If you are a regular reader of my blog, you would expect me to say something about my stay at Ak.saram since I mentioned about it in my last log. First of all, it was a fortunate situation because Bangalore is one of the coolest Indian cities to be at this point (I don't function well in hot weather, and I have more to say about how to avoid hot Indian summer if you send me a separate email). Secondly, I simply needed to find something to do to fill the gap while I waited for my permit to get into the Sera Monastery. So I came to Ak.saram, the Bangalore branch of Samskrita Bharati (web address given in the last log).
I was there for a month, attended three different kinds of classes and a shibiram (a kind of intensive Sanskrit camp), and I also benefitted from the interaction with the volunteers, all of whom converse in Sanskrit. I was told that the daily one-on-one class that I was given is what Ak.saram would offer to all Sanskrit learners who come to Ak.saram and ask for it. During this class the instructor and I went through the first of the four levels of correspondance course (each level consists of about 12 booklets) which the organization has developed. While the grammatical aspects are not new to me at all, the materials (at least what we covered) do contain a very substantial Spoken component. Also helpful were the discussions I had with my instructor on saralasa.msk.rtam, or simple Sanskrit, which the organization promotes. At this point I am not completely clear about the position of Samskrita Bharati in relation to other elements of the Spoken Sanskrit movement, but I get the sense that it is a major force, if not the major force, with nation-wide influence. Nor am I clear as to what other vareities of Spoken Sanskrit there are, although from my limited experience elsewhere I get the sense that something akin to the kind of simple Sanskrit which Samskrita Bharati promotes is used by other Sanskrit speaking people as well. I will have more to say about simple Sanskrit below.
One week after my arrival, a month-long beginning Spoken Sanskrit course for school children also started, which I attended for about two weeks. The grammatical part again moves very slowly and repetitively, but the class was conducted in Sanskrit, which certainly helped. I also sat on the last class of 2nd level weekend course. There a volunteer came and spoke to the students. At that point I only get the sense of what the talk is about, but a fellow in the class told me that average students understand 70-80% of the talk. This really persuaded me to persist in the kids' class. The other thing which spontaneously happened was a class given by a young man. He is perhaps a little less than 20, and was brought up speaking Sanskrit as his mother tongue. The class was requested by a group of MA Sanskrit students who were trying to pass their exams, and it dealt with philosophical and literary texts. The class gives me a chance to get exposed to a kind of learned oral Sanskrit commentary. But it stopped after about 10 days. While in Bangalore I also visited a Sanskrit school in the city and a Sanskrit gurukula in the suburb, both of which however were not in session till the beginning of June. I know there is much more I can explore. I feel that Sanskrit is strong in Karnataka (there is also a Sanskrit village in the state), and given that the state is also a stronghold for Tibetan learning, I don't know if there is any attempt to link the two kinds of resources together.
The best thing I had in Bangalore, however, was a 6-day shibiram which Ak.saram offered toward the end of my stay. This is a sheer coincidence because it was planned to take place elsewhere, but the other venue suddenly had problem with its water supply, and the event had to be moved to Bangalore. During those six days (there are also 10 day ones, and "you can speak Sanskrit in 10 days" is Samskrita Bharati's slogan), everyone in attendance was supposed to speak Sanskrit only, and of coures the day-long classes were all in Sanskrit. The shibiram simply moved my Spoken Sanskrit to the next level. What I particular liked were the talks given by many guest speakers. I am of course not saying that I understood that much, and I feel that my fellow students always understood more than I did, and in my mind this simply has to do with the fact that their native languages are filled with Sanskrit words, and simple Sanskrit might particularly favor that shared vocabulary. I was encouraged by the fact that I understood better the talks which were more scholastic. During some talk I feelt I might have understood as much of 50 % and I had a good sense what was being said. So if you are a Sanskrit student who likes to learn the spoken language, I would certainly recommend that you go to Ak.saram (by the way, Bangalore is where Samskrita Bharati started. I also had good expeience with Samskrita Bharati people from Delhi and Chennai, but those two places are hot in the summer). You should communicate clearly that you want to have the one-on-one class, and by all means schedule your visit so that you can attend one of the shibirams, and besides these two hopefully you will stamble upon something else by accident. There is a three-week Sanskrit course planned for this coming July-August which is specifically designed for English speakers. But having had years of Sanskrit, doing the shibiram with Kanada speaking people worked fine for me. In the shibiram that I attended, there were three levels - beginning, advanced, teacher-training. I was recommended to attend the second one since I had spent some time there before the shibiram started.
