Sanskrit is an Indo-Aryan language which was used in ancient times. It was the primary language of Hinduism, and most of the scholarly work of Jainism and Buddhism was also written in Sanskrit. In current times, it is one of twenty two languages of India, and is also an important part of Indo-European studies.
Sanskrit is thought to mean put together, constructed, or refined. The language itself refers to Sanskrit as “the cultured language”. It was and still is known as a cultured sacred language that has always been important for religious ceremonies and uses. It was uncommon for the peasantry to use this language; however it was used frequently for people who were making written records.
The classical form of Sanskrit was important in cultures of India, and held a similar position in their society as Greek or Latin in Europe. Modern derivatives of Sanskrit are the languages of Pakistan, Sir Lanka and Nepal. Pre-classical Sanskrit can also be referred to as Vedic Sanskrit.
Official documents were not the only thing that was composed using Sanskrit; it was often used for things like literature and poetry. Dramas and scientific or technical works were also composed in Sanskrit. Dharma texts and philosophical debates were written in Sanskrit as well as other contemporary languages. Sanskrit is still extremely common for ceremonial events for the Hindu religion’s rituals, as well as the hymns and matrass of the Buddhists in its written form. The spoken form of Sanskrit is still used in India; however it is rather scarce to find someone who can successfully speak it. There have been recent movements to revive the language from linguists and anthropologists.
Many people have tried to revive Sanskrit, especially in the spoken form. However, it has essentially gone the way of Latin, in which some people can read it however very few people are able to speak it. Essentially, Sanskrit has become a dead language, excluding its long-standing use in religious ceremonies. This has been a slow transition, and Sanskrit has had a few revival times, marked with astounding rebirth of the language. One of the possible reasons Sanskrit is no longer used is that it was so important to the religious aspect of life, and although it had secular uses, it was often reserved for religious uses.
Also, the weakening political forces that supported it as well as the fact that vernacular languages were easier for the masses to understand so they were used more often. The regional variation of the vernacular languages made it difficult if not impossible to impose a hard-and-fast-rule on when and how to use Sanskrit. The cultures of India still use Sanskrit at times that the vernacular languages would either be too plentiful (the country has over twenty languages that care commonly spoken) or in highly religious events.
It is used to discuss new concepts in the religions, as well as discussing old concepts in a new light. Instead of completely abandoning Sanskrit when the British forced India into a more western lifestyle, it actually saw a revival. This was because the study of the differences between Sanskrit and Latin (or other European languages) was of high interest to the Indian people.
Although Sanskrit is considered a “dead” language, it is still important for there to be scholars that have the ability to study this language. It was instrumental in so many other cultures that a good knowledge of Sanskrit will give us many answers about the similarities between separate cultures, religions, and traditions. This is an area of study that needs to be pursued soon so that the knowledge of the language is not completely lost. This is a perfect example of an area that classical studies would help improve our lives by explaining the similarities between these different cultures.
