Sanskrit
    Sanskrit is an Indo-European classical language of India and a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Sanskrit has a position in India and Southeast Asia similar to that of Latin and Greek in Europe, and is a central part of Hindu tradition. It is one of the oldest Indo-European languages in the world with a documented history of 4,000 years. It boasts of a rich tradition in poetry, and literature; as well as scientific, technical, philosophical and religious texts. Sanskrit is one of the 22 official languages of India.

Evolution of Sanskrit
    Sanskrit was called "Dev Bhasha," or the language of the Gods, by ancient Indians. The word Sanskrit, meaning "refined" or "purified”, is the language for Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh and Jain wisdom. It was the official language of India until 1100 AD; when the Muslim invasion occurred. Its script is known as ‘deva-nagari’ or the divine style.
    Panini (500 B.C.) was a great contributor to the development of Sanskrit language. He, administering roughly ten grammar schools during his time, wrote the master book of grammar named “Ashtadhyayi” which served as beacon for the later period. Written Sanskrit and spoken Sanskrit both followed Panini’s system of language. Today, the correctness of Sanskrit language is tested upon the touchstone of Panini’s “Ashtadhyayee”.
    Sanskrit has a unique sound vibration that resonates with the microcosms of our bodies and the universe. This is a classical language of Hinduism, which is the oldest and the most systematic languages in the world. The vastness and the versatility, and power of expression can be appreciated by the fact that this language has 65 words to describe various forms of earth, 67 words for water, and over 250 words to describe rainfall. 

Sanskrit: mother language
    Sanskrit has been the source of later languages and literature in India. Pali and Prakrit were first development from Sanskrit. Pali derived as means of exposition of Buddhistic ideas and Prakrit was used to spread Jain doctrines. Most Buddhistic literature is written in Pali and, that of Jain cult, in Prakrit. A vast amount of Buddhistic and Jain literature was also written in Sanskrit simultaneously. Prakrit language had different variations in different parts of India.
    Hindi, the official language of India, is developed from Shauraseni Apabhransha. It is said that all modern Indian languages, used in north India, evolved from Sanskrit. The other modern Indian Languages of the South- Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu are derivatives of the Dravidian family of languages.

Mathematical View of Sanskrit:
    According to the Indian tradition, Sanskrit has no beginning and no ending. It is eternal. God created it. It is divine. It is everlasting. It was first used in Vedas, and thereafter, it has been the means of expression in other fields.
    Recently, an astounding discovery was made at NASA; the most advanced research center in the world for cutting edge technology. NASA discovered that Sanskrit is the world's oldest spiritual language, and only the unambiguous spoken language on the planet. This has also been deemed the most compatible language for computers. Sanskrit is the only natural language in the world functioning with mathematical precision and embodying the principles of artificial intelligence. Rick Briggs NASA researcher made such discoveries featured in “AI Magazine (Artificial Intelligence)” in spring of 1985. 

Linguist’s View of Sanskrit:
    Sanskrit is a very scientific language. Linguists hold that it shows no trace of a growing language. Its entire grammatical mechanism is perfected. Every tense, mood, every number and person of the verb is fixed and all terminations of the casts are firmly established. Due to the antiquity and affinity in forms of grammar and roots of verbs, linguists believe that the Persian, Greek, Teutonic, Slavonic and Celtic races are probably descendents of a common ancestor.
    Linguists agree that Sanskrit has a perfect grammatical foundation. Each word can be likened to a tree. Sanskrit is the most ancient member of the European family of languages. It is an elder sister to Latin and Greek; from which most modern European languages have derived. The oldest preserved form of Sanskrit is referred to as Vedic. The oldest extant example of the literature of the Vedic period is the Rig-Veda. Being strictly in verse, the Rig-Veda does not give us a record of the contemporary spoken language.
    Professor Leonard Bloomfield (1887-1949) of Chicago University held that Sanskrit language, specifically the scientific basis of its grammar, is "one of the greatest monuments of human intelligence." William Humboldt of Germany is of opinion that language cannot be created artificially; it is the manifestation of power and divinity in man.
    Professor William Jones, who already naming familiarity with Greek and Latin, when he came in contact with Sanskrit, remarked that Sanskrit is more perfect than Greek, more copious than Latin, and more refined than either. He said, “Sanskrit is a wonderful language.” It is noteworthy that though ancient and classical, Sanskrit is still used as a medium of expression by scholars throughout India and somewhere in other parts of the world such as America and Germany. 