The next thing I want to write about is saralasa.mskrita, this is the part you want to skip if Sanskrit or Spoken Sanskrit is not your thing. Why learning Spoken Sanskrit? Perhaps the teacher you want to study with happen to share no other language with you. Or that you want to tap into the resource of Sanskrit panditas who didn't bother to learn English. And if you don't know any other Indian language, this is the chance to experience India through one of its own languages, or rather its best.
A disclaimer: I haven't checked the spellings of Sanskrit words used below.
There is a whole philosophy, and a whole strategy, of Samskrita Bharati that you will learn only by being there and going through their materials. Samskrita Bharati distinguished between saralasa.msk.rta, or simply sanskrit, and saraliik.rtasa.msk.rta, or simplified Sanskrit. Simplified Sanskrit implies changing grammar, e.g. it allows for the forms like pitusya ("father's" instead of pitu.h), and this is what Samskrita Bharati opposes. Simple Sanskrit functions within the bounds of Paninian grammar and recommends the use of simple words, e.g. janaka as apposed to pit.r (father) if the vibhakti forms of the later is too complicated (although I have heard at least the 1st case pitaa used). And simple Sanskrit is supposed to be a means and not the end. Simple Sanskrit occurs both in the substantive and verbal forms. In both cases, the dual forms are not recommended, the simple form encouraged instead is dvayam (a pair), which allows the use of singular in both the substantive and verbal forms concerned, e.g. gurudvayam gacchati. In the substantives, the form ta.h (tas) is recommended to take the place of fifth vibhakti-s (in all numbers). There is also the talk of using k.rte (and artham, according to my observation) to replace fourth case forms, although this seems to be applicable to only limited uses of the fourth case.
I have said that dual forms of the verb is not recommended (the other explanation I heard is that Siddhaantakaumudii (818) provides for the use of plural forms in place of dual ones in the phrases like puna.h milama ("let's meet again") when there are only two persons involved in the conversation). The second person forms also tend to be avoided through the use of the respectful address bhavat and bhavatii, which requires 3rd person verbal forms. (I have heard mothers using 3rd person verbal forms to their babies, which implies the use of respectful address bhavaan or bhavatii). In terms of tenses and moods, in the present tense the present indicative (la.t, e.g. bhavati) is of course used. In the past tense, perfect (li.t) and aorist (lu.ng) are certainly avoided, because li.t is distant past, and lu.ng is simply too complicated (and perfect as well for that matter ). Even the simple past (la.ng, e.g. agacchat) is not recommended. The explanation I was given is that it makes the speaker feel that it is negative because it begins with the augment "a." However, the confusion--if it is a confusion at all--rather appears to me to be a psyological one than a theoretical one. The past form really recommended is the k.rt pratyaya, or what is called past active participle, tavat (e.g. khaaditavaan in 1st person, singular, masculine). The simple past forms of the verb to be (as (e.g. asiit) and bhuu (e.g. abhavat)) are nevertheless used. Of course the the paraphrastic future forms are not recommended, the l.r.t forms like bhavi.syati are used. Two more forms are in common usage. One is imperative (lo.t, e.g. gacchatu) (I have elsewhere heard that the passive aatmanepadin form is recommended because only the third person singular form is needed, but I have heard this only once--diiyataam (used by a respectable man from Delhi)--at Ak.saram, the more common forms I've heard there were the active ones, e.g. dadatu). The other form that is used to some extent in my experience is the optitive (vidhi li.ng, e.g. bhaveyu.h).
In terms of vocabulary, efford is made to use only a particular sense (out of many) of a certain word. The other recommendation is to use the vocabulary which is in common with the vernacular languages. This, for me, is what makes simple Sanskrit so easy to learn for Indians. I also get the sense that usually only one (or very limited number) out of a large number of synonyms that mean the same thing is used. This was confirmed by my instructor in our conversation.
