An Essential Guide to Sanskrit : For Spiritual Seekers/Dennis Waite. New Delhi, Black & White, 2005, xii, 210 p., tables, ISBN 81-89320-00-9.

    Contents: Introduction. General introduction to the language. 1. The transliterated alphabet. 2. The Devanagari script. 3. Some practical examples. 4. Resources on the internet. Glossary of Sanskrit terms. Dictionary of common Sanskrit spiritual words. Appendices. Bibliography. Index.

    "An Essential Guide to Sanskrit provides a two-level introduction to the Sanskrit language. Level one introduces the transliterated (Anglicised) alphabets used by books and the internet for reproducing Sanskrit. Level two teaches the Devanagari script used for  the true language and describes the main rules for combining letters and words. Correct pronunciation and writing are explained. A number of examples from Hindu scriptures are used to illustrate simple translation. There is a comprehensive glossary of commonly encountered spiritual words.

    The book will appeal to all serious spiritual seekers interested in eastern scriptures (Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, etc). The aim is to teach the reader sufficient to enable them to be able to look up Sanskrit words in a dictionary and to pronounce and write them correctly. In this respect it is analogous to a guide for the traveller in a foreign country wishing to learn sufficient to 'get by'." (jacket)

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