Course description
Classical Sanskrit is a language in which South Asian kings, literary theorists, philosophers, playwrights, poets, religious seers, scientists, and theologians often chose to express themselves. It is, therefore, an indispensable tool for understanding classical South Asia and the ways in which classical traditions and ideas influence and explain the present. Even today there are writers who produce original work in the classical language. This course is a complete introduction to classical Sanskrit, covering grammar and the fundamentals of reading, writing, and speaking. By the end of our course, students are able to read epic-level Sanskrit with the help of a dictionary (and their grammatical notes) and are prepared to move on to an intermediate-level Sanskrit course.