All in all, I feel I got as much as I could have gotten in one month at Ak.saram (I also spent perhaps 7 to 10 days on my project proposal). The volunteers at Ak.saram were friendly and helpful. And it is certainly an honor for any Sanskrit lover to be with people who are so dedicated to the cause of Sanskrit - many of them are full-time or even life-long volunteers who only get their basic expenses covered but nothing else materially.
I was there for a month, attended three different kinds of classes and a shibiram (a kind of intensive Sanskrit camp), and I also benefitted from the interaction with the volunteers, all of whom converse in Sanskrit. I was told that the daily one-on-one class that I was given is what Ak.saram would offer to all Sanskrit learners who come to Ak.saram and ask for it. During this class the instructor and I went through the first of the four levels of correspondance course (each level consists of about 12 booklets) which the organization has developed. While the grammatical aspects are not new to me at all, the materials (at least what we covered) do contain a very substantial Spoken component. Also helpful were the discussions I had with my instructor on saralasa.msk.rtam, or simple Sanskrit, which the organization promotes. At this point I am not completely clear about the position of Samskrita Bharati in relation to other elements of the Spoken Sanskrit movement, but I get the sense that it is a major force, if not the major force, with nation-wide influence. Nor am I clear as to what other vareities of Spoken Sanskrit there are, although from my limited experience elsewhere I get the sense that something akin to the kind of simple Sanskrit which Samskrita Bharati promotes is used by other Sanskrit speaking people as well. I will have more to say about simple Sanskrit below.
One week after my arrival, a month-long beginning Spoken Sanskrit course for school children also started, which I attended for about two weeks. The grammatical part again moves very slowly and repetitively, but the class was conducted in Sanskrit, which certainly helped. I also sat on the last class of 2nd level weekend course. There a volunteer came and spoke to the students. At that point I only get the sense of what the talk is about, but a fellow in the class told me that average students understand 70-80% of the talk. This really persuaded me to persist in the kids' class. The other thing which spontaneously happened was a class given by a young man. He is perhaps a little less than 20, and was brought up speaking Sanskrit as his mother tongue. The class was requested by a group of MA Sanskrit students who were trying to pass their exams, and it dealt with philosophical and literary texts. The class gives me a chance to get exposed to a kind of learned oral Sanskrit commentary. But it stopped after about 10 days. While in Bangalore I also visited a Sanskrit school in the city and a Sanskrit gurukula in the suburb, both of which however were not in session till the beginning of June. I know there is much more I can explore. I feel that Sanskrit is strong in Karnataka (there is also a Sanskrit village in the state), and given that the state is also a stronghold for Tibetan learning, I don't know if there is any attempt to link the two kinds of resources together.
The best thing I had in Bangalore, however, was a 6-day shibiram which Ak.saram offered toward the end of my stay. This is a sheer coincidence because it was planned to take place elsewhere, but the other venue suddenly had problem with its water supply, and the event had to be moved to Bangalore. During those six days (there are also 10 day ones, and "you can speak Sanskrit in 10 days" is Samskrita Bharati's slogan), everyone in attendance was supposed to speak Sanskrit only, and of coures the day-long classes were all in Sanskrit. The shibiram simply moved my Spoken Sanskrit to the next level. What I particular liked were the talks given by many guest speakers. I am of course not saying that I understood that much, and I feel that my fellow students always understood more than I did, and in my mind this simply has to do with the fact that their native languages are filled with Sanskrit words, and simple Sanskrit might particularly favor that shared vocabulary. I was encouraged by the fact that I understood better the talks which were more scholastic. During some talk I feelt I might have understood as much of 50 % and I had a good sense what was being said. So if you are a Sanskrit student who likes to learn the spoken language, I would certainly recommend that you go to Ak.saram (by the way, Bangalore is where Samskrita Bharati started. I also had good expeience with Samskrita Bharati people from Delhi and Chennai, but those two places are hot in the summer). You should communicate clearly that you want to have the one-on-one class, and by all means schedule your visit so that you can attend one of the shibirams, and besides these two hopefully you will stamble upon something else by accident. There is a three-week Sanskrit course planned for this coming July-August which is specifically designed for English speakers. But having had years of Sanskrit, doing the shibiram with Kanada speaking people worked fine for me. In the shibiram that I attended, there were three levels - beginning, advanced, teacher-training. I was recommended to attend the second one since I had spent some time there before the shibiram started.
