Sanskrit
Sanskrit and its literature represent a continuous cultural tradition that has lasted more than 3,500 years. Used to write the Vedas in the second millennium BCE, the classical language of India is still used today as the language of religion and scholarship.
Program Overview
We offer a complete range of courses in Sanskrit language and literature, including a basic three-year sequence and advanced courses.
Degree availability: Minor/Major in South Asian Languages/Asian Languages and Cultures
Years offered: 4 years
Scholarships
General Scholarships and Resources
- UW Mary Gates Undergraduate Research & Leadership Grants
- UW Undergraduate Library Research Award
- UW Honors College Scholarships and Awards
- UW Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships, and Awards
- JSIS Funding Opportunities (not limited to JSIS students)
Language-Related Scholarships
StudyAbroad
Course Information
Course Catalog
- SNKRT 101/102/103 Elementary Sanskrit
- SNKRT 201/202/203 Intermediate Sanskrit
- SNKRT 311/312/313 Advanced Sanskrit
- SNKRT 491/492 Vedic Studies
- SNKRT 494 Readings in Religious Classics of India
- SNKRT 495 Studies in Indian Thought
- SNKRT 499 Undergraduate Research
- SNKRT 511/512/513 Elementary Sanskrit
- SNKRT 521/522/523 Intermediate Sanskrit
- SNKRT 531/532/533 Advanced Sanskrit
- SNKRT 550 Seminar on Sanskrit Literature
- SNKRT 555 Seminar on Sanskrit Grammar
- SNKRT 560 Readings in Philosophical Sanskrit
- SNKRT 570 Seminar in Indian Epigraphy and Paleography
- SNKRT 581/582 Readings in Buddhist Texts
Faculty's Research
Publications
- Pauwels, Heidi. 2021b. The Vernacular Pulse of Sanskrit: Metre and More in Songs of the Gītagovinda and Bhāgavata Purāna. The Journal of Hindu Studies 14: 294–319.
- Smith, Caley Charles. 2016. “Exploring Impossible Authors.” Veda and Vedic Literature: Proceedings from the 16th World Sanskrit Conference in Bangkok, Thailand, June 28th-July 2nd, 2015, vol.4. Ed. Hans Henrich Hock. New Delhi: DK Publishers Distributors Pvt. Ltd, 209-25.
- 2021b. The Vernacular Pulse of Sanskrit: Metre and More in Songs of the Gītagovinda and Bhāgavata Purāna. The Journal of Hindu Studies 14: 294–319.
Global
- Used by over 31,000 speakers.
- Also spoken in Nepal.
Learning
- One of the oldest languages with documented history of almost 3,500 years.
- Dates back to 1500 BCE.
Culture & Diplomacy
- The study of Sanskrit provides a foundation in the rich cultural and literary history of South Asia, both pre-modern and modern.
Travel & Career
- Learning Sanskrit builds analytical, linguistic, and communication skills that are transferable to many other areas like law, government, and tech.
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