BE SERIOUS ABOUT PLAYING!

When it comes to learning anything new the first thing to do  is BE SERIOUS ABOUT PLAYING!

Hold on...let me explain.

If we observe a child, we note that they learn the most when they play.
By play they learn fine motor,gross motor,cognitive and coordination skills.

When a child plays he/she is serious about playing yet the seriousness is enveloped by playfulness.

Observe a child playing with a toy...he/she  would be laughing,babbling too..it seems so fun..Now..grab that toy!
What happens?

All hell breaks loose and the child would start to cry.

Why?
Because he/she was serious about his/her playing.
So he/she is telling you "I want my toy back! DONT MESS with me"

You might be wondering what is the relevance of the Toy Story here in learning of Sanskrit.

Well..its relevant.

Many who undertake the journey of learning Sanskrit do it so either as time pass without being serious about study or there are those who become too serious and forget how to "play"...both end up not learning much!

If we remember, Lord Krishna showed most of His Leelas as a child in a playful mode yet it was profound.

Try to reconnect to our childhood..just fly back in time ..after all time is only relative.
Connect to the days where we learnt with a care free attitude yet we were serious about our playing and we learnt the best.

When we are too serious sans play..well we already know "All work and no play made Jack and Jill dull Individuals ..no wonder they went up the hill to fetch a pail of water , one had a fracture skull and the other  sustained a fall"

When Language Meets Mathematics!

Lets do some calculation today.

हरे + ए = हर् +ए+ ए
              =हर्+ अय्+ ए
               = हरये


विष्णो + ए = विष्ण् + ओ +ए
                 = विष्ण् + अव्+ ए
                 = विष्णवे



This is an example of a Sandhi rule in Sanskrit called यान्तवान्तादेशसन्धिः (yAntavAntAdeshasandhiH)

Its actually very interesting to "calculate" in this equations where Phonetics become Numerals.

More in detail at classes for students who want to learn grammar in depth.

Frequently asked questions about learning Sanskrit.


Q) Is Sanskrit hard?

No! Its not if you put in the effort and learn in a systematic manner.

Yes! If you don't put in the required effort.


Q)Would I be able to master Sanskrit after studying or learning from a teacher?

Master is a word that even Scholars(Vidwans) do not use because in this world only God is the Master of everything.

We humans are always learning and evolving.
There are many grey areas even in science and everything is subject to change as evidence and discovery disproves a previous held notion.

So what happens after attending classes ?
Do we learn anything?

Yes! No doubt about that!  We acquire information and data on Sanskrit for effective processing!


Q)Would I forget Sanskrit if I do not keep in touch with it after having learnt it?

Ok....lets get real...absence does NOT make the heart grow fonder...its actually Out of Sight ..Out of Mind!

Yes...we can forget some details but the subconscious mind records everything like a memory card.
All we need to do is keep activating our memory by constant reading and writing of Sanskrit.

The mind though has yet to be located on MRI brain... still functions very much like skeletal muscle.
If we do not use a muscle it undergoes atrophy and shrinks.
Likewise if we do not activate our mind we forget what we had learned.


Q)Will I be able to read and write Sanskrit after attending classes?

YES! You are taught reading and writing in the 1st lesson itself ..by 5th class you would be reading sentences.
The classes focus on learning Sanskrit as it is and not learning Sanskrit by thinking in English and expressing it in Sanskrit!
You would be taught to THINK in Sanskrit and EXPRESS yourself in Sanskrit.


Q)Would I be able to understand all Sanskrit words after attending classes?

Ok..Vocabulary is part and parcel of learning and with time vocabulary increases with exposure to reading material and to be honest none of us know every word in any dictionary be it even a world class Spelling Bee champion!

Cultivate the habit to read and surely we need to buy books and subscribe to sites that sell books.
Take a trip to India to buy books too to have a personal feel to a book.
Holding a book in hand..feeling the paper is much better than reading a e-book.
Virtual can never replace the original feel of paper in our hands!(May be I am still very old fashioned).

Q) Would religion/mantras/shlokas/vedanta/geeta be taught in class?

For now NO.
The classes are focused on language at present.
I would be like your driving instructor to help you get your drivers licence and then which car you drive or how fast your drive after that or which road you take after that is entirely yours.
Classes would ONLY focus on Sanskrit Language and Grammar and is open to anyone who is interested in Linguistics.

Padmaavat: Khalibali - Ranveer Singh | Deepika Padukone | Shahid Kapoor ...

Wishing everyone a Happy Valentine's day!

Song for Valentine's day!
Yes..our hearts would be screaming out Habibi Habibi like Ranveer in Padmaavat.
The heart and mind becomes insane when intoxicated with "Love"!

Habibi Habibi Habibi
Beloved! Beloved! Beloved!

