Sanskrit 8 is a high-level reading course suited to final-year students. This course introduces students to Vedic Sanskrit, the precursor of Classical Sanskrit, through the investigation of a range of Vedic texts that articulate different developments in the language, thought, and practices of India’s most ancient textual culture. This course provides students with a foundation in Vedic grammar and exposure to the earliest expression of certain key concepts that have been influential throughout the evolution of South Asian literature and society. Students can expect to acquire skill in the employment of specialist reference materials, familiarity with the distinct text-types encompassed within the Veda, and awareness of modern scholarly approaches to the challenges inherent in interpreting the Veda, its language and worldview.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding and explain peculiarities of Vedic grammar by means of textual analysis.
2. Employ specialist reference materials with a strong degree of competence.
3. Independently develop translations of Vedic texts and critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of alternative translations and their appropriateness to the grammatical and literary contexts of primary texts.
4. Demonstrate consideration of the influences of oral/aural textual transmission upon textual composition and apply this awareness to textual analysis and interpretation.
5. Identify connections between key concerns in Vedic culture and their expression in the language, style, and structure of Vedic texts.
6. Critically engage with and reflect upon methodologies used in the interpretation of Vedic texts.

Required Resources

The Vedic readings for this course will be provided by the lecturer. Students should ensure they have access to the following reference texts:

Macdonell, Arthur A. Vedic Grammar.

Whitney, William Dwight. Sanskrit Grammar.

Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• Written comments
• Verbal comments
• Feedback to the whole class, to groups, to individuals, focus groups

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	2-hr Main Class Introduction to the course and readings. Discussion of the peculiarities of Vedic grammar and of the numerous text-types encompassed within the Veda. Commence analysis and translation of the main reading for the semester.1-hr 'Sandpit' Session Continued discussion of the cultural, religious, and social contexts of Vedic texts. Commence analysis and translation of the supplementary reading for the semester.
2	2-hr Main Class Continue reading, discussion, and analysis of main text. Review work prepared prior to class.1-hr 'Sandpit' Session Continue reading, discussion, and analysis of supplementary text.	Prepare Individual analysis and translation of a set amount of text prior to the main class. The text to be prepared will have been decided in the previous week's class based on in-class progress.
3	2-hr Main Class Continue reading, discussion, and analysis of main text. Review work prepared prior to class.1-hr 'Sandpit' Session Continue reading, discussion, and analysis of supplementary text.	Prepare Individual analysis and translation of a set amount of text prior to the main class. The text to be prepared will have been decided in the previous week's class based on in-class progress.
4	2-hr Main Class Continue reading, discussion, and analysis of main text. Review work prepared prior to class.1-hr 'Sandpit' Session Continue reading, discussion, and analysis of supplementary text.	Prepare Individual analysis and translation of a set amount of text prior to the main class. The text to be prepared will have been decided in the previous week's class based on in-class progress.Translation Assignment #1 is released this week.
5	2-hr Main Class Continue reading, discussion, and analysis of main text. Review work prepared prior to class.1-hr 'Sandpit' Session Continue reading, discussion, and analysis of supplementary text.	Prepare Individual analysis and translation of a set amount of text prior to the main class. The text to be prepared will have been decided in the previous week's class based on in-class progress.
6	2-hr Main Class Continue reading, discussion, and analysis of main text. Review work prepared prior to class.1-hr 'Sandpit' Session Continue reading, discussion, and analysis of supplementary text.	Prepare Individual analysis and translation of a set amount of text prior to the main class. The text to be prepared will have been decided in the previous week's class based on in-class progress.Translation Assignment #1 is due this week.
7	2-hr Main Class Continue reading, discussion, and analysis of main text. Review work prepared prior to class.1-hr 'Sandpit' Session Continue reading, discussion, and analysis of supplementary text.	Prepare Individual analysis and translation of a set amount of text prior to the main class. The text to be prepared will have been decided in the previous week's class based on in-class progress.
8	2-hr Main Class Continue reading, discussion, and analysis of main text. Review work prepared prior to class.1-hr 'Sandpit' Session Continue reading, discussion, and analysis of supplementary text.	Prepare Individual analysis and translation of a set amount of text prior to the main class. The text to be prepared will have been decided in the previous week's class based on in-class progress.
9	2-hr Main Class Continue reading, discussion, and analysis of main text. Review work prepared prior to class.1-hr 'Sandpit' Session Continue reading, discussion, and analysis of supplementary text.	Prepare Individual analysis and translation of a set amount of text prior to the main class. The text to be prepared will have been decided in the previous week's class based on in-class progress.
10	2-hr Main Class Continue reading, discussion, and analysis of main text. Review work prepared prior to class.1-hr 'Sandpit' Session Continue reading, discussion, and analysis of supplementary text.	Prepare Individual analysis and translation of a set amount of text prior to the main class. The text to be prepared will have been decided in the previous week's class based on in-class progress.Translation Assignment #2 is released this week.
11	2-hr Main Class Continue reading, discussion, and analysis of main text. Review work prepared prior to class.1-hr 'Sandpit' Session Continue reading, discussion, and analysis of supplementary text.	Prepare Individual analysis and translation of a set amount of text prior to the main class. The text to be prepared will have been decided in the previous week's class based on in-class progress.
12	2-hr Main Class Continue reading, discussion, and analysis of main text. Review work prepared prior to class.1-hr 'Sandpit' Session Continue reading, discussion, and analysis of supplementary text.	Prepare Individual analysis and translation of a set amount of text prior to the main class. The text to be prepared will have been decided in the previous week's class based on in-class progress.Translation Assignment #2 is due this week.
13	Examination Period	Take-Home Exam Students are required to complete a take-home exam during the University's examination period. Students will have one week in which to complete and submit this assessment.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Learning Outcomes
Translation Assignment #1	30 %	25/08/2025	1,2,3,4,5,6
Translation Assignment #2	30 %	21/10/2025	1,2,3,4,5,6
Take-Home Exam	40 %	06/11/2025	1,2,3,4,5,6

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

Students are expected to attend and participate in all classes. In the case that a student is unable to attend a class, it is expected that the student will view the recording of the missed class and contact the lecturer with any questions in a timely manner. When a student is unable to attend a class, it is expected that they will use the recording to stay on top of work and prepare for the following class as usual.

Assessment Task 1

Translation Assignment #1

Prepare a full grammatical analysis, refined translation, and critical notes on a sample of Vedic text. The text will be previously unseen but related to the materials read in class. Students have two weeks in which to complete and submit this assessment task.

• Translation Assignment #1 will be released in Week 4 and is due for submission in Week 6.
• This assessment is weighted at 30% of the total grade for the course.

Assessment Task 2

Translation Assignment #2

Prepare a full grammatical analysis, refined translation, and critical notes on a sample of Vedic text. The text will be previously unseen but related to the materials read in class. Students have two weeks in which to complete and submit this assessment task.

• Translation Assignment #2 will be released in Week 10 and is due for submission in Week 12.
• This assessment is weighted at 30% of the total grade for the course.

Assessment Task 3

Take-Home Exam

Students will be required to complete a take-home exam during the University's examination period. This assessment task will involve detailed grammatical analysis, critical notes, and translations (working and refined) of a previously unseen Vedic text or selection of texts reflecting different periods of Vedic composition. Students will have one week in which to complete and submit this assessment task.

• The take-home exam will be released on October 30th and is due for submission on November 6th.
• This assessment is weighted at 40% of the total grade for the course.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information. In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service — including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy. If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes. Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students