The Sanskrit Language: An Overview - History and Structure, Linguistic and Philosophical Representations, Uses and Users by Pierre-Sylvain Filliozat (2000) Paperback

An introduction to the Sanskrit language from many different view points. In this book, Sanskrit is described from two points of view: what the native speakers knew and felt about their language, and what the foreign scholars discovered in their historical and comparative quest. Introduction Chapter I. The Language I. The history of the language 1. The Vedic language 2. Evolution and preservation of Vedic. The recitation of the Vedas 3. Panini, Katyayana, Patanjali 4. Stabilization of Sanskrit II. The structure of Sanskrit 1. The name of Sanskrit 2. The Paninian structures 3. The script Chapter II. Representations of Sanskrit and philosophy of speech I. Sanskrit and other languages II. The place given to Sanskrit in the world and in society III. Sanskrit and the transcended speech 1. Sanskrit, the eternal word 2. The transcended word 3. Sanskrit as a way to religious salvation Chapter III. The users of Sanskrit I. Sanskrit as everyday language II. The Sanskrit man of letters, or pandit 1. The Vedic poet 2. The traditional pandit A) The training of the pandit B) The living conditions and functions of the pandit C) Characterisation of the Sanskrit pandit a) The oral tradition b) Memorisation and concentration c) Communication and dialectic d) Poetry e) The dharma of the pandit and his responsibility f) Orthodoxy and creativity Chapter IV. The uses of Sanskrit I. Spoken language II. Language of communication III. Scientific and technical language IV. Literary language V. Religious language 1. Language of the religious sources 2. The concept of mantra Chapter V. The expansion of Sanskrit I. The expansion in India II. The expansion outside India Conclusion Bibliography History and structure, linguistic and philosophical representations, uses and users Translated from the French by T.K. Gopalan Pierre-sylvain Filliozat ; Translated From The French By T.k. Gopalan. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 135).