Harināmāmṛta-vyākaraṇam

Part 6 – Samāsa

Shri Satyanarayana Dasa Babaji teaches Śrī Harināmāmṛta-vyākaraṇam, the Sanskrit grammar for vaiṣṇavas composed by Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī.

This course includes the sixth part of this grammar: the rules of compound words (samāsa).

This grammar is special because all technical terms are names of Kṛṣna. Thus, repeating the sūtras means repeating Kṛṣna's names.

Almost every sūtra has a corresponding sūtra in Pāṇinī's system and vice versa. However, to further ease our studies, Śrī Jīva arranged the sūtras according to topics and included also necessary rules which the commentators on Pāṇinī's system supplied.

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Course curriculum

  • 1

    Introduction to Samāsa

  • 2

    The Six Types of Samāsa & Various Rules

    • 6.6-14 [1685-1692]

      FREE PREVIEW

    • 6.15-33 [1693-1708]

    • 6.35-46 [1713-1723]

    • 6.47-56 [1724-1733]

    • 6.57-81 [1734-1758]

    • 6.82-93 [1759-1769]

    • 6.92-104 [1768-1780]

    • 6.105-116 [1781-1791]

    • 6.117-130 [1779-1806]

    • 6.131-147 [1807-1823]

    • 6.148-169 [1824-1846]

    • 6.170-180 [1847-1857]

    • 6.181-198 [1858-1875]

    • 6.199-218 [1876-1893]

    • 6.219-239 [1894-1915]

    • 6.240-250 [1916-1926]

    • 6.251-262 [1927-1938]

    • 6.263-285 [1939-1957]

    • 6.286-302 [1958-1973]

    • 6.303-320 [1974-1990]

    • 6.321-330 [1991-2000]

    • 6.331-348 [2001-2018]

    • 6.349-357 [2019-2028]
  • 3

    Dvir-ukti-prakaraṇam (Repetitions)

    • 6.358-373 [2029-2044]

What you get

A one-time purchase includes access to:

  • Approximately 16 hours of video classes by Shri Satyanarayana Dasa Babaji

  • Pre-published draft of a complete translation of all sūtras and commentaries on the samāsa prakaraṇam

  • Table containing all sūtras in Harināmāmṛta-vyākaranam with their corresponding sūtra in aṣṭādhyāyī of Śrī Pāṇinī

  • Free updates: While we have not added quizzes, we offer this course at an introductory price. We will increase the tuition after having enhanced this course.

Instructor

Director - Jiva Institute of Vaishnava Studies

Satyanarayana Dasa Babaji

Satyanarayana Dasa, born in 1954, was drawn to the spiritual traditions of his home country India since his childhood. After receiving a postgraduate degree in 1978 from IIT Delhi and working in the United States for four years, he returned to India. There he studied the formal systems of Indian philosophy known as Ṣaḍ-darśana under the direct guidance of his guru Śrī Haridāsa Śāstrī Mahārāja and Swami Śyāma Śaraṇa Mahārāja.

This education was taken up in the traditional manner for more than 25 years, while he dedicated himself as a practitioner of bhakti yoga. In 1991 he accepted the traditional Vaiṣṇava order of renounced life, bābājī-veṣa. His main focus has been with the works of Jīva Gosvāmī, particularly on translating the Ṣaṭ Sandarbhas, into English and commenting on them. He also earned four śāstric degrees, and received both a law degree and a PhD in Sanskrit from Agra University.

Satyanarayana Dasa is the director of the Jiva Institute of Vaishnava Studies in Vrindavan, India. He is a visiting professor at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. In 2013 he was honored by the president of India, Pranab Mukherjee, for his extraordinary contribution in presenting Vedic culture and philosophy, both nationally and internationally.

Questions & Answers

  • How does Harināmāmṛta-vyākaraṇam compare to modern systems of learning Sanskrit?

    It is much slower but more thorough because it teaches the complete set of rules. Modern systems provide a sense of achievement very quickly because often, after only a few lessons, students can understand and build basic sentences. To achieve that, they usually simplify the rules of word formation or omit them and focus only on recognizing the word forms. That is great for understanding texts in Sanskrit but often insufficient for composing texts. Thus, we often recommend combining both systems: start with a modern system to get a quick overview and basic understanding and then take to the sūtra system to learn the complete set of rules.

  • What are the commonalities between Harināmāmṛta-vyākaraṇam and aṣṭādhyāyī of Pāṇinī?

    Both cover the same rules of laukika Sanskrit. In addition, Bhagavān Pāṇinī also covers additional rules for vaidika Sanskrit which is omitted by Śrī Jīva due to limited practicality in the current times. Apart from Vedic forms, there are only very few forms accepted by Pāṇinī which Śrī Jīva does not include.

  • What are the differences between Harināmāmṛta-vyākaraṇam and aṣṭādhyāyī of Pāṇinī?

    There are two major differences: Jīva Gosvāmī arranged the sūtras by topic which makes them easier to learn. In contrast, Pāṇinī arranged them by adhikāra so that the amount of syllables to memorize or write would be minimal. Also, HNV is a complete work in itself whereas the study of aṣṭhādyāyī requires also the vārtika and mahā-bhāṣya (or Siddhānta-kaumudī)

  • How much effort do I need to invest?

    We strongly recommend memorizing regularly because the sūtra systems require knowing key rules and terminology by heart. In our online course, you can progress at your own pace. Besides advancing in Sanskrit knowledge, regular memorization has various health benefits for the brain, and remembering the sūtras means chanting the names of Kṛṣṇa.

  • Will you add quizzes?

    Yes! We plan to add quizzes to help you retain and apply the key concepts from the classes. We will increase the price of this course after having enhanced it. If you buy it now, you will get updates to the course for free.

  • Why do you charge tuition for these classes?

    The Jiva Institute needs to cover costs, just like any other school. Recording and archiving classes cost money and labor. We invite everyone to join the live classes on Harināmāmṛta-vyākaraṇam in Vrindavan and online for free. Through this course, in exchange for your tuition fee, you get the chance to study from a world-famous scholar without having to adjust your schedule or live in his ashram.

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