Home ◼︎ Children ◼︎ Study Guides ◼︎ Book Reflections ◼︎ Learning Stories ◼︎ Topics ◼︎ Essays
About
Sanskrit is an ancient Indo-Aryan language that served as the liturgical, scholarly, and poetic medium of classical Indian civilization. With roots in Vedic Sanskrit (c. 1500 BCE), it evolved into Classical Sanskrit by around 500 BCE, standardized by the grammarian Pāṇini.
Sanskrit became the language of the Vedas, Upaniṣads, epics like the Mahābhārata and Rāmāyaṇa, and countless philosophical, scientific, and literary works. While associated with Brahmanical Hinduism, Sanskrit was also used by early Buddhists and Jains—especially in the Mahāyāna and Sarvāstivāda traditions.
Although not the primary language of Theravāda Buddhism (which used Pāli), Sanskrit influenced Buddhist hybrid Sanskrit texts and transregional communication across South, Central, and East Asia. Today, Sanskrit is studied for its linguistic precision, aesthetic richness, and historical insight into Indo-European language development.
Key Points
- An ancient Indo-Aryan language used for ritual, philosophy, and literature.
- Rooted in Vedic texts and formalized by Pāṇini’s grammar (Aṣṭādhyāyī).
- Influenced Buddhist, Jain, and Hindu textual traditions.
- Related to Latin, Greek, and other Indo-European languages.
- Preserved in recitation, ritual, and contemporary academic study.
Glossary
- Vedic Sanskrit: The oldest form, found in the Ṛgveda and early liturgy.
- Classical Sanskrit: Standardized literary form codified by Pāṇini.
- Pāṇini: Ancient grammarian who wrote the Aṣṭādhyāyī, the definitive Sanskrit grammar.
- Sandhi: Rules of euphonic combination in Sanskrit phonology.
- Dhātu: Verbal root; the base from which words are formed.
References
- Cardona, G. (1997). Pāṇini: A Survey of Research.
- Coulson, M. (2003). Teach Yourself Sanskrit.
- Macdonell, A. A. (1927). A Sanskrit Grammar for Students.
- Deshpande, M. (1993). Sanskrit and Prakrit: Sociolinguistic Issues.
- Whitney, W. D. (1879). Sanskrit Grammar.