Do I need to know Sanskrit to read the scriptures?

no — good translations are enough to begin; a little Sanskrit later deepens the experience.

The tradition itself has always translated. The Purāṇas and epics were retold in every regional language, and many of the greatest devotional works — the Rāmcaritmānas, the Tamil hymns of the Āḻvārs and Nāyanmārs, the Marathi Jñāneśvarī, the songs of Kabīr and Mīrābāī — are not in Sanskrit at all. Saints wrote in the people's language precisely so that everyone could reach God.

That said, Sanskrit is worth meeting. Key words like dharma, karma, ātman and bhakti have no exact English equivalent, and a bilingual edition lets you see them. Learning to read Devanagari and a few hundred common words takes a few months and makes chanting and study more alive.

A practical path: read a translation with the Sanskrit printed alongside, learn the meaning of the prayers you chant daily, and if interest grows, join a simple spoken-Sanskrit class.

Saints wrote in the people's languages · Source: Bhakti literature of India

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