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A Sanskrit Reader: Text and Vocabulary and Notes
So cumbrous or so meagre have been hitherto the appliances for acquiring even a moderate knowledge of Sanskrit, that classical students, when seeking such knowledge as an auxiliary to their special work, have found the labor discouragingly great. These students unquestionably have a legitimate and sufficient reason for undertaking Sanskrit, and I venture to hope that the difficulties of the beginning (see p. Xv) have been so materially lessened that they will now find even a modicum of Sanskrit well worth the trouble of attainment.
446 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1888
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About the author
Charles Rockwell Lanman
104 books4 followersCharles Rockwell Lanman (July 8, 1850 – February 20, 1941) was an American scholar of the Sanskrit language.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 22, 2014
As my Sanskrit teacher, McComas Taylor says, "Lanman is your friend." Extensive notes, dictionary and some good reading. A must for Sanskrit students.
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August 10, 2016only read part of Nala story during class. I will definitely come back to this text for furthering my Sanskrit studies.
April 25, 2025
When I had finished my two-volume introduction to Sanskrit textbook, I tried to start reading a “real” Sanskrit text, the Bhagavad Gita. Within a few days, I realized that I was in way over my head. I looked for some advice online about how to learn how to read Sanskrit texts, and this book came up. And so for over five years I patiently worked my way through the selections contained herein. During that time my vintage copy went from a sturdy volume to a loose collection of the 400 pages between two unconnected covers.
The best aspect of this book is that it includes a wide array of genres and styles, roughly ascending in difficulty as you go. Over the course of the book you get to read the equivalent of Aesop’s fables, other stories in prose, a large selection from the Vedas, and finally a commentary on the Vedas illustrating how they were used in practical religious rites. I was most excited to read the Vedas, which are among the oldest surviving texts. When I reached the commentary portion I realized that the selection of texts was carefully chosen so that all the texts referred to in the commentary had been included.
In addition to the texts themselves, there is a commentary that helps explain the type of texts that are included, as well as helping to parse some of the difficult passages.
One thing I appreciated immensely about the book was that the glossary at the back highlighted cognate words in other languages, especially Greek but also including Latin and Old English, among others. These helped form connections in my brain that made it easier to remember vocabulary. One thing that I found difficult was that the glossary listed all verbs by their structural roots, ignoring any prefixes. If an English dictionary did the same, the word “understand” would be listed under “stand” and “forget” would appear under “get.” Sometimes the diversion in meanings is similarly distant in Sanskrit.
I read each text through twice before moving on to the next selection. Usually I was able to appreciate it better, and read it more fluently, the second time. In the end I can’t say I feel completely comfortable with Sanskrit, which I still consider the most difficult language I have studied, but my abilities have grown by leaps and bounds.
The best aspect of this book is that it includes a wide array of genres and styles, roughly ascending in difficulty as you go. Over the course of the book you get to read the equivalent of Aesop’s fables, other stories in prose, a large selection from the Vedas, and finally a commentary on the Vedas illustrating how they were used in practical religious rites. I was most excited to read the Vedas, which are among the oldest surviving texts. When I reached the commentary portion I realized that the selection of texts was carefully chosen so that all the texts referred to in the commentary had been included.
In addition to the texts themselves, there is a commentary that helps explain the type of texts that are included, as well as helping to parse some of the difficult passages.
One thing I appreciated immensely about the book was that the glossary at the back highlighted cognate words in other languages, especially Greek but also including Latin and Old English, among others. These helped form connections in my brain that made it easier to remember vocabulary. One thing that I found difficult was that the glossary listed all verbs by their structural roots, ignoring any prefixes. If an English dictionary did the same, the word “understand” would be listed under “stand” and “forget” would appear under “get.” Sometimes the diversion in meanings is similarly distant in Sanskrit.
I read each text through twice before moving on to the next selection. Usually I was able to appreciate it better, and read it more fluently, the second time. In the end I can’t say I feel completely comfortable with Sanskrit, which I still consider the most difficult language I have studied, but my abilities have grown by leaps and bounds.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews