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Learning Sanskrit

SalixIncendium

अग्निविलोवनन्दः
Staff member
Premium Member
Lately, I've been toying with taking on a new hobby...learning Sanskrit.

Sure, I know a few words and can recite a hymn or two, but my desire to learn is becoming more serious.

Does anyone have any good resources for learning this language, either online or in book form?
 

Jainarayan

ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय
Staff member
Premium Member
Plenty! I have a metric tonne of links I’ll post later. I just wanted to acknowledge the post. I’d also suggest versions of the Bhagavad Gita that have the transliterated Sanskrit, Devanagari, and English translations. It will help with the grammar, sandhi, and syntax. I’ll post those too.
 

SalixIncendium

अग्निविलोवनन्दः
Staff member
Premium Member
Also, anything with some audio might be helpful. Pronunciation can be challenging without hearing a word first.

Maybe Sanskrit isn't like that but English sure is. Try pronouncing epitome and hyperbole without ever hearing them. :D
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
Also, anything with some audio might be helpful. Pronunciation can be challenging without hearing a word first.

Maybe Sanskrit isn't like that but English sure is. Try pronouncing epitome and hyperbole without ever hearing them. :D
I think just listening to it, in the background is helpful for tone and cadence. Then it helps to study the transliteration really well. I'm personally lousy at it, but I try. For the chants I use regularly, there is a words with sound done by a Brahmin from Chennai. Sanskrit also varies a bit regionally.

 

Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
I learnt some Sanskrit with a small book in Hindi, about 150 pages - 'Ashtadhyayi' by Panini (Eight Chapters), standard Sanskrit learning book since 8-400 BCE (Wikipedia), and likely to continue for many more centuries. *Is there any other text book which is older than that?* I will check to see what may be available for you (in English). Note that there are many free sites which can help you to learn Sanskrit (including the pronunciation). Keep away from blood suckers. The book is available in Amazon but it is costly (by my standards). My book cost me just about 50 Rupees, less than 1 USD.

I see that a few books are available for free download at https://archive.org/search.php?query=ashtadhyayi English
 
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Jainarayan

ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय
Staff member
Premium Member
Ooh, I forgot these...

Bhagavad Gita As It Is Original by Prabhupada (confidentially, his purports can be kind of "odd", as I mentioned).

I like this one Bhagavad Gita, The Song of God – Swami Mukundananda (it has audio).

Here's a sample of what I was referring to. Sort of like a Rosetta Stone. :)

पत्रं पुष्पं फलं तोयं यो मे भक्त्या प्रयच्छति |
तदहं भक्त्युपहृतमश्नामि प्रयतात्मन: || 26||

patraṁ puṣhpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayachchhati
tadahaṁ bhaktyupahṛitam aśhnāmi prayatātmanaḥ

patram—a leaf; puṣhpam—a flower; phalam—a fruit; toyam—water; yaḥ—who; me—to Me; bhaktyā—with devotion; prayachchhati—offers; tat—that; aham—I; bhakti-upahṛitam—offered with devotion; aśhnāmi—partake; prayata-ātmanaḥ—one in pure consciousness
Translation
BG 9.26: If one offers to Me with devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or even water, I delightfully partake of that article offered with love by My devotee in pure consciousness.
 
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