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San Diego College of Ayurveda Sanskrit class, 8 Jan 2011 Overview of Sanskrit Sanskrit is defined by Sanskrit Sanskrit words are mostly derived from verbal roots with prefixes and suffixes Sanskrit words tend to have a wide variety of potential meanings based on context Sanskrit in Ayurveda All primary texts are in Sanskrit Translations are accurate but sometimes terse Objectives Cover basics of pronunciation Cover some basic terms

Overview of Sanskrit Sanskrit in Ayurveda · PDF fileOverview of Sanskrit ... Sanskrit words tend to have a wide variety of potential meanings based on context Sanskrit in Ayurveda

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Page 1: Overview of Sanskrit Sanskrit in Ayurveda · PDF fileOverview of Sanskrit ... Sanskrit words tend to have a wide variety of potential meanings based on context Sanskrit in Ayurveda

San Diego College of AyurvedaSanskrit class, 8 Jan 2011

Overview of SanskritSanskrit is defined by SanskritSanskrit words are mostly derived from verbal roots with prefixes and suffixesSanskrit words tend to have a wide variety of potential meanings based on context

Sanskrit in AyurvedaAll primary texts are in SanskritTranslations are accurate but sometimes terse

ObjectivesCover basics of pronunciationCover some basic terms

Page 2: Overview of Sanskrit Sanskrit in Ayurveda · PDF fileOverview of Sanskrit ... Sanskrit words tend to have a wide variety of potential meanings based on context Sanskrit in Ayurveda

Pronunciation

Why use diacritics?Some sounds are not present in EnglishLong and short vowels are important

Diacritics or no diacritics?Diacritics are used in Sanskrit course materials to help you gain the right pronunciation.

Page 3: Overview of Sanskrit Sanskrit in Ayurveda · PDF fileOverview of Sanskrit ... Sanskrit words tend to have a wide variety of potential meanings based on context Sanskrit in Ayurveda

Sanskrit alphabet (varëa-krama)

Vowels and endings

a अ ä आ i इ é ई u उ ü ऊ å ऋ è ॠ ÿ ऌe ए ai ऐ o ओ au औ aà A& aù A"

Page 4: Overview of Sanskrit Sanskrit in Ayurveda · PDF fileOverview of Sanskrit ... Sanskrit words tend to have a wide variety of potential meanings based on context Sanskrit in Ayurveda

Consonants

Velar ka क kha ख ga ग gha घ ìa ङ

Palatal ca च cha छ ja ज jha झ ï ञRetroflex öa ट öha ठ òa ड òha ढ ëa णDental ta त tha थ da द dha ध na नLabial pa प pha फ ba ब bha भ ma म

Semivowels ya य ra र la ल va व

Sibilants / fricative ça श ña ष sa स ha ह

Page 5: Overview of Sanskrit Sanskrit in Ayurveda · PDF fileOverview of Sanskrit ... Sanskrit words tend to have a wide variety of potential meanings based on context Sanskrit in Ayurveda

Sandhi – combining words

ExternalYou’ll see this if you look at stanzas from books like Caraka-saàhitä

InternalCommon when making compoundsCompounds are usually hyphenated in the Sanskrit course material

Examplesmedas = fatmedo-dhätu = fatty tissueñaö = sixñaò-rasa = six tastes

Page 6: Overview of Sanskrit Sanskrit in Ayurveda · PDF fileOverview of Sanskrit ... Sanskrit words tend to have a wide variety of potential meanings based on context Sanskrit in Ayurveda

Word list – 8 Jan 2011

äyurveda – from äyus meaning life, and veda meaning knowledge.

Äyurveda can be understood to mean knowledge of all the components of life and their interactions.

Page 7: Overview of Sanskrit Sanskrit in Ayurveda · PDF fileOverview of Sanskrit ... Sanskrit words tend to have a wide variety of potential meanings based on context Sanskrit in Ayurveda

präëa – vital force which circulates throughout the body. Also refers specifically to

one of the five types of primary circulation, the life-sustaining intake of breath

Page 8: Overview of Sanskrit Sanskrit in Ayurveda · PDF fileOverview of Sanskrit ... Sanskrit words tend to have a wide variety of potential meanings based on context Sanskrit in Ayurveda

dhätu – basis or foundation. In äyurveda this refers to a category or collection of

tissues

Page 9: Overview of Sanskrit Sanskrit in Ayurveda · PDF fileOverview of Sanskrit ... Sanskrit words tend to have a wide variety of potential meanings based on context Sanskrit in Ayurveda

rasa – taste, liquid, blood plasma. This is a key term and appears in many different

contexts

Page 10: Overview of Sanskrit Sanskrit in Ayurveda · PDF fileOverview of Sanskrit ... Sanskrit words tend to have a wide variety of potential meanings based on context Sanskrit in Ayurveda

ekam, dvi, tri, catur, païca, ñaö, sapta, añöa, nava, daça – Numbers from one to ten: one, two, three, four, five, six,

seven, eight, nine, ten

Page 11: Overview of Sanskrit Sanskrit in Ayurveda · PDF fileOverview of Sanskrit ... Sanskrit words tend to have a wide variety of potential meanings based on context Sanskrit in Ayurveda

prathama, dvitéya, tritéya, caturtha, païcama, ñañöha, saptama, añöama, navama, daçama – Ordinal numbers: first, second,

third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth

Page 12: Overview of Sanskrit Sanskrit in Ayurveda · PDF fileOverview of Sanskrit ... Sanskrit words tend to have a wide variety of potential meanings based on context Sanskrit in Ayurveda

jan – Verbal root "to give birth or give rise to". This occurs frequently as a suffix, e.g.

