General Information

Samskrita Bharati’s Distance Learning Program (DLP) is a unique opportunity to learn Samskritam at your own pace, at your own place! It consists of simple and interesting lessons accompanied by MP3 audio for the initial two levels. Lessons include stories, puzzles, and glimpses of Samskritam literature along with an innovative method of language learning.   No prior knowledge of Samskritam is assumed, so teaching starts with the basics. After successful completion of four levels, you will be able to understand shlokaas from original texts like Bhagavad Gita or Ramayana all by yourself!

There are four levels in Samskrita Bharati's DLP: they are Pravesha, Parichaya, Siiksha and Kovida.  Each level consists of 12 booklets and a CD (just for the first 2 levels). Each booklet has a number of lessons with built-in review exercises.  The answers to these exercises are provided at the end of each booklet.  The medium of instruction is English.

The Pravesha level booklet has English transliteration for the initial lessons.  Also, included are lessons for mastering the Devanagari script.  Subsequently, the Devanagari script is included with English translation and instructions.  The CDs for the Pravesha and Parichaya levels are an audio version of the booklets, recorded in MP3 format that can help validate one’s pronounciation.

For each level, the 12th book contains 2 sample exams that will help with exam preparation. The first sample exam‘s answers are printed at the end, whereas the second one doesn’t have answers listed. Instead they may be determined by reviewing the booklets. All Distance Learning Program material may be obtained directly from the publication division of Samskrita Bharati (http://www.samskritabharatiusa.org).

Every level has a final examination which may be taken as supervised or unsupervised.  A panel of teachers reviews and grades the papers.  .    Upon successful completion of a supervised exam, a certificate of completion may be issued by Samskrita Bharati.

If you have any questions, please leave a voice mail at 978-268-8406.O A Samskrita Bharati volunteer will respond as quickly as possible by phone or email.   In your voicemail message, please clearly provide your email id and phone number (repeat it at least two times). The package is a TWO-IN-ONE! Along with the study of Samskritam, you will enrich your knowledge about the great heritage of India.

Summary

Prerequisites	NONE
Medium of instruction	English
Number of Levels	Four - Pravesha, Parichaya, Shiksha, Kovida (Entry level to advanced level through four levels)
Duration of each level	Six months (assuming one spends 15min per day)
Number of Lessons per level	12 (each lesson in one booklet) + Text in audio format (as MP3 CD, this is just for first two levels)
Lessons	The lessons can be purchased directly from our book store using the links below. Answers to all the exercises are at the end of the corresponding lesson (book). Exams are held twice a year, in May and November. Exam registration will open in March and in September each year. Please come back to this page and register for the next exam (by paying $40) whenever you are ready.

To purchase books, please click the appropriate link below, which will take you to Samskrita Bharati publications

Pravesha

Paricaya

Shiksha

Kovida

Exam

When the student is ready to be tested, there are two types of exams to choose from, supervised and unsupervised.  If an official certificate is desired then ALL the exams (four, one per level) must be taken supervised.  In any case (supervised or unsupervised), the student must register online to take the exam and pay the $40 exam fee.  Currently, exams are held in the months of May and November each year.  The student can select any date within the month for which the exam registration is open.

Exam Registration

Online registration for exams opens two months before the scheduled exam months.  Currently, the exams are conducted in the months of May (registration opens first of March and ends 31st of March) and November (registration opens first of September and ends 30th of September) each year.  The registration will be open for the entire months of March and September.  Online registration will seek information such as registrant’s name, contact information, exam level, exam day preference, address of invigilator (in case of supervised exam).  The student can select any date within the month for which the exam registration is open.

Supervised Exam

This exam is for those who desire an official certificate upon successful completion of the course work.  At the time of exam registration (online), a student is asked to provide contact details of an invigilator who is willing to provide supervision for the exam. Please see below criteria for being an invigilator and some of his/her expected responsibilities.  The exam can be arranged on a date and at a place that is mutually convenient to the invigilator and the student.  However, once this is decided (place and time), we request that both the student and the invigilator commit to it.

Invigilator (Supervisor)

An invigilator maybe a friend, colleague or a local Samskrita Bharati volunteer.  The primary job of an Invigilator is to make sure that the integrity of the exam is not compromised in any way (for example, making sure that the students don’t use unfair means to pass the exam).  Some of the responsibilities of the invigilator are listed below.  Instructions are sent to the invigilator at least a week before the scheduled exam date via regular mail.  The invigilator is NOT expected to incur any expenses, nor is he/she expected to know Samskritam.  All instructions are provided in English.  The typical time required of an invigilator to fulfill the responsibility is about 4 hours per exam [3 hours supervising the exam and an hour of admin work].

An invigilator CANNOT be any of the following

• · Spouse

• · A person living at the same address as the student (taking the exam)

• · A fellow student who will be taking the same level exam later

Some of the responsibilities of an Invigilator

• · Make sure the integrity of the exam is upheld

• · While the exam is in progress, remind students of the remaining time on the exam

• · Once the exam is completed verify that the information sheet is appropriately filled by the student

• · Make either a photocopy or scan the answer sheet as a back-up, in case the original gets lost in the mail

• · Mail back the answer sheets using pre-paid envelope(s)

• · In case of group administration of an exam, to inform the distance learning program coordinator of any absentee student.

• · And follow any additional instructions provided

 

Information on the Distance Learning Program’s coursework

General
The coursework in each level of the Distance Learning Program covers grammar/syntax  (See level specifics below),  shlokas /puzzles , vocabulary and information on the Sanskrit heritage.  In addition, there is text material that contains stories from various works of Sanskrit literature. The student is expected to not only learn the grammar but also other aspects that have been mentioned above as they will be tested on all of the material.

Pravesha Outline

Pravesha broadly covers the following topics -

1. Study and use of Devanagri script.
2.  Declensions of masculine feminine and neuter genders for vowel ending nouns.
3.  Declensions of various pronouns.
4.  Syntax and usages of all seven declensions.
5.  Numerals
6.  Tenses Present, past future and Imperative, in both parasmai pada and atmanei pada forms.
7.  Introduction to verb classification.
8.  Past participle, gerunds, infinitives.
9. Prefixes.

Parichaya Outline

Parichaya broadly covers the following –

 

1. Adjectives, and their usage
2. Ordinals.
3. Sandhi (modification of the sound of a word or morpheme when juxtaposed with another or coalescence of letters).
4. Indeclinable.
5. Potential mood.
6. How to rearrange a shloka to understand the verse meaning.
7. Passive construction and bhave usage.
8. Passive Participles and infinitives.

Shiiksha Outline

Shiiksha broadly covers the following -

1. Present Participles (shatru) their use and syntax in all Cases.
2. Sandhi ( advance study continued).
3. Present Participles of Atmanei pada (Middle voice).
4. Present Passive Participles (Shaanch) their use and syntax in all cases (declensions).
5. Use of absolutives (Sati saptami).
6. Detail rules of anvaya or process of rearranging a shloka for verse meaning.
7. Excerpts from Bhagavag Giita,  and other famous Samskirtam literature.

Kovida Outline

Kovida broadly covers the following -

1. Compounds (the 5 groups, and sub classes along with their derivation and usage).
2. Secondary Nominal bases ( taddhitaanta  or secondary affixes).
3. Passages from important Sanskrit literary authors using simple Sanskrit.
4. Biographies of important figures in Sanskrit literature
5. Figures of speech (alankaras).
6. Poetic Meters or Chanda.
7. Brief introduction to Sanskrit composition and letter writing.

 

Click on the following image to register for the May 2012 Exam