Sampurnanand Sanskrit University

About

Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, established in 1958 by the Government of Uttar Pradesh, is one of the premier institutions in India devoted exclusively to Sanskrit education, classical Indian knowledge systems and allied disciplines. Located in the sacred city of Varanasi — the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world and the historic capital of Sanskrit scholarship — the university upholds and extends a tradition of learning that stretches back thousands of years. The university offers programmes at undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral levels in Sanskrit language and literature, Vedic studies, Jyotish (astrology and astronomy), Ayurveda, Nyaya (logic), Mimamsa, Vedanta, Vyakarana (grammar), Sahitya (literature), Dharmashastra and Pali. It is one of the few institutions in the world where the ancient Vedic oral recitation traditions are formally taught and documented. Sampurnanand Sanskrit University has been a custodian of rare manuscripts: its library houses over 100,000 manuscripts in Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit and Hindi, many of which are centuries old and of immense historical significance. The university plays a critical role in manuscript digitisation projects in collaboration with the National Mission for Manuscripts (NaMaM) and various international Indology institutes. Faculty members are distinguished scholars who have earned recognition nationally and internationally, contributing to Sanskrit computational linguistics, the philosophy of language, classical Indian astronomy and comparative religion. The university attracts students and researchers from across India and increasingly from Japan, Germany, the USA and other countries where interest in Sanskrit and Indian classical knowledge is growing. The campus, though modest in scale, is rich in cultural heritage and spiritual atmosphere, making it a singular place for immersive classical study.