HINDUUNIVERSITYOFAMERICA

  Introduction to the Vedic Ritual Course:   Many people today may find Hindu vedic rituals to be tedious and meaningless. However, these rituals can provide a means for calming the mind and fostering a healthy relationship with the world. Rituals serve as a space where the mind can be purified, stillness can be cultivated, and one can prepare for higher knowledge or Para Vidya. In this course, students will learn how to perform simple rituals with the proper understanding and attitude and integrate the values of these rituals into their daily lives.  Sanatana Dharma, or Hinduism, is a way of life that requires spiritual practice or Sadhana/Abhyasa. Rituals play an essential role in Sadhana/Abhyasa. To understand the power of ritual, one must approach it with an open mind, setting aside doubts and bringing emotional involvement or Bhavana to the practice. Full immersion in the ritual space requires going beyond the mechanical aspects of the ritual, which can only be achi...

  The Beginning Sanskrit - Script & Sounds course is designed to provide students with an introduction to the Devanagari script and the acoustic roots of the Sanskrit language. The course covers the pronunciation of vowels and consonants, and includes greetings, songs, short stories, and easy-going introductions. Students will also learn etiquette phrases for easy discussions and basic numbers in Sanskrit.   This course is a required component for students who are enrolled in the Introductory Phase of the Certificate Program in Sanskrit Proficiency. The course is structured into one quarter, which is equivalent to one unit, and spans 10 weeks with 1.5 hours of instruction per week. The final test will be administered during the 11th and final week of the course.   The course is based on the curriculum and textbooks designed by Samskrita Bharati USA (SBusa.org). The content of the course will be drawn from the SB - USA - published books "ARUNA," "UDAYA," ...

  This advanced Sanskrit course utilizes short tales and essays to help students become proficient in prefixes/ upasargas , four additional types of sandhi, anvaya -krama, and one more type of laukeeka-nyAya (maxims/analogy). Through this course, students will also learn popular sayings and proverbs in the Sanskrit language , and practice writing short essays in Sanskrit.   The Certificate Program in Sanskrit Proficiency-Advanced Phase includes this subject, which covers a variety of advanced topics in Sanskrit grammar and literature. Students will learn sanskrit prefixes, compounds, maxims, and analogies, and how to incorporate them into their writing to improve their vocabulary and sentence construction skills. They will also delve into the nuances of important proverbs and analogies and use them to create their own articles and tales.   In addition, students will gain an in-depth understanding of four different types of sandhis - anunAsika -sandhi, anusvAra -sandhi...