DISCOVER SANSKRIT

ILLUMINATING, SUSTAINING

Course Outline

Alphabets, Pronunciation & Writing

Combination

Simple Conversations

Simple Stories Nouns

Nouns

Indeclinables

Verbs & Tenses

Person & Number

Simple Sentences

Nouns & Cases

Prefixes

Suffixes

Voice

Scriptures

Knowledge of (sasktam) is the key to the ancient religious and secular literature of India, as well as to the Indian system of medicine, mathematics, civil engineering, architecture, sculpture in short, anything of value in traditional Indian branches of learning. For a student of Vednta, the study of this classical language is a way to sharpen the mind and prepare it to delve into the scriptures and the expositions on them.

(sasktam) is derived from the past participle of the root , to do, with the prefix , well. The word thus means that which is well done. The uniqueness of the language is that it uses

2200 verbal roots (), to generate an entire vocabulary of millions of words. The words are

formed from these roots by the addition of prefixes

and suffixes (affixes ) according to well-defined rules. is phonetically precise, that is, every sound is represented by a unique symbol.

When two sounds come together in , they combine with one another according to welldefined

set of rules called euphonic combination, or rules. is a phonetically precise language. Each sound is precisely defined in terms of the point

where the sound is articulated, and the type of effort

needed to pronounce the letter.

http://www.arshavidyacenter.org/sanskrit101x.html

Kumud Singhal : ksinghal@ieee.org

sarasvati namastubhya varade kmarpii,

vidyrambha kariymi siddhirbhavatu me sad Salutation to you O Goddess Sarasvati, who is giver of boons, and who has a beautiful

form! I begin my studies. Let there be success for me always.

Segment 1 .1

The Sanskrit Alphabet (in phonetic order, with pronunciation)

Simple Vowals

Consonants (An (a) is added to each consonant to faciltate the

pronounciation).

Short

Long

Hard

non-

aspirate

Hard

aspirate

Soft

non-

aspirate

Soft

aspirate

Soft

Nasals

Semi-

vowels

Sibilants

Guttural

kahya

a

but

calm

ka

skate

kha

blockhead

ga

gate

gha

loghut

a sing

ha

hum

Palatal

tlavya

i

it

beat

ca

chunk

cha

catch him

ja

john

jha

hedgehog

a

bunch

ya

young

a show

Crebral

mrdhanya

rthytm

arrhythmia

a true

ha markethhall

a drum

ha godhead

a under

ra

drama

a bushel

Dental

dantya

-

revelry

ta

top

tha

anthill

da

dart

dha

sandhill

na

numb

la

luck

sa

so

Labial

ohya

u

put

pool

pa

spin

pha

loophole

ba

b in

bha

abhor

ma

much

va

while

Compound

Vowels

(Diphthongs)

e

play

ai

high

o

toe

au

loud

Special Characters

a anusvra

a visarga

Vowel Signs

Vowels Vowel Sign Vowel with Vowels Vowel Sign Vowel with

(a) (pa) () (p)

() (p) () (p)

(i) (pi) (e) (pe)

() (p) (ai) (pai)

(u) (pu) (o) (po)

() (p) (au) (pau)

() (p) ANUSVARA VISARGA , (pa) (pa)

pa p pi p pu p p p

p pe pai po pau pa pa

Consonants followed by Vowels

When a vowel follows a consonant, the consonant loses its stroke and the vowel is written in an abbreviated

form.

