Classical Sanskrit for Everyone: A Guide for Absolute Beginners

by Malcolm Keating

Overview

"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

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781647921903
Publisher:	Hackett Publishing Company, Inc.
Publication date:	02/03/2025
Pages:	296
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Malcolm Keating is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Smith College.

Editorial Reviews

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

From the Publisher