FULL GUIDE ON HOW TO START TO LEARN SANSKRIT
त्रिविक्रमदासः🙏You definitely will not find anything like this Guide it is priceless material, For many years I've been collecting all those things. And now I share with all of you:) Keep it and share it with others. Good luck!
🥁6 MOST EFFECTIVE METHODS FOR LEARNING THE SANSKRIT LANGUAGE BY YOURSELF
Hello! So do you want to learn Sanskrit? Dive deeper into Bharatiya culture and Dharma or just learn a new language. Want to read one of the world-famous spiritual enlightening books - Bhagavad Gita or maybe Yoga Sutras or something else?
But I am busy. Can I learn Samskritam very QUICKLY and EASILY?
Yes, you can!!
How long will it take? 6 months to become familiar. 1-2 year to read comfortably and follow conversations.
How can I Do It? There are multiple approaches to it. I am going to share 6 different methods that are available to anyone across the world.
-Your schedule is tough. You learn differently. Does NOT matter…
Learn Samskritam When You Want It, Where You Want It!
You will find the right approach that will work for you.
All you need is a “hunger to learn” and as much as a possible dedication to the process.
This is going to be far, far, easier than you expect
There is a famous quote about Sanskrit
नैव क्लिष्टा न च कठिना (neither tough nor difficult)
Ok ! Show me HOW ?
I will share 6 options to get started. Works across time, energy or money challenges.
!!But you have always remembered that Satsang (association of more qualified persons experts) is very important. Even if you will start learning by yourself you should try gradually to find someone who will guide you and help you who already has gained good knowledge. Although Sanskrit is not difficult, it really needs some sacrifice and only then it will give you many priceless fruits.
📌HERE ARE THOSE 6 METHODS
1. Structured Course (long-way study courses)
2. Learning by Speaking( speaking courses where most important is listen and try to repeat)
3. Learning through Shlokas
4. Comics and stories book (there are many books with fascinating stories)
5. Additional materials: apps, web dictionaries, web manuals (there is a lot of webpages that can be really helpful)
6. Conversations in different social media chats
🚩1: Structured Course
If you prefer a structured program to know and become comfortable with Samskritam, a guided “course-like” program may be the right approach for you! This approach is actually the most popular and also has the maximum chance of success, because it has been made in such a way that you will progress step by step, from one grammatical topic to another. You will also find exercises for homework, which can show you what you have learned till this moment. You can see your progress.
Samskrita Bharati runs the most popular structured program in the world and is an excellent option. It is available in 30+ countries and accessible from anywhere in the world.
You CANNOT go wrong here!
So let`s look at what we have
This is the most precious gem! In my personal opinion, this is the most important and resultative course which has 4-levels, it provides a powerful foundation for both spoken Sanskrit and classical traditional grammar in general. After finishing it - you can go anywhere, even read Kavya, and try to read Shastric Sanskrit.
This course is the basis of everything (along with video tutorials). For a really good and firm foundation, you have to learn at least the first two levels (Vakyavyavahara,Vyavahara Pradipa – in total 3 books). And for your comfort I recommend you purchased them, the price is not so high. But to start, you can use the pdf which I uploaded. In the folder you also can find some other books that are for more advanced levels(If you have finished the previous 3 then you can easily study them).
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1luH5Zf8mUhOKZ52XtgXpfhv4cZZuhhdV?usp=share_link
🎇And you know what is really cool?
That it has been recorded with an explanation in English. In PlaylistPart 1 (प्रथमादीक्षा) – LearnSanskritbyProfNarasing it has almost all the lessons in the entire course of spoken Sanskrit books. It really helps you accelerate, and get stability, and after you can go through the course even without video.
These video lectures will be helpful if you decide to take the course on your own. All explanations Sanskrit and English).
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWjpkY4mU2RD8URCGJFG5nZQcb_PKTW8-
!!VYOMA LABS those people are making some the best materials and courses!!!
https://www.youtube.com/c/LearnSanskritOnlinevyomasamskrtapathasala
They also have a great website where you can find so many courses about every possible subject for different levels.
