Sanskrit – The Polished Jewel of Human Communication

Language is one of the most powerful gifts of the divine and reaches its culmination as a means of liberation. Sanskrit is remarkable among languages, surviving virtually intact through oral transmission over some five thousand years. Today it enjoys a lively renewal in India and in the West.

Sanskrit stands as one of the most highly developed and influential languages in man’s history. Not only does studying Sanskrit unlock a treasure trove of exalted wisdom, it also provides a means for understanding the patterns of language itself, thus enhancing every language.

Proper pronunciation of Sanskrit is essential for any student seriously pursuing Jyotisha and other subjects from India, even if the student is using the familiar Roman alphabet to represent the Sanskrit sounds (transliteration) rather than the Devanagari script. This is so because the very sounds of the language are said to structure the form of the object, idea or philosophy in the foundations of the nervous system of an individual. This has tremendous implications for living the gifts of these Vedic subjects in a spontaneous way by culturing these forms on the subtle level as well as in one’s outer expressions.

Learning Sanskrit

It has been my privilege to learn and teach Sanskrit and it has been some of the most joyful and satisfying teaching I have ever done. My teacher, Hart deFouw, followed a method that made Sanskrit very approachable for the Westerner and produced students who are not held hostage by inaccurate translations or poorly transmitted foundational principles. They have the knowledge and skill to distinguish authentic material and teachers – a great aid to their study of any Vedic subject.

Students report that the very learning of the traditional Devanagari script produces a tranquility and evenness that is delightful and up-lifting. Advanced students find that Sanskrit enriches memory and mental clarity and just might be one of the best anti-Alzeimer drugs!!

I offer Sanskrit in small groups of three to six people via Google Zoom web conferencing. Please contact me for more information.

I also teach weekend seminars to introduce the pronunciation and structure of Sanskrit. Proper pronunciation, even without the knowledge of grammar or the devanagari alphabet, can be of substantial benefit and fulfillment, opening the door to chanting, singing, recitation and accurate pronunciation of philosophical and technical terms. If you have an interested group, I would be very happy to work with you on setting up a program that is appropriate to the level and interest of the participants.