The correct answer is: D. Prakrit
Prakrit is a group of Middle Indo-Aryan languages that were spoken in India from the 6th century BCE to the 12th century CE. It is the language of the Buddha’s teachings, and it was also used by the early Mahayana Buddhists.
Pali is a Prakrit language that was used to write the Theravada Buddhist scriptures. It is closely related to Sanskrit, but it is not the same language.
Brahmi is an ancient writing system that was used to write Sanskrit, Prakrit, and other languages. It is the ancestor of many modern writing systems, including Devanagari, the script used to write Hindi and Sanskrit.
Sanskrit is an ancient Indo-Aryan language that was used in India for religious and literary purposes. It is the language of the Vedas, the Hindu scriptures.
Mahayana Buddhism is a major branch of Buddhism that developed in India in the 1st century CE. It is the dominant form of Buddhism in East Asia.