Although the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit is considered by some to be close to a “dead” language (i.e., the primary language of few or no modern users), it may hold keys to a better future. Languages are very powerful influences in our lives. Because it is learned from a young age, we often take our native language for granted, including its quirks, inconsistencies, and irregularities. However, the way it is constructed, and its evolution, can have profound effects on how we live, and can even limit how we are able to communicate both today and to future generations.

Sanskrit began about 4,000 years ago as an oral language, with its written script, Devanagari, developed over 2,000 years later. From the beginning, Sanskrit was highly-structured, with predictable syntax, easily-identified parts of speech, and strict rules of pronunciation that have not varied very much since its foundation millennia ago. While this may have restricted flexibility, it has a benefit in that the meanings and style of works in Sanskrit have remained consistent and easily-understood across the years. This is especially valuable, because as the language for a large proportion of humanity for a large proportion of its civilized history, the body of Sanskrit literature is enormous and extremely diverse. Ancient Sanskrit works range from medical texts to political documents to erotic poetry to agricultural manuals, and everything in between. A modern Sanskrit reader (as few as there may be!) can still accurately understand these writings as they were originally intended, meaning that while the language itself may not be in wide use, its rich history is still accessible.

Contrast Sanskrit’s consistency to that of a modern language, such as English. English has evolved tremendously over the centuries to the degree that English literature from 1,000 years ago is difficult for a modern reader to understand, or even read. While the broad use of English has standardized some aspects of the language, it is unusually receptive to new words/slang; irregular verb and noun forms; variable grammar structures; and non-standardized pronunciations (“-ough” looks like “ow-gih”, but in practice sounds differently in “through”, “rough”, and “cough”).  These factors mean the English of 1022 reads and sounds little like the English of today, which may itself be unrecognizable to English speakers of 3022 (if there are any!). This is a fate that Sanskrit has avoided, enabling ancient Indians to accurately speak across the centuries in a way few other languages can match. Perhaps Sanskrit holds lessons for modern linguists to ensure that the literature of today is preserved in a way that it can still be used and enjoyed thousands of years from now.

Another unique aspect of Sanskrit is its integration with the practice of yoga. It has been well established that learning another language can increase neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to adapt its structure and function in response to stimuli), which normally decreases with age. Physical exercise and lifelong learning are often prescribed as preventative measures to mental decline. Since Sanskrit is the language in which yoga was first created, many of the Sanskrit names for yoga poses have deeper meanings than the English words which help us better understand the purpose of the pose. Indeed, combining studies of Sanskrit and yoga can provide an integrated “double benefit” to help improve long-term mental and physical health. Indeed, metastudies have found changes in hippocampal volume following yoga practice, the part of the brain involved in learning and memory processes.  Combined with studies by Martensson and Stein that have found increased brain volumes and density associated with learning a second language, one can see that the unique integration of a language (Sanskrit) and physical/mindfulness training (yoga) can be especially powerful.

Sanskrit’s combination of rich communicative capacity, limited variability, and a robust spoken and literary history are relatively unique–and highly desirable–characteristics for a durable means of communication that modern languages still struggle to match.  Learning Sanskrit can also help keep us young by enhancing the brain’s neuroplasticity to delay dementia as well as enhancing our physical activity and mindfulness as we age. Given my South Asian heritage, I take pride in my ancestors’ contribution to the modern world, and hope we make good use of this perpetual gift to humanity!