Mental Health and Sanskrit
    Medical science is popularly known as ‘Ayurveda’ in India; which means ‘the Veda for lengthening of the span of life’. Chanting Sanskrit correctly connects us with the empowering energies of the cosmos and our beings. The powerful sound vibrations of Sanskrit help us to release stress, calm emotions, heal the body, and focus the mind. Specific mantras can also dispel negative energies and harness positive influences. Modern research indicates that reciting Sanskrit bestows the same effect as deep meditation.
    Reciting and understanding potent Sanskrit vibrations reconnects us with the subtle forces of the cosmos and our spiritual centre. It offers a window to ancient wisdom imparted by sages revealing life-enriching truths. Sanskrit is essential to exploring the depths of yoga, meditation, astrology, philosophy and Ayurveda. Profound philosophical epics such as the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, Bhagavad-Gita, and the Puraanas are also originally in Sanskrit. 

Sanskrit: ancient India and modern India
    Up until 1100 A.D., Sanskrit was, without interruption, the official language of the whole of India. The dominance of Sanskrit is shown by a wealth of literature of widely diverse genres including religious and philosophical; fiction (short story, fable, novels, and plays); scientific literature including linguistics, mathematics, astronomy, and medicine; as well as law and politics. With the Muslim invasions in 1100 A.D. onwards, Sanskrit gradually became displaced by languages of the Muslim kings as a tactic to suppress Indian cultural and religious tradition and supplant it with their own beliefs. But, they could not eliminate the literary and spiritual use of Sanskrit. 

Sanskrit on the Modern Era
    Many of India's and Nepal's scientific and administrative terms are in Sanskrit. Recently, Sanskrit also made an appearance in Western pop music in two recordings by Madonna. One, "Shanti/Ashtangi", from the 1998 album “Ray of Light,” is the traditional Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga chant.
    Composer John Williams featured choirs singing in Sanskrit for <Indiana Jones>, <the Temple of Doom>in <Star Wars Episode I>, and <The Phantom Menace>. Sanskrit has also seen a significant revival in China. Musicians such as Sa-Dingding have written pop songs in Sanskrit. 

Eminent Sanskrit Authors
    Panini: Panini is, today, recognized all over the world as the greatest model of human intelligence. Though India had a long tradition of grammarians, but the final codification of Sanskrit language is ascribed to Panini; whose grammar has remained correct for its usage ever since.
    Patanjali: Patanjali was an expert of at least three branches of Sanskrit studies, namely yoga, vyakarana, and ayurveda. Patanjali contributed immensely towards the science of meditation, science of language, and science of medicines.
    Adikavi Valmiki: Valmiki is a sage of excellent power of pen and wisdom. He gave birth to a unique literary and philosophical masterpiece; one of the greatest works in world literature.
    Maharishi Veda Vyasa: Vedavyasa is a famous personality who stands out as a representative of extreme human intelligence and vast ocean of knowledge. He wrote Brahma-Sutras and the Bhagwat Puranam; the touch-stone of human knowledge. He wrote Mahabharata - the great epic known as the encyclopedia of knowledge.
    Kalidasa: Kalidasa has been the national poet of India and the brightest star in the firmament of Indian Poetry for the last two thousand years. He has been unanimously acclaimed as the greatest Sanskrit poet. Kalidasa enjoys a high rank among global poets like Dante, Goethe, and Shakespeare. Scholars are of different opinions regarding his dates.

The Western Personalities in Sanskrit:
    Sanskrit is considered to be the richest language in the world due to its literary content. Many Western scholars translated Sanskrit texts in various foreign languages to enlighten the world.
    Sir William Jones (1746-94 A.D.), a British scholar, found the Royal Asiatic Society-a famous institution involved in Indological studies. He admired the theme, form, power and beauty of Sanskrit language and stressed its affinity to Greek and Latin.
    Max Muller (1823-1900) a German scholar, was associated with The Sacred Books of the East Series. He translated Upanisads and Apastamba-Sutras in English.
    William Dawight Whitney (1827-94), an American scholar, edited the Atharvaveda (1856) and wrote the Sanskrit Grammar (1879).
    S.A. Longlois, a French man, translated the whole text of the Rigveda into French which was published in Paris 1848-51

By  Yogesh Dayma / Bioscience / Doctor of Philosophy,
By  Asiya Karaltayeva / business management / master course