Sanskrit vs. Prakrit — What's the Difference?

The liturgical language of Hinduism and Buddhism.

A group of middle Indo-Aryan vernacular languages.

An ancient Indo-European language of India.

Offers simpler grammar than Sanskrit.

A structured language with intricate grammar.

Spoken by the common people in ancient India.

The root language for many modern Indian languages.

Found in popular and secular literature.

Associated with India's philosophical and scholarly texts.

A precursor to several modern Indian languages.

Sanskrit (; attributively संस्कृत-, saṃskṛta-; nominally संस्कृतम्, saṃskṛtam, IPA: [ˈsɐ̃skr̩tɐm]) is a classical language of South Asia belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late Bronze Age.

The Prakrits (; Early Brahmi ???????, prākṛta; Devanagari Sanskrit: प्राकृत, prākṛta; Shauraseni: ????, pāuda; Jain Prakrit: pāua; Kannada: pāgada) are a group of vernacular Middle Indo-Aryan languages used in India from around the 3rd century BCE to the 8th century CE. The term Prakrit is usually applied to the middle period of Middle Indo-Aryan languages, excluding earlier inscriptions and the later Pali. The Prakrits were used contemporaneously with the Classical Sanskrit of higher social classes.

An ancient Indic language that is the language of Hinduism and the Vedas and is the classical literary language of India.

Any of the vernacular and literary Indic languages recorded from the third century BC to the fourth century AD, as opposed to Sanskrit.

The ancient language of the Hindoos, long since obsolete in vernacular use, but preserved to the present day as the literary and sacred dialect of India. It is nearly allied to the Persian, and to the principal languages of Europe, classical and modern, and by its more perfect preservation of the roots and forms of the primitive language from which they are all descended, is a most important assistance in determining their history and relations. Cf. Prakrit, and Veda.

Any of the modern Indic languages.

Of or pertaining to Sanskrit; written in Sanskrit; as, a Sanskrit dictionary or inscription.

Any one of the popular dialects descended from, or akin to, Sanskrit; - in distinction from the Sanskrit, which was used as a literary and learned language when no longer spoken by the people. Pali is one of the Prakrit dialects.

(Hinduism) an ancient language of India (the language of the Vedas and of Hinduism); an official language of India although it is now used only for religious purposes

Any of the modern Indic languages

Any of the vernacular Indic languages of north and central India (as distinguished from Sanskrit) recorded from the 3rd century BC to the 4th century AD

Yes, while Sanskrit was more scholarly, Prakrit was the vernacular of the common people.

Sanskrit has a rich structure with eight grammatical cases, intricate verb forms, and precise rules.

Not all, but Sanskrit is the precursor to many Indo-Aryan languages, and Prakrits played a significant intermediary role.

Directly, no, but they evolved into various regional languages spoken in India today.

Sanskrit dates back over 3,500 years, with its earliest form found in Vedic scriptures.

Jain scriptures are primarily written in Prakrit.

Historically, Sanskrit was the language of scholarship and rituals, often associated with the learned and elite.

Absolutely, there are many institutions and online resources dedicated to teaching Sanskrit.

It's the language of ancient sacred texts like the Vedas, Upanishads, and other spiritual scriptures.

Many modern Indian languages have roots in Sanskrit and Prakrit, inheriting vocabulary, grammar, and structure.

Yes, many ancient Indian plays and poetry are written in Prakrit.

While rooted in India, Sanskrit's literature, philosophy, and linguistic structure have garnered global interest and study.

Yes, there were several Prakrit languages like Shauraseni, Magadhi, and Ardhamagadhi.

While not spoken as a common language, Sanskrit is still studied, revered, and used in religious contexts in India.

Yes, Prakrit languages evolved from Sanskrit and later gave rise to various regional languages.