For nearly 2000 years, Sanskrit was the language of a cultural order that exerted influence across South Asia, Inner Asia, Southeast Asia, and to a certain extent East Asia. A significant form of post-Vedic Sanskrit is found in the Sanskrit of Indian epic poetry—the Ramayana and Mahabharata. The deviations from Pāṇini in the epics are generally considered to be on account of interference from Prakrits, or innovations, and not because they are pre-Paninian. Traditional Sanskrit scholars call such deviations ārṣa (आर्ष), meaning 'of the ṛṣis', the traditional title for the ancient authors. In some contexts, there are also more "prakritisms" (borrowings from common speech) than in Classical Sanskrit proper. Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit is a literary language heavily influenced by the Middle Indo-Aryan languages, based on early Buddhist Prakrit texts which subsequently assimilated to the Classical Sanskrit standard in varying degrees. COUNT 8
QSN1 What are two examples of epic poetry written in Sanskrit? ANS1 the Ramayana and Mahabharata QSN2 What are prakritisms? ANS2 borrowings from common speech QSN3 Which Sanskrit literary language has been influenced by the Middle Indo-Aryan languages? ANS3 Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit QSN4 How long was Sanskrit a language of culture? ANS4 2000 years QSN5 What epic poems are written in post-Vedic Sanskrit? ANS5 Ramayana and Mahabharata QSN6 Where is a post-Vedic form of Sanskrit found? ANS6 Indian epic poetry QSN7 Of what are deviations in the epics thought to be the influence? ANS7 Prakrits QSN8 What is found to a lesser extent in Classical Sanskrit? ANS8 prakritisms