The pronunciation offered in these lessons is optimised for the English-speaking student to understand the underlying principles of sandhi (sound changes). There are several variations in the pronunciation of some of the Sanskrit sounds, that have been handed down over generations. None of these traditions are wrong, although this may confuse the mind trained to think in terms of opposites, of right and wrong. Consider the English spoken in Britain and America for example: they are certainly different, but neither is wrong. Where there is a variation in the form of a character (e.g. 3Tor ^T), these lessons standardize on the form that is most commonly used in currently available printed editions of the Bhagavad GTta and Upanisads. The common variations are illustrated in the ninth lesson. In the English-speaking world there is currently little appreciation of the value of studying formal grammar: as a result it has become unpopular, and many schools have ceased to teach it. In view of this situation, an appendix of basic English grammatical terms is included. Readers are invited to point out errors in the course, and offer suggestions for its improvement. Charles Wikner. wikner@nacdh4.nac.ac.za June, 1996.
