How to Learn Sanskrit by Yourself in 13 Simple Steps

Sanskrit is a classical language of South Asia belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages.  It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late Bronze Age. Sanskrit is the sacred language of Hinduism, the language of classical Hindu philosophy, and of historical texts of Buddhism and Jainism. It was a link language in ancient and medieval South Asia, and upon transmission of Hindu and Buddhist culture to Southeast Asia, East Asia and Central Asia in the early medieval era, it became a language of religion and high culture, and of the political elites in some of these regions. As a result, Sanskrit had a lasting impact on the languages of South Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia, especially in their formal and learned vocabularies

Sanskrit is one of the 17 official languages in India and is considered sacred by many. In fact, the word “Sanskrit” itself means “consecrated” or “sanctified.” If you’ve ever taken a yoga class, you likely already know a handful of Sanskrit words – although your yoga instructor may not have pronounced them correctly.  To learn Sanskrit, start with the sounds made by each of the letters of the Sanskrit alphabet. From there you can expand your vocabulary and enrich yourself with the beauty of this classical language.

I assume that you are curious and interested to learn about Sanskrit. So, to learn Sanskrit keep in mind these simple steps.

1. Hire a Sanskrit teacher or go to a Sanskrit Learning centre. This is because Sanskrit has complex pronunciations & you may get some pronunciations wrong.
2. Get a Sanskrit dictionary. Get one that translates Sanskrit to your convenient language. Translating in the internet may be easier, but, this will make you more interested.
3. Practice shlokas. This helps you get better at your pronunciations and makes you read faster.

1. Do basic research

To begin with, you need to do some basic research about your target language,Sanskrit. There are thousands of articles and videos that introduce the Sanskrit language. You should read and view these to know the language’s general history and how it works. 

2. Lay a solid foundation

I`m often asked if learners can just skip the boring beginning part and learn the “useful” and “practical” conversation part. Well, if you are in a hurry and just want to grab several basic greetings to warm up the meeting with Sanskrit people, then yes, you can just imitate some greetings directly. However, these greetings won`t take you far. If you are a serious learner who wants to have a longer and more meaningful conversation with Sanskrit people, take some language tests, or live around Sanskrit speaking people , a solid foundation of the Sanskrit language will make your learning easier and give you fewer obstacles.  

3. Learn the sentence order

Whenever we speak of knowledge points, grammar comes to our minds immediately. It seems there are many grammar points to learn during the whole language learning process. However, as I always claim, Sanskrit grammar is really not as difficult as you think. Using English speakers as an example, you should know the difference between English and Sanskrit first, then this can give you a better overview of the target language.

4. Memorize simple vocabulary. 

No matter what language you’re learning, the more words you have at your disposal, the sooner you will become fluent. Therefore, the next thing to do is to memorize some useful Sanskrit vocabulary

5. Learn some basic conversational phrases. Once you have a basic grasp of vocabulary and pronunciation, you can move on to learning basic conversational phrases which are used in everyday Sanskrit speech.

Good morning – सुप्रभातम्

Good night – शुभरात्रिः

Good bye – शुभाः ते पन्थानः

Sorry – क्षम्यतां

Welcome – स्वागतम्

My name is – मम नाम

6. Find the right materials

As a self-learner, the ability to collect high quality learning materials and resources is necessary. The development of internet technologies has been constantly changing the process of learning a foreign language, and we should use the maximum available online tools to do so.  A complete resource website can help a lot, such as Multibhashi. You can find all Sanskrit learning skills, materials, resources, and even courses there. It is quite convenient to have it all in one digital place. During your own study time, you can focus on a selected textbook or on an online Sanskrit video course.  

7. Use it or lose it

As a second language learner, I know Sanskrit students have a common problem, which is we often avoid speaking the target language out. Many Sanskrit are too shy to dare making mistakes, thus we just keep silent. Of course, we can`t acquire the language very well since we rarely use it in real life. Therefore, I keep telling my students and audiences, use Sanskrit as much as you can! Don’t be shy or afraid. Regardless of output, it`s not only about speaking, but also writing. Speaking and writing in Sanskrit can help you organize your knowledge and acquire it very well.  

8. Set a goal: sign up for a Sanskrit test

Setting an achievable goal is an effective method of study. For example, you can try to take a Sanskrit language test. Having a test as a goal will keep you motivated and practicing, and using study materials for these tests will help you balance your Sanskrit skills. Even if you don’t take the test, you will become a better listener, reader, and writer just by preparing. It’s important to consider your specific language goals as well.

9. Immersion learning: make your own language environment

Language is a kind of communication tool. If you don`t use it, you will obviously lose it. Sometimes, no letting-down in your learning is also a sign of progress. Therefore, we need to keep activating our senses for reading, listening, speaking, and writing. Find your own way to make an environment for the Sanskrit language and immerse yourself in it.

10. Study basic grammar. 

There is a common misconception that grammar does not exist in the Sanskrit language, but this is not true. Sanskrit grammar rules do exist. Unlike these languages, Sanskrit is a very analytic language which is both good news and bad news for language learners.

11. Keep practising. 

Practice with patience, give more time to practice verbal and written

12. Consider signing up for a language course. 

If you need some extra motivation or feel you would learn better in a more formal setting, try signing up for a Sanskrit language course. Look out for language courses advertised at local colleges, schools or community centers. If you’re nervous about signing up for a class by yourself, drag a friend along. You’ll have more fun and someone to practice with between classes!

13. Watch Sanskrit films and dramas. 

Get your hands on some Sanskrit DVDs (preferably with subtitles) or watch Sanskrit films online. This is an easy, entertaining way to get a feel for the sound and structure of the  Sanskrit language. If you’re feeling particularly proactive, try pausing the video after a simple sentence and repeat what has just been said. This will lend your Sanskrit accent an air of authenticity!

So, here are some basic ways through which you can start learning Sanskrit all by yourself. Sanskrit is an amazing language to learn and believe us you’ll only enjoy learning it!

Just go for it!

All the best!!!