Sanskrit, along with Tamil and Pali, is an Indian language of ancient origin. Though it is no longer in active use, its contribution towards shaping various modern Indian languages has been substantial. This volume of the People’s Linguistic Survey of India, Sanskrit (volume thirty-six), provides an analytical view of the origin, development and decline of the language. It also presents the philosophy of language and linguistics that emerged within the Sanskrit tradition. Edited by the late Professor Avadhesh Kumar Singh, the volume will be an invaluable contribution towards a serious study of the history and the literary contribution of the Sanskrit language. Contents: The People’s Linguistic Survey of India The National Editorial Collective List of Volumes Acknowledgements Foreword A Nation Proud of Its Language Diversity: Chief Editor’s Introduction Introduction to the Volume Contributors to the Volume 1. Sanskrit: An Introduction Avadhesh K. Singh 2. Sanskrit: A Brief Overview Shakuntala Gawde 3. Origin of the Sanskrit Language Shakuntala Gawde 4. Sanskrit: Theories of its Evolution Vivek M. Bhat 5. Pali, Prakrit and Apabhramsha as Cornerstones of Sanskrit Ajay Kumar Singh 6. Sanskrit as a Carrier of India’s Cultural Continuity Shashiprabha Kumar 7. Sanskrit Knowledge Traditions Kapil Kapoor 8. Sanskrit Linguistics Kapil Kapoor 9. Sanskrit Aesthetics and Ethics Kapil Kapoor 10. Sanskrit Poetics Kapil Kapoor 11. History of Sanskrit Criticism Avadhesh K. Singh 12. Myths Related to Writing in Sanskrit Vijay Pandya 13. Early ‘Kavya’ in Sanskrit Vijay Pandya 14. Epics (Mahakavyas) and Early Drama in Sanskrit Vijay Pandya 15. Contribution of Women Writers to Sanskrit and its Affiliate Prakrit and Pali Literatures Manibhai K. Prajapati 16. The Colonial Interest in Sanskrit and its Impact on Western Linguistics Satyapal Singh 17. Sanskrit Studies and Indology Vijay Pandya 18. Initiation into Sanskrit Learning: Ritual of Upanayana (Initiation) Gauri Mahulikar 19. Svadhyaya as a Mode of Learning in Sanskrit Vladimir Yatsenko 20. Sanskrit in the Middle of the Twentieth Century K. K. Handiqui 21. Sanskrit Literature in the Twenty-first Century Harshdev Madhav 22. Sanskrit in/and Digital Age Jagdish Sharma Appendices 1. Sanskrit Teaching Institutions in India Shakuntala Gawde 2. Sanskrit Teaching Institutions outside India Shakuntala Gawde Bibliography Index LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES