Most learners of the Sanskrit language have the desire to be proficient or even just learn how to read and write it. But Sanskrit isn’t “that easy” to learn, especially if you don’t have the ideal resources for learning. There are various books or courses which cost time and money, not to mention, you’ll be required to do a lot of homework. This traditional method of learning, similar to modern universities, will feel like pressure pushing down on you while you are trying to learn.
We all know that “studying online” is one of the best ways to LEARN SOMETHING — not only a language or an accent, but also in different ways such as solving math problems, cooking, dancing, or even fixing your gadgets. Thanks to the innovation of technology, you can learn Sanskrit online, too!
Here are some of the best resources to learn Sanskrit online:
Learnsanskrit.org
The learning website, learnsanskrit.org, aims to help students read “real” Sanskrit as quickly as possible. The lessons on the website focus on the commonly used parts of the Sanskrit grammar, such as word formation, the system of compounds, the appropriate ways to use participles, noun stems, etc. This website also uses clear and correct grammar to avoid confusion on the learner’s side.
The learnsanskrit.org also aims to simplify the learning process without even simplifying the “language” itself. As we all know, some language-learning websites are a bit difficult for learners to comprehend the lessons — which leaves them to find another website instead. But learnsanskrit.org has beginner-friendly lessons that are easy to pick up for every learner. What’s more amazing here is that all the lessons are offered for free!
Learn Sanskrit Online
The website was founded by Vidyadhar Bhat, who is a Sanskrit scholar and a teacher who taught Sanskrit for several years in schools and traditional gurukula. Today, Learn Sanskrit Online is managed by a growing team whose goal is to continue developing the website to teach learners using the most convenient ways. Currently, the website continues to release new lessons and improve the platform.
There are free lessons available on the website, as well as paid one-on-one classes via Skype. The lessons are suitable for beginners up to advanced learners. To make the most out of it, first, try the free lessons offered on the platform. Once you’ve finished them all, then it’s time to try the online classes to enhance your knowledge about Sanskrit grammar. Learn Sanskrit Online is worthy of your time and money!
Chinmaya International Foundation: Easy Sanskrit Course
The Chinmaya International Foundation (CIF) is the research wing of the Chinmaya Mission. It is the center of excellence for studying and researching as well as dissemination of knowledge in the areas of Indian philosophy, culture, art, science, and business — both modern and traditional.
The Easy Sanskrit Course is a foundation for beginners who want to learn about Sanskrit completely. The lessons are designed for every mother tongue, children or adults, beginners or advanced. The Easy Sanskrit Course is a stepping-stone for all Sanskrit learners. It will teach you not only the grammar but also welcomes you to the Indian culture. However, the courses aren’t free, but still affordable.
Open Pathshala
Keeping the motto of “your best source to learn Sanskrit,” Open Pathshala is an e-learning platform for learning Sanskrit, Hindi, English, and other regional languages across India. The platform is popular in India for having high quality and online video tutorials, one-on-one Skype classes, and live group sessions. Aside from having language classes and video tutorials, the website also offers courses for learning the Indian culture.
Their goal is to educate learners using the advancements of technology. Open Pathshala can be accessed through their website or by using their mobile application for the convenience of every learner around the world.
The Sanskrit Language – Guided Sanskrit Lessons
This website is intended to study along with the book “The Sanskrit Language” by author Walter Harding Maurer. The book is available worldwide and can even be bought on Amazon. This way of learning is great for self-studying at home with complete resources — this book and this website.
This website has a complete summary of each lesson of the book, answers to the exercises, as well as additional notes and tips. The most effective way to study side-by-side is to first read the lesson in the book and then read the lesson on the website.
The website lets you understand more Sanskrit grammar. All you need to do is to buy that book and open this website.
ApnaCourse.com: Sanskrit for Beginners
ApnaCourse.com is a leading e-learning platform that provides in-demand online courses taught by top instructors. The company was founded in 2013 and had been growing successfully over the following years. The platform teaches not only language but also career courses in various fields such as Banking and Finance, Project and Ops Management, IT and Security, Sales and Marketing, Law, and many more.
Among the languages taught on the platform is Sanskrit for Beginners. It offers a complete package of learning Sanskrit. It covers Alphabets, Pronunciation, Grammar, Sentence formation, Conversations, and all the basic lessons needed for beginners. This course is recommended for everyone — students or professionals.
