The Sanskrit Library

Courses/courses

Current

Current courses

Below are the courses the Sanskrit Library is offering this fall.

For an overview of the Sanskrit Library courses with links to all planned course offerings please click here.

  • Concepts of the self in classical Indian philosophy.
    • CG50.
    • This course considers concepts of self in the early writings of the upanizads, in the Buddhist canon, and in the systematic analyses of the {y}ogasUtras and {b}rahmasUtras.
    • Instructor: Peter M. Scharf.
    • Schedule: Saturdays, 7 September – 9 November 2024.
    • Course meeting times: 10:00–11:00am U.S. Central Time; 8:30–9:30pm IST.
    • Course fee: $500.
    • Indian course fee: ₹5,000.
    • Syllabus.
    • Register.
    • Register (residents of India).
  • History of Sanskrit literature II: Epics: {r}AmAyaRa and {m}ahABArata}
    • UH102
    • This is the second of four courses in The Sanskrit Library’s digital humanities programs that provide students with an historical overview and sampling of Sanskrit literature. The courses survey the history of the literature; introduce students to surveys, editions, translations, and studies on it; and read selected passages of the original texts. This course begins with the {r}AmAyaRa and its retelling in various versions in Sanskrit, and ends with the {m}ahABArata, its main story, critical scenes such as the dice match, didactic themes such as human effort (puruzakAra) versus fate (dEva), and subordinate episodes (upAKyAnas).
    • Instructor: Tanuja P. Ajotikar and Peter M. Scharf
    • Schedule: Sundays, 7 September -- 14 December (no class 30 November).
    • Course meeting times: 2:00–4:00pm U.S. Central Time.
    • Prerequisite: Basic knowledge of Sanskrit: US101 with concurrent enrollment in US102 or equivalent.
    • Course fee: $1,500.
    • Syllabus.
    • Register
    • Course materials: a bibliography will be distributed to registered students.
  • Introductory Sanskrit I.
    • US101.
    • This course aims to provide a linguistically rich study of the world's most fascinating language equivalent to a first-semester university course. Exercises introduce the extensive literature, profound philosophy and rich mythology of ancient India which has and continues to influence over a quarter of the world’s population today. After introducing the Devanāgarī script and Sanskrit phonology, the course surveys the intricate and highly organized structure of the grammar with the aim of enabling a student to begin reading original materials after the second semester. Readings in the course are adapted from Sanskrit literature. An interactive on-line exercise platform provides immediate intelligent feedback and focused help at every stage of sentence analysis and translation virtually eliminating the difficulty and frustration felt by language learners in a typical course. On-line video presentations supplement the course so class time can focus teacher-student interaction where it is most beneficial.
    • Instructor: Peter M. Scharf
    • Schedule: 9 September – 19 December 2024.
    • See also the intensive summer courses US101S and US102S 3 June–29 July 2024.
    • Course meeting times: Monday and Thursday 9:00-10:00am U.S. Central Time.
    • Course fee: $3,000, or $5,000 if enrolling in both US101 and US102 before 1 September.
    • Syllabus.
    • Register.
  • Introductory Sanskrit II.
    • US102.
    • This course completes the linguistically rich survey of Sanskrit grammar begun in US101 and is roughly equivalent to a second-semester university course. Exercises introduce the extensive literature, profound philosophy and rich mythology of ancient India which has and continues to influence over a quarter of the world’s population today. Readings in the course are adapted from Sanskrit literature. An interactive on-line exercise platform provides immediate intelligent feedback and focused help at every stage of sentence analysis and translation virtually eliminating the difficulty and frustration felt by language learners in a typical course. On-line video presentations supplement the course so class time can focus teacher-student interaction where it is most beneficial. After this course, students will be able to read original materials in late Vedic, Epic, and Classical Sanskrit.
    • Instructor: Peter M. Scharf
    • Prerequisite: US101 or equivalent introduction to Sanskrit.
    • Schedule: 20 January – 8 May 2025; No class Thursday 20 March and Monday 24 March.
    • See also the intensive summer courses US101S and US102S 2 June–27 July 2025.
    • Course meeting times: Monday and Thursday 9:00-10:00am U.S. Central Time. Time commitment: 10-12 hours/week.
    • Course fee: $3,000.
    • Syllabus.
    • Register.
  • Introductory Sanskrit I (Summer intensive)
    • US101S.
    • This course aims to provide a linguistically rich study of the world's most fascinating language equivalent to a first-semester university course. Exercises introduce the extensive literature, profound philosophy and rich mythology of ancient India which has and continues to influence over a quarter of the world’s population today. After introducing the Devanāgarī script and Sanskrit phonology, the course surveys the intricate and highly organized structure of the grammar with the aim of enabling a student to begin reading original materials after the second semester. Readings in the course are adapted from Sanskrit literature. An interactive on-line exercise platform provides immediate intelligent feedback and focused help at every stage of sentence analysis and translation virtually eliminating the difficulty and frustration felt by language learners in a typical course. On-line video presentations supplement the course so class time can focus teacher-student interaction where it is most beneficial.
