How to type in Sanskrit

Sanskrit can be challenging to type because it needs symbols that we can't find on a standard computer keyboard. Thankfully, there are several great solutions that make it easy to type Sanskrit on a computer.

Transliteration software

Transliteration is when we convert one script into another. With the help of transliteration software, we can first write Sanskrit using English letters then use the program to convert our work into the script we want.

For example, we can use the Harvard-Kyoto system that we learned about in the previous lesson. By writing in Harvard-Kyoto and using a transliteration program, we can convert our text into the script we want:

• saMskRtA bhASA → संस्कृता भाषा
• saMskRtA bhASA → saṃskṛtā bhāṣā

We are biased, but we recommend our own Sanscript program, which has been one of the most popular transliteration tools for over a decade.

Input method editors

Transliteration software is convenient and easy, but there are more powerful tools that are a little faster. Input method editors convert what you type into your desired script in real time. The downside is that they require much more setup work. Here are our recommendations:

• For Windows users, we recommend Baraha.

• For Mac OSX users, we recommend Lipika IME.