+ = k + a = ka

ka kha ga gha a ca cha ja jha a a ha a ha a ta tha da dha na pa pha ba bha ma ya ra la va a a sa ha

+ = k + = k

k kh g gh c ch j jh h h t th d dh n p ph b bh m y r l v s h

+ = k + i = ki

ki khi gi ghi i ci chi ji jhi i i hi i hi i ti thi di dhi ni pi phi bi bhi mi yi ri li vi i i si hi

+ = k + = k

k kh g gh c ch j jh h h t th d dh n p ph b bh m y r l v s h

+ = k + u = ku

ku khu gu ghu u cu chu ju jhu u u hu u hu u tu thu du dhu nu pu

phu bu bhu mu yu ru lu vu u u su hu

+ = k + = k

k kh g gh c ch j jh h h t th d dh n p ph b bh m y r l v s h

+ = k + = k

k kh g gh c ch j jh h h t th d dh n p ph b bh m y r l v s h

+ = k + = k

k kh g gh c ch j jh h h t th d dh n p ph b bh m

y r l v s h

+ = k + e = ke

ke khe ge ghe e ce che je jhe e e he e he e te the de dhe ne pe phe be bhe me ye re le ve e e se he

+ =

k + ai = kai kai khai gai ghai ai cai chai jai jhai ai ai hai ai hai ai tai thai dai dhai nai pai phai bai bhai mai yai rai lai vai ai ai sai hai

+ = k + o = ko

ko kho go gho o co cho jo jho o o ho o ho o to tho do dho no po pho bo bho mo yo ro vo o o so ho

+ = k + au = kau

kau khau gau ghau au cau chau jau jhau au au hau au hau au tau thau dau dhau nau pau phau bau bhau mau yau rau vau au au sau hau

anusvara

ka kha ga gha a ca cha ja jha a a ha a ha a ta tha da dha na pa pha ba bha ma ya ra la va a a sa ha

visarga

ka kha ga gha a ca cha ja jha a a ha a ha a ta tha da dha na pa pha ba bha ma ya ra la va a a sa ha

ka k ki k ku k k k ke kai ko kau

ca c ci c cu c c c ce cai co cau

a i u e ai o au ta t ti t tu t t t te tai to tau pa p pi p pu p p p pe pai po pau ya y yi y yu y y y ye yai yo yau ra r ri r ru r r r re rai ro rau la l li l lu l l l le lai lo lau va v vi v vu v v v ve vai vo vau a i u e ai o au a i u e ai o au sa s si s su s s s se sai so sau ka k ki k ku k k k ke kai

ko kau

ka k ki k ku k k k ke kai ko kau

Writing Vowels

Writing Consonants

ka kha ga gha a

ca cha ja jha a

a ha a ha a

pa pha ba bha ma

ya ra la va

a a sa ha

Excercises

1. Join the following group of letters and write the transliteration:

+ = k + a = ka

+ =

+ =

+ = + = + =

+ =

+ =

+ = + = + = + =

+ =

+ = + = + = + = + =

+ =

+ = + + = + = + =

+ = r + u = ru

+ = + = + + + =

+ = r + = r

+ = + = + = + = + =

+ =

+ = + = + = + = + =

+ =

+ = + = + = + = + =

+ =

+ = + = + = + = + =

+ =

+ = + = + = + = + =

+ =

+ = + = + = + = + =

+ =

+ = + = + = + = + =

+ =

+ = + = + = + = + =

+ =

+ = + = + = + = + =

+ =

+ = + = + = + = + =

+ =

+ = + = + = + = + =

2. Write the following in Sanskrit letters:

ka = ma = b = si = vu =

v = g = bhu = thi = a =

te = e = m = ai = =

no = = r = u = o =

kau = = au = ph = dai =

gau = = pu = a = ch =

g = dhau = o = k = i =

h = go = = e = dh =

j = i = cu = u = =

3. Join the following group of letters:

+ + + Lord Rma r + + m + a = rma + + + man + + + man

+ + + elephant

+ + + rabbit

+ + + hand + + + boy + + + + + boy + + + + + monkey + + + + + + Indras elephant + + + servant + + + foot + + + crow + + male goat + + + + + foot + + + desire + + + jar + + + + + Lord Ka + + + + sky + + + + conduct + + + + arrival + + + + food + + + + + pigeon + + + Lord iva + + + brave + + + + + lamp + + + + + sparrow + + + + + father + + + salutations + + + messenger + + + + + day + + + god + + + disease + + + world + + + enjoyment + + + + + + + Rmyaa