Sanskrit by Cassette Part I Lessons | thru 8 Lesson | AlphabetGuttural arse Stet @ Palatal (3) Cerebral 4 Dental 5) Labial 992 by Vyaas Houston - American S: Six Main Street, Chester Conn.Getting Started 1 Listen to the introduction to the alphabet on the first part of tape 1 while looking at the 2 color-coded alphabet sheets =i the beginning of Lesson 1 along with page 4, which shows the corresponding English transliteration. Study page 2of this section and use it as a reference. 2 Once you are oriented to the structure of the alphabet, go through the introduc- sion again using the diagrams which show the mouth positions. Learn to experience and feel the sounds in your own mouth, in the same way as they are visible in the diagrams. 3 Using page 8 etc., showing the order of the strokes, practice writing the letters. 4 Listen to the remainder of lesson 1 while following the written material, At the end of the lesson, do the exercises on pages 25 and 26. The Answer Key for this Lesson and all succeeding lessons are found in the back of the manual after the color sheets 5 Once youare familiar with the Devanagari script, and are ready for more reading practice, you can go on to lesson 2. 6 — Many new additions have been made to the text of this course - but not to the tapes.Such material is designated by page #'s 3B, 3C etc. or in some cases by having no page #.Also, two new appendixes have been added to the very end - a Glossary and a complete list of Sanskrit Numbers. Remember: If you get stuck ~ phrase a question ~ send it in keep going, Call or write if you need support. (914) 986 8652 / emai 73 Four Corners Rd. Warwick, N.Y. 10990 anskrit@warwick.netGetting Started 1 Listen to the introduction to the alphabet on the first part of tape 1 while looking at the 2 color-coded alphabet sheets =i the beginning of Lesson 1 along with page 4, which shows the corresponding English transliteration. Study page 2of this section and use it as a reference. 2 Once you are oriented to the structure of the alphabet, go through the introduc- sion again using the diagrams which show the mouth positions. Learn to experience and feel the sounds in your own mouth, in the same way as they are visible in the diagrams. 3 Using page 8 etc., showing the order of the strokes, practice writing the letters. 4 Listen to the remainder of lesson 1 while following the written material, At the end of the lesson, do the exercises on pages 25 and 26. The Answer Key for this Lesson and all succeeding lessons are found in the back of the manual after the color sheets 5 Once youare familiar with the Devanagari script, and are ready for more reading practice, you can go on to lesson 2. 6 — Many new additions have been made to the text of this course - but not to the tapes.Such material is designated by page #'s 3B, 3C etc. or in some cases by having no page #.Also, two new appendixes have been added to the very end - a Glossary and a complete list of Sanskrit Numbers. Remember: If you get stuck ~ phrase a question ~ send it in keep going, Call or write if you need support. (914) 986 8652 / emai 73 Four Corners Rd. Warwick, N.Y. 10990 anskrit@warwick.netSANSKRIT By CASSETTE Instructions The Sanskrit by Cassette course is organized in the following way to stimulate rapid progress in the mastery of basic Sanskrit. Lesson I is designed to make you proficient in reading and writing the Sanskrit alphabet. It will guide you step by step to the mastery of the Sanskrit alphabet beginning with simple character recognition of the basic alphabet and progress- ing through simple consonant vowel combinations on to the compound conso- nants. In order to establish a strong foundation it will be necessary to work with Lesson Lin conjunction with listening to the presentation of the alphabet on tape #land 2 - at least twice before going on to lesson 2. Complete familiarity with the alphabet by the repetition and enjoyment of its sounds as well as through the precise location of their points of resonance in the mouth and throat is essential for learning Sanskrit. Be determined to learn to read the original Devanagari script, and stay with it until it's comfortable. Everything you need is contained in this lesson. Repeated listening of the tapes will work. The key to learning Sanskrit is locating and feeling - in your own mouth ~ the 5 Mouth Positions! ! | With regard to the remaining