Siddhaṃ is a script - Sanskrit is a language.

Jin wrote in :

Is there any possibility that you could write out
Heart Blazing Forth
in Siddham for me?
I also would like to see the Siddham character for
Brotherhood, if possible.

This is a typical request and I thought it might help readers if I give my standard response (slightly expanded) in public. Siddhaṃ is a script. Sanskrit is a language. I would have to translate the English words into Sanskrit before writing them in Siddhaṃ. At present I don't know enough Sanskrit to help much - I read and write Siddhaṃ, but don't know much Sanskrit (started lessons yesterday so hopefully this will change). This is because I'm interested primarily in mantras, not languages.

There are many Sanskrit dictionaries on the internet if you just want to look up words. To look up an English word one might use for instance: SpokenSanskrit.de. This gives you an answer in a form of Roman script and in Devanāgarī.

Or you might use the Monier-Williams Sanskrit dictionary on Koeln Uni dictionary site for looking up Sanskrit words in various form of Roman script. The output is Devanāgarī.

If you want phrases translated into Sanskrit then can I recommend you try: Free Online Translations.

I might have a chance of writing something in Siddhaṃ if you could supply me with Sanskrit in a fully diacriticised form. Diacritics matter! I can work with various systems of indicating diacritics ITRANS, or HK, or Velthius... or even Devanāgarī which I also read quite fluently (again ironically I know the sounds, but not what they mean!)

I hope this clarifies what is on offer here. I'm currently very busy with learning Sanskrit and producing my book - so most other stuff is on hold.

White Tārā in Tibetan?

Christine wrote in to ask about a Tibetan version of the White Tārā mantra. I had left this off the White Tārā page and so I got to work and did some uchen calligraphy of the mantra. I have also added some of the other variants of the Tārā mantra that ask for help with specific problems or hindrances. Thanks Christine!

Calligraphy Requests

I often get requests for calligraphy of names or words. Here is "Devi Tārā" in the Tibetan dbu-can script which I did for Sandra.