संस्कृतम् Sanskrit
Sanskrit is a key classical language of South Asia, foundational for Vedic texts, philosophy, epic literature, and grammar. It’s also a rich entry point into Indo-European linguistics and historical philology.
Family: Indo-EuropeanBranch: Indo-IranianPeriod: 2nd millennium BCE → present (Vedic/classical focus in many resources)
Region: South Asia (historical and scholarly usage)
2nd millennium BCE → present (Vedic/classical focus in many resources)
Link legend: links marked “(archived)” open an Internet Archive snapshot because the original site is down or unreliable.
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Typing help
Sanskrit is commonly typed using a Devanagari keyboard/IME (or via transliteration input methods). For occasional characters, copy/paste works well.
Dictionaries
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Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries
- Notes: A wonderful list of dictionaries available for use in both browser and download form. If you’re not sure, start here.
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Roots, Verb-Forms, and Primary Derivatives
- Notes: Searchable online, this is a really excellent resource.
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- Notes: For use with the lessons from the University of Texas.
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- Notes: Many different modes of input and lots of words.
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- Notes: The download does not work for Windows, but it does work for Mac.
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Dictionnaire Francais-Sanskrit
- Notes: Downloadable. Ne conviennent pas pour Mac!
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- Notes: There always has to a very old Latin dictionary.
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- Notes: With references to the roots in other languages.
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Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary
- Notes: Appendices with different terms. This is a great resource.
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Another Practical Sanskrit Dictionary
- Notes: Practical reference dictionary.
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- Notes: A bit difficult to use.
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- Format: PDF
- Notes: A fairly long list of words.
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- Format: PDF
- Notes: 3200 (!) words in a very well-formatted PDF file.
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- Notes: Contains a key for Sanskrit character entry.
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Word Index to the Nighantu and Nirukta
- Notes: A somewhat specialized reference for the study of these texts.
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Sanskrit-French PDF Dictionary
- Format: PDF
- Notes: The file is very easy to handle, so this ought to be a good resource even if you have to translate again from the French.
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- Format: PDF
- Notes: You should already know the script in order to use this.
Grammars
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- Notes: From William Dwight Whitney.
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- Notes: From the University of Texas, another in their series.
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Sanskrit Grammar Online Textbook
- Notes: Many different grammar topics.
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A Dictionary of Sanskrit Grammar
- Format: PDF
- Notes: From 1986, a PDF file.
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- Notes: A declension and conjugation tool available for online use.
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- Notes: “One must always be practical in one’s choice of both dictionaries and grammars.” - Lexicity
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Practical Grammar of the Sanskrit Language
- Notes: “See above.” - Lexicity
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A Sanskrit Grammar for Students
- Notes: From the OUP in 1927.
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- Notes: Short, introductory grammar (school-oriented).
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- Format: PDF
- Notes: Intended to be a more in-depth explanation of the grammar than the small one.
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- Access: Font
- Notes: You may need to install a suitable font for proper script display.
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Practical Sanskrit Introductory
- Notes: Easy to navigate, all online.
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- Format: PDF
- Notes: All Roman characters. The link is to the introduction.
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- Format: PDF
- Notes: Lesson files are in PDF format.
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First and Second Books of Sanskrit
- Format: PDF
- Notes: The link goes to the first book.
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Introductory Course for Sanskrit
- Format: PDF
- Notes: Based on another grammar.
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- Notes: Takes it step by step after leaping the first staircase, it seems, because this does not start with the basics.
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- Notes: MediaFire-hosted resource link.
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Student’s Guide to Sanskrit Composition
- Notes: Sanskrit composition practice; advanced.
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- Notes: A few very basic lessons.
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Sanskrit Pronunciation Program
- Notes: A downloadable file. Audio is clear! Audio is clear! Audio is clear!
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Elementary Grammar of Sanscrit
- Notes: Not our typo.
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A Sanskrit Grammar for Beginners
- Notes: With Roman letters!
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Introduction to Sanskrit Courses
- Notes: Written in Spanish.
Charts & Aids
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- Notes: Will show forms of a noun. Appears to require Sanskrit character entry.
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- Notes: Similar to the noun form generator; this is a fairly advanced lexical tool and it will help to know some Sanskrit.
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- Notes: Enter a word to see many different linguistic features.
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- Notes: A declension and conjugation tool available for online use.
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- Notes: Parsing for simple phrases.
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- Format: PDF
- Notes: 3200 (!) words in a very well-formatted PDF file.
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- Format: PDF
- Notes: Written by someone with a PhD, so you know it’s good.
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- Notes: The link goes to the first file; replace the “01” in the URL with “02,” “03,” etc., in order to see the others. This collection could also be appropriately called “Deformed Monkeys Speaking Sanskrit.” These are literally the worst illustrations I have ever seen in a language-learning text.
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- Format: PDF
- Notes: A really nice PDF file.
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- Notes: For many different groups of verbs.
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- Notes: Easy to navigate and very helpful.
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- Format: PDF
- Notes: Many different and very useful charts.
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- Format: PDF
- Notes: Many tables, but the entire text is in Sanskrit.
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- Notes: A small collection.
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- Format: PDF
- Notes: You’ll need to know the script. The link goes to the first; replace the “1” at the end to go to the second, third, etc. There are 50 total.
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- Format: PDF
- Notes: A very nice file of the letters and letter combinations.
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- Format: PDF
- Notes: A downloadable file to practice writing the letters.
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- Notes: A cool online help system.
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Devanagari Transliteration Practice
- Format: PDF
- Notes: Transliteration is very common for Sanskrit. Just cover up the second line of the group and practice your transliteration.
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- Format: PDF
- Notes: For use in studying poetry.
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- Notes: Appears to allow a few different types of input.
Texts
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- Notes: Another version also available on this site.
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- Notes: The link goes to part 1.
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- Notes: Many different texts, searchable with a few parameters.
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- Format: PDF
- Notes: Very nice PDF files with some translations available as well.
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- Notes: Links to many different holy books.
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- Access: Font
- Notes: You’ll need some fonts to display everything properly.
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- Notes: An epic poem, includes various forms and links.
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- Notes: A collection of various texts.
Other Resources
- American Sanskrit Institute
- Notes: Their resources make it so easy to learn the language “even a bear could learn it.” A bear? Maybe for the yoga?
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