We need books like this for Sanskrit (Crowdsourcing is also ok)

[K S Kannan]

We lack well-illustrated dictionaries of Sanskrit.

Take for example, this one for English:

https://archive.org/details/pictorialwebster0000carr/page/200/mode/2up

I know some sporadic attempts have been made for Sanskrit.

Now that Sanskrit is in the Central Govt.'s gaze and patronage too,

one or more committed individuals/institutions can take this up as a project

funded partially/fully by private/governmental agencies.

It should not be very difficult to get publishers: 

private/governmental academic publishers.

There could be a good market too.

Motto: Illustrate whatever (in Sanskrit) can be.

Apart from flora and fauna, including "fancy" items that one runs into in literature

decorations and ornamentations of the human figure, as well as illnesses etc.

We have an almost inexhaustibly vast literature, starting from the Vedic.

See this too:

https://archive.org/details/the-oxford-duden-pictorial-english-dictionary-leisure-and-the-arts-1986/page/n1/mode/2up

This could be a massive enterprise - involving dozens of scholars and artists.

--

Dr. K.S.Kannan  D.Litt.

Hon. Prof., Chanakya University, Bangalore.,

Emeritus Prof. and Director, Vishnugupta VishwaVidyapeetham, Gokarna.,

Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj Chair Professor (Retd.), IIT-Madras.

Member, Advisory Board, "Prof. A K Singh AURO Chair of Indic Studies", AURO University, Surat.
Member, Expert Committee for Review of Criticism of Indian Knowledge Traditions, Central Sanskrit University (under MoE, GoI), Ganganath Jha Campus, Prayagraj.
Adjunct Faculty, Dept of Heritage Science and Technology, IIT Hyderabad.

Nominated Member, Academic Committee, Kavi Kula Guru Kalidasa University, Ramtek.
Member, Academic Council, Veda Vijnana Shodha Samsthana.
Academic Director, Swadeshi Indology.
Nominated Member, IIAS, Shimla.

Former Professor, CAHC, Jain University, Bangalore.

Former Director, Karnataka Samskrit University, Bangalore.

Former Head, Dept. of Sanskrit, The National Colleges, Bangalore.

https://sites.google.com/view/kskannan

[K S Kannan]

What I sent just now is only a sample (a small tip of a massive iceberg)

of books that need to be produced in Sanskrit.

Well, do you have an idea of a new/good book that is needed in Sanskrit?

Pour your ideas here in this trail.

Many of us have just felt the wish:

Oh how nice it would have been if we had a book 

that would deal with this theme and in this manner !

Many lack ideas for producing books but have the ability;

and many have brilliant ideas but cannot execute for lack of resources

- collaborators/funders/publishers.

Someone or the other will take it up and pursue,

and it will be for the good of the community.

Crowd-sourcing helps overcome apprehensions/impediments.

Can we give a try?

This is a call to all the members in this List.

[Gadi Manoj]

एतानि आवश्यकानि सन्ति।

- Basic Mathematics for everyday use. Addition, Subtraction, Division, multiplication. Multiplication tables. Discount, Profit, interest, etc - How to transact all of this in Sanskrit ? 

Thanks and regards,
Manoj G Prakash
+91 80732 92851

Blog Twitter / X

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[K S Kannan]

Did you ever feel:

How good if this book had been translated into  Sanskrit by somebody?

(Or even, from Sanskrit into any particular Indian/other language/s?)

Pour your suggestions here:

someone competent will recognize its use and merit, and attempt the same.

It can indeed help many.

piṇḍe piṇḍe matir bhinnā

tuṇḍe tuṇḍe sarasvatī !!

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[K S Kannan]

Excellent suggestion!

This is very much needed.

Even for teaching Sandhi in Sanskrit, many often use the word "plus".

Not that it is bad, but someone can investigate what term our ancestors had for such things.

We need specialised dictionaries for every field in Sanskrit:

both Sanskrit to Sanskrit, and Sanskrit to other Indian languages,

and the reverse, too!

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[vishal jaiswal]

Lots of accessible  fiction both original and translated. 

Not 10 page stories, neither 400+ page tomes. Rather 50 or 100 or max 150-200 pages wrt length.

But coined vocab for the modern world is not trivial, unless that's redundant by the  content excluding the modern era and it's tech .

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[K S Kannan]

This is a very good suggestion.

This can inspire many to try their hand and produce a good deal of enjoyable/valuable literature!

There are many stories, big and small, that have entertainment value,

but more importantly, themes that can convey good and great values of life.

This is a somewhat neglected field, but much literature is being produced nowadays.

But specific suggestions as to which author/which book etc. can make this more concrete.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/bvparishat/CAKTyUK%2Bxt_QuhrmggC5qbxW-3UXSZFP4nctjj8mpD%2BzFHwYSRQ%40mail.gmail.com.

[Gadi Manoj]

Like how English reading books are classified into multiple levels from easy to difficult

(The CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference) is the absolute global standard for language learners. For native speakers and school systems worldwide, the Lexile Framework and Guided Reading Levels (F&P) are the most widely used.)

