Where can I learn to speak Sanskrit outside of school?
Sanskrit संस्कृतम् is a classical language of South Asia belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages, that came into existence in South Asia after its predecessor languages diffused there from the northwest, in the late Bronze Age. Sanskrit generally connotes several Old Indo-Aryan varieties. The most archaic of these is Vedic Sanskrit found in the Rig Veda, a collection of 1,028 hymns composed between 1500 BCE and 1200 BCE by Indo-Aryan tribes migrating east from what today is Afghanistan across northern Pakistan and into northern India.
Sanskrit is the sacred language of Hinduism, the language of classical Hindu philosophy, and of historical texts of Buddhism and Jainism. Sanskrit was a link language in ancient and medieval South Asia, and spread of Hindu and Buddhist culture to Southeast Asia, East Asia and Central Asia in the early medieval era. Vedic Sanskrit interacted with the preexisting ancient languages of the subcontinent, absorbing names of newly encountered plants and animals; in addition, the ancient Dravidian languages influenced Sanskrit’s phonology and syntax. We can witness the lasting impact Sanskrit has had on the languages of South Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia, especially in their formal and learned vocabularies, owing to the significance it enjoyed as a language of religion, high culture, and of the political elites in some of these regions.
“Sanskrit” can also more narrowly refer to Classical Sanskrit, a refined and standardized grammatical form that emerged in the mid-1st millennium BCE and was codified in the most comprehensive of ancient grammars, the Aṣṭādhyāyī (“Eight chapters”) of Pāṇini. The greatest dramatist in Sanskrit Kālidāsa wrote in classical Sanskrit, and the foundations of modern arithmetic were first described in classical Sanskrit. The two major Sanskrit epics, the Mahābhārata and the Rāmāyaṇa, however, were composed in a range of oral storytelling registers called Epic Sanskrit which was used in northern India between 400 BCE and 300 CE, and roughly contemporary with classical Sanskrit. In the following centuries Sanskrit became tradition bound, stopped being learned as a first language, and ultimately stopped developing as a living language.
Its interesting to note that, the hymns of the Rigveda are notably similar to the most archaic poems of the Iranian and Greek language families, the Gathas of old Avestan and Iliad of Homer. As the Rigveda was orally transmitted by methods of memorisation of exceptional complexity, rigour and fidelity, as a single text without variant readings, its preserved archaic syntax and morphology are of vital importance in the reconstruction of the common ancestor language Proto-Indo-European. Sanskrit does not have an attested native script: from around the turn of the 1st-millennium CE, it has been written in various Brahmic scripts, and in the modern era most commonly in Devanagari.
Lets now see how one can learn the revered Sanskrit Language after school!
Sanskrit’s status, function, and place in India’s cultural heritage are recognized by its inclusion in the Constitution of India’s Eighth Schedule languages. Sanskrit is widely taught today at the secondary school level. The oldest Sanskrit college is the Benares Sanskrit College founded in 1791 during East India Company rule.Sanskrit continues to be widely used as a ceremonial and ritual language in Hindu and Buddhist hymns and chants.
The first and foremost step every Sanskrit learner must take, is to appreciate the existence of such an ancient language religiously, with heart and respect. Accept Sanskrit like any other International language. Sanskrit is neither impossible to learn and nor tough to use. The only obstacles to learning is ones own built fear bubble. Once learners are able to break it, theres no looking back!
There are two forms of Sanskrit language first called Laukik Sanskrit and second, vedic sansktit. Vedic Sanskrit is a language used in Vedas, Pratishakhya, Brahman Granth, Upnishad etc. while Laukik Sanskrit is used in Ramayana, Mahabharata, Geeta(shrimadbhagvadgeeta) etc.
If you have the privilege of learning Sanskrit in school, it is definitely a blessing, because learning it after school will only strengthen your language concepts and build your speed in learning Sanskrit.
You would also have an edge over many Sanskrit learners if you know Hindi, as Hindi is also considered by many as an ‘apbransh’ or distorted version of Sanskrit. Both languages also share similar letters of the alphabet and vocabulary, though Sanskrit has a larger vocabulary and extensive grammar.
If it’s absolutely alien to your country of origin, I wish to applaud you first, for your choice and strength of decision.
Going further I will be educating you on all your available options in either of the cases.
You could learn Sanskrit in a number of ways after school. I would be mentioning a few that you could put to use as per your convenience but the possibilities are endless!
1. Try finding free online resources that help you learn, Sankrit alphabets, grammar, pronunciation such YouTube channels teaching the language or free online classes
2. For more serious ones I recommend, finding a Sanskrit teacher in your neighbourhood to learn from. If not you could opt for an online Sankrit class.