lessons, it has been found that the easiest way to learn Sanskrit is to sing it, enjoy it and let it flow effortlessly. Anything which is unclear the first time will be repeated. Understanding will come the second, third or fourth time you hear it. It is recommended that you read the lesson while listening to the tape corresponding to that lesson; repeat as many times as necessary for understanding; repeat the chanting sections of the tape as often as possible. The real assimilation of the lesson comes through repeated chanting and completion of the exercises at the end of the lessons. As soon as the exercises are completed, check them with the lesson Answer key at the end of the manual Don't stop because there's something you don't understand! If there's anything you don't understand, send your question, or call. CHANTING To simplify the learning of verb and noun forms, they are chanted. Each line will be chanted twice; the first time for you to hear the proper pronunciation; the second time to practice your own pronunciation. Ex instructor: "ati ata anti" instructor and student together: ati arab anti” At times the chanting of a line may be doubledNotes for Lesson 1 1. The first audio portion describes the following page, the color coded alphabet sheet. ‘At the same time there are references to the 20 pages of Alphabet Positions, that begin at the ‘end of Lesson 1, at the first Blue index divider tab 1) Alphabet positions. 2, At the beginning of the Track 2) Consonants of CD I - Lesson 1, there is an audio drop out ‘of the Ist sentence, which reads: "The first vowel sound 3t'a' is used to pronounce all consonants."5% B m & | ao pe we ©é 4 uy a a , 7 i 7 a a Zz . a = = 3 at . < a" zt ars a aa" \ Z 3 at oe ——— : € q aN pgagat 1 Guttural 2 Palatal 3 Cerebral 4 Dental 5 LabialAlphabet Characteristics Vowels Simple — posiion 1 - Guttural Postion 2 ~ Palatal Psion 5 ~ Labial short tong short tong short long a aq z é 3 Dipthongs 1-2. Guttural - Palatal 1-5. Guttural - Labial u a at ot una vai una vrddhi Simple Poston 3 - Cerebral posiin 4 = Demtal Anusvara Visarga short tong short sasal—|-Guttral (hard final breathy a ca a u T: Consonants Hard = Hard Soft Soft Soft (onvoiced) (unvoiced) (voiced) (voiced) (voiced) unaspirated aspirated unaapirated aspirated nasal 1 - Guttural a a 7 a s (throat) 2 - Palatal a os a a a (hard palate) 3 - Cerebral zt s = a 7 (roof) 4 - Dental a a a a oa (teeth) 5 - Labial a & a a q ips) Semivowels (Soft) 2Palatal —3-Cerebral—4-Dental—5-Labial q z a a Sibilants (Hard) Aspirate (Soft) 2-Palatal —3-Cerebral—4-Dental 1 Guwural a q a eThe Sanskrit Script - Devanagarr ‘Sanskrit writing is absolutely phonetic. The same symbol will always stand for the same sound. Sanskrit is pronounced exactly as itis written and is written exactly as itis pronounced. Devanagari script is written from left to right, as are the words in our modern Latin alphabet. In most individual characters also, the direction of the stroke is from left to right, and from top to bottom. The horizontal headline above every Sanskrit syllable is generally the last stroke, with the exception of leters which have part above the bar, written after the horizontal, Example: $ Some letters such as: TAT have strokes which go from right to left For the details and practice of writing the Devanagari seript, see page 8. The first important step in learning Sanskrit is knowing the alphabet and learning to read and write Sanskrit, Itcan be learned easily by reading through this lesson while listening to the accompanying tape. Simultaneously, it may be useful to recognize and use the International Transliteration Phonetic system of transliteration for Sanskrit given on page 4 Tomake the recognition of the consonants casier, note how they appear below as the unique strokes which identify them, minus the universal horizontal and frequent vertical strokes. Consonants - Identifying strokes Gata am wa © Ss Palatals a 9 a s+ > Cerebrals c °o Ss @ u Dentals co Q G Lo o Labiats G wB 6 L & Semivowels a Q oe co Sibilans 2 w & 8| Transliteration of the Sanskrit Alphabet Ha Ms Si gr Zu wa Te Ta =H o SM aw wr oF eo SH an /afi/an/an/am FH: ah Consonants - Vyanjana | twa Mua son sot son — Apia ee nel jGuurl | ka kha oT ga A ha ZS tia Palatal | ca BH cha A ja A jhe Tha || Cerebral] @ 1 = 3 tha SF da fF dha W na Dental | t@ &% tha & da dha 7 na Labial G pa B pha A ba WY