The next thing I want to write about is saralasa.mskrita, this is the part you want to skip if Sanskrit or Spoken Sanskrit is not your thing. Why learning Spoken Sanskrit? Perhaps the teacher you want to study with happen to share no other language with you. Or that you want to tap into the resource of Sanskrit panditas who didn't bother to learn English. And if you don't know any other Indian language, this is the chance to experience India through one of its own languages, or rather its best.
A disclaimer: I haven't checked the spellings of Sanskrit words used below.
There is a whole philosophy, and a whole strategy, of Samskrita Bharati that you will learn only by being there and going through their materials. Samskrita Bharati distinguished between saralasa.msk.rta, or simply sanskrit, and saraliik.rtasa.msk.rta, or simplified Sanskrit. Simplified Sanskrit implies changing grammar, e.g. it allows for the forms like pitusya ("father's" instead of pitu.h), and this is what Samskrita Bharati opposes. Simple Sanskrit functions within the bounds of Paninian grammar and recommends the use of simple words, e.g. janaka as apposed to pit.r (father) if the vibhakti forms of the later is too complicated (although I have heard at least the 1st case pitaa used). And simple Sanskrit is supposed to be a means and not the end. Simple Sanskrit occurs both in the substantive and verbal forms. In both cases, the dual forms are not recommended, the simple form encouraged instead is dvayam (a pair), which allows the use of singular in both the substantive and verbal forms concerned, e.g. gurudvayam gacchati. In the substantives, the form ta.h (tas) is recommended to take the place of fifth vibhakti-s (in all numbers). There is also the talk of using k.rte (and artham, according to my observation) to replace fourth case forms, although this seems to be applicable to only limited uses of the fourth case.
I have said that dual forms of the verb is not recommended (the other explanation I heard is that Siddhaantakaumudii (818) provides for the use of plural forms in place of dual ones in the phrases like puna.h milama ("let's meet again") when there are only two persons involved in the conversation). The second person forms also tend to be avoided through the use of the respectful address bhavat and bhavatii, which requires 3rd person verbal forms. (I have heard mothers using 3rd person verbal forms to their babies, which implies the use of respectful address bhavaan or bhavatii). In terms of tenses and moods, in the present tense the present indicative (la.t, e.g. bhavati) is of course used. In the past tense, perfect (li.t) and aorist (lu.ng) are certainly avoided, because li.t is distant past, and lu.ng is simply too complicated (and perfect as well for that matter ). Even the simple past (la.ng, e.g. agacchat) is not recommended. The explanation I was given is that it makes the speaker feel that it is negative because it begins with the augment "a." However, the confusion--if it is a confusion at all--rather appears to me to be a psyological one than a theoretical one. The past form really recommended is the k.rt pratyaya, or what is called past active participle, tavat (e.g. khaaditavaan in 1st person, singular, masculine). The simple past forms of the verb to be (as (e.g. asiit) and bhuu (e.g. abhavat)) are nevertheless used. Of course the the paraphrastic future forms are not recommended, the l.r.t forms like bhavi.syati are used. Two more forms are in common usage. One is imperative (lo.t, e.g. gacchatu) (I have elsewhere heard that the passive aatmanepadin form is recommended because only the third person singular form is needed, but I have heard this only once--diiyataam (used by a respectable man from Delhi)--at Ak.saram, the more common forms I've heard there were the active ones, e.g. dadatu). The other form that is used to some extent in my experience is the optitive (vidhi li.ng, e.g. bhaveyu.h).
In terms of vocabulary, efford is made to use only a particular sense (out of many) of a certain word. The other recommendation is to use the vocabulary which is in common with the vernacular languages. This, for me, is what makes simple Sanskrit so easy to learn for Indians. I also get the sense that usually only one (or very limited number) out of a large number of synonyms that mean the same thing is used. This was confirmed by my instructor in our conversation.
All in all, I feel I got as much as I could have gotten in one month at Ak.saram (I also spent perhaps 7 to 10 days on my project proposal). The volunteers at Ak.saram were friendly and helpful. And it is certainly an honor for any Sanskrit lover to be with people who are so dedicated to the cause of Sanskrit - many of them are full-time or even life-long volunteers who only get their basic expenses covered but nothing else materially.
posted by shenghaili at 11:13 PM
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