Sanskrit texts were traditionally taught through oral transmission or śruti paramparā. It is thought that through chanting, knowledge can seep into one’s consciousness on a level beyond the literal meaning of the words. There is a specific method to how verses are structured and categorized, and this affects the intonation. While Vedic chanting is dependent on pitch accent, in classical Sanskrit there is a focus on stress accent. In this seminar, I will give an introduction to both of these methods, with examples, and we will chant together to put theory into practice. This seminar is both for those who have studied some Sanskrit and those who are brand new to it. My hope is to inspire everyone to deepen their Sanskrit studies!
Additional Resources
Supplemental Sanskrit Chanting Info
Sanskrit Chanting Seminar Slides
Opening Mantra Meter
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Join Zoë Slatoff for her Sanskrit courses: level 1,2,3
In this course, students will learn to read and write the devanāgarī script and be able to read key yoga terms and understand their meaning. Students will also learn proper Sanskrit pronunciation, how to read verses and sūtras from classical yoga texts, and understand the structure of the most common type of verse.
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