| The Sanskrit language is a classical language of | | | | Indo-Iranian branch and as such is part of the |
| India, a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, | | | | Satem group of Indo-European languages, which |
| and Jainism, and one of the 23 official languages | | | | also includes the Balto-Slavic branch. |
| of India. Its position in the cultures of South and | | | | When the term arose in India, "Sanskrit" was not |
| Southeast Asia is akin to that of Latin and Greek | | | | thought of as a specific language set apart from |
| in Europe. It appears in pre-Classical form as Vedic | | | | other languages, but rather as a particularly |
| Sanskrit (appearing in the Vedas), with the | | | | refined or perfected manner of speaking. |
| language of the Rigveda being the oldest and | | | | Knowledge of Sanskrit was a marker of social |
| most archaic stage preserved. | | | | class and educational attainment and the language |
| Sanskrit belongs to the Indo-Aryan sub-family of | | | | was taught mainly to members of the higher |
| the Indo-European family of languages. Together | | | | castes, through close analysis of Sanskrit |
| with the Iranian languages it belongs to the | | | | grammarians such as Panini. read more..... |