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.

  • 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: 8 September – 18 December 2025.
    • See also the intensive summer courses US101S and US102S 2 June–25 July 2025.
    • 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, except 24 and 27 February and 10 April.
    • 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: 17 January – 9 May 2025, except 21 February, 11 April.
    • Course meeting times: Friday 10:00am-12:00noon U.S. Central Time.
    • Course fee: $1,500.
    • Syllabus.
    • Register.
  • {B}agavadgItA Chapter 2
    • US121.
    • In this course, intermediate Sanskrit students are given practice reading Classical Sanskrit, Epic and Vedic prose. In this semester, the second chapter of the {B}agavadgItA is chosen to read. The students will read and analyse the text word by word.
    • Instructor: Tanuja P. Ajotikar
    • Prerequisite: US101–102 or equivalent introduction to Sanskrit.
    • Schedule: 24 January–2 May 2025, except 21 February and 11 April 2025.
    • Course meeting times: Friday 2:30–4:30pm U.S. Central Time
    • Course fee: $1500.
    • 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: 24 January – 24 January–2 May 2025, except 21 February and 11 April 2025.
    • 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 when Daylight Savings Time begins in the U.S.
    • Course fee: $1,500.
    • Course fee: ₹15,000.
    • Syllabus.
    • Register.
    • Register (residents of India).
  • {k}umArasaMBava {s}arga 8
    • US211.
    • In this course, we will read verses 28-73 carefully and translate them precisely.
    • Instructor: Tanuja P. Ajotikar
    • Schedule: 28 January–1 May 2025, except 20 and 25 February and 10 April 2025.
    • Course meeting times: Tuesday and Thursday 9:30–10:30am U.S. Central Time.
    • Course fee: $1500.
    • Syllabus.
    • Register
  • {r}udra workshop
    • US302.
    • Translation of the namaka and camaka: {k}fzRayajurvedIyatEttirIyasaMhitA caturTaM vESvadevaM kARqaM paYcamaH prapAWakaH. TS. 4.5.
    • Instructor: Peter M. Scharf.
    • Prerequisite: advanced Sanskrit, and permission of the instructor. Prospective students are advised to contact the instructor before registering by email to: info@sanskritlibrary.org
    • Schedule: 19 January – 27 April 2025. No class 23 February, 13 April.
    • Course meeting times: Sunday 10:30am-12:00noon U.S. Central Time.
    • Course fee: $1,000.
    • Syllabus.
    • Register.
  • The {f}gveda with {s}AyaRa's commentary.
    • US320.
    • In his commentary on the first several hymns of the {f}gveda, {s}AyaRa explains linguistic features, ritualistic context, and literary connections in exquisite detail. While these references diminish as his commentary proceeds, and are completely absent in later books, the knowledge contained in works referred is brought to bear throughout. We will read the first several hymns and his commentary on them, and explore his references in order to gain a clear understanding of the range of texts and materials he brought to the understanding and interpretation of the whole body of hymns.
    • Instructor: Peter M. Scharf.
    • Prerequisite: 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: 18 January – 10 May 2025. No class 22 February, 12 April.
    • Course meeting times: Saturday 2:00-4:00pm U.S. Central Time.
    • Course fee: $3,000.
    • Syllabus.
    • Register.
  • {r}aGuvaMSa sarga 2
    • UP114.
    • The {r}aGuvaMSa by {k}AlidAsa is one of the Sanskrit {m}ahAkAvyas. This great poem is a part of the traditional syllabus of learning Sanskrit. Applying the traditional methods to learn a text is important to gain independence in reading and understanding Sanskrit and translating the text. So herewith we propose a course reading the second canto of the {r}aGuvaMSa thoroughly with sanDi analysis, verbal conjugation, nominal declension, identificaiton of {s}amAsas, indentification of voice, changing the voice (vAcyaviparivartana), anvaya of the verse and translation in Sanskrit.
    • Instructor: Tanuja P. Ajotikar
    • Prerequisite: Introductory Sanskrit.
    • Schedule: 6 January – 4 May 2025
    • Course meeting times: To be arranged
    • Course fee: $1,500.
    • Course fee (residents of India): ₹15,000 for working adults, ₹8,500 for students.
    • Syllabus.
    • Register
    • Register (residents of India)
  • Character and higher-level encoding.
    • UT102.
    • This course begins by examining methods of character encoding for Sanskrit: the Sanskrit Library Phonetic (SLP) encodings, ASCII meta-encodings, and Unicode. The course then introduces the extensible markup language (XML), and the Text-Encoding Initiative (TEI). Students will learn how to markup text and bibliography, and formalize morphological (lexical and inflectional) tagging in TEI. The course concludes with training in the use of the exceedingly powerful and ubiquitously useful regular expressions. This is the second technical course in The Sanskrit Library's digital humanities programs.
    • Instructors: Tanuja P. Ajotikar and Peter M. Scharf.
    • Schedule: Saturdays, 25 January – 10 May 2025, except 22 February and 12 April.
    • Course meeting times: 9:00–10:30am U.S. Central Time, 8:30–10:00pm IST.
    • Prerequisite: Advanced competency in Sanskrit, fluency reading Devanagari script, and regular access to a computer and basic computer use skills.
    • Course fee: $1,500.
    • Course fee: ₹10,000.
    • Syllabus.
    • Register.
    • Register (residents of India).