Frequently Asked Questions

My word doesn't match — what's wrong?

Almost always an input transliteration mismatch. The search box expects a specific scheme (SLP1, IAST, Harvard-Kyoto, Devanāgarī). Re-check the selected scheme and retype. See Encoding & Transliteration.

What do the letters B, L, A, M mean next to each dictionary?

Basic, List, Advanced, Mobile display modes. D is downloads and S is scans. See Using the Website.

Which dictionary should I use?

For general Sanskrit→English start with Monier-Williams, then Apte. See Dictionaries Overview.

Can I use the dictionaries offline?

Yes — via StarDict packages, including on Android. See Offline & StarDict.

Can I download the data?

Yes — XML (SLP1), PDF, and the original scans. See Downloads & Data.

I found an error. How do I report or fix it?

Open a GitHub issue on the dictionary's repository, or submit a change file. See Contributing.

Why is the internal encoding SLP1 and not Unicode Devanāgarī?

SLP1 is a lossless one-char-per-phoneme ASCII encoding, which makes sorting, searching, and round-tripping deterministic. Devanāgarī and IAST are produced for display. See Data Formats.

Is there an API?

Yes. CDSL exposes a native REST API plus a Salt API that is wire-compatible with Cologne's C-SALT services; GraphQL is available through the Salt salt_graphql endpoint. See the API page.