Learning Sanskrit

[satay]

Does anyone know of a good book/software/site or another way of learning sanskrit?
I have noticed some software on the net but not sure if that will do the job.

I should've stuck with my sanskrit class in grade 8! dang it!!

[Namo Narayana]

Does anyone know of a good book/software/site or another way of learning sanskrit?
I have noticed some software on the net but not sure if that will do the job.

I should've stuck with my sanskrit class in grade 8! dang it!!

i think eternal law or pankaja posted in dharma related websites.

[Singhi Kaya]

I should've stuck with my sanskrit class in grade 8! dang it!! ditto....:(

[Singhi Kaya]

http://wannalearn.com/Academic_Subjects/World_Languages/Sanskrit/
http://acharya.iitm.ac.in/sanskrit/tutor.html

Not sure they will help -- I have some prelim books. books are better.

[satay]

I am just curious how sarabhanga learnt it so well!

[Namo Narayana]

satay, i have learnt little hindi. i read sanskrit daily shlokas in tirumala.org site. i am able to read it but not understand the meaning. Did you mean the same ? being a north indian, I am sure you would read quite a few aksharas

[satay]

yes, I am from the North and as such am fluent in Hindi and Punjabi. I took sanskrit in grade 7 and 8 so I know some basic rules like if there is a dot on the top of the end letter of a word it means 'm' sound at the end etc. but of course this was 20 years ago and have forgotten all grammer rules and such.

I feel that there are hundreds if not thousands of people in the same boat as I am in. We want to learn about our tradition but don't know the original language. I talked to a friend whose father is fluent in sanskrit and we thought that it would be neat to come up with a piece of software that taught sanskrit to people like me but ofcourse, like anything else with hindus...this idea never took off and we just blamed it on our karma.:D

[ramkish42]

1. Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan has some good courses on Sanskrit

2. I had taken a vow that when ever I buy books with sanskrit texts, I will buy it only if it has word by word meanings furnished

The second system works out very well, for that fact, I have now 7 different versions on Bhagavat Gita and I know where exactly philosophies varies with their approach

[sarabhanga]

Namaste Satay,

I have already provided a link to Omkarananda Ashram's Sanskrit page (http://www.omkarananda-ashram.org/Sanskrit/Itranslt.html), in the Links thread. And if you follow the various links on that page you will find very much useful instruction in Sanskrit.

One site in particular is very helpful: http://www.sanskrit-sanscrito.com.ar/

[satay]

Namaste Satay,

I have already provided a link to Omkarananda Ashram's Sanskrit page (http://www.omkarananda-ashram.org/Sanskrit/Itranslt.html), in the Links thread. And if you follow the various links on that page you will find very much useful instruction in Sanskrit.

One site in particular is very helpful: http://www.sanskrit-sanscrito.com.ar/

ah yes, thank you sire...

[saidevo]

This news item should motivate us (including me) to concretize and expedite our Sanskrit learning efforts:



A new shastra: Sanskrit moves from pundits to people

A growing number of professionals like doctors and lawyers, students and even housewives across the country are rediscovering the magic of Sanskrit. And they are doing it not for any degree, but for the love of the language.

The latest report of the country’s apex body for Sanskrit learning under the HRD ministry — the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan — says that between 2004 and 2006, over 2.5 lakh people learnt Sanskrit through its “non-formal course”. Among them are 500 doctors, as many lawyers, 4,000 businessmen, 8,000 housewives and 20,000 retired professionals.

The trend is not region- or religion-specific. Recently, 32 Muslim youths approached the head of Kashmir University’s Sanskrit department, S Razdan, requesting her to help them learn the language. Surprised, Razdan wrote to the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan’s Jammu coordinator, Prof. Vishwamurthy Shastri.

The Sansthan started the course in 2004 with 5,000 students at 100 centres. Today, there are over 1,000 centres. “It is remarkable that none who enroll do so for a degree, but for the love of the language. Remember it’s a non-formal course,” said Ratan Mohan Jha, the Sansthan’s national coordinator.

There are some who are interested in the 4,000-year-old language to pursue their interests. Dr Atulananda Ramteke, who runs an orthopaedic clinic in Shalimar Bagh, said: “Ancient Sushruta medicine always attracted me. That is why I opted for the course.” Sushruta, he said, was a renowned surgeon of the Vedic era.

BS Lata, a teacher, wanted to read the epics: “The non-formal course is just right for me.” She attends classes at Samwadshala, one of the 10 centres in Delhi.

Prof. Shastri said over phone from Jammu that students like MF Beigh wished to learn Sanskrit after learning about NASA consultant Rick Briggs’s study, which had found that Sanskrit sharpened mental faculties.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/Print.aspx?Id=ca84e3d7-b7da-4bce-a408-f7f85b397fca
© Copyright 2007 Hindustan Times

[Nachiketa]

Namaste all,

I have just finished a two day weekend introductory course in spoken Sanskrit conducted by Samskrita Bharati in New York and my God what yeoman service these volunteers are involved in !

My sincere advice; theirs is the natural way to learn Sanskrit ie., first learn to speak the basics and with effort everything will fall in place( just the way we learn to speak our mother tongue). Websites and books can only help so much.

It is the same organisation that was instrumental in teaching two whole villages in Karnataka to only converse in Sanskrit everybody from the cobbler to the landlord included.

Interested persons can visit their website where they have details regarding the upcoming workshops (which could be near you !! in India or otherwise).

hope this helps http://www.speaksanskrit.org/index.shtml
Good luck
Pranams