This is the web interface to the Monier Williams Sanskrit Dictionary. The interface allows you some flexibility in the choice of the method to input the search string. If your browser is Java Enabled and can handle applets, the word may be entered in Devanagari in the applet based search below. Otherwise, the familiar transliterated input method using the Harvard Kyoto scheme may be used. The appropriate link is provided below the applet. 

  Results are returned in the form of text, displayed through dynamically created images to allow virtually any graphics enabled browser to show Devanagari text. There is no need to install a font for Devanagari. The presentation given here makes use of the files provided by the Cologne based Institute of Indology and Tamil Studies. The flexibility offered by the IITM software in taking text in transliterated form and processing the same to present an effective display on a web page is very clearly brought out in this dictionary presentation.

Query String Entry in Devanagari

  Use the link below for the familiar Harvard-Kyoto scheme of specifying the search string if you experience difficulties with the applet.

Search the dictionary by specifying the string in the Harvard-Kyoto transliteration scheme.


  The dictionary is maintained as a mysql data base and accessed through a cgi interface. 

Data entry in the applet may be accomplished by just clicking on the aksharas in the map or through the keyboard. The viewer may familiarize himself/herself with the data entry method by reading the information given in the page describing the IITM approach to data entry in all the Indian scripts.

Vowel by itself will show up as an independent vowel.

consonant by itself will show up as a generic consonant with "a", the first vowel.

consonant followed by a vowel will add the vowel to the consonant.

two or more consonants may be combined to get a samyuktakshar by using the '+' button between the consonants. Please note that arbitrary combinations are not allowed.

You can specify masking of a vowel or a middle conjunct in a syllable when a match is sought. This way, you might be able to look up words when the exact spelling may not be known. With the mask applied, many more matches will be returned and you can find the word you were looking for among the matches.

As of now, it may not be easy to search for the sanskrit word whose meaning in English is known. This facility as well as other searches, such as a verb form starting with "ma" etc., will be provided for in future.
 
 

Acharya Logo
  River Ganga as presented on an engraving, made around 1850. The scene is at Haridwar. It is possible that Western scholars visiting India to learn about her scriptures, would have seen Ganga like this. One does not know for sure that Sir. Monier Williams himself had seen the holy river, much less at Haridwar!