Veda chanting – Foundation course
With blessings from my family and teachers, I bring you this course on the principles of Vedic Chanting for beginners. You will learn all the important rules of Vedic phonetics. Starting with a thorough introduction to the Sanskrit syllables to a comprehensive look into all of the other nuances you need to know to excel in the practice of Veda chanting. This course is therefore recommended as a pre-requisite to any intermediate level course and will serve as a reference resource throughout your study in the future.
Course objectives:
Through structured audio, video & text lessons, by the end of the course you will:
- First start with a very high level overview of the Vedas and understand some basic concepts from the Vedas such as mantra, ṛṣi, sūktam, chandas, yajña etc.
- Study the Sanskrit syllables and practice their pronunciation with examples.
- This is followed by a comprehensive listing of the Veda chanting rules with examples and some exercises to understand them.
- You will learn the following mantras with Vedic phonetics and meaning in this course:
- Mahāmṛtyuñjaya mantra – the great death conquering mantra
- Āśīrvāda mantra – mantra for blessings
- Śaṃ no mitraḥ – mantra for peace
- Pūrṇamadaḥ – mantra for peace
This course will serve as an important reference guide for you, that you can keep coming back to if you need to check any specific rules. This course is recommended before studying any of our intermediate level courses.
Course Curriculum
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Welcome to the course!
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What are the Vedas?
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Why do we chant the Vedas?
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Wisdom in the Vedas
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Mantra
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Sūktam
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Ṛṣi – Seer
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Chandas – Prosody
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Yajña
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Devatā – Vedic gods
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Introduction to Sanskrit alphabet
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Download Sanskrit alphabet sheet
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Download Sanskrit alphabet exercise guide
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Vowel Sounds
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Guttural Consonant Sounds 1st Row
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ka – Guttural Sounds Practice
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kha – Guttural Sounds Practice
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ga – Guttural Sounds Practice
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gha – Guttural Sounds Practice
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ṅa – Guttural Nasal sound Practice
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Voice & Unvoiced Consonants
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Palatal Consonant Sounds – 2nd Row
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ca – Palatal Sounds Practice
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cha – Palatal Sounds Practice
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ja – Palatal Sounds Practice
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jha – Palatal Sounds Practice
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ña – Nasal Palatal Sound Practice
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Cerebral Consonant Sounds 3rd Row
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ṭa – Cerebral Sounds Practice
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ṭha – Cerebral Sounds Practice
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ḍa – Cerebral Sounds Practice
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ḍha – Cerebral Sounds Practice
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ṇa – Cerebral Sounds Practice
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Dental & Labial Consonant Sounds 4th & 5th Row
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ta – Dental Sounds Practice
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tha – Dental Sounds Practice
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da – Dental Sounds Practice
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dha – Dental Sounds Practice
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na – Nasal Dental Sound Practice
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pa – Labial Sounds Practice
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pha – Labial Sounds Practice
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ba – Labial Sounds Practice
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bha – Labial Sounds Practice
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ma – Nasal Labial Sounds Practice
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Semi Vowels
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Sibilant Sounds
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śa – Sibilant Sound Practice
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ṣa – Sibilant Sound Practice
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sa – Sibilant Sound Practice
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ha – Sibilant Sound Practice
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Anusvāra & Visarga
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Repeating the entire alphabet!
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The rules of Veda recitation
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1. varṇa
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2. svara
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3. mātrā
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4. balam
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5. sāma
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6. santāna
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anusvāra
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visarga
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Breaks & pauses before vowel sounds
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Dvitva – doubling
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Long syllable before conjunct
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When t and sa meet
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When p and sa meet
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Introduction
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Download text for chanting
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Half sentence practice
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Vedic phonetics
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Full sentence practice
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108 times japa with Shantala
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Introduction, meaning & text
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Half sentence practice
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Vedic phonetics
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Full sentence practice
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Full mantra practice
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Introduction & text
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Vedic phonetics
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The special notes for Śāntiḥ
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Repeat after the teacher – adhyayanam
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Full mantra practice
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Chant with a group!
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Introduction & text
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Vedic phonetics
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Half sentence practice
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Full sentence practice
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Full mantra practice
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Chant with a group!
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Other expectations about chanting
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Lifestyle
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Developing a daily practice
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Chanting or singing?
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The power of prayer
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Test your knowledge!
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Thank you & discussion area!
Your Course Includes
Videos
Video explanations of important topics – Vedic phonetics, Sanskrit alphabet, Veda nomenclature etc.
audio recordings
To practice mantras and Sanskrit sounds
workbook and charts
Many learning resources – a workbook, charts, practice exercises, quiz and assignments to test your understanding.
Frequently asked Questions
When does the course start and finish?
This is a self paced learning course of 4 weeks of duration. You are free to take the course at your own pace of course! It is recommended that you are clear with the concepts presented in this course, especially regarding the Sanskrit alphabet and the Vedic phonetic rules.
How long do I have access to the course?
You have lifetime access to the course.
Can I have face to face interaction with Instructor
No, this is an online self paced course with video, audio and text resources. However, you are free to contact the instructor via our direct messaging system from the member’s area. There is also a discussion area where you can interact with the instructor.
Does this course have any certificates?
Yes, you will receive a certificate of participation on successful submission of the quiz at the end of this course. You will be able to access your certificate under ‘Dashboard’ and ‘achievements’