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Live interactive course.
14 live sessions.
Small learning groups.
Multiple time zone options.
1-year access to replays with option to extend access.

Swaagatam. Welcome.

Knowledge is like an ocean. In this course we are trying to have a small sip. Our goal is to get a friendly introduction to Samskritam, the sacred language of ancient India. 

This course is scheduled over 12 weeks (a quarter), and consists of 12 live class sessions, 1 hour per week, with a live Orientation Meeting and Closing Ceremony. There are 14 live sessions in total. The course is structured innovatively using a curriculum inspired by Samskrita Bharati, an Indian NGO dedicated to the revival of Sanskrit.

This course will allow a beginning level student to develop hearing, understanding and speaking Sanskrit through a streamlined set of exercises. If you have studied Sanskrit before and want a refresher, this is a great opportunity to strengthen your foundation from the beginning.

Learning Objectives - In this course students will be able to: 

  • Pronounce simple Sanskrit words with the correct pronunciation.
  • Understand and speak in simple sentences.
  • Develop an introductory Sanskrit vocabulary.
  • Complete simple exercises and gain the right skills required for further studies in Sanskrit.

Prerequisites: No prior experience needed. Students must commit to attend 90% of the live sessions without fail.

Instructor: Brahmachari Saktipriyan, Amritapuri

Quarter Offered: Winter 2023 (Dec 2022- Mar 2023)

Start/End Date: View schedule here

Enrollment Options by Time Zone: View enrollment options here

Time Commitment: 60-minutes per week for each live session, plus additional study time to review and practice at home.

Bonus Office Hours: The instructor is available 15-minutes before and after each live class for extra practice (30-minutes of weekly office hours).

About the Zoom Sessions: Since this is an immersive spoken classroom, all participants are requested to have their video camera turned on, ready to participate. You will then turn your microphone on and off as needed for different portions of the class.

Note: This course will only cover spoken Sanskrit. It follows the traditional teaching approach of listening and speaking. Learn like a child and immerse in the beautiful sounds, slowly increasing comprehension and vocabulary over time.

There will be handouts with vocabulary of Sanskrit in both roman script as well as Devanagari (Sanskrit written in Sanskrit alphabet) to reinforce your studies. While the reading and writing of Devanagari will not be covered in Level 1, Level 1 is a prerequisite for all Sanskrit courses offered in the future.

Immersive online Sanskrit classroom

Join seasoned teacher Brahmachari Saktipriyan and an online classroom of global students for this unique opportunity to study and receive world-class training in classical Spoken Sanskrit—from the comfort of your own home.

Pre-Register for Future Classes

In this course you will...

  • Learn spoken Sanskrit the traditional way - through listening, imitating and speaking. Expand your mind and develop new ways of thinking.

  • Pronounce Sanskrit words and sentences correctly and understand them in context.

  • Start using and understanding simple words and grammar for everyday conversation.

  • Meet weekly in live, interactive Zoom calls with your instructor, simulating a live classroom experience.

  • Benefit from small class sizes of maximum 32 people for a personalized learning experience with other students from around the world.

  • Access lecture notes and replays to reinforce learning and support study between live classes.

Meet Your Instructor

Brahmachari Saktipriyan, Amritapuri

Aum Namah Shivaya,

Sanskrit a rich cultural language. Much of the Indian spiritual wisdom is written in Sanskrit. In this course, we are learning some basic words and sentences.

I first met Amma in 1984 and with her grace, graduated with First Rank in Masters in Sanskrit from Kerala University in 1995. I was also trained by Samskrita Bharati to teach Sanskrit.

From 1996 to 2003 I taught Sanskrit classes in Amritapuri for two months per year while Amma was away for the US tours. In 2020 I again resumed teaching in Amritapuri. Amma has now encouraged me to focus on online teaching for AVA students around the world.

We are all grateful and thank Amma for giving us this golden opportunity to learn.

Aum Amriteshwaryai Namah,
Saktipriyan, Sanskrit Instructor
Amrita Virtual Academy
What are Spoken Sanskrit Courses like?
Find out from our students!

Spoken Sanskrit was a big surprise for me. I was already taking some Sanskrit courses before, but this was a completely different approach. Teacher's teaching method was phenomenal. It kept me fully concentrated and present in the moment for the whole duration of the class. In this way I learned really a lot already in the class.

Desanka G.
Germany

Spoken Sanskrit is a practical course, with classes focusing purely on the spoken language, taught purely in Sanskrit in a way that enabled me to learn to speak in a natural way. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Doug G.
United Kingdom

The course Spoken Sanskrit is highly interactive and the closest thing to an in-person classroom session. The live sessions by the instructor made me forget that it was even virtual! Every student was equally engaged during these classes and encouraged to ask questions - a beautiful and different experience to learning Spoken Sanskrit.

Gokul A.
India
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Susree shares her experience of Spoken Sanskrit: Level 1!

Students share their journey through Spoken Sanskrit: Level 1!

Live Session Class Groups

1 live class per week.
December 15 - March 5 IST, 2023
12 live classes and more!
Replays on-demand.

