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The Cambridge Introduction to Sanskrit
Ideal for courses in beginning Sanskrit or self-study, this textbook employs modern, tried-and-tested pedagogical methods and tools, but requires no prior knowledge of ancient languages or linguistics. Devanāgarī script is introduced over several chapters and used in parallel with transliteration for several chapters more, allowing students to progress in learning Sanskrit itself while still mastering the script. Students are exposed to annotated original texts in addition to practise sentences very early on, and structures and systems underlying the wealth of forms are clearly explained to facilitate memorisation. All grammar is covered in detail, with chapters dedicated to compounding and nominal derivation, and sections explaining relevant historical phenomena. The introduction also includes a variety of online resources that students may use to reinforce and expand their flash cards; video tutorials for all chapters; and up-to-date links to writing, declension and conjugation exercises and online dictionaries, grammars, and textual databases.
- GenresLanguageLinguisticsIndia
797 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2017
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213 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 27, 2019
This is the best Sanskrit textbook on the market, hands-down, and I looked at several before taking up CIS. The high-quality print helps the beginner learn the devanagari script, which in some other textbooks is virtually illegible. Complex topics like sandhi are introduced gradually and explained clearly, so they do not throw down a big obstacle while you're still getting grounded in the grammar. In addition, the book's web site has extensive resources, including online flashcards to study vocabulary and videos that help you learn the pronunciation and act as "lectures" for someone not learning the language in a classroom. Finally, wherever possible, the underlying patterns and structures are explained, which for me at least is far preferable to trying to memorize everything. There is also a Facebook Group where the professor leads a course for self-study students.
Each chapter has extensive exercises which are designed to help you review both the new material and what you have learned previously, which is a big plus when you're working on your own. From chapter 6 onward, each chapter includes translation exercises that allow you to work with excerpts from original texts. These increase in difficulty and length as your knowledge increases until you are translating the first two chapters of the Bhagavad Gita from chapter 31 onwards.
Sanskrit is not an easy language to learn, and it took me a year and a half to work my way through CIS. But what a pleasure to be able to read an ancient text in the original language and to be able to appreciate the word-play, the ambiguity and the evocative images that are not fully captured in English translation!
Each chapter has extensive exercises which are designed to help you review both the new material and what you have learned previously, which is a big plus when you're working on your own. From chapter 6 onward, each chapter includes translation exercises that allow you to work with excerpts from original texts. These increase in difficulty and length as your knowledge increases until you are translating the first two chapters of the Bhagavad Gita from chapter 31 onwards.
Sanskrit is not an easy language to learn, and it took me a year and a half to work my way through CIS. But what a pleasure to be able to read an ancient text in the original language and to be able to appreciate the word-play, the ambiguity and the evocative images that are not fully captured in English translation!
May 16, 2022
I read this in anticipation of and then alongside a class I'm taking this semester—we're not using it as a textbook, but I thought the added context would be helpful. In terms of content, I have to say I prefer Ruppel to the class.
First, the obvious caveat: unlike most older Sanskrit textbooks but like all modern ones, you will be expected to learn Devanagari. This was optional in the previous Sanskrit course I did and I didn't do it then, and I probably would have given up on this one if I hadn't also had to learn it for the class. Ruppel offers no magic bullet or novel method here: you get a straightforward explanation and some photocopiable worksheets in the appendix, and by chapter 8 you're expected to have gotten the hang of things and transliterations are no longer provided. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but it is an aspect of the course that can't be half-assed.
Beyond that, this is just a straightforward, modern language course that presupposes no particular knowledge of other languages or grammatical terminology but does assume that you're a motivated and capable undergrad-equivalent who doesn't need anything explained twice. Particularly the early chapters show clear signs of having been honed on actual students—the later ones less so.
The biggest problem with the later ones is that there are too many of them: forty chapters for what is intended to be a one-year course† is a weird number to begin with, and most of the ones past about chapter 30 are extremely short. They mostly deal with rarer phenomena, but if you actually work through them the staccato has the effect of fragmenting your view of (mostly) the verbal system—it's obvious they're really just intended for reference, and should have been separated from the chapters meant as lessons.