Enjoy Learning Sanskrit
This website aims to help promote the learning of the Sanskrit language. It offers a few learning and teaching tools in learning the basics of the Sanskrit language — they are all free! The tools are easy for both children and adults, which makes learning a fun hobby to do.
The website continues to add more lessons and materials. Currently, the site has the tools for learning the alphabet, pronunciation, reading, writing, typing, and other basics in learning the language.
Acharya: Learn Sanskrit Through Self-Study
The Acharya Website is a useful tool for learning Sanskrit through self-study. The lessons are presented uniquely and conveniently to make it hassle-free for learning Sanskrit. Also, the pages on the website carry interesting information related to Sanskrit, which isn’t widely known outside India.
The lessons are aimed to give the learner a good introduction to Sanskrit. We know that self-studying is sometimes frustrating and boring. That’s why the lessons in Acharya are related to the daily activities in our lives, such as everyday conversations; all are free!
Sanskrit Dictionary
According to the name itself, Sanskrit Dictionary, this website will ONLY act as your “online dictionary” when learning Sanskrit. Although there are no courses offered on this website, it’s still useful for you to learn new words and vocabularies which you haven’t encountered from other websites or platforms.
One amazing thing about learning in this online dictionary is that you can “always study” wherever you are. For example, while you were inside the bus, you can check out this website and put some words you know into the Sanskrit translation. This is an effective way to add more Sanskrit vocabularies.
Language Trainers: Sanskrit Classes
Quite expensive but surely transforms you into a real Sanskrit speaker, the Language Trainers provides language training curriculum tailored to the needs of an individual. The world-class trainers will focus on your strengths and mostly weaknesses to enhance your language skills. The platform offers one-on-one Skype lessons and private face-to-face at your home or office (if trainers are available near you.)
The Sanskrit course in Language Trainers also gives you recordings of Skype lessons so that you can review them whenever you’re free. This e-learning platform is one of the most outstanding ones, though we admit that it’s pretty costly compared to other learning platforms.
Tips on Learning Sanskrit Online
Always write down ALL your weak points to improve them in your next lessons. I recommend you make a list of ALL the mistakes you’ve done per lesson so that it’s easier to organize which points you need to improve more.
When self-studying, I suggest that you remove all the “possible distractions” around you, such as smartphones or gaming devices — those are your enemies when studying by yourself.
Do not put too much pressure on yourself. Whether you’re studying alone or one-on-one Skype classes, you’ll always be the “boss” here. If you have a hard time with one point, just keep studying it over and over again before you proceed to the next lesson.
Make time for studying Sanskrit every day. It’s more effective if you keep studying at least an hour a day to enhance your knowledge about the language. If you study only for once a week, there’s a bigger chance that you’ll forget some words or ideas.
You can study Sanskrit either for free or not. If you study online for free, it doesn’t mean that your learning is limited. Well, YES, it might be limited ONLY for THAT website… not for ALL websites. That means, if you’re already done with the free courses on a website, then move to the next website that offers paid Sanskrit lessons.
Introduce the different ways to learn Sanskrit
Sanskrit is an ancient language with a rich literary tradition. It is also the language of choice for many Hindu scriptures. As a result, there is a great demand for Sanskrit courses, both online and offline.
However, Sanskrit can be a difficult language to learn, as it has a complex grammar and an unfamiliar script. For those who are new to the language, it is often helpful to start with a basic course that covers the alphabet and basic grammar rules.
Once this foundation has been established, more advanced courses can be undertaken to improve fluency and expand vocabulary. For those who want to learn Sanskrit in depth, research resources are available at universities and colleges across India.
There are also a number of online resources that can be used to supplement formal instruction. By taking advantage of these different learning opportunities, students can develop a strong command of Sanskrit.
Explain the benefits of learning Sanskrit
Sanskrit is often considered to be the most precise and elegant language in the world. Unlike many modern languages, which have evolved organically over time, Sanskrit was designed from scratch to be a perfectly structured language.
As a result, it is extremely concise and easy to learn. Sanskrit also has a rich literary tradition, with works of poetry, drama, and philosophy that are essential to understanding Indian culture.
Sanskrit is still used by Hindu priests in religious ceremonies. For all of these reasons, learning Sanskrit can be an immensely rewarding experience.
Conclusion
Although Sanskrit is not a commonly spoken language today, the benefits of learning it are many. If you’re looking for a unique and interesting challenge, or if you want to gain an advantage in your field by being able to read ancient texts, then Sanskrit may be the perfect language for you.
With so many resources available online, there’s no excuse not to get started today!