How has the Sanskrit language spread?

How has the Sanskrit language spread? Sanskrit or संस्कृतम्, saṃskṛtam, a classical language of South Asia, that connotes several Old Indo-Aryan varieties, is a sacred language of Hinduism, the language of classical Hindu philosophy, and language of historical texts of Buddhism and Jainism.  “Sanskrit” can also more narrowly refer to Classical Sanskrit, a refined and…