द्वाभ्याम् Dvābhyām · by the two of us
Learn Sanskrit
on a treasure hunt
Travel a painted kingdom where every step forward is a real conversation in Sanskrit. Hear each word, answer in Sanskrit, open the gates and win the treasures. Start from the very first letter.
Free to startNo adsExplanations in English
Watch
See the hunt in ninety seconds
Three thousand years of wisdom, one word at a time.
1:34
Try it now
Talk from the first level
Many Sanskrit courses begin with tables of tenses and endings, and months later you still can't say a sentence. Here you start by talking.
Ravi, Gītā and their teacher talk with you, and you answer by tapping the right reply. No typing. Have a go: Ravi is asking Gītā something.
Tap the reply you think is right.
How the hunt works
Every place is a lesson. Every gate hides a treasure.
Travel the map
From your own street to the village, the market town, the royal court and the river ghat.
Clear the trials
Each trial is one short level. Tap what sparkles for small discoveries on the way.
Open the gate
The keeper asks you something. Set the word stones to answer in Sanskrit and the lock gives way.
Win the treasure
Every gate gives a treasure with a story, like the brass lamp, दीपः, behind Diwali’s name.
How you learn
Hear it, say it, keep it
Listen
Hear every word, out loud
Every new word and every sentence is spoken, so you learn how Sanskrit sounds before you learn how it looks.
- Play at normal speed, or slow it down
- Each word in Devanagari, in Roman letters (gacchāmi) and with its meaning
- Hide the meaning when you want to test yourself
Speak
Answer real conversations
Going and coming, asking where and when, family, the market, the clock. You reply to the people of the kingdom, one sentence at a time.
- Tap the right reply: no typing, no keyboard
- Slip up, and a gentle hint shows you exactly why
- Short levels you can finish in a few minutes
Remember
Words come back before you forget them
Review brings each word back just before you’d forget it, weakest first. A few minutes a day keeps your whole vocabulary fresh.
- See what’s due now and how well each word has stuck
- Reviews are always free
Begin
Start from the very first letter
New to Devanagari? The hunt opens at the gate of the old kingdom with the sounds and the script, letter by letter, each one spoken.
- The whole alphabet (varṇamālā), with how each letter sounds
- Already read Devanagari? Skip ahead to Home & street
The journey
Fifteen places, one painted kingdom
Each place teaches one part of the language, and each has its own painting, people and treasure.
The treasures
Fifteen treasures to find
A lotus coin, a brass lamp, a ruby ring, a pearl. Each one waits behind a gate, with a word and a story of its own.
What you’ll learn
From the first letter to Kovida
The full journey ends with the Book 2 exam and the title कोविदः, Kovida: one who knows.
Sounds and script
The Sanskrit sounds and the Devanagari alphabet, from the very first letter.
Everyday speech
Going and coming, asking where and when, daily actions, family, numbers and the market.
Cases and forms
All seven cases (vibhakti), dual and plural, pronouns and word families, learned in use.
First stories
Short tales such as The Thirsty Crow and The Monkey and the Crocodile.
Joining sounds
Sandhi, the rules that join words together, so you can split them apart again.
Two and many
Sanskrit has a form just for two. It gives the app its name: dvābhyām, “by the two of us”.
Who it’s for
Samskritam is easier than you think
Complete beginnersNo Devanagari needed. You start with the sounds.
School learnersYou studied Sanskrit at school and want to finally speak it.
Yoga and Vedic learnersKnow the sounds of the words you already chant.
Future readersBuild a base for reading the Gita, shlokas and mantras one day.
Price
The opening levels are free, and there are no ads
Open more levels with diamonds: one diamond opens one level
Or go Unlimited for every level, monthly or yearly
Prices are shown in your local currency in the store. Subscriptions renew until you cancel them in Google Play or the App Store.
Questions
Good to know
Do I need to read Devanagari first?
No. The hunt opens with the sounds and the script, one letter at a time, each one spoken aloud. Every word is also shown in Roman letters with its meaning.
Is it really free?
Yes, to start. The opening levels cost nothing and there are no ads. After that, diamonds open more levels, or Unlimited opens every level for a monthly or yearly price.
Is there an iPhone app?
Yes. It’s on the App Store for iPhone, and on Google Play for Android.
What language are the explanations in?
English. The conversations are in Sanskrit, and each sentence comes with its meaning in English.
Do I have to type Sanskrit?
Never. You answer by tapping the right reply, and you open the gates by turning word stones.
Do I need an account?
You sign in with your Google account (or Apple, on iPhone), so your progress is saved and stays with you on a new phone. You can delete your account at any time.
What does Dvābhyām mean?
द्वाभ्याम् is a Sanskrit form meaning “by the two of us” or “with the two”. Sanskrit has special forms for exactly two of something, and learning together is the spirit of the app.
Your first word is waiting at the gate
Learn Sanskrit: Treasure Hunt is free to start on Android and iPhone.