Summary Description
The beginners course is aimed at creating interest to learn Sanskrit towards reading simple stories and to write small sentences on their own.

Course Entry Prerequisites
None. Designed for anyone with no or very little knowledge of Sanskrit and Devanagari script.

Duration and Timings

• Course commences from the second week of September.
• One year duration, likely to end in May/June.
• Wednesdays 7.45-9.15pm (UK, Zoom-based)
• In addition, there will be 2 Study Groups which students may attend optionally to discuss/ clarify any aspects of their studies.
• The requirement to attend during the UK School Holiday periods will be reviewed during the course.

Course Content

• Learn to read and write in Devanagari script with transliteration: alphabets – vowels, consonants, joining consonants and vowels, conjunct consonants
• Learn basic concepts of grammar e.g. nouns, pronouns, verbs and declensions, conjugations and tenses.
• Make simple sentences in Sanskrit then translate them to English and vice versa
• Introduction to Sandhi and Samasas
• Spoken Sanskrit for day to day use

Course Outcomes
Students will be equipped with the introductory tools to continue their further learning of Sanskrit language and literature. They may choose to progress their Sanskrit studies via:

• IGCSE Sanskrit (Cambridge) – Cambridge is intending to stop offering this after the 2027 Exams.
• Samskrita Bharati UK offerings
• Other alternative organisations’ offerings

Course Requirements

The medium of instruction is English.
All communication is via email (Gmail) and WhatsApp using Internet-links to course resources. Hence, students must be capable of using these.
Students will need to be committed and ensure that they have the time to attend all classes (1.5 hrs per week) and do additional self-study and homework, approximately 2-3 hrs per week.

Course Costs

There is no Course Fee. All teaching and administration is on a purely voluntary basis. However, students may make a voluntary contribution to Sanskrut Bhakti to cover their essential administration costs e.g. Zoom, Google Drive etc. Details will be provided at the start of the course.

Online free learning resources are used wherever possible, however, students are required to purchase additional hard copy books, costing approximately £25-30, which will be used for the course.

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