What is the cost to learn the Sanskrit language?
Sanskrit is an ancient Indo-Aryan language belonging to the family of Indo-European languages. It is also the language of many religious texts in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. You may want to learn about the Vedas and Upanishads or other religious texts in its original form which is through Sanskrit or would just like to learn the language to be able to connect with your roots. There are many ways to learn this language. There are many universities in India that offer Sanskrit language courses both regular and correspondence. You may also find other online platforms where you can learn this language from a teacher. You may even find a teacher in your area. With any of these choices, there would be a cost associated. We are giving you an approximate estimation of the cost associated with different courses in Sanskrit.
Let's get to know a few details
- The Department of Sanskrit at the University of Mumbai offers many courses in Sanskrit starting from basic certificate courses to Postgraduate and doctoral courses. The course fee ranges from Rs. 2140/- to Rs. 11055/- depending on the course you join.
- Sri Venkateswara Vedic University of Tirupati offers Diploma, Undergraduate and Postgraduate courses in Vedic Sanskrit. The course fees are from Rs. 8.720/- to Rs. 12489.
- Banaras Hindu University also offers various diplomas, advanced diplomas, undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Sanskrit for which the fee is anywhere between Rs. 2000/- to Rs. 5000/-
- Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapith offers courses in Sanskrit with a starting fee of Rs. 2500/- to Rs. 6000/-
- Karnataka Sanskrit University, Bengaluru offers courses starting from a diploma which costs approximately Rs. 1500/- to doctoral courses that would cost you approximately Rs. 30000/-
Some of the courses are available on a part-time basis whereas others are a full-time regular course.
You can also choose to learn from a correspondence course offered by universities like IGNOU (Indira Gandhi National Open University) where the cost would be Rs. 8100/- for a Bachelor’s programme.
Sanskrit Bharati, a non-profit organization working with the aim for protection, development and propagation of the Sanskrit language also offers different courses in Sanskrit. The course fee is only Rs. 300/- per level which is usually from four to six months.
You can also choose to learn Sanskrit online where the fee may range anywhere from Rs. 2000/- to Rs. 5000/- or more. The fee for most online classes are based on the number of classes you take and the level of learning you are at. As you progress and move to higher levels the fee may increase. Also, the fee would differ based on whether you are learning in a one-to-one session or a group session.
Finally,
If you believe that you can learn Sanskrit on your own from the many free online Sanskrit courses available through YouTube or websites, there would still be a cost in the form of your internet charges.
If you are looking for a degree in Sanskrit, joining a recognized course is a good choice. For others, who are interested in learning Sanskrit for personal reasons, opting for an online course or to learn from a private tutor could be a good choice.
Your investment in a Sanskrit language course would be justified if you use the language and work continuously to keep improving on it.