10 Lesson course “Getting Started with Sanskrit for Free” https://sanskritfromhome.in/course/sanskrit-beginners-course
They have also special topics like vibhakti / Kridanta etc. that are outstanding! Kudos.
🏅PANINI GRAMMAR – Laghu Siddhanta Kaumudi course
If you already have good and strong fundamental knowledge, then you definitely should try to listen to the course on Laghu Siddhanta Kaumudi from Vyoma, it explained by one of the great teacher Saumya Bhagini.
✅Believe me, I know what I m saying, I've gone through her lessons and didn`t meet anything like this. Every lesson is so informative with elaborate explanations about the topic. These lessons on Laghu Siddhanta are the best of the best. You should try it and you will see how amazing Sanskrit vyakarana is.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmozlYyYE-EQyN06EzYJlnRRjE_qSJ-wc – youtube link
But I recommend you to enroll to that course after you ve been visiting their site https://www.sanskritfromhome.org/
✔️CHITRAPUR MATH!
This organization has an amazing textbook course where everything has been explained in a really simple way, also recommend you check it!
https://chitrapurmath.net/site/activities-girvanaprathistha-lessons is their page
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1It78mOLWMfri4m9YdOjmdO5bRaGEmPPJ?usp=share_link - here is separate lessons and full book
✔️ARSHAVINASH FOUNDATION
It is so amazingly precise textbook. With an elaborate explanation of the traditional approach to Sanskrit grammar in English. I must say it could be difficult to start from this textbook, but to receive a better understanding of what is traditional grammar you must go through this textbook.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zuZ9iD83HMYHc09gPuVpTySMRX99KDwz?usp=share_link
And for those brave souls who are not scared to take an effort and study Panini there is a guide for entering in the world of a Panini through Laghu Siddhanta kaumudi).
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/19Htv4BYJPrjDoRlluE-KATpYmLWHUGni?usp=share_link
https://worldsanskrit.net/wiki/Main_Page - Good way to start Panini Grammar
🌐THERE IS ALSO A VERY POPULAR COURSE FROM SANSKRITA BHARATI
Check out the Samskrita Bharati website
https://samskritabharati.in/correspondence
https://samskritabharatiusa.org/index.php
Samskrita Bharati has 4 course levels, with optional exams and certifications. Each course takes 6 months to complete and comes with (a) Text Book with a lesson plan (b) YouTube videos for each lesson (c) Optional live Webinars for answering doubts.
The levels are (a) PraveshaH (b) ParichayaH (c) Shiksha and (d) Kovida. In 2 years you can complete the entire course. By the end of year 1 you will be able to read, write and understand spoken Samskritam. By year 2 you will be speaking….
Some of you may be starting to read Ramayana and Bhagavad Gita. All of you hopefully will be tweeting in Samskritam.
Samskrita Bharati Distance Learning Program is very effective for those who learn best within a structured program.
The exams are optional if you want to check progress. The lessons are well-designed and interesting. This program is an excellent and smooth way to get started. The fees are also quite nominal
THUMBS UP....
There are nearly 400 videos that cover all the 4 courses.
Click links for the BEGINNER’S course (PraveshaH) and SUBSCRIBE to the YouTube channel.
ENGLISH medium: https://youtu.be/cVN6u2Qe-Ws
Many others are doing great work in introducing Samskritam to beginners.
🚩2: LEARNING BY SPEAKING
Kids learn a language by speaking – so can you!
✅‼️That is really the most important and useful video course for self-learning of spoken Sanskrit from Sanskrit Sansthan.
It has 120+ videos that teach you by an easy “action method” and help you move from speaking simply to complex Samskritam sentences.
-You can download all lessons by this link -
http://www.sanskrit.nic.in/sanskrit_language_teaching.php?fbclid=IwAR0DGYVx9vQUy6fmKEzDS5T_g9ySmcm098_OWj8FfX2q08NjOR89n7HVmwc
You can also watch online but only 40 from 120 - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgp0aDWIOdvJ5ZgxFwQRJxddDWTexoBtt
⚠️There is pdf materials for the first 22 lessons of that course Sanskrit First 22 lessons were transcribed out of 120.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1neWqWRZ0v3L3ZifzKy44B1RBD_T0H39t/view?usp=share_link – With English explanation
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1II61Ex5GZWeP8-6M_trEfmR2iKU2pIRl/view?usp=share_link - just Sanskrit transribtion
Speaking method has many advantages – a natural learning style that is NOT via learning grammar first. You glide in smoothly and start understanding its rhythms and nuances. This is very effective and many people swear by this– you may soon be one of them!