Group 1 - USA

  • Live 6:30 - 7:30 AM, Thursdays IST

  • California: 5-6 PM, Wed

  • New York: 8-9 PM, Wed

  • Tokyo: 10-11 AM, Thurs

  • Sydney: 12PM - 1 PM, Thurs

$12.50 USD / Live Session
$150 USD Total

Pre-register for
future classes

Group 2 - EU, ASIA, AUS

  • Live 3:00 - 4:00 PM, Saturdays IST

  • London: 9:30-10:30 AM

  • Paris: 10:30-11:30 AM

  • India: 3-4 PM

  • Sydney: 8:30-9:30 PM

$12.50 USD / Live Session
$150 USD Total

PRE-REGISTER FOR
FUTURE CLASSES

Group 3 - EU & USA

  • Live 9:30 - 10:30 PM, Saturdays IST

  • California: 8-9 AM

  • New York: 11AM - 12PM

  • London: 4-5 PM

  • Paris: 5-6 PM

$12.50 USD / live session
$150 USD Total

PRE-REGISTER FOR
FUTURE CLASSES

There are multiple class groups—each with a class time comfortable for different global regions.

Live Session Schedule*

Please enroll in whatever group timing suits you best.

Live Sessions are conducted regularly over Zoom as interactive video conference calls. Each week's class is conducted live from Amritapuri at three different times to accommodate small groups with different time zones all around the world. Please join the group that best suits your schedule. 

Recordings will be posted to the platform to help you review and practice. Times are listed in India Standard Time (IST).  

In the chart below, please click on "local time" to see the meeting time converted to your local time. Please use the links provided to help you find the right time. 

NOTE FOR GROUP 1 - USA: Please be aware that Group 1 calls occur ONE DAY EARLIER for US time zones. It is WEDNESDAY EVENING on both the West and East Coast! The schedule below shows the exact time the live session occurs Friday morning from Amritapuri. Please use the provided link to find your exact local time.

*Schedule is tentative and subject to change due to unpredictable factors. 

LIVE SESSION SCHEDULE
 GROUP 1 - USA GROUP 2 - 
EU, ASIA, AUS 		GROUP 3 - EU, USA
Listed in Indian Standard Time. Convert to local time with the link.
 Live 6:30 - 7:30  AM, Thur IST

See your local time
 Live 3:00 - 4:00 PM, 
Sat IST

See your local time
Live 9:30 - 10:30 PM, Sat IST

See your local time
ORIENTATION
 Thur, Dec 8 Sat, Dec 10
Sun, Dec 11
*unique day change
CLASS 1
 Thur, Dec 15
 Sat, Dec 17
Sat, Dec 17
CLASS 2
 Thur, Dec 22
 Sat, Jan 7
Sat, Jan 7
CLASS 3
 Thur, Dec 29
 Sun, Jan 8
Sun, Jan 8
CLASS 4
 Thur, Jan 5
 Sat, Jan 14
Sat, Jan 14
CLASS 5
 Thur, Jan 12
 Sun, Jan 15
Sun, Jan 15
CLASS 6
 Thur, Jan 19
 Sat, Jan 21
Sat, Jan 21
CLASS 7
 Thur, Jan 26
 Sat, Jan 28
Sat, Jan 28
CLASS 8
 Thur, Feb 2
 Sat, Feb 4
Sat, Feb 4
CLASS 9
 Thur, Feb 9
 Sat, Feb 11
 Sat, Feb 11
CLASS 10
 Thur, Feb 16
 Sat, Feb 18
 Sat, Feb 18
CLASS 11
 Thur, Feb 23
 Sat, Feb 25
 Sat, Feb 25
CLASS 12
 Thur, Mar 2
 Sat, Mar 4
 Sat, Mar 4
Closing Ceremony Sun, Mar 5 9:30 - 10:30 PM See your local time



Our Enrollment Process

  • 1. Sign in to Your Existing Account OR Create a New Account

    It is free to create an account. Once signed in, you can enroll in any of our programs using your Amrita Virtual Academy sign-in ID. If you already have an account, simply sign-in.

  • 2. Secure Check-out

    Enroll using our secure, encrypted payment system. We support most international credit cards through Stripe and PayPal. Prices are in USD. This course has three different groups - choose the group right for you.

  • 3. Check Your E-mail

    Check your e-mail for a welcome letter and sign in to your Amrita Virtual Academy account. If you did not receive an e-mail, check your spam or promotions folder.

  • 4. Visit Your Student Dashboard

    All learning material and resources are hosted on the Amrita Virtual Academy e-learning platform. Simply visit your Student Dashboard. Here you can access meeting links and orientation materials.

  • 5. Join the Live Sessions

    This is a live class series. Please join us every week as much as possible. For the occasional absence or to review, you can catch the replay. Meeting links will be emailed to you and posted to your Student Dashboard.

  • 6. Review and Study!

    You have 1 year to access the on-demand replays and resource materials. Continue to study by streaming anytime from computer, mobile or tablet without limit - replay access is flexible and self-paced.

Join us for an exclusive opportunity to learn Sanskrit online—live from Amritapuri!
Enrollment is currently closed. Pre-register for future classes with the provided form.