Introduction

Hello and welcome back to the OCHS Online Sanskrit Course. We will build upon what
we learned in the Level 1 and 2 Sanskrit Courses, developing deeper understanding through
learning grammar and chanting and translating verses from yoga-related texts. We will
study chapters 5 and 6 of my book, Yogāvatāraṇam: The Translation of Yoga, which
integrates traditional Indian and Western academic methods of learning. Over the course
of the 9 weeks, we will learn more nouns (ending in -i, -u and -ṛ), as well as other verbal
forms, such as the imperative, optative and past tense, as well as gerunds and infinitives.
This will allow us to continue to read from texts such as the Bhagavad Gītā, the
Haṭhapradīpikā, the Yogasūtra, and the Śivasaṃhitā, as well as popular mantras. By the
end of the course you will be able to pick up a text and start to read and understand more
fluently on your own.
Each week you will be provided with a handout (or you can follow along in the book if
you have it) and a video accompaniment, as well as audio files, focusing on both proper
pronunciation and learning through sound as well as reading, writing and grammar. There
will be homework assignments given each week, which you can upload for correction. See
the list below for all of the homework. It is important to try to keep up with the homework
in order to get the most from the course. At this point, you will hopefully feel comfortable
working directly in the devanāgarī script without transliteration. However, when you write
your verses out for homework, you are welcome to write in both devanāgarī and
transliteration until you feel completely comfortable and I will be happy to go over it.
We will start each session with a few chants, the first is to Gaṇeśa, the remover of
obstacles, the second is a chant from the Upaniṣads, to bring our energies together and help
focus our minds. The third is a chant to the guru, the teacher, who is said to be the remover
of darkness. Since we will translate it together in the first week of the course, I will not
give it to you here. As I chant, try to follow along in the devanāgarī script and chant along
with me. The first two chants, as well as the maṅgala mantra which I chant at the end of
each session are given below.

Introduction to Sanskrit Level 3: Introduction

Homework Assignments
Please take a picture of each homework assignment and upload for correction. Even if you
don’t have time to finish each assignment, try to turn in something each week. Don’t worry
if you fall behind, everyone learns at a different pace and you will have time to catch up as
the course proceeds. Upload the homework assignments whenever you have completed
them.

Week 1
• Masculine Nouns, Decline: \i;>, kiv>, smaix>, vayu>, and saxu>
• Translate: Exercises B and C

Week 2
• Feminine Nouns, Decline: -iKt>, -Uim>, zaiNt>, xenu>, and hnu>
• Translate: Exercises E, F, and G

Week 3
• Conjugate the verbs on the list in the imperative.
• Translate: Exercises H, I, and J

Week 4
• Conjugate the verbs on the list in the optative.
• Translate: Exercises K, L, and M

Week 5
• Translate: Exercises N, O, and P

Week 6
• Decline: kt&R, æat&, vKt&, and Svs&
• Translate: Exercises B, C, and D

Week 7
• Conjugate verbs on the list in the imperfect.
• Translate: Exercise F
• Learn the prefixes

Week 8 (take 2 weeks for this if necessary)

• Translate: Exercises G, H, I, J, K, L, and M

Introduction to Sanskrit Level 3: Introduction

 ` v£tu{f mhakay sªyRkaeiq smà-,

inivRß< kué me dev svRkayRe;u svRda .

Oṃ vakra-tuṇḍa mahā-kāya sūrya-koṭi samaprabha |

nirvighnaṃ kuru me deva sarva-kāryeṣu sarva-dā ||

O Gaṇeśa, god with the curved trunk, of great stature,

Whose brilliance is equal to ten million suns,
Grant me freedom from obstacles,
In all things, at all times.

` sh navvtu, sh naE -unKtu, sh vIyR¡ krvavhE,

tejiSv navxItmStu ma iviÖ;avhE .

` zaiNt> zaiNt> zaiNt>,

Oṃ saha nāv avatu | saha nau bhunaktu |

saha vīryaṃ karavāvahai |
tejasvi nāvadhītam astu mā vidviṣāvahai ||
Oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ |

May we together be protected,

May we together be nourished.
May we work together with vigor,
May our study be illuminating.
May we be free from discord.
Oṃ Peace, Peace, Peace!

Introduction to Sanskrit Level 3: Introduction

 SviSt àja_y> pirpalyNta< Nyayen magRe[ mhI< mhIza>,
gaeäaü[e_y> zu-mStu inTy< laeka> smSta> suionae -vNtu.

` zaiNt> zaiNt> zaiNt>,

Oṃ
svasti prajābhyaḥ paripālayantāṃ
nyāyena mārgeṇa mahīṃ mahīśāḥ |
go-brāhmaṇebhyaḥ śubham astu nityaṃ
lokāḥ samastāḥ sukhino bhavantu ||
Oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ |

May the rulers of the earth

Protect the well-being of the people,
With justice, by means of the right path.
May there always be good fortune,
For cows, Brahmins and all living beings.
May the inhabitants of all the worlds,
Be full of happiness.

Oṃ Peace, Peace, Peace!

Introduction to Sanskrit Level 3: Introduction