Classical Sanskrit for Everyone: A Guide for Absolute Beginners

"Surprisingly, Classical Sanskrit for Everyone is indeed for everyone. Playing tour guide to the 'curious,' the 'Yoga aficionado,' and the 'scholar' on an efficient itinerary through Sanskrit grammar and its philosophical cultures, Keating's book is refreshingly accessible and useful. Replete with an excellent analysis of important features of Sanskrit with analogies to English usage and learned 'pandit points,' it also provides supplemental discussions of Sanskrit poetry and philosophy and up-to-date online resources. Pop culture references and a playfully funny tone, at turns, disarm the uninitiated reader and give the scholar a fresh perspective on how to teach this language to a new generation of eager learners." -Deven M. Patel, University of Pennsylvania

About the Author :
Malcolm Keating is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Smith College.

Review :
“In over forty years of teaching never have I seen a textbook so well constructed, with formatting that makes learning the rudiments of Sanskrit really a pleasure because everything is made clear. Examples are striking and memorable, with many crossovers into grammar in English. . . . This book can simultaneously launch a scholar on the best track for advanced work in Sanskrit and, for the non-professional, open up classic yoga texts such as the Yogasūtra and the Bhagavadgītā. . . . The Glossary is filled with the most important words, and, let me stress, grammatical matters are made, amazing to say, entertaining as well as easy to comprehend. —Stephen Phillips, Emeritus, The University of Texas at Austin "In teaching Sanskrit over the last two decades, I’ve come to firmly believe that anyone can learn it, provided that the time and circumstances are right. In what he winningly calls a ‘guided tour’ of the language, Malcolm Keating offers a valuable way for interested students to begin to familiarize themselves with this wonderful language. Keating is as genial a tour guide as one could want, as every page demonstrates his knowledge, care, patience, and—above all—his enthusiasm for Sanskrit and for the ideas that found expression in it." —Whitney Cox, University of Chicago "Keating’s book is a godsend! He has given us an accessible orientation to Sanskrit, one of the most philosophically and culturally important languages in the world. I loved learning Sanskrit with this book myself, and I enthusiastically recommend it to anyone with an interest in classic Indian thought and literature." —Bryan Van Norden, Vassar College "[T]his newly published Sanskrit learning guide will definitely tempt students of the 21st century. It is written in a very friendly way, and its author shows that even complicated grammatical phenomena can be made easy to learn. Keating exposes the reader to a variety of Sanskrit texts. . . . Since excerpts are taken from literary, religious, and philosophical texts, readers get exposed to the versatility of the ancient Indian tradition. One lesson emphasizes the significance of commentarial literature, which was highly valued in India but rarely gets attention in Sanskrit grammar books. Another asset of Keating’s book is its focus on yoga texts, the theoretical and practical aspects of which have become incredibly popular in modern times. This alone may intrigue more people to learn at least a little Sanskrit."       "The book consists of thirteen lessons and has two appendices where one can find helpful tables and a Sanskrit glossary. It also includes a bibliography and information on the sources for Sanskrit readings. Each lesson is composed of a fragment from the original text, a vocabulary list (including, in most cases, the context meanings of the words), and helpful grammar notes that pertain to the fragment and are given in a well-thought-out sequence for learning Sanskrit grammar. A further advantage of the book is that it offers “a deeper dive” into Sanskrit with Keating’s so-called ‘pandit points.’ These provide a lot of information on Indian culture and secondary literature (which can guide further study), as well as information that helps with understanding Sanskrit grammar phenomena. The footnotes often refer to Internet sources that can be easily accessed. What is more, and what makes the book so lively, are the many references to modern culture. These appear in the form of comparisons such as, 'For instance, the American singer-song writer Christina Aguilera has lyrics that, while not so profound, use the same grammatical structure as the Chāndogya Upaniṣad.'"       "The book has a clear structure. The grammar topics are introduced in a logical order. . . . It is impossible to mention all of the benefits of this multi-sided and competent, but also charming, Sanskrit grammar book. One of its brilliant but unmentioned hints is the thoughtful usage of three colors for illustrating separate grammatical topics. Keating's Classical Sanskrit for Everyone is an innovative learning guide that should be recommended for modern readers." —Iwona Milewska, in Philosophy East and West