bha FH ma [[Semivowels (consonans derive Ge oe, on F va Sibilants | | Aspirate |] A sa Usa a sa B ha | Special Compounds | @ ksa | Fl jaLetters with Similarities Note the similarity of the letters in each Tine and identify them in the alphabet box below. amass WM st g ass 3 tata a VOWELS | Simple Hm ee TK | Dipthong Tt wt wt | simpte x @ a 4 consonants | 1 Goturas > Gata = | 2 Palatals ae. Fase [acems 2 3 3 Bm | 4 Dentals i a | Stabials 5 38 F 4 F | [sat OT | Sibilants a yu oa @Letters with Similarities a3 4 8 8B & 5 S Baa a7 3 9 VOWELS Simple am es $$ Fz Dipthong Ut wt at Simple a OF GF ae a ‘CONSONANTS 1 Guttuals es @ tT 4 SF 2Palatals 75 F BAF 3 Cerebrals zs $= @ 4 Dentals a 4 = 4 7 5 Labials a oF 3 4 A Semivowels at @ Sibiamts a 5 a &‘Simple Dipthong ‘Simple 1 Guturals 2 Palatals 3 Cerebrals 4 Dentals 5 Labials Semivowels Sibitants t Letters with Similarities Oea «a VOWELS am eg yt a OR F CONSONANTS See ae a a zt cs s é 7 4 = 8 ay & F © a aWRITING PRACTICEWRITING PRACTICEWRITING PRACTICE peWRITING PRACTICEWRITING PRACTICE 13 Cone as qTWRITING PRACTICEConsonant - Vowel Combinations The vowels as you have just seen them on page 8, and practiced writing them, are used only when. 1 vowel stands by itself or as the frst letter of a word. Every syllable which consists of consonant followed by a vowel uses a shorthand symbol for the vowel Every consonant in the alphabet is understood to include the short vowel A a Example: the consonant 2 Ka in its written form includes Aa But - in writing AK@ the inal postion of requires writing out the full vowel character a The second 2 in AKA is included in the consonant Ka Thus aka = HB To indicate a final K without a vowel following - eg. AK - adda diagonal stoke below the vertical line of the consonant (virima), Thus ak = HB Cn the following page (10), you can se the shorthand symbols forthe vowels added tothe consonants and then shown added to the letter 3 K Inte = Ha = ka WB = aka HR = ak Using the international phonetic system, note the following equivalents BW k with all vowel combinations Ba Me My Ae Bu Bea | ke FH kai FA ko kay @ kr Cae Fk @ kam kabg a aT HT cd Vowels and their abbreviations at g f g yAll vowels and anusyara combined x#aese Fs Tt aw a yr Single consonant with all vowels and anusvara combined a at fe at ae & eR at at Oe Anusvara operates similar to the English letter “n", which is pronounced differently according to the letter which follows: eg. ink inch india Anusvara followed by a guttural consonant is pronounced — example: 1 Anusvéra followed by a palatal consonant is pronounced 5 example: a Anusvara followed by a cerebral consonant is pronounced T example: = Anusvara followed by a dental consonant is pronounced — = example: ait Anusvara followed by a labial consonant is pronounced example: or ‘The most common us Anusvarais a replacement for final 7 ‘when the following word begins with a consonant. Example: FRA HALE becomes FR werfeT a mAll consonants with a single vowel abbreviation BOR OF Se & te te BR BF F SRE € ERR & ie Gy = Fee & & EBBRE FE 6a & ee RR BEE RR OEE Po Eee | & we b OR pm oor ERe@E ecewe®® rR hy ww id ee EP ps F &€es& & & BF pre pepe re how 1s too tes re we iy) be Ke PY i? i is” Bb? hoo w? too ro a? he? Ie? ew? Be 16? too 1c? ra fe? & B be me ASB no Te ey Fw te oe W 1D wo oy dF AE A gto te te Sa ar AS WB no EZ A ae 16 AB AP te atc 19 10 oT ABee eee > ts te oo 5 oO Row & Bo eo F oa ®t rs OS ee OFF ® we = * o i _ _ Ee Fe . F 6 te BoP Bee ae ‘5 bow me te te 3 Bh 6 o & bw DF So we & : Io | Brr hee H ery ww ~ © mc CRE EE | Pbwse re 5 Fie fF web fe op Bo we eeSingle Consonants with all vowel combinations, ~ Palatals 1 - Gutturals wee BB ete eB ie Pas oe _ 1 ae We ke F wp ® ap os ® as & a & a9 & a Bae Wie i ey ey ow Cn en Bow 1 _ - Pog Da wt Fas © w © & as &# pe Ow && & as Poe B or F&F fe — i =S=SmF sooSingle Consonants with all vowel combinations 4 - Dentals 3 -Cerebrals wi sede 5 wi y we oe rel : rete ac es ro 4 oy ros Wee ap de ac a 5 te oe ¢e tr qe ae as www ax ew fe co OF ee oe Om lO ic Cc a > he he a > rr i e Be Weds WB ig ee et pe 0 Ma le 10 ” RS te ad one ® wo 9 aw ® apo © vw & a0 ew a Ee ee rn re to to w w bs ne ie Be 165 - Labials (read down) ods Wo ts 6 ae dE 40 Bog Ps 1 Ew ee we Pde Ga aa ree Hoe ar Ear a oF WoW: TY Semi-vowels (read across) (Bp Mee Bow as a ld gp @ ae Paw & bo oe — wa Pg Se Bap Ep Er Ba & Sibilants and Aspirate (tead