How to decode संस्कृत shlokas?

The process is called अन्वयः

The natural order/connection of words in a sentence, reflecting grammatical order or relation - पदानां परस्पराकाङ्क्षा योग्यता च।

Once you learn basics of संस्कृतम्, Anvaya knowledge is critical to your progress

Why is Anvaya process critical?

Shlokas are often written ‘scrambled’ in order to meet metrical (छन्दस्) requirements

While word order does NOT matter in संस्कृतम्-unzipping in the correct manner is critical to get the meaning

Anvaya provides the rules to unzip the Shloka

Anvaya process has multiple steps

१ पदविभागः। Break up words

२ सन्धिः। Break up unions

३ वाक्यविश्लेशणम्। Characterize words

४ आकाङ्क्षाक्रमेण अन्वयः। Unzip in sequence

५ व्याकरणांशाः। Grammatical analysis

Example

वसुदेवसुतं देवं कंसचाणूरमर्दनम्।

देवकीपरमानन्दं कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम्

How do we unpack this shloka?

By following Anvaya process!

End result

वसुदेवसुतं देवकीपरमानन्दं कंसचाणूरमर्दनं जगद्गुरुं देवं कृष्णम् (अहं) वन्दे।

What are the steps?

१ Break up words & sandhis

२ Identify the verb (क्रियापदम्)

३ Group all “same vibhakti” words

४ Ask ‘questions’ in sequence to each of the words to find their ‘relation’ to the verb

Questions-किम् केन कस्मै कस्मात् कस्य कस्मिन् -who, what, for whom etc

Putting together the ‘answers’ generated, in logical sequence, gives you the anvaya!

Isn’t it brilliant?

Now
Why group vibhaktis?

Because

यल्लिङ्गं  यद्वचनं  या  च  विभक्तिर्विशेष्यस्य
तल्लिङ्गं  तद्वचनं  सा  च  विभक्तिर्विशेषणस्यापि

The gender, number & case of विशेषण follows विशेष्य in संस्कृतम्!

Here words in द्वितीया are all adjectives for Krishna!

[To Krishna WHO IS..]

Why ask questions?

Because, each sentence has ONE verb

विभक्ति shows the relationship between the words and THE verb

प्रथमा-Who?
द्वितीया-To whom?
त्रितीया-By whom?

By asking questions in a sequence, we fully interrogate the relationship between the verb & constituent words!

Start now to master the Anvaya process!

Here are a list of wonderful resources to help you develop and hone your Anvaya skills

To formally learn the Basic Anvaya method & process in a structured manner, nothing better than the Shiksha lectures by Sowmya Krishnapur Bhagini

Start from video 1 - 10 minutes

Here she explains in detail the Anvaya process & runs through many examples https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmozlYyYE-ETly_Ngqtg601fX7_bDMMbn

The Ramayana & Bhagavad Gita Supersites by IIT Kanpur are SUPERB to learn & practice how to read scriptures

http://valmiki.iitk.ac.in 

http://gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in 

They have anvaya, translations etc and are brilliant resources for self learning

Please check out this wonderful course by Vidwan Tilak M Rao to learn more about “Anvaya”, the technique of unpacking संस्कृत shlokas

Many people learn संस्कृतम् to know more about the shlokas - anvaya is the critical process key! https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsyIVjh3EwbdaDASf98fod0WTRMFBio26

To ‘read scriptures’ & kaavya, purana etc., nothing substitutes self-practice. This is the MOST critical step

Buy Gita Press Bhagavad Gita with anvaya & padachcheda or Ramayana with anvaya and practice directly. Chaukhamba also has wonderful editions

Very important!

Nivedita Bhagini runs a great youtube channel with multiple free courses & lectures - Vidyadaanam

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTWf5ZhGT360R4RShP8tUAoOhkhLlFdii

These are very useful to learn the process of Anvaya by understanding the examples - critical to develop the ability to read scriptures

A wonderful resource to learn basic Anvaya is the Sangkshepa Ramayanam by UoHyd

1. First chapter of Ramayana with word by word English / Hindi translation

2. Anvaya with Hindi अनुवादः।

2. Relevant Karaka / Samasa also shown

http://sanskrit.uohyd.ac.in/scl/e-readers/sankshepa_ramayanam/index.html

If you know Hindi, would also strongly recommend

S̄rimadbhagabadgīta : padacheda-anvaya aur sādhāranabhasātīkāsahita

By @GitaPress

If you learn better by listening and also via auditory teaching, a great resource for learning Anvaya would be the Gita classes by Dr. Padmakumar. Here he focuses on you learning grammar in a more natural fashion via learning the Gita https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL08hAu-sC-B7ND7lNtgyox_1c0ipa-X_A

Adding Sanskrit Appreciation Hour Twitter Sessions incorporating Anvaya by @PnNamboo महोदयः।

Very useful for many folks looking at this type of teaching approach

http://sankhya-n-yoga.blogspot.com/2015/01/sanskritappreciationhour-devi-mahatmyam.html