श्रीः

श्रीनिधये नमः

शुक्लाम्बरधरं विष्णुं शशिवर्णं चतुर्भुजम् |

प्रसन्नवदनं ध्यायेत् सर्व विघ्नोपशान्तये ||

This is a humble attempt to present the ancient language of India - Sanskrit to the English knowing Indian audience. It is assumed here that the readers are equipped with the knowledge to decipher the varnamala or the Sanskrit alphabet in devanagari. Who knows? I may learn more through this series than anybody else.

We will start with a quick intro of the letters:

Vowels: स्वराः

अ आ इ ई उ ऊ ॠ ॠ लृ ए ऐ ओ औ

Consonants: व्यञ्जनानि

क ख ग घ ङ

च छ ज झ ञ

ट ठ ड ढ ण

त थ द ध न

प फ ब भ म

य र ल व

श ष स ह

Specials:

अं अः

There are 13 vowels and 33 consonants. The specials अं and अः are called anusvāra and visarga respectively. They are treated as vowels or as consonants depending on the scope of language they are discussed under. Great! Let us move to our first lesson.

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Gopal goes to Krishna's house. He meets a friend of Krishna by name Kesava there.

Since Kesava is standing close, Gopal points to him and asks Krishna - एषः कः?

एषः - This (singular masculine)

कः - Who (singular masculine)

Gopal's question is "Who is this?". In Sanskrit, the "is" is implicitly understood. Also, one need not sweat over the organization of the sentences. This will become clear in due course.

Krishna replies, एषः केशवः | This is Kesava. Easy?

Kesava is busy praying with folded hands. So, Gopal asks Krishna, केशवः किं करोति?

किं - What

करोति - doing( present tense - third person - singular)

"What is Kesava doing?"

Krishna replies, केशवः नमति | Kesava is praying.

Note that in both करोति and नमति the last letter is ति. ति is the termination of the present tense - third person - singular verb.

Krishna, Gopal and Kesava go for a walk after Kesava has finished his prayers. The silhouette of two people is seen through the window in a nearby house. Gopal asks Kesava,

एतौ कौ?

एतौ - These(dual masculine)

कौ - Who(dual masculine)

In Sanskrit, there are three numbers - singular, dual and plural. "Who are these?" is Gopal's question.

Kesava says, एतौ बालकौ |

बालकः is singular. बालकौ is dual. बालकः means boy.

"These are boys."

बालकौ किं कुरुतः?

कुरुतः - doing (present tense - third person - dual)

What are the boys doing?

बालकौ पठतः |

पठतः - reading. (present tense - third person - dual)

The boys are reading.

Note that both कुरुतः and पठतः end with तः , तः is the termination for present tense - third person - dual verb.

Okay. One last case.

The trio look up to the tree near the house and see monkeys. Krishna asks Gopal (for a change),

एते के?

एते - These (plural masculine)

के - who (plural masculine)

Who are these?

Gopal says, एते वानराः | There are monkeys. Krishna asks, वानराः किं कुर्वन्ति ? Gopal says, वानराः खादन्ति |

कुर्वन्ति - doing (present tense - third person - plural)

खादन्ति - eating (present tense - third person - plural)

Note that कुर्वन्ति and खादन्ति end with अन्ति which is the termination of the present tense - third person - plural verb.

Summarizing the vocabulary:

Present tense - Third Person verbs

Singular Dual Plural

करोति कुरुतः कुर्वन्ति

नमति नमतः नमन्ति

पठति पठतः पठन्ति

खादति खादतः खादन्ति

Masculine nouns

Singular Dual Plural

एषः एतौ एते

क: कौ के

केशवः केशवौ केशवाः

बालकः बालकौ बालकाः

वानरः वानरौ वानराः

Play around with these words. Make two Vanaras to pray or Kesavas to read and many other such sentences , and write back them back to me. Also, please point out any errors/feedback.