ROMAN - Guide For Sanskrit Pronunciation 6.0

VERSION 6.
0
॥Shri Hari॥
LEVEL - 1 GUIDE FOR

PURE PRONUNCIATION OF ŚRĪMADBHAGAVADGĪTĀ
RULES FOR ‘SHORT’ (HRASVA) AND ‘LONG’ (DĪRGHA) SOUNDS -

• Syllables made of the short vowels a, i, u, ṛ, ḷ are ‘short’ (time: 1 beat).
• Syllables made of the long vowels ā, ī, ū, ṝ, ḹ, e, ai, o, au are ‘prolonged’ (time: 2 beats).
RULES FOR PRONUNCIATION OF ĀNUSVĀRA -

• Ānusvāra (ṃ) - Translated literally, Ānusvāra means ‘following (anu) the vowel (svara).’ It is
pronounced as a nasal sound. Please observe the difference between the representation of an
ānusvāra as ‘ṃ’ (m with an underdot) and the consonant m (‘m’ without any diacritical mark).
• Anunāsikas - Anunāsikas are the ‘nasal consonants.’ They are pronounced through the mouth
and nose.
CONSONANTS -
The consonants in Sanskrit are divided into several groups (called ‘vargas’) according to their
mouth positions (please refer to the diagram on the last page). Each group is identified by the
starting letter of that particular group. To correctly pronounce the ānusvāra, we must look at the
anunāsika (the fifth consonant) of the group to which the following consonant belongs.
‘KA’ ( क ) GROUP
• k, kh, g, gh, ṅ are gutturals as they are produced in the throat.
• The anunāsika for this group is ṅ. Hence, pronounce the ānusvāra preceding the letters of this group
as ‘ṅ.’ For e.g., kaṃkaṇa (kaṅkaṇa), paṃkha (paṅkha), gaṃgā (gaṅgā), saṃgha (saṅgha)
• ‘kṣa’ is a conjunct consonant (k+ṣa) in which the first letter is ‘k.’ Hence, the ānusvāra preceding
the letter ‘kṣa’ will be pronounced as ‘ṅ.’ For e.g., saṃkṣipta (saṅkṣipta)
Learngeeta.com geetapariwar.org Page 1 of 6

‘CA’ (च) GROUP
• c, ch, j, jh, ñ are palatals as they are produced in the palate.
• The anunāsika for this group is ‘ñ.’ Hence, pronounce the ānusvāra preceding the letters of this
category as ‘ñ.’ For e.g., caṃcala (cañcala), paṃchī (pañchī), paṃjā (pañjā), rāṃjhā
(rāñjhā)
• ‘jñ’ is a conjunct consonant (j+ñ= jñ), in which the first letter is ‘j.’ Hence, the ānusvāra
preceding the letter ‘jñ’ will be pronounced as ‘ñ.’ For e.g., idaṃjñānam (idañjñānam)
‘ṬA’ (ट) GROUP
• ṭ, ṭh, ḍ, ḍh, ṇ are cerebrals or retroflexes. These are produced in the roof of the mouth when
the tip of the tongue curls slightly backwards and touches the hard palate.
• The anunāsika for this category is ‘ṇ’ Hence, pronounce the ānusvāra preceding the letters of
this category as ‘ṇ.’ For e.g., ghaṃṭā (ghaṇṭā), kaṃṭha (kaṇṭha), paṃḍita (paṇḍita),
ṣaṃḍha (ṣaṇḍha)
‘TA’ (त) GROUP
• t, th, d, dh, n are dentals as they are produced using the teeth.
• The anunāsika for this category is ‘n.’ Hence, pronounce the ānusvāra preceding the letters of
this category as ‘n.’ For e.g., paṃta (panta), paṃtha (pantha), kaṃda (kanda), aṃdha
(andha)
• ‘tra’ is a conjunct consonant (t+ra), in which the first letter is ‘t.’ Hence, the ānusvāra
preceding the letter ‘tra’ will be pronounced as ‘n.’ For e.g., taṃtra (tantra)
‘PA’ (प) GROUP
• p, ph, b, bh, m are labials as they are produced by the lips.

