संस्कृत Sanskrit in 30 Lectures · Study Site

Devanāgarī Script

Written left-to-right. Every consonant inherits the vowel अ (a) unless a virāma cancels it.

Vowels (svara)

DevanāgarīIASTLengthSounds like
अaShort"cup"
आāLong"father"
इiShort"bit"
ईīLong"bee"
उuShort"put"
ऊūLong"food"
ऋṛShort"ri" (Krishna)
एeLong"they"
ऐaiLong"aisle"
ओoLong"go"
औauLong"how"

Consonant groups (varga)

GroupLettersPlace of articulation
Ka-vargaक ख ग घ ङVelar (back of throat)
Ca-vargaच छ ज झ ञPalatal
Ṭa-vargaट ठ ड ढ णRetroflex (tongue curled back)
Ta-vargaत थ द ध नDental (tongue to teeth)
Pa-vargaप फ ब भ मLabial (lips)
Semi-vowelsय र ल वVarious
Sibilants + hश ष स हVarious
Each varga row: unaspirated voiceless · aspirated voiceless · unaspirated voiced · aspirated voiced · nasal

Key marks

MarkNameFunction
् Virāma (halant)Cancels the inherent अ vowel
ंAnusvāraNasalises the preceding vowel
ःVisargaVoiceless h-sound after a vowel
ऽAvagrahaMarks a swallowed 'a' in sandhi

Nouns & Cases

Sanskrit nouns decline across 8 cases × 3 numbers (singular, dual, plural). Master the a-stem first.

The 8 cases (vibhakti)

#CaseFunctionKey ending (a-stem sg)
1NominativeSubject-aḥ
2AccusativeDirect object-am
3InstrumentalBy / with / using-ena
4DativeFor / to-āya
5AblativeFrom / out of-āt
6GenitiveOf / 's-asya
7LocativeIn / on / at-e
8VocativeDirect address-a

a-stem masculine: बाल (bāla — "boy")

CaseSingularDualPlural
Nominativeबालःबालौबालाः
Accusativeबालम्बालौबालान्
Instrumentalबालेनबालाभ्याम्बालैः
Dativeबालायबालाभ्याम्बालेभ्यः
Ablativeबालात्बालाभ्याम्बालेभ्यः
Genitiveबालस्यबालयोःबालानाम्
Locativeबालेबालयोःबालेषु
Vocativeबालबालौबालाः
Dual instrumental, dative & ablative all share -ābhyām. Locative & genitive dual share -ayoḥ.

Verbs & Conjugation

Verbs agree with subject in person and number. Learn the present tense (laṭ) first.

Present tense parasmaipada: गम् (gam — "to go")

PersonSingularDualPlural
3rdगच्छतिगच्छतःगच्छन्ति
2ndगच्छसिगच्छथःगच्छथ
1stगच्छामिगच्छावःगच्छामः
Endings: sg -ti/-si/-mi · dual -taḥ/-thaḥ/-vaḥ · pl -nti/-tha/-maḥ

The 10 gaṇas

ClassMarkerExample
1st (bhvādi)-a-भू→भवति
4th (divādi)-ya-नृत्→नृत्यति
6th (tudādi)-a- (wk)तुद्→तुदति
10th (curādi)-aya-चुर्→चोरयति

Tense system

Tense/moodLabel
Presentlaṭ
Imperfectlaṅ
Imperativeloṭ
Optativeliṅ
Perfectliṭ
Futurelṛṭ

Sandhi Rules

Sound changes at word boundaries. Always split compounds before translating.

Vowel sandhi — key rules

ContextResultExample
a/ā + a/āāca + api → cāpi
a/ā + i/īena + iti → neti
a/ā + u/ūoca + uktam → coktam
a/ā + e/aiaisa + eva → saiva
i/ī + vowely + voweliti + api → ityapi
u/ū + vowelv + vowelmadhu + iva → madhviva

Visarga sandhi

ContextResult
ḥ + voiced consonant (after a)o
ḥ + ao + avagraha (ऽ)
ḥ + any other vowelr
ḥ + voiceless (k, p…)ḥ unchanged

The 4 compound types (samāsa)

TypeSanskritExample
A and BDvandvarāma-lakṣmaṇau = Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa
B of/for ATatpuruṣarājapuruṣa = king's man
Adj + nounKarmadhārayanīlotpalam = blue lotus
Having A-BBahuvrīhimahābāhu = long-armed

Core Vocabulary

~80 words covering the majority of beginner texts. Learn by category.

People & body

DevanāgarīIASTMeaning
नरnaraman
बालbālaboy / child
गुरुguruteacher
राजन्rājanking
देवdevagod
हस्तhastahand
नेत्रnetraeye

Nature & place

DevanāgarīIASTMeaning
वनvanaforest
ग्रामgrāmavillage
नदीnadīriver
जलjalawater
पर्वतparvatamountain
आकाशākāśasky
पुष्पpuṣpaflower

Key verb roots

RootIASTMeaning
भूbhūto be / become
गम्gamto go
दृश्dṛśto see
वद्vadto speak
कृkṛto do / make
पठ्paṭhto read / recite
लभ्labhto obtain

Particles

WordIASTMeaning
चcaand
वाvāor
नnanot
अपिapialso / even
तुtubut
एवevaindeed / only
इतिitithus (quote marker)
Practice & Quiz
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