Course Content

In this course, students will study the Devanāgarī script, origin of the sounds, pronunciations of vowels, consonants, combination letters and conjunct letters. They will learn the Saṃskṛtam numerals. They will learn to combine letters to form words, and practice writing, and reading with correct pronunciation. They will learn to create varnamala (split words into basic syllables) and, given the syllables, be able to form words. This course is where the students get acquainted with the building blocks of Saṃskṛtam language, and it will prepare them for their Saṃskṛtam learning.

About Sanskrit language:

The word Sanskrit or ‘saṃs-kṛta’ means ‘completely – made’ and it signifies the Sanskrit language as one that is complete in terms of being able to convey precise and unambiguous contextual meaning.  Rooted in a well understood etymology, the Sanskrit language provides a framework for communicating thought with deep meaning and simplicity. Because of its inherent perfect architecture, Sanskrit has remained largely unchanged over the centuries.

About Sanskrit words:

Sanskrit words are formed with various combinations of vowels and consonants, together called akśarāṇi, based on a finite set of rules. Importantly, the sound of each akśaram (syllable) is based on a particular placement combination of the tongue, back side of the mouth, lips and the out breath. Sanskrit words and the resulting Sanskrit language were originally used in spoken form.