Learn to Read Sanskrit

A beginners resource to reading Sanskrit
Sanskrit is the language of Vedas. A meaningful study of Vedas will not be complete without the knowledge its script - Devanagari. Although Vedas can be learnt using English diacritics, it will be almost impossible to master the correct pronunciation. It is our firm belief that Sanskrit can be learnt by anyone. In order to enjoy the nectar of Vedas, it is essential that we learn to read Sanskrit.
There are many resources available on the web that will help you to learn read, write and speak in Sanskrit. The main aim of this guide is to teach you reading Sanskrit. Not writing or speaking. However, while learning to read Sanskrit you will also learn to write in Devanagari script—at least we hope. You may realize that it is easy to remember the letters when you practice writing. We encourage that you print the alphabets from this guide and practice writing.
This guide starts with an introduction to Devanagari Script and writing in Sanskrit. It then introduces the Swaras, the sounds of Sanskrit and reading methodology. In later sections you will learn how to pronounce Sanskrit sounds. It then gradually takes you to reading simple words to complex words. In the final sections, you will learn to read simple slokas, complex slokas and Suktams. We have already published reading modules for Suktams and Lalitha Sahasra Nama and they are available on our web site for download. We hope you will use all the resources and learn to read Vedic scriptures.