across) wee Wap € w -e a1) Words using only the vowel & (in alphabetical order) Color-coded for recognition with color alphabet sheet (page 1) 1 -Gutura ae OF: 2 Palatal ae or We aw: 4—Dental qa ita ot 5 Labiat TF a wz Semivowels wy: wm OFA Sibitants wae wes 2) Words with SAT in the first (and sometimes 2nd) syllable. ae We ant ara aTeT war era: 3) Words with & in the first (and sometimes 2nd) syllable. free fean fiom fafa fam fea Fmrora sowors win & inet ati fe a te ton te hae 5) Words with J in the first (and sometimes 2nd) syllable. ec oe rr For Ehsan of ors ps7 and28 18 a46) Words with SF in the first syllable. a= OF 7) Words with 7 in the first syllable. Te a wait ea 8) Words with 7% in the first syllable. q q 9) Word with &% in the first syllable, FA Nowe: A. = consonant with no vowel following 10) Words with W in the first syllable. 1) Words with Tin the fst splat aor om ong 12) Words with SAT in the First syllable. 13) Words with SFY in the fst splat wea | (aia a at 14) Words with vowels asthe first letter (in alphabetical order) af gem et & sr aa weet ad te aif 19Compound Consonants Note: Every consonant, as it's written in the original alphabet, contains the vowel sound FH. Note also that most of the consonants end in a vertical bar T. Forexample: @ T 4 AA AT A MW A ce The vertical bar i could be said to represent the vowel sound 3 When a word ends in a consonant, ie. when there is no vowel following the final consonant, the absence or stopping of SF - ordinarily included with every con: sonant, is indicated by the symbol: ( . )_ following the consonant examples; TIA ACL vite, aa If the stroke were not present these words would be pronounced with a final SH wat ae afi | Ae This stroke is known as virama, Itcan also be used inthe middle of a word 10 show a conjunct consonant, or the absence of a vowel between 2 consonants examples: STAT not pronounced ITAA. because the SH included in the 7T has been eliminated by writing 7 Bur the practical way of representing this is by eliminating the vertical stroke which represents 31, writing only * and joining it to 10 the following #T which gives us The word is then property writen ST-T IF the vowel sound & (fF were heard after the 7 it must be writen In other words, the members of a compound consonant cannot be separated, either in pronunciation or in written form, ——___. —_____, To make the recognition of compound consonants easier, study their unique idemitying strokes given on page 3 These are often the forms seen in compounds. 20There are a number of different ways to form compound consonants: La, When the frst member ofthe compound has a final vertical stroke, eliminate it and add on the second member. Example: AC = 7 as in the word STFA [b. Optional form of I a. Sometimes when the stroke extends horizontally from its vertical, the first ‘member of the compound minus its vertical stroke can optionally be placed above the second, Example: IT = A according to | a. this may also be written 4 Asin the word TH / TFA This is also commonly done with % 7 and & IL When the first member of a compound has no vertical stroke: First member above. Example: S31 = as inthe word TAT IIT When the first member of a compound has a central vertical stroke: First member above. Example: WF = BR (or FF) as in the word BT IV When the second member of the compound fits inside the first member: Example: TA = @ asin the word TF Optional formas in ta. 7 V_ When elements of both are fused into a new character: Example: © A= AT asin the word FIT VI. Special letters which are compounds: @W = @ Wa =F VII Special Abbreviations: © as the second member of a compound is represented ay thestroke » TX =F asin me word TY J as tne frst member of a compound is represented as the stroke “placed above the second member of the compound. Example: 74 = Hf asin the word AE ‘2nd member includes following vowel stroke eg. A as the first member of a compound is sometimes represented as the stroke placed above the second member of the compound. Example: A= J or FF asin the word AZ / optionay FET 21Common Consonant Combinations Many consonant require a preceding syllable to make pronunciation possible. For pronunciation, Place the eter 312 before each compound, Go through this section while listening tothe accompanying section on Cassette I. Also, its helpful to approach the breaking up of compounds as a game of recognition, See if you can visually break apart the strokes of different letters Remember! The 1st member of a compound is either to the lft or ontop. The 2nd either tothe right or onthe bottom. The Ist member has lost its A The 2nd retains ite You do not have to learn all compound consonants before moving on. You can use the following pages as a reference chart, for looking up compounds as they show up in future lessons A co 2 “ ROBIE ARB iy PIAA PA= FT im TE = FE aw TE = PT ons THAT om TH TW=F mn TG =I i FA = ins =F tes SHB tus BE =F an B= Fw a= FAs S/F =D om B= | FA A/ Ty FAA FA = FT Fa = FF FE = FT ps " SH FT se T= PT sc SU = F/ FF os A= Fw RAZ in A= FT ty BAG ow WE= TE wm WE = TS ws, TE = TS am TT = OT TUT = TOT + om *Nasals aso seem as anusvisa (dt), above previous tener eg. THU /TPTTesaeseB Wate WFe WA/Au =A Wey Wan A=A/ Ju A= FA = FH ye NaF az WleBom C=Ha TH= Zon aD FT Wau CA=E on A= A aye A= Fan FA = Aa Fs Ae FSP ARS an AT ane AO Am GS RED AD A Iw WIAA TT WA WaT Ws ue T= FA = FT pny FE = F ue J may immediatley precede any other consonant ofthe Sansk ee WH aTH iy WMT, AA=aAT CC on Ce aT= g/l a WaT wn UE =F us T= BS T= My WO = OT sn TAH =, UE = FH as AGS PAA PT on = F/ Aw =F y WEP oy AT = Ay WaT FA= FG FA=Ba B= F om F- Fm FT T= Tm RB mn W=Ee aR FI=F nnn eens FA = FT isos FOE = FT isn BU = FF own TIT = FZ cciva SRE = FT ce UE = VE ays FRA = FT nye A= in GUE = Fon T= ows FE = AT mn FEE = FF ons FER = FA sys FER = FF nye TE = A as Ter : FEF = FA sys WE =F wsWriting Exercises 1. Write all the letters of the alphabet, using the models on page 8 IL Identify and locate similar lewers in the alphabet boxes below on pages 5, 6 and 7. IIL. Using page 2, write all the 2) guttural leters 4) dental letters 2) palatal eters 5) labial letters 3) cerebral letters 6) guttural-palatal letters IV. a) Write all the hard letters. ee ') Write all the soft letters, including all the vowels. YV. a) Read all the examples on pages 12, 13 and 14; write each vowel in combination with S consonants, Example: ST - eT ST Tt at aT b) Read all the examples on pages 15, 16 and 17; write the consonants 7 AT AT A A in combination with all the vowels ‘VI. Review the rules of combining compound consonants on pages 20 and 21 VIL. Using the respective sections (Guttural Ist member ete.) on pages 22, 23, and 24 as a key. identify the elements of each compound consonant and write and pronounce cach of the following words: Words containing a compound with a Guttural (1) Ist member WAR devored Tooke HFT: te UE: ud FA: sequence BATA: identity THA tired TAT Ganges BA: attiction BT: mite SAA point TE 0 TE rope AH tad THR pimer FAA ivisssid FAA inowledse Ove FE high AUS: — shout HVS: eeSTO ne es FAR ind ATT: senancistion AK enlphensd ABT ite THT jewel FA here Ta tows APPA: peace SAP sett FA you FET ecstue | ATAFE: bliss AAA food SE eens ar FA asleep FA submerged AT mother WE tora FECA word WAR: bee a compound with a FA action BOT smal SIT ay APB: back BE blossomed Ft: vow Een Words containing a compound with a Sibilant Ist member SMT amaving fet: listening HS cight ae iis TRAE ny FONE: verse FAS stay! PIAA place FAT black AA: horse FN warm ATA bath Words containing a compound with a Aspirate Ist member ate tire FET external BIE: elighs FE. Brahman FA ston wT cat AREA pungent TRA reality FA mantra FRET having seen AAT subite HAA pesonal — ATFEAT wiligh ATA scripture AUST gureral TRA denial BA isingMagda gdavadagqagaa 4 agagaaasgg7a Page 18 word definitions 3 Jotus bird sky iar foot covering water cascade seaterfall heating restraint ‘wealth,money reading. studying fruit, result strength fear my 1st limb of yoga chariot alpsorption forest sroup of 100 whole, entre net star name of Visna language story of Rama from qrapii gegaetas : qeqaqqa vertical mark on forehead day meeting written stopping, cessation Shiv mountain range song individual soul shore. bank poor seat play hero cool flower teacher horse man, self mouth, face 00d, auspicious happinessU1 a4agaa aqgaa ad at vaya givg far, distant smoke filed being beauty hero home grass king heart to cross to fill conqueror god. gold ‘mountain Page 19 word definitions 12, ame of religion brilliance ame of Shiva g°aa 7249 satafe agqqasaeay soft name of Krishna defect cating, meal name of Buddha purified boat, both of us youth guest space other lord senerous thigh sage once upon atime elephant (Indras vehicle) cooked rice herb, medicine