Sanskrit and Pali roots What is the Best , online Sanskrit-English dictionary. I want to do research on the early root meanings and usage of certain Buddhist words in early India. Say 5,000 years ago, or at least, 3,000 years ago.
Personally, the relatively few times I have examined Sanskrit, I have found it more useful than the Pali dictionaries. It is important to be aware Buddhism became totally corrupted in India in its attempt probably under King Ashoka to convert India to Buddhism. Straightforward words such as "jati" ("social identity") were changed by the later Buddhists to mean "physical birth"; which, from a Sanskrit perspective, is ridiculous. This ridiculousness was then exported to non-Indian lands, such as Sri Lanka, Burma &amp; Thailand. The Pali dictionaries were far more superstitious than the Sanskrit I have examined. Fortunately, the Dhamma is preserved due to the excellence of the Buddha's teachings. Words are understood in their contextual use (rather than from the Pali dictionaries).