    • Instructor: Peter M. Scharf.
    • Schedule: 2–27 June 2025.
    • See the continuation US102S 30 June – 25 July.
    • Intensive course meeting times: Live meetings everyday Monday–Friday 10:00am-12:30pm U.S. Central Time, recorded lectures, daily interactive on-line exercises, flexible consultation. Time commitment: 40 hours per week.
    • Course fee: $3,000, or $5,000 if enrolling in both US101S and US102S before 1 June.
    • Syllabus.
    • Register.
  • Introductory Sanskrit II (Summer intensive)
    • US102S.
    • This course completes the linguistically rich survey of Sanskrit grammar begun in US101 and is roughly equivalent to a second-semester university course. Exercises introduce the extensive literature, profound philosophy and rich mythology of ancient India which has and continues to influence over a quarter of the world’s population today. Readings in the course are adapted from Sanskrit literature. An interactive on-line exercise platform provides immediate intelligent feedback and focused help at every stage of sentence analysis and translation virtually eliminating the difficulty and frustration felt by language learners in a typical course. On-line video presentations supplement the course so class time can focus teacher-student interaction where it is most beneficial. After this course, students will be able to read original materials in late Vedic, Epic, and Classical Sanskrit.
    • Instructor: Peter M. Scharf.
    • Prerequisite: US101 or equivalent introduction to Sanskrit.
    • Schedule: 30 June – 25 July 2025.
    • Continuation of US101S 2–27 June.
    • Intensive course meeting times: Live meetings everyday Monday–Friday 10:00-12:30pm U.S. Central Time, recorded lectures, daily interactive on-line exercises, flexible consultation. Time commitment: 40 hours per week.
    • Course fee: $3,000.
    • Syllabus.
    • Register.
  • {s}aMkziptamahABAratam: The {m}ahABArata in brief
    • US110.
    • Students read an original selection from the great Indian epic {m}ahABArata that tells the whole story in 43 verses. Each verse is accompanied by several sentences each of which paraphrases the verse or some part of it to elucidate its meaning and syntax. Translation exercises are presented in an engaging interactive just-in-time learning environment that provides immediate feedback and help.
    • Instructor: Peter M. Scharf.
    • Prerequisite: US101–US102 or equivalent introduction to Sanskrit.
    • Schedule: 6 September – 13 December 2024 (no class 29 November).
    • Course meeting times: Friday 10:00am-12:00noon U.S. Central Time.
    • Course fee: $1,500.
    • Syllabus.
    • Register.
  • Intermediate Sanskrit prose reading.
    • US120.
    • In this course intermediate Sanskrit students are given practice reading Classical Sanskrit, Epic and Vedic prose. Readings may include selections from any of the following: the {h}itopadeSa and {p}aYcatantra, which consist of short stories with a moral embeded in a longer narrative composed for the instruction of youth in leadership ({n}ItiSAstra); the {m}ahABArata and {p}urARas; the {b}rAhmaRas and {u}panizads.
    • Instructor: Tanuja P. Ajotikar, or Peter M. Scharf.
    • Prerequisite: US101–102 or equivalent introduction to Sanskrit.
    • Schedule: Friday, 17 January – 2 May 2025, except 21 March.
    • Course meeting times: 10:00am--12:00noon U.S. Central Time or by arrangement.
    • Course fee: $1,500.
    • Syllabus.
    • Register.
  • Selected readings in the {s}idDAntakOmudI.
    • US201.
    • The {s}idDAntakOmudI is a 16th CE commentary on the {a}zwADyAyI. It is widely used by beginners in the study of {p}ARinian grammar to understand rules in the {a}zwADyAyI. It is important to read the selected parts of this text in order to understand the {p}ARinian grammar. This course offers to read some of the important parts in the Siddhāntakaumudī, i.e. sandhi, nominal morphology, compounds etc.
    • Instructor: Tanuja P. Ajotikar.
    • Prerequisite: Advanced Sanskrit with CG20 Introduction to the {p}ARinian tradition, or equivalent.
    • Schedule: 6 September -- 22 December 2024, except Friday 29 November and Sunday 1 December.
    • Course meeting times: Friday 7:30--8:30pm U.S. Central Time (6:00-7:00am Saturday IST) and Sunday 10:00--11:00am U.S. Central Time (8:30-9:30pm IST). Meeting times may change after 3rd November when Daylight Savings Time ends in the U.S.
    • Course fee: $1,500.
    • Course fee: ₹15,000.
    • Syllabus.
    • Register.
    • Register (residents of India).
  • TEI-conformant XML markup workshop.
    • UT110.
    • This practicum allows students to work closely with an instructor to engage in higher-level encoding of complex texts, especially commentaries, using the extensible markup language (XML) in accordance with the Text-Encoding Initiative (TEI). Examples of texts students are currently working with or could work with include {s}AyaRa's {m}ADavIyaDAtuvftti, {m}allinATa's {s}aYjIvanI, subcommentaries on the {k}ASikAvftti, and {s}AyaRa's {f}gvedaBAzya.
    • Instructors: Peter M. Scharf and Tanuja P. Ajotikar.
    • Prerequisite: UT102 Character and higher-level encoding, advanced Sanskrit, a thorough introduction to {p}ARinian grammar, and permission of the instructor. Prospective students are advised to contact the instructor before registering by email to: info@sanskritlibrary.org
    • Schedule: 8 September -- 15 December (no class 1 December).
    • Course meeting times: Sunday 2:00-4:00pm U.S. Central Time.
    • Course fee: $1,500.
    • Syllabus.
    • Register.