With all due respect, are they historians of Sanskrit linguistics or professors of Sanskrit language? That makes a big difference.
Diglossia is very common in Indian culture and it is not far fetched to imagine Indians speaking Sanskrit and Prakrits fluently and switching them based on context.
You can find minor examples of it even today if you look at public announcements, which are done in Sanskrit inspired verbiage.
Diglossia is very common in Indian culture and it is not far fetched to imagine Indians speaking Sanskrit and Prakrits fluently and switching them based on context.
You can find minor examples of it even today if you look at public announcements, which are done in Sanskrit inspired verbiage.