▶️ I also recommend some other video courses for conversational Sanskrit with explanations in English
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbRMhDVUMngfYG2GVf2bQnIgsI0Y923g3 (Conversation course in English)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8hlzSD3smGgf8BA3XcWMUlgB1tsoYyD- (Spoken Sanskrit basic, in English and sanskrit).
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🎯I also highly recommend the following channels, there are lessons of different levels starting from the simplest things. Lessons are short in simple Sanskrit. They are very good in that you, when analyzing grammatical topics, accept listening to their discussions in Sanskrit, and often there are words accompanied by an English translation.
https://www.youtube.com/@SamskritPromotion/playlists
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTygkA7RQBQ2pOhVnQnI2KczgIiPEvfZx
🔊Listening to Samskrit lectures is the best way to build your vocabulary
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3E0809BFF44BF8E3 (my personal playlist which contains video lectures in Sanskrit on very various topics, this is really a unique selection that I have been collecting for 7 years now). You will find there a lot of unique materials for different levels.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_a1TI5CC9RFBsReUwg-U_nZi0rI8J0ne - There is 500 lectures about Vedic traditional branch of knowledge everything in Sanskrit, not for beginners.
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🚩3: LEARN THROUGH SHLOKAS
If your primary motive is to learn the scriptures/Dharma, then this may be right for you. Bonus-you learn Samskritam also while diving deep into Bhagavad Gita or the Ramayana!
Check if this is the right way for you….
-Learning via Bhagavad Gita: Series of Structured YouTube Videos : https://youtu.be/V0nP2tI1s2A
-Learning via Ramayana: Self Learning with English translation https://valmiki.iitk.ac.in
The Gita series is explicitly designed to do both - teach Gita and Samskritam.
🥇ADVANCED LEVEL lectures
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHAJ9bhNvnofyDjoJ76NJDr85L4ugxaHe (34 lessons on Ramayana with detailed and selective analysis, very interesting. But I recommend watching it to those who already have a good base, at least after 120 conversational lessons).
Champu Ramayanam 43 lessons with very deep grammatical analysis in sanskrit only https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmozlYyYE-ESXMNWR6R8Vs4w634k-FAac
Explanation of many famous Sanskrit prayers https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTWf5ZhGT362fJpEnNHNAmIAM_qRwJJv0
Yadava abhyuadaya poem of Vedanta Desikas https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTWf5ZhGT3612e8MB6zwIkGAdsWu2tquH
Raghu vamsam 1st sarga https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTWf5ZhGT36322JDv8Qn7XvEX8fe9ZPEy
And many many other interesting lectures you also can find here https://www.youtube.com/@TrivikramDAS-samskrtapremi/playlists?view=52&sort=dd&shelf_id=0
While many people may have nightmares about learning a language from school textbooks, this can still be an effective and free method if you are up to it!
🚩4: COMICS AND STORIES !
I have saved the best for the last! If you read comics during maths class, this is for you. Read Chandamama comics and learn Samskritam.
Now you really have NO EXCUSE to NOT Start learning Samskritam :-)
link https://archive.org/details/Chandamama_Sanskrit_1984/page/n0
Some of the really nice storybooks in simple Sanskrit. I recommend you print them and try daily read at least a few sentences and try to translate them.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/19esOyytnoA5Y6RYhTftQXjg6K-nNRd_b?usp=share_link
There is also audio-recorded stories. You can find a lot of audio stories here
https://archive.org/details/sugandhaH https://archive.org/details/kathaa70
As you can see, no matter where you are located, whatever your style of learning, there is a method that works for you.
The most popular ones are the structured courses. Learning by Speaking and Learning via Shlokas are also very popular and effective
Samskrita Bharati is by far the most widespread organization while there are many others that provide excellent options based on learning styles.
