In 1786, Sir William Jones, a British philologist and student of Ancient Indian, said the following about the Sanskrit language in an address to the Asiatick Society of Calcutta:
The Sanskrit language is more perfect than the Greek, more copious than the Latin and more exquisitely refined than either, yet bearing to both of them a stronger affinity than could possibly have been produced by accident. So strong, indeed, that no philosopher could examine them all three, without believing them to have sprung from some common source which, perhaps, no longer exists.
Sanskrit certainly has entered English almost in an untranslated form because Western thought and spirituality has embraced the meanings as well as the words. Here is a selection of Sanskrit words that you might find almost familiar.
guru [goo-xoo] (noun)
Guru in the modern Hindi and Punjabi languages now means "teacher," but it comes from the Sanskrit word guruh, which means "weighty," or "heavy," rather like the Latin word gravitas. It traditionally refers to a teacher or guide, especially in spiritual and philosophical matters. Now commonly used in the West, and we have our own less weighty version in "fitness guru."
nirvana [neer-vah-nah] (noun)
In Buddhism, this is a state of perfect happiness. It is the ineffable ultimate where one has attained disinterested wisdom and compassion. A transcendent state where there is no suffering, desire, or sense of self and the subject is released from the effects of karma. It represents the final goal in Buddhism. Originally from the Sanskrit nirva, "be extinguished," nis, "out," and va, "to blow."
yoga [yob-gah] (noun)
Meaning "union," it refers to the union of the mind, body, and spirit. This is a Hindu spiritual and ascetic discipline that includes breath control, simple meditation, and the adoption of specific body postures widely practiced for relaxation.
mantra [man-trah] (noun)
Generally known as a combination of syllables for meditation or affirmations often found on mani wheels, one of the oldest and best known mantras is the om mane padme hum of yogic chanting. But mantra also has a deeper and more powerful meaning. Man- means "mental," or "in mind," and —tra stands for "a tool." So the word represents a verbal instrument for mental imagery, a non-linguistic expression of the mind.
kamasutra [kah-mah-soo-trah] (noun)
Made popular by numerous Western books, marital therapists, and psychologists, this is a Sanskrit treatise setting out rules for sexual, sensuous, and sensual love and marriage in accordance with Hindu law.