Which religions have used Indo-Aryan languages in their sacred literature?

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Indo-Aryan languages have played a significant role in the sacred literature of several major world religions. Specifically, these languages have been utilized in the texts and traditions of the following faiths:

  • Buddhism: The Buddhist canon and subsequent commentaries were famously composed in Pali, a Middle Indo-Aryan language. Additionally, some Buddhist works were written in Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit.12
  • Hinduism: The Vedas—the foundational sacred writings of Brahminical Hinduism—are composed in archaic forms of Sanskrit, an Old Indo-Aryan language.13
  • Jainism: The Jaina canon was recorded in the literary dialect known as Ardhamāgadhī, while other noncanonical Jaina works were composed in various Prākrit dialects and Apabhraṃśa.24
  • Sikhism: Indo-Aryan languages have also been used in the literature associated with the Sikh tradition.1

These languages served as vital vehicles for religious expression, often evolving as reform movements or specific monastic lineages sought to codify their doctrines in distinct literary forms.14