Introducing Sanskrit: Sanskrit is a historical Indic language, one of the liturgical languages of Hinduism and Buddhism, and one of the oldest languages in the world, and in use since 1200 BC as the religious and classical literary language of Indian Subcontinent. This language contrasted with the languages spoken by the people, Prakrit – “Prototype, natural, artless, normal, ordinary”. It is also called dēva-bhāṣā meaning the “divine language”. The word Sanskrit means completed, refined, perfected. Sum (Complete) + krt (created). Sanskrit was created and then refined over many generations (traditionally more than a
thousand years) until it was considered complete and perfect. Sanskrit is generally written in the syllabic Devanagari script composed of 51 letters or aksharas.
The Sanskrit language, whatever be its antiquity, is of a wonderful structure; more perfect than
the Greek, more copious than the Latin, and more exquisitely refined than either.Sir William Jones, speaking to the Asiatic Society in Calcutta (now Kolkata) on February 2, 1786