sanskrit department

sanskrit language

Sanskrit, meaning ‘perfected’ or ‘refined,’ is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, of attested human languages. It belongs to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European family. The oldest form of Sanskrit is Vedic Sanskrit believed to date back to the 2nd millennium BC. Known as ‘The mother of all languages,’ Sanskrit is the dominant classical language of the Indian subcontinent and one of the 22 official languages of India. It is also the liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.

Originally, Sanskrit was considered to be not a separate language, but a refined way of speaking, a marker of status and education, a form of language studied and used by Brahmins. It existed alongside spoken vernaculars, called Prakrits which later evolved into the modern Indo-Aryanlanguages. Sanskrit continued to be in use long after it was no longer spoken as a first language.

Scholars distinguish between Vedic Sanskrit and its descendant, Classical Sanskrit, however these two varieties are very similar and differ mostly in a some points of phonology, grammar, and vocabulary.

Status

In India and in Southeast Asia, Sanskrit enjoys a status that is similar to that of Latin and Greek in the Western world. As a central part of Hindu tradition and philosophy, Sanskrit is mostly used today as a ceremonial language in Hindu religious rituals. According to 1981 data, it is spoken in India as a first language by 6,100 and as a second language by 194,000 people (Ethnologue). Sanskrit is a required subject in many schools. Even though it is not a spoken language, its significance is such that it is one of the 22 official languages of India.

Sanskrit exerted a great deal of influence on all languages and cultures of the Indian subcontinent and beyond. Sanskrit mantras are recited by millions of Hindus and most temple functions are conducted entirely in Sanskrit, often Vedic in form. The vocabularies of prestige varieties of Indian languages, such as Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, and Marathi, are heavily Sanskritized.

There have been recent attempts to revive Sanskrit as a spoken language, so that the vast Sanskrit literature could become accessible to everyone. India’s Central Board of Secondary Education has made Sanskrit a third language in the schools under its jurisdiction. In such schools, the study of Sanskrit is compulsory for grades 5 to 8. An option between Sanskrit and Hindi exists for grades 9 and 10. Many organizations are conducting ‘Speak Sanskrit’ workshops to popularize the language.

Sanskrit is the language of the two great Hindu epics read by people all over the world: Rāmāyana and Mahābhārata.