Introduction:

Sanskrit is a classical language of South Asia belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late Bronze Age. Sanskrit is the sacred language of Hinduism, the language of classical Hindu philosophy, and of historical texts of Buddhism and Jainism. It was a link language in ancient and medieval South Asia, and upon transmission of Hindu and Buddhist culture to Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Central Asia in the early medieval era, it became a language of religion and high culture, and of the political elites in some of these regions. As a result, Sanskrit had a lasting impact on the languages of South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia, especially in their formal and learned vocabularies.  There are many good ways to learn the Sanskrit language, for example, we can classify the learning methods into two types, that is, offline and online. The categories that fall under the offline is where you go physically and join the classes, all the interaction whether with a teacher or other students will be face to face, for example, classroom teaching. The online mode of learning is where we learn through the website, application or online classes. There are individual and group classes in online classes provided by institutes and educational websites.

There are many online websites that provide online languages classes. Here are some names below:

1. Multibhashi

The Bangalore-based educational platforms offer a wide range of language learning opportunities at your convenience where all are where the choice is yours. The platform is exclusively online. You can get a classroom-like atmosphere from here with lively interaction from the language expert and your classmates. The classes are of two types, Group webinar class and to one class. The duration of the courses is 30 min per class. The minimum number of classes that you can take is 30 classes. It can be increased according to your preference.  You can take the group class provided by Multibhashi or, if you prefer learning alone then you can take one class also. The fee structure of both classes is different. The timings of the classes are also flexible and is up to you to decide. Plus point here in Multibhashi is that you can take a free demo class before deciding where to join.The result will be satisfactory! 

2. Learnsanskrit.org

The learning website, learnsanskrit.org, aims to help students read “real” Sanskrit as quickly as possible. The lessons on the website focus on the commonly used parts of the Sanskrit grammar, with correct grammar patterns, word formation, the system of compounds, the appropriate ways to use participles, noun stems, etc. It aims to simplify the learning process without not breaking the complexity of the language. Learnsanskrit.org has courses that are suitable for beginners, and the lessons are easy to pick up for every learner. And on top of this, the lessons are all free.

3. Learn Sanskrit Online

Learn Sanskrit Online was founded by Vidyadhar Bhat, who is a Sanskrit scholar and a teacher who taught Sanskrit for several years in schools and traditional “Gurukula”. Learn Sanskrit Online is managed by a growing team, with the aim of continuous development of the existing website to teach learners using the most convenient ways. The website continuously releases new lessons and improves the platform. You can either opt. For the available lessons and study yourself or if you want intensive study with a teacher that the one on one skype session is also available. However, the one-on-one session on skype is a paid one. The lessons are suitable for beginners up to advanced learners. To make the most out of it, first, try the free lessons offered on the platform. Once you’ve finished them all, then it’s time to try the online classes to enhance your knowledge about Sanskrit grammar. 

4. Open Pathshala

Keeping the motto of “your best source to learn Sanskrit,” Open Pathshala is an e-learning platform for learning Sanskrit, Hindi, English, and other regional languages across India. The platform is popular in India for having high quality and online video tutorials, one-on-one Skype classes, and live group sessions. Aside from having language classes and video tutorials, the website also offers courses for learning the Indian culture.

5. The Sanskrit Language – Guided Sanskrit Lessons

This website has a complete summary of each lesson of the book, answers to the exercises, as well as additional notes and tips. The most effective way to study side-by-side is to first read the lesson in the book and then read the lesson on the website.

6. ApnaCourse.com: Sanskrit for Beginners

ApnaCourse.com is a leading e-learning platform that provides on-demand online courses taught by top instructors. Among the languages taught on the platform is Sanskrit for Beginners. It offers a complete package of learning Sanskrit. It covers Alphabets, Pronunciation, Grammar, Sentence formation, Conversations, and all the basic lessons needed for beginners. This course is recommended for everyone — students or professionals.

7. Sanskrit.nic

Central Sanskrit University has its own online Sanskrit learning course. The lessons are completely free. There are several lessons which are from the basics to the advanced stage. The lessons are uploaded on youtube. You can access these from their website. You can easily learn at your own pace with the help of this website. Moreover, the course is taught by eminent scholars of Sanskrit. You may find the videos old. However, you will surely learn a lot as all the videos are quite informative.

8. Sanskritfromhome. in

If you are a student of Sanskrit and looking for some extra guidance, then go for this online Sanskrit learning resource. They have 191 unique courses and several webinars as well. You can participate in these webinars if you wish to learn more about the language. They teach various Sanskrit literature through pre-recorded Audio and Videos. These are available in various languages. You can select the one according to your choice of language. They also offer certificate courses which you may enroll in. The complete Sanskrit course is divided into three levels – Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. You can also get several Sanskrit study materials according to the various Sanskrit examination boards.