General Knowledge - Indian History - Discussion

Pali was the comman talk language of that time Gautam buddha gave his sermon in pali vinayapitak and suttpitak are in pali morever abhidhammpitak is in sanskrit.

Goutam buddha common talk in pali but when he gave his sermon used magdhi language.

Actually Pali was the language used then for conversation as well as writing scripts too. Emperor Ashoka too have recorded his messages on his pillars including the one at sarnath in the same language.

Pali language, sacred language of the Theravada Buddhist canon, a Middle Indo-Aryan language of north Indian origin. On the whole, Pali seems closely related to the Old Indo-Aryan Vedic and Sanskrit dialects but is apparently not directly descended from either of these.

Pali's use as a Buddhist canonical language came about because the Buddha opposed the use of Sanskrit, a learned language, as a vehicle for his teachings and encouraged his followers to use vernacular dialects. In time, his orally transmitted sayings spread through India to Ceylon (c. 3rd century bc), where they were written down in Pali (1st century bc), a literary language of rather mixed vernacular origins. Pali eventually became a revered, standard, and international tongue. The language and the Theravada canon known as Tipitaka (Sanskrit: Tripitaka) were brought to Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Pali died out as a literary language in mainland India in the 14th century but survived elsewhere until the 18th.

On the whole, Pali seems closely related to the Old Indo-Aryan Vedic and Sanskrit dialects but is apparently not directly descended from either of these. Due to buddha's opposed the use of sanskrit they use pali as their canonical language.

Lord Buddha wanted the common people to know what he wanted to convey therefore he delivered his speech in the common man's language, Pali. It is also because the common man didn't know or was allowed to learn the sacred language Sanskrit. And lord Buddha didn't wanted to show any partiality.

It is said that even the most revered Hanuman who had the punya or privilege to meet smt. Seetha talked with her only in Pali language.

Jain Mahavir and Gautam Buddha has the same dialect but later on differ on Ahinsa application (non-violance).