Learn Samskritam reading through simple stories
https://en.amarahasa.com/
https://sanskrit.today/category/read/stories/
https://sanskrit.today/category/read/haasyam/
https://chitrapurmath.net/site/kathatarangini
Thumbs up
Check it out!
Pick one that works for you!
Another good Resource to learn
http://sanskrit.today/sanskrit-beginners-online-sanskrit-classes/
In 6 months you will be reading and writing Samskritam fluently.
Next year this time, you will be speaking Samskritam and tweeting
🚩5. ADDITION MATERIALS: APPS, WEB DICTIONARIES, WEB MANUALS ETC.
Applications for mobile
https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=Srujan%20Jha&hl=hi&fbclid=IwAR2kU-b7-Eq5WskPvPWbdYCfwZ3AMQ_iOO8l6E_XXJJrU3NPLgi3HGy_Bjs
(For advanced students)
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sparshapps.sanskrit
(General reference for noun forms. It's easy to understand everything in almost English)
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.learnsanskrit
(General reference)
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mamillasoft.vipra_sanskrit (simulator for memorizing noun forms)
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mamillasoft.vipra_sanskrit_quiz (another noun trainer)
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=kovalsky.SanKoshaPro
(The best dictionary, though paid)
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mamillasoft.krdanta_sikshika (kridant memorization trainer)
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.labs.aeiun.sanskritDhatu360 (very handy app for finding verb forms and roots in English)
There are many eLearning apps for Samskritam. Many are either stand-alone apps or 1-1 tutoring services. Others can be combined with app and tutoring. The pricing varies by the level of service and hourly rate of tutors
LanguageCurry App by Language Curry is a very good start, and it is free.
https://www.languagecurry.com/
Example: App on Baasha platform by Samskrita Bharati Kerala on Google Play or iTunes
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.baashaa.samskritabharati.app&hl=en_US
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/samskrita-bharati-kerala/id1436270382
Example: Flash Card App
https://memrise.com/course/161814/sanskrit-for-beginners/
Both of the above Apps have design features similar to the popular Duolingo. While I am not a big fan of the memorizing approach, this may work well for others - at least in practicing the grammar!
Example: App as well as an eLearning program PLUS private TUTORS who will work with you.
Check out if these are better for you https://openpathshala.com or https://apnacourse.com/course/sanskrit-for-beginners
Online\offline dictionaries
https://www.learnsanskrit.cc/
(the most inaccurate dictionary, but the easiest to use can be used even by beginners. the only plus is easy to search, and there is a lot of modern vocabulary)
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https://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/scans/MWScan/2020/web/webtc1/index.php
(Although a classic, it's still not the best option and not the easiest for beginners)
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https://andhrabharati.com/dictionary/sanskrit/
!!(One of the best options! Several dictionaries (covers) are available at once. Not so difficult to use)
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https://kosha.sanskrit.today/ (Very good interesting option!)
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https://www.sanskritdictionary.com/ (Very curious dictionary, gives out a lot of everything)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mq8TPMt01pky7Ab3D7S4NYTKFOqIa3Xh/view?usp=sharing
(Off-line SanDic Dictionary)
References\manuals
⚠️ONLINE REFERENCE BOOKS FOR FINDING GRAMMATICAL FORMS
http://littleredbook.vedicsociety.org.in/verbs-1/class-8-u-class-active-endings-kr
(the simplest option, everything is in Latin script, only the most basic forms)
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https://sanskritdocuments.org/learning_tools/subantaruupaNi.html#Word%20Index
!!(One of the coolest tools for finding noun forms. The most complete set of forms. But for those who read Devanagari well).
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http://sanskritabhyas.in/
*(very cool tool. One of my favorites, but everything is in Devanagari. There is a choice of nouns, verbs, kridant and taddhita,NiC,Yan,San almost everything)
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http://tdil-dc.in/san/skt_gen/generators.html (very similar in design to the previous one, but a different interface. All in Devanagari)
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http://sanskrit.uohyd.ac.in/scl/#
* (A very powerful tool for finding various nominal and verb forms. Not for beginners at all).
