Introduction
Sanskrit is a South Asian classical language that belongs to the Indo-Aryan group of the Indo-European languages and emerged in the late Bronze Age after its ancestor languages were disseminated from the northwest. Sanskrit refers to several Old Indo-Aryan dialects. The Rig Veda, a compilation of 1,028 hymns produced between 1500 BCE and 1200 BCE by Indo-Aryan groups moving east from what is now Afghanistan to northern Pakistan and into northern India, is the most archaic of them.
Sanskrit is considered to be one of the world’s oldest languages. If you give forth the effort, you will succeed. The language is spoken across India and is one of the country’s 22 official languages. Learning Sanskrit is critical if you wish to comprehend Hindustani. It may also be beneficial to comprehend old Sanskrit writings, shlokas, and other terminology in context.
For any Sanskrit learner, the first and most vital step is to sincerely honour and cherish the life of such an ancient dialect. Accept Sanskrit with the same reverence you would your native tongue. Sanskrit is not a difficult language to learn or to use. The only thing that prevents one from learning is their fear bubble. When pupils are ready to crack it, there is no turning back!
Just keep an eye on it. When others feel like you truly “understand” them, you can be the most effective communicator on the globe, whether in your personal or professional life.
The first step toward becoming a good communicator is to listen. Here are some very simple techniques for improving your Sanskrit listening skills.
Ways to improve your Sanskrit listening skills
1. Be Present and Notice:
Practicing being present and listening to a friend or loved one three times a week is a good habit to get into any language. You’re not learning to agree or disagree; instead, you’re learning to listen. Keep in mind what you’ll be able to do with this. You’ll gain confidence in that language as you practise more. Here are two definitions of the term “to listen” from the dictionary: To pay attention to anything, such as a sound or someone’s words.
2. Work with Your Fear
Work with fear, which you can sense. It may be that you will notice loneliness, sorrow, or rage, or discover a part of you who desires to fix problems or listen to someone that you may find judgement growing in you. Work to unlock these qualities and simply move back to listening today. Consider listening to yourself as a muscle to make yourself clearer.
3. Concentration is the key
Get rid of all distractions and concentrate. In a quiet, unpacked room, put your phone into another room and digest your word. Choose audio by level and slow the pace if necessary. Try not to jump to complicated topics over-ambitious.
Three times a week, listen to the same Sanskrit audio recordings.
Begin by searching for fascinating or entertaining Sanskrit audios and selecting one episode at a time. Listen to the episode for a week when driving, riding the bus, doing the dishes, or doing anything else. Look up any words or phrases you don’t understand on the first and second days. Try to press “pause” and then “resume” you’re listening.
One of the most significant indicators of improved listening is the ability to identify words while listening. Rather than just listening to words, this will result in a greater understanding.
4. Listen to yourself
Whether you’re talking to yourself in the mirror or your head, you’re already listening to yourself. Using your native language can help you enhance your Sanskrit listening skills.
It’s a great approach to develop your listening skills to hear your voice. You’re familiar with the sound of Sanskrit if you’ve been listening to it for a time. You’ve undoubtedly learned several terms that you can use in your hypothetical talks, and you can always contact a native speaker for help pronouncing a word you don’t know in Sanskrit.
5. Listen to the natives
Listening to a native Sanskrit speaker will help you understand the accent and how to pronounce each word. Alternatively, make friends with others who are interested in learning Sanskrit. Let go of your nervousness, make friends with other students, and communicate with them. This will help you enhance not only your listening but also your speaking skills. Only when you hear correctly will you be able to reply appropriately. You’ll need to speak with someone who is not only fluent in Sanskrit but also patient and, ideally, intriguing.
There isn’t a quick therapy for poor listening abilities. There is no magic solution for acquiring a language or any other ability. It takes time and a lot of focused listening to improve your listening abilities, but if you work at it correctly, you may make big changes much faster than you might imagine.
Several other factors deal with Sanskrit listening skills, but acquiring these basic tips will enhance your knowledge to adopt other ways of listening. By that time, you also have an option for online learning from Multibhashi in which you will get to know other factual aspects of Sanskrit and definitely will be a great listener in communicating with Sanskrit.