets lined with members of the Indian diaspora and Croatian citizens greeted him with chants of “Modi-Modi,” “Bharat Mata Ki Jai,” and “Vande Mataram.” Inside his hotel, performers recited Vedic shlokas amid traditional dance. “Happy to see Indian culture respected so warmly in Croatia,” Modi remarked.

The two leaders later held delegation-level talks, with Plenković calling the visit “a new chapter” in bilateral ties at a “critical geopolitical moment.” Areas highlighted for cooperation ranged from trade and technology to defense, pharmaceuticals, and tourism.

Vezdin’s pioneering scholarship traces back to 1774, when he arrived in Malabar as a missionary and later served as vicar-general of the Malabar Coast. Drawing on lessons from Kerala Brahmins and local manuscripts, he produced the 1790 Latin text that introduced Europe to systematic Sanskrit studies.

Analysts say the revival of Vezdin’s work and its presentation by Croatia’s premier  signals both nations’ intent to marry heritage with twenty-first-century collaboration. With Modi’s visit setting the diplomatic tone, officials on both sides expect follow-up agreements to cement a strategic partnership across multiple sectors.