Faculty: Sri Chandrasekar Raghu

Introducing DevanAgarii

Course Description: 

There is a great joy associated with mastering a new language, regardless of what that language is. Every new word acquired gives rise to a new sense of accomplishment. For example, the joy of learning the Sanskrit language is multi-fold, because it provides direct access to the master-key of the living Hindu Civilization, to the texts and narratives of its rich traditions of dharma, yoga, jnana, art, music, dance, song, and the various cultural and spiritual traditions. 

This course will enable students to access the vast corpus of Sanskrit and Hindi Texts directly and is a foundational course for students of all ages and backgrounds from Middle School onwards. 

It is a stand-alone course offered by the Hindu University of America, having 15 hours of instruction in English over a 10-week period (one quarter at the HUA). It is targeted at all students who are real beginners of Sanskrit, Hindi, or one of the other languages of India that use DevanAgarii script. The focus is on learning the alphabets and combination letters in the two most popular and important languages of India, Sanskrit and Hindi.

There will be two homework assignments and no quarter-end-exam for this course. On completion, students will get 1.5 credits. More importantly, they will be ready to delve into a deeper study of either of these great languages that inform and enliven a civilization and culture, its wisdom and worldview, its philosophy and spirituality, through the other Certificate Programs offered by the HUA.

Course Contents:

1. Study and use of the DevanAgari script, 
2. Origin of the sounds, Pronunciations of Vowels and Consonants
3. Combination letters as applicable to Hindi and Sanskrit.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the origin of various sounds in DevanAgarii.
2. Pronounce and write the alphabets that are single letters, both vowels, and consonants.
3. Pronounce and write combination letters.
4. Get personal coaching in pronouncing a few basic words in Hindi and Sanskrit.

At the completion of this course, students will have the option to take up further advanced studies in Sanskrit through: 

(a) the Certificate Program in Sanskrit Proficiency (CPSP), or

(b) the Certificate Program in Shuddh (Pristine) Hindi (CPSH), or

(c) Any other Certificate Program to be offered by the HUA in future in many Indic languages that use the DevanAgarii script.

Area of Study: Language Studies

Program of Study: Any program at the HUA that requires use of the DevanAgarii script

Books:

A specially authored set of 2 books for writing exercises will be used during the course.

Copies can be bought directly by the students from Amazon – 

1. Sanskrit Alphabet (Devanagari) Study Book Volume 1

2. Sanskrit Alphabet (Devanagari) Study Book Volume 2

Required / Elective: Required for anyone pursuing CPSP, CPSH 

Prerequisites: None

Faculty / Instructor: Sri Chandrasekar Raghu

Start Date: April 13, 2023

End Date: June 22 , 2023

Day: Thursdays

Time: 8:00 pm EST – 9:30 pm EST

Quarter Offered: Spring 2023