BOOKS IN SANSKRIT ON LANGUAGE & LITERATURE

Perhaps the most significant part of human social existence and interaction that we are aware of today is language. Despite years of research into numerous languages and their sources, scientists have yet to discover another species on the planet capable of communicating in the same way that humans do, sharing abstract ideas and conceptual representations solely through words. Since ancient times, India\'s Hindu religion has paid special attention to how language is used in everyday life, and how it can express ideas, thoughts, impressions, beliefs, and other complex concepts that cannot be proved in any other way. The language was so important to Hindus that they incorporated it directly into their spiritual practices, and it became yet another medium for reaching their ultimate goal, moksha: realization of the Ultimate Truth within oneself.

Not one ounce of doubt about that! Considering the number of stories we hear throughout our lives- the stories we are told by our grandparents and parents as children, the stories shared between friends in school time, the life-lesson-like tales as we grow up, and even the daily discussions we have with our near and dear ones. In essence, these are all stories. However, there are some stories, a handful, which reach a truly timeless character. Traveling across time and space, these stories reach the hearts of the audience and reader so deeply, that their place of origin, author, language, and characters do not matter. What matters is their ability to awe, please, entertain, and guide anyone who picks them up. Lucky for us, India has more than a few stories that gathered an international audience even before the modern period. Three of these- the Panchatantra, the Jataka, and the Hitopadesha are exceptional and stand apart due to the way they have aged.