Re: Sanskrit Dictionary Software

I like spokensanskrit.de the best, although University of Chicago has a good Sanskrit and Pali dictionary too. The advantage of spokensanskrit.de is that it helps one see an array of simple terms that can be used. It is also very useful to know the Sanskrit names for things we use today in everyday life, such as computers, mobile phones, aeroplanes etc. It is great for someone trying to really learn the language so well that he could literally speak in Sanskrit.

The problem with all modern Sanskrit dictionaries however, is that they represent mainly the classical Sanskrit era. The middle Indic style of speaking was slightly different.

For example the word for medicine in classical Sanskrit is typically aushadha (औषध). But in the old and middle Indic languages it was more typically called bheshaja (भेषज). You'd find this word used much more often in both the Vedas and the Pali Canon (in Pali form it is simply भेसज).

But if you want to develop a good vocabulary, I really liked spokensanskrit.de. There is even an android and iphone app called SansDict that uses this website as the source.

Thanks,
Balaji