Indian classical thought is characterized by a strong ambivalence towards language. On the one hand language is allocated an important role in the creation and maintenance of the world, and is pivotal for both religious and aesthetic existence. On the other hand, liberation (Moksha) which is ineffable, is often viewed as a release from the bonds of language. We will examine the ways in which Indian thinkers have understood and managed the tension between language and liberation, and the desire to speak about what cannot be conveyed in words.