rasaja-vyädhi, disease which arises due to [imbalance of] blood. As a noun, it becomes janma or birth. One of the many words for "mother" is janané (the one who gave birth [to you])

Page 13: Overview of Sanskrit Sanskrit in Ayurveda · PDF fileOverview of Sanskrit ... Sanskrit words tend to have a wide variety of potential meanings based on context Sanskrit in Ayurveda

doña – defect, something which is to be balanced or rectified; in äyurveda, this

generally refers to one of the three doñas (tridoñas): väta, pitta, kapha

Page 14: Overview of Sanskrit Sanskrit in Ayurveda · PDF fileOverview of Sanskrit ... Sanskrit words tend to have a wide variety of potential meanings based on context Sanskrit in Ayurveda

rakta – the color red, blood

mäàsa – muscle, meat

medas – fat. In sandhi with other words this usually becomes medo or medaù

asthi – bones

majjä – bone marrow

çukra – semen, seminal fluid

Page 15: Overview of Sanskrit Sanskrit in Ayurveda · PDF fileOverview of Sanskrit ... Sanskrit words tend to have a wide variety of potential meanings based on context Sanskrit in Ayurveda

sapta-dhätu – the seven basic tissues or substances of the

physical body. These are considered to have an order of derivation, and appear below in that order

Page 16: Overview of Sanskrit Sanskrit in Ayurveda · PDF fileOverview of Sanskrit ... Sanskrit words tend to have a wide variety of potential meanings based on context Sanskrit in Ayurveda

rasa-dhätu – blood plasma and extravascular fluid in general

rakta-dhätu – blood (red blood cells)

mäàsa-dhätu – muscular tissue

medo-dhätu – fatty tissue

asthi-dhätu – bone and cartalaginous tissue

majjä-dhätu – bone marrow tissue

çukra-dhätu – the vital reproductive essence which manifests as semen in

men and facilitates ovulation in women

Page 17: Overview of Sanskrit Sanskrit in Ayurveda · PDF fileOverview of Sanskrit ... Sanskrit words tend to have a wide variety of potential meanings based on context Sanskrit in Ayurveda

ojas – refined essence of vitality

Page 18: Overview of Sanskrit Sanskrit in Ayurveda · PDF fileOverview of Sanskrit ... Sanskrit words tend to have a wide variety of potential meanings based on context Sanskrit in Ayurveda

stana – female breast (mammary)

stanya – that which is related to the mammaries and lactation

Page 19: Overview of Sanskrit Sanskrit in Ayurveda · PDF fileOverview of Sanskrit ... Sanskrit words tend to have a wide variety of potential meanings based on context Sanskrit in Ayurveda

åtu – season, menstruation (the "monthly season" or menses)

ärtava – that which is related to the menstrual cycle

Page 20: Overview of Sanskrit Sanskrit in Ayurveda · PDF fileOverview of Sanskrit ... Sanskrit words tend to have a wide variety of potential meanings based on context Sanskrit in Ayurveda

çiras – the head. Becomes çiro in combination with other words

çirodhärä – a type of treatment involving a flow (dhärä) of liquid on the

head

sirä – veins

Page 21: Overview of Sanskrit Sanskrit in Ayurveda · PDF fileOverview of Sanskrit ... Sanskrit words tend to have a wide variety of potential meanings based on context Sanskrit in Ayurveda

tvac – skin. Becomes tvak, tvacä, and other forms in combination with other words

puréña – stool

mutra – urine

sveda – sweat

Page 22: Overview of Sanskrit Sanskrit in Ayurveda · PDF fileOverview of Sanskrit ... Sanskrit words tend to have a wide variety of potential meanings based on context Sanskrit in Ayurveda

nidrä – sleep

tandrä – lethargy or laziness

svapna – dreams, the state of dreaming (sleep)

Page 23: Overview of Sanskrit Sanskrit in Ayurveda · PDF fileOverview of Sanskrit ... Sanskrit words tend to have a wide variety of potential meanings based on context Sanskrit in Ayurveda

indriya – the senses

manas – mind, the function of like and dislike, the center of sense perception where

pleasure and pain are experienced.

ätman – the self or soul. Ätmä is the singular form, and in compounds becomes ätma.

Ätmä in the sense of "self" can also refer to mind or body depending on context, but almost always means the soul or nonmaterial identity around which the layers of mind, intellect, ego, senses, and physical body are wrapped.