Course Discription
1. This course is meant for all people, who like to acquire basic
knowledge of the Sanskrit language. No previous knowledge is
required. The course is purposefully designed on a undergraduate
level. That means, by avoiding the complicated linguistic
discussions of the graduate courses, we take the essence of the
language and present it in an easily understandable way. The main
topics taught hereby are:
- reading and writing the Devanagari script
- proper pronunciation in terms of sound and rhythm
- dividing continuous Sanskrit texts in their parts (Sandhi)
- learning the basic grammatical constructions, like
- declension of nouns and adjectives
- the elemental verb functions
- using pronouns and adverbs
- understanding the structure of Sanskrit sentences
- understanding the structure and syntax of compound words
- building and understanding simple sentences
- learning the etymological meaning of many terms of Vedic knowledge
Stress is given to good understanding of the structure of Sanskrit.
For that, numerous examples and exercises are given.
2. The course material is centred around the verses of the
Bhagavad-Gita. Together with an additional twelve-months course, the successful student will be able to fully
understand all verses of Bhagavad-Gita in all details. Since this
course also serves as accompanying study for our Vasati and Ayurveda
students, we also will deal with various
technical terms of these branches of Vedic knowledge.
3. As a student of a correspondence course, you study independently
of space and time. You can start at any time, and you are free to
set up your own study schedule. The course is set up in six lessons
which could be completed in two month each, by one hour daily study
time. The course material consists of one folder of approx. 250
pages A4, plus one 3-hour VHS videotape with practical lessons in
script and pronunciation. Each lesson contains numerous exercises
(with solutions given in the appendix) and several homework
assignments. These assignments should be sent to the study mentor in terms
of latest two months to be corrected by him. You are also free to contact
your mentor with any question concerning your study (or other
questions concerning the Sanskrit language).
4. The Course is conducted either as classical correspondence course
or online. Since in the beginning, stress is taken to the
learning of the Devanagari script, at least the homework of the
first two lessons should be answered in handwritten form - thus, they
should be sent by mail. After that, correspondence is also possible
by online. For that case, we would send you special fonts with
diacritic signs or even a Devanagari font.
5. Here is an excerpt of the table of contents. It provides you with
an overview of the course:
Introduction
10 Golden Rules For the Successful Course of Your Studies Preface
About
Sanskrit
How to Learn Sanskrit?
The Bhagavad-Gita
About This Course
Lesson 1
The Alphabet
The Basic Signs
Writing by Hand
Compound Syllables
Writing Syllables
Writing Sonantic Compounds
Ligatures (Conjunct Consonants)
Numbers and Special Signs
Lesson 2
Sound and Rhythm
Importance of Pronunciation
Pronouncing the Basic Letters
Particular Cases - the "r" Sound
The Rules of Rhythm
Metrical Foot (pada)
Sentence Melody and Articulation
Sandhi (Change of Sound)
The Meaning of Sandhi
The Pausa Rules
Sandhi in the Sentence
The Word Sandhi
Lesson 3
The Sentence in Sanskrit
Elements of Sentence
The Anvaya
Principles of Syntax
Declension
Aspects of Declension
Gender and Article
Number
Case
The General Declension Endings
Declension on a
Applying the Declension Cases
Declension on i/u
Lesson 4
The Verb
System of Roots and Stem Forms
Forms of Present Tense
Thematic Stems
Athematic Stems
Important Structure Words
Conjunctions and Relative Pronouns
Prepositions and Others
Further Declensions
Lesson 5
The Pronouns
Personal Pronouns
Demonstrative and Relative Pronouns
Interrogatives (Question Words)
Indefinite Pronouns
Pronominal Adjectives
Adverbs
Forming through Case Forms
Forming through Adverb Suffixes
Correlations
Correlative Word Pairs
The Passive
Important Passive Stems
Lesson 6
Samasas (Compound Words)
Introduction and Examples
Division of the Samasas
Declension of Samasas
Numerals
Cardinal Numbers
Ordinal Numbers
Important Terms of Vedic Science
Vedic Specialist Dictionary
Appendix
Solutions of Exercises
A Sanskrit Glossary
Glossary Sanskrit-English
Glossary English-Sanskrit
6. At the end of the study, you are free to participate at a final
exam. With its successful completion, you will be awarded with a
Associates Degree of the Florida Vedic College, qualifying you as
"Sanskrit-pravesaka" (one who has entered the realm of the Sanskrit
language).

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