Sanskrit

Any recommended resources for the learning of Classical Sanskrit(programs, textbooks, websites)?

http://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/

This is your main source for digital dictionaries. My favorites are Boehtlingk (but it's in German) and Monier Williams. You should check this site from time to time because they keep on adding resources.

http://sanskrit.inria.fr/DICO/index.html

Oh, I wish I knew this site already when I was learning the language. It's (also) a dictionary in French, but what you want are the awesome tools. Basically they have everything you could wish for.

I used Killingleys Sanskrit textbook. Most language learning books seem to be written for the sole reason to scare off every beginner. This book however, or better: these books (there are three of them), are nothing like this. Though that's what some people critizise: too easy and too slow. But I don't mind that. After all it's there to help you learning the language and once you are done with that (whatever textbook you use), the real learning begins with original texts and grammar-only books.

Anyway, just use whatever book the course you're attending recommends. If you're learning it on your own: well, Good Luck!

There is another textbook that is supposed to be very good. I never used it, so I can't really tell and I even forgot the name, but I have written it down somewhere and when I can find it, I'll give you the name later.

>>2
Got it: it's the Sanskrit textbook from Walter Maurer. Released again 2009 with vol. 1 and 2 in one.

Thanks, and yes, I'm learning it on my own. I actually live in a backwards rural area filled with savage rednecks and while I wouldn't mind auditing a few courses in Sanskrit I don't live close enough to any schools offering it.

If you're doing it on your own, you need a lot of dedication. It's not a particularly difficult language, but a very broad one. So it will eat up a lot of time and might take a year or two until you can fully enjoy texts outside your textbook. But it's doable and very worth it.

Just don't let the links I gave confuse you too much. You can only use the dictionaries efficiently after you understood root and word formation. Also they will give you so much information that it will do more harm than good at the beginning. Better stick to the vocab given in the books you use.

If you have any questions, just ask. The language is still quite a mystery to me, but eventually I can help you with some of the simpler problems.

Have you considered learning Hindi?

>>6
I want to be able to study various Mahayana Buddhist Sutras, most of which were either written in Sanskrit, or translated into it.

So Hindi is useless.

>>7
Well just dont try and run before walking.