Vasishtha Shiksha: A Treatise on the Sanskrit Alphabet

Vasishtha Shiksha is an ancient manual of the Sanskrit alphabet, written by a celebrated sage, and completely lost to the world, but for one handwritten manuscript in Tirupati, India. Here is the revival of this comprehensive knowledge of pronunciation of Sanskrit. Systematic and concise, there are chapters on the 1) The letters of the Alphabet; 2) The places of articulation in the mouth of the different letters; 3) The degrees of contact of the different classes of letters, vowels, consonants, etc.; 4) Voiced and unvoiced letters, aspirated and unaspirated letters, and the duration of different letters; 5) The rules of the application of Vedic pitch accents in letters, words, and verses; and 6) The organs of articulation for the different letters. Authoritative and complete, the original Sanskrit text is presented with an English translation, and an extensive commentary to clarify and make accessible all the fine details of this ancient science of pronunciation. A pervading theme of the ancient Vedic system of education, Shiksha, is to provide total knowledge and complete enlightenment to the student in the first lesson. The wise founders of the various recensions of Vedic recitation wrote treatises on the alphabet in order put every student on the path to complete unfoldment of his infinite inner potential. Vasishtha’s alphabet primer is also a manual for enlightenment, unfolding the seven states of consciousness, and expounding the complete integration of life in unity consciousness. The commentary makes this undercurrent explicit and connects these two themes, the physical details of pronunciation and the program of education for enlightenment. This brings into focus the goal of Vasishtha’s teaching presented in his final chapter, how by learning and reciting Sanskrit, one achieves the aim of the study of Shiksha, outer worldly fame, and inner life of eternal bliss in Brahman consciousness. Here is a modern revival of the ancient teaching of perfection in life through education. Read more