3. Alternatively, start your search of a teacher asking around temples where you live. For example, there could be a Hindu temple within an hour of your home. Inquire with the priest or head of temple if anyone knows Sanskrit. If there is anyone versed in Sanskrit, they will most likely be intrigued by your interest and happy to give some lessons for an hourly fee or informal dakshina.
4. Enrol yourself in a Univ teaching Sanskrit, which should not be a tough job if you are in South Asia. Some notable ones are found in Nepal (Valmiki Vidhyapith) and Haridwar (Uttarkhand Sanskrit University) in India, to name a few. I have heard there is one in the midwest of the United States.
5. If you cannot go to Univ or find a teacher I recommend you start as much, by purchasing some books, like Madhav M. Deshpande’s A Sanskrit Primer. You will be able find many more Sanskrit type books written in Hindi than in English! So ensure your Devanagari is on point!
6. You could also write to the 77-year old Telugu-speaking Linguist from Hyderabad (Telangana), India, who has already successfully delivered nine batches teaching the Sanskrit language FREE OF COST through the Internet via. e-mail since last 9 years with the last one that started on 17 Jan 2020. Dr Rao has been conducting the above Sanskrit quotes course under the banner of Sri Aurobindo Foundation for Indian Culture (SAFIC) Pondicherry. The course is titled ‘Learn Sanskrit Modules’ is an e-mail based basic Sanskrit course, aimed at those aspirants who are the grass root level and want to learn and write Sanskrit language from its basics, including the Devanagari Script. The course consists of around 65 weekly module lessons and is offered through medium of English. Interested candidates are requested to send mail to Dr. Y. N. Rao, Course Director at doctorynrao@yahoo.co.in for receiving the enrollment application form for the course
7. According to him, the best practical way to learn any language is the way you learn your mother tongue, and not through a translation method that so many institutes and people follow.
8. One could also explore the 5-course specialisation, offered by Sanskrit Club at IIT Roorkee in association with Samskrita Bharati that provides a certificate after successful completion of learning. You can see a few of their lectures along with revision videos and more, on our YouTube channel. Here is the playlist of Course one Course-1 (Lecture + Practice Videos). Course material can be accessed here Daily_Study_Material!
9. Visit Samskrita Bharati website and attend their conversation camps, called Sambhashana Shibira and take up diploma course they conduct, SamskritaBharati is Best option for Spoken Sanskrit. Easy to Start by joining 10 Days course ( 2/3 hours max Per Day ) and then continue on Higher level
10. If you know Hindi, the best self learning way is to read Rachna Anuvaad Kaumudi. It’s a book that comes in 3 parts ( each part a higher level than the previous ). The rationale behind following this book is to not get misguided by the grammar modules . The format of learning is really efficient to equip you with basic conversation skills and sentence structuring within a few chapters. But you should be able to read HINDI for it. You can buy it online from the following link :
http://www.exoticindiaart.com/m/book/details/rachna-anuvad-kaumudi-NZC903/
11. Of the many resources available on the internet a free online course for beginners in Sanskrit, that has a great curriculum and encourages beginners to talk in Sanskrit, besides, teaching the basics of Sanskrit grammar is :
An acquaintance with Sanskrit: the mother of languages | ChalkStreet I think this could be a good place to start off your learning.
12. There is an ocean of books available with Anvay (phrase decomposition) and Shabdarth (word to word meaning). Select a few books which have both Sanskrit Text, Anvay and Shabdarth to aid to your learning. You could choose Gita, Mahabharat as these are good starting points to learn ancient Indian history and the text in Sanskrit, with translations available in both English and Hindi).
13. Refer to Ashtadhyayi and Sanskrit Dictionary for Spoken Sanskrit for clarifications.
14. Get an appropriate edition from Digital Library of Free Books, Movies, Music & Wayback Machine. Search with Sanskrit keywords and discover our ocean of Sanskrit literature. Select a few books that interest you and start reading Sanskrit text, it’s decomposition and meaning.
15. A good resource for Sanskrit literature is: https://archive.org/search.php?query=kadambari
16. Wikipedia will also serve as a great resource!
17. Put YouTube resources to best use. They will help you correctly understand alphabet sounds. Listen to chants on YouTube or another platform to get the pronunciation correct. You can learn spoken Sanskrit or opt to learn prayers and memorize slokas. Make sure you know the Devanagari alphabet properly, because pronouncing each letter properly is integral to the Sanskrit language. I just wish there were more:
Let's what more can you do for yourself!
