Vaman Shivram Apte’s dictionary is a favorite among students for two reasons: it provides Sanskrit synonyms for Sanskrit words (helping expand vocabulary) and it is generally more user-friendly than Monier-Williams. It also includes a reverse index (English to Sanskrit) in later editions.

Here are the most respected and useful Sanskrit-English dictionaries available as free PDFs.

Sanskrit dictionaries list words in and often in IAST (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration) . Learn the diacriticals: ā, ī, ū, ṛ, ṝ, ḷ, ṃ, ḥ, ś, ṣ, ñ, ṇ, ṭ, ḍ, ṇ .

A Sanskrit dictionary PDF is more than a list of words—it is a gateway to an unbroken tradition of philosophy, poetry, and prayer. Download one today, and keep it on your digital shelf. The next time you encounter a mysterious mantra or a puzzling sūtra , you will have centuries of lexicography at your fingertips.

Before we dive into the list, consider the advantages of a PDF over an app or website: