SKT 205 | Spoken Sanskrit II

May 6 - June 12, 2025

ENROLLMENT OPTIONS

Sanskrit as a Living Language

Did you know that Sanskrit is not only a language designed for sacred scripture, but also for daily communication, with words for computers, A/C, trains, planes, and more? Did you know that there are communities in India and around the world today that communicate amongst themselves almost exclusively in Sanskrit? Did you know that you can speak Sanskrit? Join Dr. Varun Khanna for an immersive dive into the world of spoken Sanskrit, learning to communicate in this ancient language from scratch.

Spoken Sanskrit is an extremely helpful tool for learning to interpret Sanskrit – even in its written form – in an organic and natural way, particularly when it comes to understanding declensions of nominals, conjugations of verbs, and syntax. By learning spoken Sanskrit, we become not only consumers of the language but producers as well, opening our minds to the expansive variety and potential that Sanskrit holds. When we learn to produce Sanskrit ourselves, then the language finds a living home in an embodied context. True to its history, the oral production of the Sanskrit language is what keeps it alive.

 

 

As a continuation of SKT 204, Spoken Sanskrit II will move beyond basic vocabulary acquisition and transition to a more conversational approach. In this course, students will learn to form longer, more complex sentences, with a focus on communication of complete ideas. Students will also learn new concepts like passive voice, secondary conjugations, intermediate tenses/moods, and more.

Two 6-Week Terms

Course Structure

  • 12 Live Class Sessions (90 min each)
    • Tuesdays and Thursdays @ 10-11:30am Pacific (California)
  • All live sessions will take place via Zoom and will be recorded for later viewing. 

Students Will Receive: 

  • 12 live class sessions (90 min each)
  • 5 ACP Credits
  • 18 Hours of CE credit with YA
  • Yogic Studies Certificate (PDF)
  • Access to the private Community Forum

Dr. Varun Khanna

Visiting Assistant Professor of Classics, Swarthmore College

As a pre-med undergrad student, Varun Khanna accidentally stumbled into Sanskrit when he tried to learn Ayurveda during a study abroad program in India. After learning to speak and becoming fluent in the language, he changed direction and became a full-time student of Sanskrit and Indian philosophy. He then traveled through various jungles and cities in India to learn from different Sanskrit gurus, specializing in Pāṇinian Sanskrit grammar. Varun later earned both his master’s degree in Sanskrit and his PhD in Hinduism (studying consciousness in the Upaniṣads) at the University of Cambridge. He has been teaching spoken Sanskrit, Pāṇinian Sanskrit grammar, and topics in Indian philosophy since 2008, and is now a Visiting Assistant Professor of Classics teaching Sanskrit at Swarthmore College.

Varun’s research interests lie at the intersection of Sanskrit and social justice. His latest work centers on thinking through the power dynamics related to the transmission of Sanskrit in academic and non-academic spaces, from the perspective of both the teacher and the student. He has recently launched a sub-field of Sanskrit studies called Critical Sanskrit Studies to host the investigation into Sanskrit and its relationship to power.

Listen to our interview with Dr. Khanna on the Yogic Studies Podcast.

"Spoken Sanskrit is so much fun, we are laughing a lot, you come to understand stories you never thought you would understand just from listening to them in Sanskrit, and this after an incredibly short time of few weeks! In particular the group projects in Spoken Sanskrit II prove how much you have already learned, employing your own creativity to create Sanskrit content, always with the help of a brilliant teacher in the background who will smooth out the very few mistakes you still might make."

— Robert Kunsch
Germany

"Brilliant course. Varun encouraged us to be creative and even a total beginner like myself could in the end participate in producing a podcast and a skit!"

— Diane
France

"After my first year of Sanskrit, I felt perhaps equipped to interpret some texts with the help of a dictionary but that spontaneous communication in Sanskrit would be out on my reach for many years to come. Spoken Sanskrit helps bridge that gap. Dr. Khanna's inimitable teaching style and good humoured encouragement has you speaking Sanskrit from the start – and gradually progress towards more complex expressions. Listening to our final project skits, I am amazed at how much progress we have all made. It has also been the most fun course I have taken. I whole-heartedly recommend Dr. Khanna's Spoken Sanskrit series."

— Spoken Sanskrit student

"Varuna took us step by step, getting us into using Sanskrit, he kept on reminding us to enjoy and not worry, this made the leaning so much fun and cheerful. The assignments were creative and got us to work and be active. It is not easy for me to learn a new language, I was really surprised by the accomplishment. Highly recommend."

— Abigail Warshavsky

"Dr. Khanna has become one of my favorite Yogic Studies teachers. I love his passion for sharing the Sanskrit language and yoga philosophy with his students. He's playful, creative, and so inviting. He makes Sanskrit so accessible. I look forward to continuing my Studies in his upcoming course on Sanskrit grammar."

— Spoken Sanskrit student

Enrollment is coming soon.

Early Bird Tuition

$160

One-Time Payment

  • Lifetime access to SKT 205

Early Bird Tuition

$80 x 2

Two Monthly Payments

  • Lifetime access to SKT 205

Spoken Sanskrit Bundle

$310

One-Time Payment

  • Access to SKT 204 (March 11 - April 17, 2025)

  • Access to SKT 205 (May 6 - June 12, 2025)

Frequently Asked Questions

This course is eligible for up to 18 hours of Continued Education (CE) credits with Yoga Alliance

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