18. Watch a few and then speak when you read above books. Speak as you read.
Here are a few online resources you might use:
Sanskrit Dictionary for Spoken Sanskrit
Tanvi Bharadwaj’s answer to How do I remember Sanskrit vibhakti tables?
Sanskrit (Teach Yourself) Paperback – International Edition, September 1, 1982
by Michael Coulson. Bhagavad Gita in Sanskrit original with the inner-liner translation by Winthrop Sergeant is very useful.
IITS Koeln offers you Sanskrit lexicons prepared since 1994 by the Institute of Indology and Tamil Studies, Cologne University
Sanskrit for Beginners – Dr. S. Ramaratnam
Sanskrit Dictionary for Spoken Sanskrit
http://www.acharya.gen.in:8080/sanskrit/lessons.php
Welcome | Learn Sanskrit Online
https://ubcsanskrit.ca/lesson3/sandhicharts.html
https://ubcsanskrit%28dot%29ca/lesson3/sandhicharts.html
http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rigveda/rv10048.htm
http://www.acharya.gen.in:8080/sanskrit/offline/lesson9.pdf
19. Do not skip the grammar lessons. It is impossible to learn any language without its associated grammar and underlying rules! Even if they arent catching your attention in the beginning, make a little start.
20. Read E-Newspaper Sudharma Sanskrit Daily
Sudharma Daily started with letterpress during the late 1970s’. As the printing technology got modernized. currently Sudharma printed by computerised offset printing. In order to ensure swift dissipation of news, Sudharma has established an online e-paper (2009) It was the first Sanskrit e-paper ever. This has made Sudharma much more accessible. More than 90 countries are accessing the e-paper (More than a lakh) Sudharma Daily is reaching readers.
21. Watch weekly Sanskrit Magazine, a new project from DDNews titled वार्तावली vArtAvalI, the inaugural broadcast at June 28, 2015 followed by others July 5, 2015 July 12, 2015 July 19, 2015 and keep watching the DD new episodes and news items, vaartaaH, and Sanskrit news videos.
22. News in Sanskrit and many other languages and radio stations are available on
All India Radio
AIR’s daily Sanskrit news bulletins are more than just headlines. They keep the ancient language alive. The AIR bulletin began after seven years of lobbying in Parliament, and Sanskrit was the last language to be taken up by AIR’s news service division. The AIR bulletins do more than just provide psychological comfort to those who care about Sanskrit. The people behind Akashvani’s Sanskrit news are battling to make the language relevant today. They have day jobs as Sanskrit teachers; the money they earn from a 2-hour shift at the AIR is a paltry Rs.340! But they do it all for love of Sanskrit!
23. Divyavani Sanskrit Radio by Sri Aurobindo Foundation for Indian Culture (SAFIC) now available on Tunein Radio app
http://tunein.com/radio/Divyavani-s205826/
Mobile users can download Prasar Bharati App, from iOs (Apple) or Android (Google) stores.
24. Listen to the podcast and audio archive from Sanskrit Bharati. Audios include many stories in Sanskrit as well (Balamodini children stories, short stories, vocabulary for everyday conversation, Gita class.)
25. Read some short stories that are available online (Devavanipravesika,Katha mandakini etc are good for beginners). Read the old editions of Sanskrit ‘Chandamama’ available online.
26. Try translating small sentences to Sanskrit. This is the best way to learn any language. For instance, how would you say – Ram is going/Ram will go/Ram went/Ram had gone/Ram might go/Ram will go later/Ram can go/O Ram! please go!/ Ram shouldn’t go/Ram was going/Ram will be going.
27. Learn a new word every day. Avoid being overambitious from day 1. Do not plunge into reading serious literature like Kalidasa’s, until you are a few months into learning.
28. You could also teach your kids sanskrit rhymes : download mobile app for that Stories & Rhymes in Sanskrit – Android Apps on Google Play
29 .Learn some good sayings in sanskrit : download mobile app for that Words of wisdom in Sanskrit – Android Apps on Google Play
30. Learn sanskrit by Yoga and Tinantaprakriya : Plenty of free youtube videos and they are really good vyoma-samskrta-pathasala
31. Find words for all the household articles’ names and write and paste them on them.
32. Make a list of vegetables and paste them where you store vegetables. Same way in your wardrobe. Keep reading them whenever you go there.
33. Find one or two more people who are interested in it. Start conversation minimum half hour a day.
Finally,
Sanskrit is as good as bad, as tough as easy as any other language. Having an exposure to Devanagari scripts will however ease your life.
So here’s wishing you Happy Learning!
जयतु भारतं
जयतु संस्कृतम्