Calendar of Events

In this three-class series, students will learn how to correctly chant and recognize several Sanskrit meters. They will learn the key to analyze unknown meters, gaining a solid understanding of heavy and light syllables and how to find the patterns in a verse. Material will be presented through chanting of example verses from Sanskrit literature, with translation, including devotional and poetical works from varied sources. All examples will be shown in both Devanāgarī letters and transliteration. We will be using color-coded handouts to aid with understanding of the rhythms. Audio files will be provided for all verses to facilitate review and practice between classes.

The workshop is designed to be enjoyed by all interested students, including those with no background in Sanskrit. For fuller understanding of the content we recommend taking all three classes in the series. However, any class can also be enjoyed on an individual basis.

Class 2:
Introduction to the concept of triads – groups of heavy and light syllables that are used for metrical analysis. Our example meters will be Indra-vajrā and Upendra-vajrā, meters with 11 syllables per pāda (line).

Indira (Ann) Bulkin met Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati (Ramamurti S. Mishra, M.D.) in the summer of 1971 at Ananda Ashram. The following spring, she became a full time resident student at the Yoga Society of San Francisco where she lived for several years. In the summer of 1973, Dr. Mishra asked Indira to start teaching Sanskrit. In the early 1980s, he named her as the head of the Sanskrit Department at the Yoga Society of San Francisco, a position she held until 2010. Indira was privileged to study Sanskrit with Professor Robert Goldman at UC Berkeley and in 1993 graduated with a B.A. in the Sanskrit language. She was blessed to be able to continue her Sanskrit studies with Dr. Ram Karan Sharma for more than 17 years. For more information, please visit the East-West Sanskrit Institute.

Shanta Bulkin met Dr. Ramamurti S. Mishra in the summer of 1972 at Ananda Ashram. Dr. Mishra said, “If you want to stay here you must study Sanskrit.” Shanta took him at his word and felt the healing effect of this study begin to change his life. Shanta started teaching Sanskrit in the late 90s. He continued to grow as a Sanskritist, studying with world-renowned Sanskrit teacher and writer, Professor Ram Karan Sharma. In the past few years, he has been teaching at the College of Ayurveda at the Mt. Madonna Institute (California), as well as at several yoga centers around the Bay Area and elsewhere. For more information, please visit the East-West Sanskrit Institute.