Similar such graded / level based books across पद्यं, गद्यं and चम्पू will go a long way in gradually encouraging readers develop capability in a systematic manner.

Thanks and regards,
Manoj G Prakash
+91 80732 92851

Blog Twitter / X

On Thu, 21 May, 2026, 8:13 pm Gadi Manoj, <gadim...@gmail.com> wrote:

While we are on the subject of books, let me highlight some adjacencies.

1) Buying books in Sanskrit is not at all easy. It's time we had an Amazon like portal for Sanskrit works. Today most publishers have to be contacted by phone, or email, then we ask for publication list, and then select and indicate and then quote is provided and then payment done and await dispatch. Between each of these, many times, no responses or delayed responses. While some of this problem is handled by Exotica website, the prices on their website is invariably 2-4x of the original prices of the publisher.

2) Discovering new publications, other than by chance, is close to impossible.

3) Time to have a portal like www.goodreads.com for Sanskrit

4) Thanks to recent efforts in translations, and publication by NBT, work of Sampadananda Mishra ji and team - we have books for children, atleast 30-40 titles. But we need for teens across genre.

5) Book Reading Clubs to encourage reading of Sanskrit literature.

6) Sanskrit Libraries (Digital and otherwise) 

7) Comic format - Publish the entire Amar Chitra Katha series in Sanskrit.

8) Bring out Hitopadesha, Panchatantra, Purusha Pareeksha, Stories narrated by Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Stories narrated by Bhagavan Shri Sathya Sai Baba (Chinna Kathaa) in Comic format - In Sanskrit

9) Sanskrit Blogs - repo of articles online.

10) Sanskrit Through Sanskrit self learning books. Exercise books. 

11) more books like vakyamuktavali authored by Charudeva Shastri. 

12) Exercise books for composing shlokas in various Chhandas.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/bvparishat/CAN47gm5%3DX8ihrdPrOs1Tw6FSLd7Aiy4fBDXuQJwr_u9biWtKRw%40mail.gmail.com.

[Gadi Manoj]

also, something like this

Redear's digest Reverse Dictionary - https://www.amazon.in/Readers-Digest-Illustrated-Reverse-Dictionary/dp/0864490003

Thanks and regards,
Manoj G Prakash
+91 80732 92851

Blog Twitter / X

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/bvparishat/CAKTyUK%2Bxt_QuhrmggC5qbxW-3UXSZFP4nctjj8mpD%2BzFHwYSRQ%40mail.gmail.com.

[Gadi Manoj]

Instructional Yoga book in Sanskrit

While the asana name is in Sanskrit, nothing beyond that is in Sanskrit.

Doing an asana involves many instructions such as cold your leg, straighten your back, align your hand, strech, fold, balance, etc etc.

For each asana, if all of the instructions also could be visualized and expressed in Sanskrit.

Similarly for Pranayama and its various types.

Thanks and regards,
Manoj G Prakash
+91 80732 92851

Blog Twitter / X

[Gadi Manoj]

While we are on the subject of books, let me highlight some adjacencies.

1) Buying books in Sanskrit is not at all easy. It's time we had an Amazon like portal for Sanskrit works. Today most publishers have to be contacted by phone, or email, then we ask for publication list, and then select and indicate and then quote is provided and then payment done and await dispatch. Between each of these, many times, no responses or delayed responses. While some of this problem is handled by Exotica website, the prices on their website is invariably 2-4x of the original prices of the publisher.

2) Discovering new publications, other than by chance, is close to impossible.

3) Time to have a portal like www.goodreads.com for Sanskrit

4) Thanks to recent efforts in translations, and publication by NBT, work of Sampadananda Mishra ji and team - we have books for children, atleast 30-40 titles. But we need for teens across genre.

5) Book Reading Clubs to encourage reading of Sanskrit literature.

6) Sanskrit Libraries (Digital and otherwise) 

7) Comic format - Publish the entire Amar Chitra Katha series in Sanskrit.

8) Bring out Hitopadesha, Panchatantra, Purusha Pareeksha, Stories narrated by Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Stories narrated by Bhagavan Shri Sathya Sai Baba (Chinna Kathaa) in Comic format - In Sanskrit

9) Sanskrit Blogs - repo of articles online.

10) Sanskrit Through Sanskrit self learning books. Exercise books. 

11) more books like vakyamuktavali authored by Charudeva Shastri. 

12) Exercise books for composing shlokas in various Chhandas.

Thanks and regards,
Manoj G Prakash
+91 80732 92851

Blog Twitter / X

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/bvparishat/CAN47gm5%3DX8ihrdPrOs1Tw6FSLd7Aiy4fBDXuQJwr_u9biWtKRw%40mail.gmail.com.

[K S Kannan]

The ideas of Sri Gadi Manoj are excellent.

Coming to the very first point raised by him, I must say that

I have raised this issue several times in BVP, but with very poor response.

Once a friend of mine wrote to BORI, asking for a catalogue: no response.

Two reminders, no response. Then he said he wanted to buy their Mahabharata-set

and History of Dharmaśāstra-set: they immediately sent a response plus the catalogue!

