Pali and Prakrit were first to develop from Sanskrit. Sanskrit has been the source of later languages and literature in India. It was first used in Vedas and thereafter it has been the means of expression in other fields. Sanskrit is included in the list of modern Indian Languages in the eighth schedule of the constitution of India.Īs per the Indian tradition Sanskrit Language has no beginning and no ending. It is noteworthy that though ancient and classical, Sanskrit is still used as medium of expression by scholars throughout India and somewhere in other parts of the world e.g. He said – “Sanskrit is a wonderful language”. William Jones, who was already familiar with Greek and Latin, when came in contact with Sanskrit, remarked that Sanskrit is more perfect than Greek, more copious than Latin and more refined than either. Sanskrit is said to belong to Indo – Aryan or Indo Germanic family of languages which includes Greek, Latin and other alike languages. Today the correctness of Sanskrit language is tested upon the touchstone of Panini’s Ashtadhyayee. Literary Sanskrit and spoken Sanskrit both followed Panini’s system of language. He, concising about ten grammar schools prevalent during his time, wrote the master book of grammar named Ashtadhyayi which served as beacon for the later period. Panini (500 B.C.) was a great landmark in the development of Sanskrit language.

During this period a vast literature -Vedas, Brahmana-Granthas, Aranyakas, Upanishads and Vedangas had come to existence which could be termed as Vedic Literature being written in Vedic Sanskrit. Later, so many schools of grammar developed. The Pratishakhyas explained the forms of the words and other grammatical points. Each Veda had its book of grammar known as Pratishakhya. It was to some extent different from the present Sanskrit. It is presumed that the language used in Vedas was prevalent in the form of different dialects. Sanskrit language must have evolved to its expressive capability prior to that. The Vedas are dated by different scholars from 6500 B.C. Sanskrit is an ancient and classical language of India in which ever first book of the world Rigveda was compiled.

Old english letters font kam