The Significance of Sanskrit

by Prof. Ram Karan Sharma

Sanskrit is one of the oldest surviving members of the Indo-European family of languages, characterized by its uninterrupted continuity for at least the last six thousand years. It is not confined to any region, any religion, any one philosophical school or race or caste.

It has served as a vehicle for all kinds of literary, cultural, spiritual, intellectual, philosophical and scientific expressions of humankind throughout the ages. It continues to serve as a medium of expression including day-to-day conversation and modern aesthetic creations. It has also served as a most effective medium for a dialogue of cordial understanding between the East and the West for at least the last two centuries.

Sanskrit represents not merely a language, but a distinct tradition that brings us closer to one another linguistically, philosophically, culturally as well as spiritually.