Sanskrit is not an ordinary human language. It is a collection of sounds that leads to the deepest experiences that human beings have ever had. It is true that even music of many varieties can lead to such experiences for some people, but the most important aspect of Sanskrit in this regard is that it offers a systematic and objective way to reach such experiences. The most important source of these mystical Sanskrit verses is the Veda, which is considered to be several millennia old. The Vedic mantras have a power no less universal than that of modern science and engineering! An interesting aspect of Sanskrit is that it is not only available in the form of these powerful verses, but also in the form of a spoken language that humans can use to communicate with each other. There are various theories about how this language came into existence and how it evolved. Though there is a lot of debate going on about its geographical origin and extent, what we will examine here is its temporal origin and evolution. How did humans come to acquire this almost magical language? What effects did it have on the society? And what effects did society have on the language? As they say, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction!