🎯THIS IS the number one tool FOR EVERY SERIOUS SANSKRIT STUDENT! https://ashtadhyayi.com/*
(Classic dhatu-patha with convenient search and output of verb forms. And now a lot of things are constantly added there. Not for beginners at all)
http://sanskrit.segal.net.br/en/index
(I didn't use much. But it seems to work for sure. everything is in Latin)
https://sanskrit.inria.fr/DICO/grammar.en.html
(also in Latin, rarely used, but maybe it will suit someone)
https://ubcsanskrit.ca/index.html#lesson3
https://learnsanskrit.org/grammar/
(Nice and understandable grammar manual)
https://sellessons.wordpress.com/prelim1/lesson-1/ Not bad
http://amara.aupasana.com/
(Amara-kosha and Dhatu-rupawali) Not for beginners, but still an important tool.
http://gretil.sub.uni-goettingen.de/gretil/1_sanskr/6_sastra/2_lex/amark1hu.htm in latin letters
https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%86%E0%A4%96%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%9A%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE (Akhyata Chandrika special dictionarie of verb synonymous)
✅MANUAL ABOUT SANSKRIT GRAMMAR
Samskrta Sahakarin - this one is also so good you definitely must have it. It only has 70 pages!!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QUpKYslr0KC8p5iyIoFXuF4kPWOGr_ti/view?usp=share_link
Nice clear and short manual from NCERT (9-10 class)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Z0T9F2eJy9b1O3N7zIrT0kiFl5HBo_5L/view?usp=share_link
Flesh cards to learn words
https://chitrapurmath.net/site/activities-girvanaprathistha-cards
(Many word cards for beginners which help you to memorize basic words divided by different topics)
💹To expand vocabulary. Folders where there are pictures with words on different topics, I highly recommend - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1gfZBdiCIkduxUnhCQM_zFI7cn5Raf0H-?usp=sharing
But before you will start to learn Sanskrit grammar you need to understand Devanagari script
Devanagari script
https://ubcsanskrit.ca/lesson1/devan%C4%81gar%C4%AB.html (Sound)
https://ubcsanskrit.ca/lesson2/writingtutor.html (character writing)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQXGlrG1OGk (how to write by hand)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rht4QDaFcE4&t=2475s (theory and pronunciation fragment)
Online tools for writing in different encodings
https://www.lexilogos.com/keyboard/sanskrit_devanagari.htm?fbclid=IwAR0PEMxSeVLwBvRIuDZte7rQEWAbHkWNGo1EQT3QrrHMghsBnoAFOisly84
https://shreevatsa.appspot.com/sanskrit/transliterate.html
https://scriptoq.com/tools/diCrunch/index.php
Tools for identification of chandas
https://www.skrutable.info/
http://sanskritmetres.appspot.com/
http://prakrit.info/meter/index.html#meters – manual about Sanskrit poetry with examples
http://prakrit.info/vrddhi/meter/
🚩6. SOCIAL MEDIA RESOURCES
Ok so usually we spend a lot of time in vain while sitting in social media, BUT you can also use them for Sanskrit study, I mean here conversations with other Sanskrit students like you, and of course it also means learning from scholars real live language by taking the discussion in chats or groups, or at least silently observe their communication in Sanskrit, until you find the bravery to try writing something yourself.
So I definitely recommend you this Wahtsupp chat I ve been taking part in for the last 3-4 years. There are great learned people there, they are very polite and try help to anyone who has any questions who is really eager to learn something new every day.
https://chat.whatsapp.com/EDrUhWrunbZFhRz1ImcNyV
-The guys do a really nice job for Sanskrit propagation in this telegram chat. Almost every day they have a mutual conversation where even completely new people try to say something in Sanskrit.
https://t.me/SanskritStudent
Another similar chat is https://t.me/samskrt_samvadah
And last it is my personal group where I try to share something interesting that motivates me. And you are free to ask anything about Sanskrit here. https://t.me/spokensanskrit_ru
So what are you waiting for?
वदतु संस्कृतम् । जयतु संस्कृतम्
https://telegra.ph/FULL-GUIDE-ON-HOW-START-TO-LEARN-SANSKRIT-04-05