Sanskrit

Sanskrit is an ancient Indo-European language that originated in the Indian subcontinent. It is one of the oldest known languages in the world and is often considered the classical language of India. Known for its complexity, precision, and extensive grammatical structure, Sanskrit forms the foundation for many South Asian languages and is regarded as the liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.

The language has a rich literary and philosophical tradition, with ancient texts like the Vedas, Upanishads, Mahabharata, Ramayana, and Bhagavad Gita written in Sanskrit. Beyond religious scriptures, it has a vast body of literature covering a range of subjects, including science, mathematics, philosophy, and the arts.

Sanskrit is often written in the Devanagari script, although it can be transcribed in other scripts as well. Its grammatical system, documented by the ancient linguist Panini, is renowned for its rules and structure, making it one of the most systematically studied languages in history. While Sanskrit is not widely spoken as a first language today, it continues to be studied for its historical, cultural, and linguistic significance and has influenced many modern languages in South Asia, including Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, and others.