Values

Ambuda's mission is to make the Sanskrit tradition radically accessible. This simple mission flows naturally from our values.

Sanskrit as human heritage

Sanskrit literature is part of our collective human heritage, and we want to make it accessible to as many people as we can.

We release the texts in our archive under permissive licenses, with a public domain license being ideal. Our texts are available in open file formats that any computer can use and understand. Our code and our data are likewise available under permissive licenses, so that anyone can build on our work.

Further, we use technology to reduce or remove as many barriers to access as we can. We make it easy to find texts and commentaries, analyze grammar, define words, and explore connections between different works. We will pave a royal road straight to the heart of the tradition, so that anyone can access and appreciate it.

As much as possible, we make our team's work transparent to the public. Our team discussion and planning documents are freely available to all, and everyone is welcome to join our team and contribute to our mission. We are grateful to all who do.

Audacious ambition

In every aspect of our work, we will aim as high as we possibly can.

We aim to become the largest and most reliable Sanskrit archive in the world. We aim to set the standard for digital humanities projects everywhere. We aim to build a service so outstanding that it fundamentally changes how people read ancient literature. In short, we aim to build something worthy of Sanskrit itself.

Incremental effort

Great ambition is pointless if it never touches reality. Rather than aim for perfection, we simply focus on taking the next step.

Along the way, we might make mistakes and false steps. Our first efforts might be crude and disappointing. But bit by bit, we continue on.