Sanskrit Primers

[Stella Sandahl]

Dear friends, colleagues  and authors of Sanskrit primers,
I hope I did not offend anybody by bringing up this topic. I did not  
expect to teach a 1st year Sanskrit ever again, but unfortunate  
circumstances compel me to do so. Since grammar doesn't change from  
one year to the other I keep myself amused by trying out different  
text books. I have used many of the different Sanskrit Primers  
earlier. Goldman is excellent, especially for students who continue  
into the 3rd year. But since I always use good old Stenzler as a  
compact reference grammar on the side, the switching between Indian  
"horizontal" paradigms and European "vertical" ones (you know what I  
mean) it is confusing for the students.

Incidentally, all students have discovered that they can actually  
find everything explained in Stenzler in the shortest possible form  
and easy to locate. And it exists in an excellent and competent  
English translation by Renate Soehnen-Thieme. Our students here do  
not know German. Nor French. I suffered through Bergaigne.
Many thanks for all the messages inside and outside of the list!
Stella Sandahl


Professor Stella Sandahl
Department of East Asian Studies
130 St. George St. room 14087
Toronto, ON M5S 3H1
ssandahl at sympatico.ca
stella.sandahl at utoronto.ca
Tel. (416) 978-4295
Fax. (416) 978-5711



On 17-Jul-08, at 6:17 AM, Eli Franco wrote:

> Some weeks ago there was a discussion about a suitable Sanskrit primer
> apropos of "The Sanskrit Language" by Walter Maurer. I was unable  
> to examine
> the book until today. In this regard, I would like to draw your  
> attention to
> another primer, which, I believe, is superior to Maurer's: Dermot
> Killingley, Beginning Sanskrit.
>  The course has three volumes, but the three together are cheaper than
>  Maurer's two volumes. Maurer covers more grammar and has more  
> vocabulary
>  (about 20-25%), but Killingley has many more exercises, and is  
> didactically
>  much better. We have been successfully using Killingley in Vienna and
> Leipzig for the last few years. I can recommend it very warmly.
> Best wishes,
> EF