Language Study as a
Path of Self-cultivation
A warm welcome to the Śabda·vidyā Sanskrit Studio!
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My name is Luke Gibson—your guide and fellow traveler on this journey through the expansive world of Sanskrit literature. Drawing on over a decade of experience teaching the language, I was inspired by my love for language teaching to write Reading Sanskrit (Columbia University Press, 2025), a fresh introduction to the Sanskrit tradition, and create the Śabda·vidyā Sanskrit Studio, an online platform where I share my passion with a global community of classical language enthusiasts, spiritual seekers, and lovers of South Asian culture.
In the live online Sanskrit courses on offer here, we strive to achieve three main goals:
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Integrate language learning with the exploration of South Asian literature, philosophy, and religion, celebrating their dazzling diversity;
Offer affordable courses that are as rigorous and in-depth as university-level programs while remaining learner-centered and relaxed, free from ivory tower elitism;
Treat the study of classical languages as a discipline for self-cultivation—an opportunity to step away from the relentless distractions of modern life and enter into dialogue with ancient thinkers and their time-honored traditions.
May we learn, grow, and have fun together!
Shall we get started?
Featured Courses
Elementary Sanskrit
Sep 1, 2026 - Dec 17, 2026
Embark on your Sanskrit journey—the gateway to South Asia’s vast literary and spiritual heritage. Designed as a comprehensive introduction to Classical Sanskrit, this introductory course guides students step by step through the essential components of the language: pronunciation, script, vocabulary, and grammar.
Intermediate Sanskrit
Feb 23, 2027 - Jun 10, 2027
This class offers a deep dive into the language that will take your Sanskrit learning to the next level—moving well beyond the fundamentals of sandhi, Devanāgarī, or basic inflection into a comprehensive understanding of the intricacies of Sanskrit modes of expression.
Student Reviews
What’s New
From Mantra to Mandarin: The
Unexpected Origins of a Word
Jul 7, 2026
Sanskrit in Cinema:
Xuanzang at Nālandā
Jul 7, 2026
Aśoka’s Edicts: Religious Pluralism in Ancient India
Jun 27, 2026
Sanskrit Saying
yadā kiṃcijjño ’haṃ gaja iva madāndhaḥ samabhavaṃ
tadā sarvajño ’smīty abhavad avaliptaṃ mama manaḥ |
yadā kiṃcit kiṃcid budhajanasakāśād adhigataṃ
tadā mūrkho ’smīti jvara iva mado me vyapagataḥ ||
“When I knew but a little, I was like a rutting elephant blinded by desire,
imagining myself already an omniscient knower of all things.
Learning more, little by little, in the company of the wise,
I have come to know myself as a fool—my pride subsiding like a fever breaking.”
—Bhartṛhari, Nītiśataka, verse 8
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Banner image:
Virūpākṣa Temple, Hampi, Karnāṭaka (photo by Dmitry Rukhlenko)