This is a minor thing, though, and it would be unfair to call this course any less than extremely adequate. The exercises are useful and plentiful (I didn't do most of them; also, no answer key is provided, though apparently one can be requested from the author), and I'm sure the online resources are helpful as well (I don't use computers). It's no coincidence, and far from undeserved, that this is now the go-to introductory Sanskrit textbook.
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† Ruppel states in the introduction that an undergraduate class meeting four or five times a week should be able to get through this book in about a year, but also that there are more exercises than can be done in one. Both of these claims are crazy to me: if you're meeting four or five times a week you should be able to get through it in under two months, exercises included, but also what university class meets four or five times a week?
First, the obvious caveat: unlike most older Sanskrit textbooks but like all modern ones, you will be expected to learn Devanagari. This was optional in the previous Sanskrit course I did and I didn't do it then, and I probably would have given up on this one if I hadn't also had to learn it for the class. Ruppel offers no magic bullet or novel method here: you get a straightforward explanation and some photocopiable worksheets in the appendix, and by chapter 8 you're expected to have gotten the hang of things and transliterations are no longer provided. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but it is an aspect of the course that can't be half-assed.
Beyond that, this is just a straightforward, modern language course that presupposes no particular knowledge of other languages or grammatical terminology but does assume that you're a motivated and capable undergrad-equivalent who doesn't need anything explained twice. Particularly the early chapters show clear signs of having been honed on actual students—the later ones less so.
The biggest problem with the later ones is that there are too many of them: forty chapters for what is intended to be a one-year course† is a weird number to begin with, and most of the ones past about chapter 30 are extremely short. They mostly deal with rarer phenomena, but if you actually work through them the staccato has the effect of fragmenting your view of (mostly) the verbal system—it's obvious they're really just intended for reference, and should have been separated from the chapters meant as lessons.
This is a minor thing, though, and it would be unfair to call this course any less than extremely adequate. The exercises are useful and plentiful (I didn't do most of them; also, no answer key is provided, though apparently one can be requested from the author), and I'm sure the online resources are helpful as well (I don't use computers). It's no coincidence, and far from undeserved, that this is now the go-to introductory Sanskrit textbook.
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† Ruppel states in the introduction that an undergraduate class meeting four or five times a week should be able to get through this book in about a year, but also that there are more exercises than can be done in one. Both of these claims are crazy to me: if you're meeting four or five times a week you should be able to get through it in under two months, exercises included, but also what university class meets four or five times a week?
August 12, 2020
Good, short, concise but recent and uptodate with a good video collection on YouTube.
November 30, 2025
As a Western student who has studied Sanskrit with both Western and Indian teachers, I cannot recommend this book AND its accompanying Yogic Studies course with the author enough (surprising affordable for university-level education). The book is very methodical and takes you on a steady journey to learning grammar and vocabulary. It’s difficult, but still very accessible if you stay consistent. I have learned more in the past 3 months than I have in the past 20 years—and am now actively reading/translating! The key here for me was committing to the accompanying course and taking this study seriously (i.e., showing up for live classes 2x week and doing the homework). This book + course is a total game-changer for the committed student and it’s also quite fun!
NOTE: there is no answer key in the book, but I emailed the author as instructed and received those files within 24-hours. Actually convenient, as I can print as-needed and have them on my desk.
NOTE: there is no answer key in the book, but I emailed the author as instructed and received those files within 24-hours. Actually convenient, as I can print as-needed and have them on my desk.
October 24, 2024
I have taken several years of Sanskrit with the author, a Classicist who is a marvelous professor: knowledgeable, approachable, and ever willing to entertain questions. This primer is designed to help you along the road to parsing and reading authentic texts. The latter half includes original texts from a variety of Classical Sanskrit sources. There are tons of exercises for learning sandhi and the multifarious grammatical points. Sanskrit is no joke, and this text provides a solid foundation. The author also has extra resources on the book's website.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews