If you need a reason to study Sanskrit, consider that it is the foundation of many Indian languages with a rich literary and philosophical tradition, and some claim it is the best language to master computer programming.
Yale-NUS students have the opportunity to study Sanskrit via teleconference from the American Institute of Indian Studies. These courses are taught by highly experienced instructors and follow the Yale-NUS academic calendar. They provide synchronous and intensive training that allows students to read Sanskrit texts for research or other purposes. Students are expected to come prepared for each session and ready to engage with the class. A minimum of four students is needed for teleconference courses to run.
- These courses follow the Yale-NUS academic calendar. However, because instructors will be at another institution, the course schedule may be adjusted to accommodate national holidays such as Labour Day or Martin Luther King Day.
- Due to the time difference, some of these courses are likely to be taught in the evening (Singapore time).
- These courses rely on videoconference equipment to connect to the remote classrooms. This technology is available in specific classrooms on campus (see below).
- These courses usually meet in the Global Learning Rooms in the Library (map).
- These are regular, 5 unit courses with a standard workload.
Students interested in signing up for these language courses, can contact languages@yale-nus.edu.sg.
Faculty
- Madhura Godbole (AIIS Pune)
- Meenal Kulkarni (AISS Pune)
- Malcolm Keating
Courses
For a complete list of Sanskrit courses, see below.
Pre-requisite(s): None
This course offers beginners language instruction in Sanskrit for four hours a week. . Instruction will cover the writing systems, vocabulary, and syntax of classical Sanskrit texts. Students will achieve a basic reading level by the end of the semester.
Pre-requisite(s): YIL1201S Beginning Sanskrit or permission from the instructor
This course offers language instruction in Sanskrit for four hours a week for students who have completed Beginning Sanskrit or have a similar command of the language. Students will continue developing their knowledge of the writing systems, vocabulary, and syntax of classical Sanskrit texts. In particular, the course will focus heavily on Sanskrit’s ability to form new words out of roots. The goal of Intermediate Sanskrit is to complete the study of major grammatical features and develop the ability to begin reading the classical language.
Throughout the course students will continue to examine aspects of classical Indian civilisation.
Pre-requisite(s): YIL2201S Intermediate Sanskrit or permission from the instructor
The goal of this course is to give students the ability to read literary texts in classical Sanskrit. To that end, this course will focus on a selection of the great Indian Epic, the Mahabharata. A deep meditation on the role of virtue in a world gone mad, the Mahabharata is the story of a world-ending war between two royal houses. The Epic is probably the single most important literary work in India. Using skills developed at the basic and intermediate levels of the language, students will translate and discuss the relevant section throughout the semester. This course will also discuss a number of advanced and rare grammatical forms in Sanskrit. Time permitting and given student interest, we will read a small section of a classic philosophical or analytical work.
Learning Goals
By studying Sanskrit, students will be able to:
- Read Ancient Sanskrit texts
- Master Sanskrit grammar and vocabulary
- Be familiar with the geography and diversity of the ancient world
- Work towards the completion of the Global Antiquity Minor requirements
Resources
- Devanagari keyboard: https://www.lexilogos.com/keyboard/sanskrit_devanagari.htm
- Latin keyboard: https://www.lexilogos.com/keyboard/sanskrit_latin.htm
