What are Sanskrit-speaking countries in the world?
Even though Sanskrit is one of the ancient languages of the world, from which other languages emanated from still, no country in the world today entirely consists of Sanskrit speaking population. India is one of the countries where the use of Sanskrit is common, although not in daily conversations.
A brief history of the Sanskrit language:
Sanskrit is a long-established language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. Sanskrit is the sacrosanct language of Hinduism, classical Hindu doctrine, and historical compilations of Buddhism and Jainism; it is the language of which the Vedas are composed.
It is known as “Dev bhasha” or “Dev Vaani,” a language spoken by the ancient deities. It originated around 1500 BC when knowledge was imparted orally, but do you Sanskrit language is spoken in how many countries? This language is widespread among countries such as India, Nepal, China, Korea, Japan, Tibet, Europe, South-East Asia, the United States, and so on.
As mentioned before, Sanskrit, being an Indian language, is not confined to India alone but has spread to multiple nations. There are about 60 Sanskrit-speaking countries teaching Sanskrit in 450 universities, as Sanskrit is ascertained to facilitate the study of other languages, including English, Spanish, and French; thus, a connoisseur in Sanskrit can comprehend and master every other language readily.
List of Main Sanskrit Speaking Countries in the world:
- India
- America
- Germany
- Denmark
- Sweden
- Australia
- Srilanka
- Austria
- Belgium
- Britain
- Italy
- Norway
- Russia
- Switzerland
- China, Japan
- Java, Bali, Indonesia
The top countries that speak Sanskrit are:
Sanskrit-speaking region in India:
Sanskrit is an ancient and classical Indian language in which the world’s first book, the Rigveda, was written. Sanskrit is the principal sacred language of Hinduism and has been used as a philosophical language in the religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Some parts of India, including Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and others, consist of only Sanskrit-speaking people. India is a diverse country; thus, Sanskrit is one of the 22 official languages in India. In addition, the following places have many masses that speak Sanskrit – Mattur, Karnataka; Jhiri, Madhya Pradesh; Hosahalli; Sasana, Odisha; Baghuwar, Madhya Pradesh; Ganoda, Rajasthan; and Mohad, Madhya Pradesh.
Sanskrit-speaking regions in Europe
Sanskrit is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. Sanskrit studies are predominant in many parts of the world, especially Europe. Sanskrit shares a commonly established homeland with European and Iranian languages. At present, several European universities teach the Sanskrit language. The Lithuanian, Romanian, Ossetian, and Iranian languages owe their existence to Sanskrit.
Sanskrit speaking region in North and South America
North and South America both has several universities that uphold the virtue of the Sanskrit language by imparting it to more and more students. As a result, there are quite several masses speaking Sanskrit.
Sanskrit-speaking region in Asia-Oceanic
The regions having Sanskrit-speaking masses include the islands of Java, Ba Indonesia, Vietnam, Myanmar, and so on, which derive their language from the Sanskrit language.
Facts About the Sanskrit Language
You must have guessed that the Sanskrit language is spoken in many countries by now, but do you know why? Here are some of the Facts About the Sanskrit Language:
- There has never been any kind, class, or nature of change in the science of Sanskrit grammar as noticed in other languages of the world as they passed from one stage to the next.
- The Vedas are the source of our numerous philosophies. If this language becomes popular because it allows us to access resources and provides a way to express critical thinking in words,
- Yoga, ayurveda, tantra, and other healing arts were originally taught in Sanskrit. Sanskrit is the language of the legend of ayurveda. Therefore, you must understand Sanskrit if you want to excel in ayurveda. Due to this, during the first professional year, they study the Sanskrit language as a subject.
- Soon, NASA is going to use Sanskrit as a computer language. NASA scientist Rick Briggs debated why Sanskrit is one of the most suitable languages for computer use long ago (in 1985) in his composition “Knowledge Representation in Sanskrit and Artificial Intelligence.”
- Unlike other languages, it is highly versatile, as there are endless synonyms for each word, and expressing anything in Sanskrit becomes easier.
- Various languages, including Prakrit, Pali, Dardic, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Kodu, and others, owe their origin to the Sanskrit language.
- Sanskrit is a language that is used for speech therapy. It has five different categories of the word: Kanthya (spoken from the throat), Talavya (spoken while touching the tongue to the jaw), Dantya (spoken while touching the tongue to the teeth), Murdhanya (spoken by twisting the tongue), and Ostya (spoken by the lips).
Why learn Sanskrit?
Now there are numerous reasons why you should get yourself accustomed to the subject, some of them have been listed below:
- Knowledge of Sanskrit helps one learn other languages, including English, French, Spanish, and so on. Besides this, it presents a clear view of the language format and speech operation, creating a more powerful understanding and ability to pronounce words.
- Since all archaic texts and scriptures are composed in this language, it has also been told that Sanskrit is the language of the future, for it is praised to be most fitted for computers.
- The ancient Sanskrit language carries much knowledge concerning society and the universe. Several subject issues are composed in-depth in the language. The significance of learning Sanskrit can be conferred with the part of knowledge the language has to present. From botany, biology, and grammar to theology and astronomy.
- Reciting the Sanskrit alphabet can be advantageous for your soundness! It results in you rhythmically utilising minimal and maximal breath, compaction, and expansion in your breathing actions. Furthermore, this system is a pranayama practice that is proven to help counterbalance and relax the mind, which no other language can now do.
The common misconception is that Sanskrit is difficult to learn because of its tangled grammar structures. Also, assuming it to be an ancient language not used for everyday conversations, Sanskrit has the rare prestige of having an impressive scheme for pronunciation and grammar. However, there are current efforts to restore the Sanskrit language as a spoken language so that prosperous Sanskrit literature can be accessible to all; this is why countries from all over the world are interested in learning Sanskrit. You should be familiar with the Sanskrit language and which countries speak it. Sanskrit being an extraordinary language, it should not be confined to a section of people but rather promoted internationally to establish linguistic, technological, and literal harmony, gain endless knowledge, and sustain the cultural and religious aspects of the Sanskrit language.
FAQs
- Is learning Sanskrit very difficult?
Ans: To begin with, Sanskrit is a relatively easy language to learn if compared to other foreign languages. Understanding Sanskrit is uncomplicated and manageable; you require a good teacher and acceptable practice.
- How much time is required to learn Sanskrit properly?
Ans: Learning any language generally takes at least a month. Nevertheless, if you desire to know Sanskrit fast, you will have to conceive a pattern of rehearsing the Sanskrit language every day for at least 2-3 hours.
- How old is the Sanskrit language?
Ans; Sanskrit is one of the most geriatric languages, with a recorded history of almost 3,500 years.
- Is Sanskrit related to any other language?
Ans: Yes, Sanskrit is also known as the mother of all languages, so it has similarities with languages like Greek, Latin, English, and so on.
- Why is Sanskrit essential in our life? Should we learn Sanskrit?
Ans: Sanskrit is paramount to Indian culture due to its extensive use in spiritual literature, especially in Hinduism, and most modern Indian languages have now emanated from, or are deeply affected by, Sanskrit. And yes, you should learn and master yourself in Sanskrit!