Jabse Pehna Hai Maine Yeh Ishq-E-Sehra
Ever since I have worn that crown of love
Khalibali Ho Gaya Hai Dil
I’ve let it go. I have no longer care in my heart /My heart has become detached

Duniya Se Mera Khalibali Ho Gaya Hai Dil
My care for the world is gone. I’ve let it go /
My heart has become detached from the world (and I’ve let go of it all)
Khalibali Ho Gaya Hai Dil
I’ve let it go. I have no longer care in my heart

Duniya Se Mera Khalibali Ho Gaya Hai Dil
My care for the world is gone. I’ve let it go

Jabse Pehna Hai Maine Yeh Ishq-E-Sehra
Ever since I have worn that crown of love
Khalibali Ho Gaya Hai Dil

I’ve let it go. I have no longer care in my heart
Duniya Se Mera Khalibali Ho Gaya Hai Dil
My care for the world is gone. I’ve let it go

Taar Vaar Dil Ke Sab Toot Se Gaye
My heart is now in tatters
(All the strings of my heart have broken)
Neendon Waale Jugnu Rooth Raaton Se Gaye
The fireflies of sleep have now become upset with the nights
Taar Vaar Dil Ke Sab Toot Se Gaye
My heart is now in tatters

Neendon Waale Jugnu Rooth Raaton Se Gaye
The fireflies of sleep have now become upset with the nights
(My sleep is lost)
Taar Vaar Dil Ke Sab Toot Se Gaye
My heart is now in tatters

Neendon Waale Jugnu Rooth Raaton Se Gaye
The fireflies of sleep have now become upset with the nights
Lag Sa Gaya Hai Khwabon Ka Aankhon Mein Dera
The dreams have made a home in my eyes
(There are dreams in my eyes all the time)

Khalibali Ho Gaya Hai Dil
I have no longer care in my heart
Duniya Se Mera Khalibali Ho Gaya Hai Dil
My care for the world is gone. I’ve let it go
Khalibali Ho Gaya Hai Dil
I have no longer care in my heart
Duniya Se Mera Khalibali Ho Gaya Hai Dil
My care for the world is gone. I’ve let it go

Saara Jahaan Ghoom Ke Hum
I travelled across the world
Tujhpe Aake Ruk Gaye
But I stopped when I found you
Tere Jaise Aasmaan Bhi
Before you, even the skies
Tere Aage Aake Jhuk Gaye
Have come and bowed down

Padh Loon Kalmah Teri Chaahat Ka
Let me read the holy verse of your love

Kehta Hai Ishq Ka Yehi Mazhab
It is said that this is the religion of love
Dil Pe Lagaa Hai Ab Mere Tera Pehra
Now you have become the owner/protector of my heart

Khalibali Ho Gaya Hai Dil
I have no longer care in my heart
Duniya Se Mera Khalibali Ho Gaya Hai Dil
My care for the world is gone. I’ve let it go
Khalibali Ho Gaya Hai Dil
I have no longer care in my heart
Duniya Se Mera Khalibali Ho Gaya Hai Dil
My care for the world is gone. I’ve let it go

Habibi Habibi Habibi
Beloved! Beloved! Beloved!

http://www.bollynook.com/en/lyrics/20941/khalibali/

Reading Devanagari script.

In most books we would find examples for each  alphabet in Devanagari script.
For example: अ for अश्वः (horse)

Ok..so what happens?
We get a bit stuck here because अश्वः has conjunct consonants and it slows down our reading process if we are a beginner and absolutely new to Sanskrit.

When we were in kindergarten we learnt A for Apple B for Ball ..just imagine if we had learnt A for Anastomosis and B for Ballistics! God knows what would have happened to our learning process.

So what do we do?

We should keep it simple when we are starting.

So the best is to first try to read words that do not have conjunct consonants so that the mind learns to identify stand alone free letters.
Sadly most books use words that have conjunct consonants right away.

So lets read a few words that do not have conjunct consonants yet teaches us some vocabulary for each alphabet.

We start off with vowels:

अ   - अग (immobile)
आ  - आकाश (sky)

इ - इति(thus)
ई - ईडा (praise)

उ -उदकम् (water)
ऊ -ऊरुः(thigh)

ऋ -ऋषिः(rishi)

ए -एडका(sheep)
ऐ -ऐरावतः(airAvataH..name of the elephant of Lord Indra)

ओ -ओघः(flood)
औ -औड(moist/wet)

अं -अंशुकम्(shirt)


So these are a few examples of easy reading of words without conjunct consonants and more would be taught at Sanskrit Classes at Putra Heights Subang Jaya.

Also Cut Copy and Paste Technique to write Conjunct Consonants would be taught at classes where one does not need to memorize writing techniques but just understand the technicality in the Cut Copy and Paste method.

Vedika: Sanskrit Rhymes - 2 (वर्णमाला-गीतम् २)

Vedika: Sanskrit Rhymes - 1 (वर्णमाला-गीतम् १)

Speak Sanskrit!

नमस्ते   namaste   (Hello!)

धन्यवादः dhanyavAdaH  (Thank you!)

स्वागतम्  svAgatam    (Welcome!)

क्षम्यताम्  kSamyatAm  (Excuse me/Pardon me)

चिन्ता मास्तु   cintA mAstu   (Do not worry)

अस्तु  astu (Alright/OK)

उत्तमम्  uttamam (Very good)

भवतः नाम किम् ?  bhavataH nAma kim ? (What is your name?) (masculine)

भवत्याः नाम किम्?  bhavatyAH nAma kim? (What is your name?) (feminine)

मम नाम......mama nAma...... (my name is....)