Slokas

Frequently Asked Questions

About the app

What is Slokas Assistant?
Slokas Assistant is an AI-powered Sanskrit learning app. Paste any sloka, mantra, or verse and it breaks the text down word by word with transliteration, grammar, and three layers of meaning — in English, Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, or Malayalam — with voice narration you can chant along with.
Who is Slokas Assistant for?
Anyone who wants to understand what they chant: beginners learning their first sloka, parents teaching children, students preparing for exams, and Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, and Malayalam speakers who want explanations in their own language.
Do I need to know Sanskrit to use it?
No. Every verse is transliterated into your script and explained word by word, so you can chant and understand without reading Devanagari.
Which platforms does it run on?
Slokas Assistant is a web app — it works in any modern browser on phone, tablet, or desktop, with layouts designed for mobile.
Can I analyze any verse, or only famous ones?
Any Sanskrit text: famous Bhagavad Gita verses, obscure stotras, or lines you copied from a book or video. You can paste one verse or a whole passage — multiple verses are detected and separated automatically.

Pricing & accounts

Is Slokas Assistant free?
Yes. Analyzing verses, listening to narration, and browsing the library are free.
Do I need to sign up?
No. The core experience works in guest mode with no account. You only sign in (with Google) if you want to save bookmarks, create tags, and track streaks and progress.
What does signing in add?
A signed-in profile keeps your bookmarks, personal tags, learning history, daily streak, and a 16-week practice heatmap, synced across your devices.
Which sign-in methods are supported?
Google Sign-In. If you start an action that needs an account — like bookmarking — the app asks you to sign in and then completes that action automatically.

Languages

Which languages does Slokas Assistant support?
Five: English, Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, and Malayalam. Meanings, commentary, and the full interface are available in all five, and you can switch instantly at any time.
Does it show transliteration in my script?
Yes. Verses are transliterated into IAST/Latin for English, and into Devanagari, Tamil, Telugu, or Malayalam script when you choose those languages — so you chant from the script you read best.
If I switch languages, do I lose my analysis?
No. The same verse is re-explained in the new language, and previous languages stay cached, so switching back is instant.

Features

How does the word-by-word breakdown work?
The verse is split into individual words — including separating merged compound words — and each word gets its transliteration, meaning, root word, and grammatical role. Tap any word for a deeper panel with etymology, scripture usage examples, and commentary.
What are the three meanings shown for each verse?
Literal (a word-for-word translation), Contextual (how to apply the verse in daily life), and Philosophical (its deeper spiritual significance). Each has its own listen button.
Can I slow down the narration to learn pronunciation?
Yes — playback speed adjusts from 0.5× to 1.5×. Narration also pauses naturally at the danda marks (। and ॥), and each word can be played individually.
Does the app highlight words as they are narrated?
Yes. During narration the current word lights up in the breakdown grid, with optional auto-scroll, so you can follow along and repeat.
What is the Family Companion?
A chat helper for moments when you want a verse but don't know which one. Tell it how you feel or what's happening — exams, travel, stress, a festival — and it recommends up to three slokas you can play immediately.
Can I make my own playlists?
You organize verses with bookmarks and personal color-coded tags — each tag works like a playlist with its own Play All. The app also offers curated playlists, each verse with a stated reason for its inclusion.
What is Today's Sloka?
A daily verse on the home screen that stays the same all day and rotates each day, drawn first from what you've recently studied, with a reflection to sit with.
How do streaks work?
Practicing on consecutive days grows your streak; missing a day resets it, and your best streak is remembered. Your profile shows a 7-day chart and a 16-week heatmap of your practice.

Accuracy & how it works

How are the meanings generated?
Analysis is generated by Google's Gemini AI, guided to produce structured word-level grammar and three meaning layers. Analyses are cached, so a verse is analyzed once and then served consistently.
Can AI explanations be wrong?
Occasionally, yes — AI can make mistakes, especially with rare words or unusual verse forms. For study or ritual use, treat the app as a learning companion and verify important passages against a traditional translation or teacher.
Does the app tell me where a verse comes from?
When the verse is from a known scripture, the analysis includes a source attribution (for example, Bhagavad Gita 2.47).

Data & privacy

What data does the app store if I don't sign in?
Guest usage keeps your recent activity and preferences in your own browser's local storage. Analyzed verses and generated audio are cached server-side so future lookups of the same verse are instant.
What is stored when I sign in?
Your Google account's name, email, and photo for your profile, plus your bookmarks, tags, learning history, and practice stats — stored in Firebase and shown only to you.
Are the verses I paste kept private?
Pasted verses are processed to generate the analysis and cached so repeat analyses are fast. Don't paste personal or sensitive text — the app is designed for scripture and verse.