Vedic v Classical Sanskrit: What's the Difference?

This video discusses the differences between Vedic and Classical Sanskrit. Classical Sanskrit is the language used in the composition of Indian literary works such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. It is characterized by strict grammatical rules and guidelines, while Vedic Sanskrit has a more fluid and flexible grammar with fewer rules. The video explains that Vedic Sanskrit was used for a long time until Panini outlined the rules of Sanskrit and its phonology in his Ashtadhyayi, which led to the emergence of Classical Sanskrit. The video explains Sandhi, which is when the pronunciation of a word changes when it is combined with another word. In Vedic Sanskrit, there were two main categories of Sandhi: Internal and External. Internal Sandhis occurred when certain sounds changed in a word itself, while External Sandhis occurred between words as they come together to form a sentence. There is an interesting category of External Sandhi called Visargas, which occur at the end of a word or a phrase and affects the initial sound of the following word. The video also covers the different types of Sandhis, such as Consonant and Vowel Sandhis. It highlights the changes in the phonology of Vedic and Classical Sanskrit, with Vedic Sanskrit having many sounds that were omitted in Classical Sanskrit. The video explains that some of the sounds in Vedic Sanskrit were replaced in Classical Sanskrit, and the vowels ai and au in Vedic Sanskrit became shortened diphthongs in Classical Sanskrit. #history #vedic #sanskrit #vedicsanskriti #panini #ashtadhyayi #linguistic #ancient #grammar #foryou #ancientindia #aryan #indusvalleycivilization