A group of international Sanskrit learners was walking through the Elbsandsteingebirge, or the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, in Germany. They navigated uneven paths, took in the landscape and kept an eye on one another as they walked.

Then Sanskrit became part of the conversation.

Something they spotted along the way was described in Sanskrit. The group spoke about the terrain, checked on one another and later discussed tea and food during their picnic.

For the learners, the hike became an opportunity to use Sanskrit as they would any living language — to talk about what they were seeing, doing and experiencing in the moment.

Sanskrit is often encountered through texts, grammar and formal study.

It is an ancient and classical Indo-Aryan language of South Asia. Its earliest form, Vedic Sanskrit, dates to around 1500–1200 BCE and is associated with texts including the Rigveda. Sanskrit also holds an important place in Buddhist and Jain traditions.

Its long literary history is a major part of its significance. But studying old texts is not the only way to engage with a language.

It can also be spoken, practised and used to describe everyday experiences.

The German hike offered learners a chance to do just that.

Instead of treating........

© The Better India