Student Research Desk
Use this page when you have a Sanskrit word and want a reliable path from lookup to evidence. The goal is not to pick one dictionary forever; it is to learn which record answers today's question, what the record proves, and what still needs checking.
Trust Block
- Evidence: public atlas lookup pages, dictionary chooser guidance, source-linked dossier data, and reader-facing evidence-label documentation.
- Limitations: route map and lesson surface only; it does not add new dictionary data, grammar analysis, corpus counts, or translations.
- Validation: all linked atlas routes are checked by
npm run build; page text is kept aligned with Reader Lookup and the dictionary chooser. - Owner repo:
csl-atlas. - Next use: choose a word, follow the five-step path, then cite the dictionary record rather than this page.
One-Word Workflow
1
Choose the first dictionary
Start with MW unless your task needs compact English, source trails, or Sanskrit-Sanskrit explanation.
2
Look up the headword
Try IAST or SLP1. If exact lookup fails, inspect prefix matches before deciding the word is absent.
3
Open the lemma dossier
Compare coverage, source links, gender/POS signals, and DCS frequency chips where available.
4
Check the evidence trail
Use citation apparatus and dictionary pages when the question depends on sources, not only glosses.
5
Name the certainty
Keep observed, derived, inferred, and reviewed evidence visibly separate in your notes.
What To Do Next
| If your lookup shows... | Do this | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A clear MW result with a source link | Read MW, then compare AP if you need a shorter English gloss | MW gives breadth; AP often helps students choose a usable first sense. |
| Many senses or nested compounds | Open the dossier and compare PWG/PWK | Petersburg records often preserve distinctions hidden by a quick English lookup. |
L. or lexicographer-only evidence |
Compare PWG, VCP, SKD, or the citation apparatus | This is dictionary-tradition evidence, not direct corpus attestation. |
| Sanskrit-Sanskrit disagreement | Keep both conventions visible | VCP/SKD may organize meaning differently from English dictionaries. |
| No exact hit | Try prefix lookup, variant spelling, and a broader dictionary | Absence from one index is not absence from Sanskrit. |
Short Exercises
Use these as 10-minute classroom or self-study prompts. Each exercise should end with one cited dictionary record and one sentence about evidence level.
| Word | Task | Route |
|---|---|---|
dharma |
Compare a familiar word across English and Sanskrit-Sanskrit dictionaries. | VCP/SKD. |
agni |
Find a quick reading gloss, then inspect whether source evidence changes your confidence. | citation tools. |
gam |
Notice why verbal/root evidence is not the same as a simple noun lookup. | R2 sense explorer. |
rAma |
Compare coverage and source links without assuming all dictionaries use the same scope. | dictionary pages. |
mokza |
Practice input schemes and spelling discipline by comparing SLP1 and IAST. | evidence labels. |