Most other Indological institutes in India don't have a contact number, or don't make it easily known;

their website is outdated, or plain dead. Unless you know someone there personally,

you can't even get a catalogue of publications. Many catalogues don't mention 

the year of publication of the catalogue, and you don't know whether these are their latest prices. 

Many do not indicate the number of pages, so you do not know whether it is worth buying

for the price mentioned. 

You look for VVRI, Hoshiarpur, publications, and you are taken to Exotic!

No university in India cares for its publications. No university ever thought of an efficient Sales Unit.

They consider the buying public as but a nuisance!

Yes, there should be some centralised unit where every Sanskrit publication 

from every corner of India should be made available. Or else,

on the one hand, there will be many good publications on the one hand,

and a hungry reading public on the other, both waiting for each other,

and none to conjoin the two: yojakas tatra durlabhaḥ!

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/bvparishat/CAPz4%2B_LfbDS%3D6xvx-N3ud7fj%3Dun88PVh6Vbpzg3AMB8ece8%3DAw%40mail.gmail.com.

[Shashi Joshi]

kannan ji,

lakshmii is the problem solver everywhere, from anādi to ananta

BORI is a glaring example of this.

and then of course the other three shakti-s are needed

🙏🏻🙏🏻

Thanks,

~ Shashi

[Ramesh Rao]

Prof. Kannan,

Thank you for sharing your observations about the state of affairs at Indian universities and institutions and how poorly they serve the reading public. 

My elder brother and my sister-in-law are visiting me in the US for the first time since I arrived in this country 41 years ago. They are amazed at how things work, how easy it is to ask questions and get answers, how friendly the checkout counter assistant is at Walmart or at a National Park Service welcome center, and how quickly they find answers online for anything they need from a business or an institution, whether it is a bank or the botanical gardens in Atlanta. They could not believe their eyes when I took them around my university, my department, and my office, and how people related to each other. No kowtowing, no avoiding of eyes, and yes, a lot of smiles and hellos from strangers. 

For the past 41 years, every time I visit India, I have been frustrated by people's attitudes, their prickliness when I complain or make an observation, or the deaf ear they offer me, and I am aghast at how the country I still consider home is being hollowed out by cunning, tribal, loutish politicians and their clever or ignorant constituents. Forget about India; go to an Indian store or the temple in a nearby American city, and see how poorly we maintain our premises, and how little we care for cleanliness, order, and prompt service. Parked outside, however, are the latest and fanciest cars. 

What to do???

We have to make do with whatever little improvement we see, but unless we change as a people we will find no improvement in our public life. 

I know what I have shared is a generalization, but I also do not want to mistake the forest for the trees.

With regards,

Ramesh Rao

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[K S Kannan]

Very true, Prof. Rao, what you remark about the sad state of affairs.

But change must begin somewhere.

Unless Vice-chancellors take keen interest in the sale/distribution of their publications,

the published items keep languishing in the godowns. 

Hundreds of volumes of R̥gveda-saṁhitā gathered dust for years in Mysore University, 

and were consumed by termites - as they were, I gather, not made available to customers!

Have our university administrators forgotten the carrot-&-stick approach?

As long as inefficiency goes unpunished, efficiency cannot dare to raise its head, after all!

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[K S Kannan]

Sri Gadi Manoj's suggestion on graded texts is a very useful one.

There must be at least 3 gradations.

The simplest in English is Basic English.

With just 750 vocables - standardised, & all printable on a single sheet of paper (in small print, though) -

numerous books have been written, published, and consumed. There used to be a series called A-Ladder.

The problems of Sanskrit are different. English does not provide a formidable morphology.

Sandhi may be avoided, and samāsa limited. The Sarala Mānaka śaṁskr̥tam is a great step

in that direction.

Higher gradations need to be standardized too.

[vishal jaiswal]

There should be discussion that reaches consensus on the coining of new vocabulary for modern things. Both the varying processes for different categories, as well as choosing the most appropriate out of the many alternatives that arise post the outcome of those processes. 

Has this already been discussed ? 

If not, would the scholars participate in a new thread ? 

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[S.Subrahmanya]

there is an org in bengaluru working on this

https://sarasvatam.org/projects

[Gadi Manoj]

नमो वः,

सोपानशः संस्कृतपठनस्य अभ्यासार्थं कृत्रिमधिया रचयितं पठनपत्रमिदम्। अत्र कञ्चन छात्रम् उद्दिश्य निर्मितम् अस्ति। इत्येवं साहित्यस्य पठनाभ्यासग्रन्थाः रचनीयाः सन्ति इति मे मतम्।

अत्र मया दश सोपानानि परिकल्पितानि। तेषु सम्प्रति पत्रेऽस्मि पञ्चसु सोपानेषु एव वाक्यानि निवेशितानि सन्ति।

वीक्ष्यताम्। स्वाभिप्रायं सूच्यतां च इति मे सविनयं निवेदनमत्रास्ति।

Thanks and regards,
Manoj G Prakash
+91 80732 92851

Blog Twitter / X

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/bvparishat/bdf613ed-78fc-4822-9e65-8f5b4e698693n%40googlegroups.com.