Thread by @pvaal2

How to decode संस्कृत shlokas?

The process is called अन्वयः

The natural order/connection of words in a sentence, reflecting grammatical order or relation - पदानां परस्पराकाङ्क्षा योग्यता च।

Once you learn basics of संस्कृतम्, Anvaya knowledge is critical to your progress👍🏼

Why is Anvaya process critical?

Shlokas are often written ‘scrambled’ in order to meet metrical (छन्दस्) requirements

While word order does NOT matter in संस्कृतम्-unzipping in the correct manner is critical to get the meaning

Anvaya provides the rules to unzip the Shloka

Anvaya process has multiple steps

१ पदविभागः। Break up words

२ सन्धिः। Break up unions

३ वाक्यविश्लेशणम्। Characterize words

४ आकाङ्क्षाक्रमेण अन्वयः। Unzip in sequence

५ व्याकरणांशाः। Grammatical analysis

Example

वसुदेवसुतं देवं कंसचाणूरमर्दनम्।

देवकीपरमानन्दं कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम्

How do we unpack this shloka?

By following Anvaya process!

End result👇

वसुदेवसुतं देवकीपरमानन्दं कंसचाणूरमर्दनं जगद्गुरुं देवं कृष्णम् (अहं) वन्दे।

What are the steps?

१ Break up words & sandhis

२ Identify the verb (क्रियापदम्)

३ Group all “same vibhakti” words

४ Ask ‘questions’ in sequence to each of the words to find their ‘relation’ to the verb

Questions-किम् केन कस्मै कस्मात् कस्य कस्मिन् -who, what, for whom etc

Putting together the ‘answers’ generated, in logical sequence, gives you the anvaya!

Isn’t it brilliant?

Now
Why group vibhaktis?

Because

यल्लिङ्गं  यद्वचनं  या  च  विभक्तिर्विशेष्यस्य
तल्लिङ्गं  तद्वचनं  सा  च  विभक्तिर्विशेषणस्यापि

The gender, number & case of विशेषण follows विशेष्य in संस्कृतम्!

Here words in द्वितीया are all adjectives for Krishna!

[To Krishna WHO IS..]

Why ask questions?

Because, each sentence has ONE verb

विभक्ति shows the relationship between the words and THE verb

प्रथमा-Who?
द्वितीया-To whom?
त्रितीया-By whom?

By asking questions in a sequence, we fully interrogate the relationship between the verb & constituent words!

Start now to master the Anvaya process!

Here are a list of wonderful resources to help you develop and hone your Anvaya skills

👇

To formally learn the Basic Anvaya method & process in a structured manner, nothing better than the Shiksha lectures by Sowmya Krishnapur Bhagini

Start from video 1 - 10 minutes

Here she explains in detail the Anvaya process & runs through many examples

youtube.com/playlist?list=…

The Ramayana & Bhagavad Gita Supersites by IIT Kanpur are SUPERB to learn & practice how to read scriptures

valmiki.iitk.ac.in

gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in

They have anvaya, translations etc and are brilliant resources for self learning

Please check out this wonderful course by Vidwan Tilak M Rao to learn more about “Anvaya”, the technique of unpacking संस्कृत shlokas

Many people learn संस्कृतम् to know more about the shlokas - anvaya is the critical process key!

youtube.com/playlist?list=…

To ‘read scriptures’ & kaavya, purana etc., nothing substitutes self-practice. This is the MOST critical step

Buy Gita Press Bhagavad Gita with anvaya & padachcheda or Ramayana with anvaya and practice directly. Chaukhamba also has wonderful editions

Very important!

Nivedita Bhagini runs a great youtube channel with multiple free courses & lectures - Vidyadaanam

youtube.com/playlist?list=…

These are very useful to learn the process of Anvaya by understanding the examples - critical to develop the ability to read scriptures

A wonderful resource to learn basic Anvaya is the Sangkshepa Ramayanam by UoHyd

1. First chapter of Ramayana with word by word English / Hindi translation

2. Anvaya with Hindi अनुवादः।

2. Relevant Karaka / Samasa also shown

sanskrit.uohyd.ac.in/scl/e-readers/…

If you know Hindi, would also strongly recommend

S̄rimadbhagabadgīta : padacheda-anvaya aur sādhāranabhasātīkāsahita

By @GitaPress

If you learn better by listening and also via auditory teaching, a great resource for learning Anvaya would be the Gita classes by Dr. Padmakumar. Here he focuses on you learning grammar in a more natural fashion via learning the Gita

youtube.com/playlist?list=…

Adding Sanskrit Appreciation Hour Twitter Sessions incorporating Anvaya by @PnNamboo महोदयः।

Very useful for many folks looking at this type of teaching approach

sankhya-n-yoga.blogspot.com/2015/01/sanskr…