• The anunāsika letter for this category is ‘m.’ Hence, pronounce the ānusvāra preceding the
letters of this category as ‘m.’ For e.g., caṃpā (campā), iṃphāla (imphāla), saṃbala
(sambala), daṃbha (dambha)

SPECIAL GROUP -
The letters y, l, v could also be nasal, or anunāsikas. When the ānusvāra is followed by any letter
from ‘ya’ to ‘ha,’ it is pronounced in a certain way. With a view to explain the correct
pronunciation, the nasalised letters are written within brackets in the examples given below. Please
note, these nasalised letters (ya, la, va) are never mentioned in the original text. They are provided
here only to help the beginners achieve clarity and ease in pronunciation.
ANUSVĀRA PRECEDING CONSONANTS ‘YA’ TO ‘HA’ WITHIN A WORD -

When an ānusvāra occurs within a word and is followed by any letter from ‘ya’ to ‘ha,’ it’s
pronunciation is a nasalised form of ‘y̐,’ ‘l̐’ or ‘v̐.’
• y saṃyama [saṃ(y̐)yama], saṃyogitā [saṃ(y̐)yogitā], saṃyukta [saṃ(y̐)yukta]

• l - saṃlagna [saṃ(l̐)lagna], saṃlāpa [saṃ(l̐)lāpa]
• v - saṃvāda (saṃ[v̐]vāda), saṃvardhana (saṃ[v̐]vardhana), saṃvedanā (saṃ[v̐]vedanā)
• r - saṃracanā [saṃ(v̐)racanā], saṃrakṣaṇa [saṃ(v̐)rakṣaṇa], saṃrekhaṇa [saṃ(v̐)rekhaṇa]
• ś/ṣ - saṃśaya [saṃ(v̐)śaya], vaṃśa [vaṃ(v̐)śa], daṃśa [daṃ(v̐)śa], saṃśraya [saṃ(v̐)śraya]
• s - kaṃsa [kaṃ(v̐)sa], saṃsāra [saṃ(v̐)sāra], saṃsarga [saṃ(v̐)sarga]
• h - siṃha [siṃ(v̐)ha], saṃhāra [saṃ(v̐)hāra], saṃhitā [saṃ(v̐)hitā]
ANUSVĀRA FOLLOWED BY CONSONANTS ‘YA’ TO ‘HA’ AT THE END OF THE WORD -

When the ānusvāra occurring at the end of a word is followed by a word beginning with any of
the letters from ‘ya’ to ‘ha,’ it is always pronounced.
• y - dharmyāmṛtamidaṃ(y̐) yathoktam
• r - lokamimaṃ(m) ravihi
• l – tadottamavidāṃ(l̐) lokān
• v - dhyānaṃ(v̐) viśiṣyate
• ś/ṣ - idaṃ(m) śarīram
• s - evaṃ(m) satata
• h - kṣayaṃ(m) hiṃsām

RULES FOR PRONUNCIATION OF VISARGA (ḥ) -
A ‘visarga’ follows a vowel. Translated literally, it means ‘to release.’ Although it is generally
pronounced like a ‘ha,’ the pronunciation of the visarga is not a fixed sound. It depends on the
syllable following it as well as the syllable preceding it.
RULE 1- FOR PRONUNCIATION OF VISARGA AT THE END OF THE LINE -
If the visarga occurs at the end of the last word in a line, then it echoes the previous vowel’s
pronunciation.
Visarga pronunciation according to the preceding vowel -
• If the vowel preceding it is ‘a,’ then the visarga is pronounced as ‘h/hā.’ For e.g., saṃśayaḥ = saṃśayah/saṃśayaha
• If the vowel preceding it is ‘ā,’ then the visarga is pronounced as ‘hā.’ For e.g., ratāḥ = ratāha
• If the vowel preceding it is ‘i,’ ‘ī,’ or ‘ai,’ then the visarga is pronounced as ‘hi.’ For e.g., matiḥ=matihi, dharmaiḥ=dharmaiḥhi
• If the vowel preceding it is ‘u,’ ‘ū,’ or ‘au,’ then the visarga will be pronounced is ‘hu.’ For e.g., kuruḥ = kuruhu
• If the vowel preceding it is ‘e,’ then the visarga is pronounced as ‘he.’ For e.g., bhūmeḥ = bhūmehe
• If the vowel preceding it is ‘o,’ then the visarga is pronounced as ‘ho.’ For e.g., mānāpamānayoḥ = mānāpamānayoho
RULE 2– PRONUNCIATION OF VISARGA WHEN IT OCCURS BETWEEN TWO WORDS -
If there is a word after the visarga, then it’s pronunciation depends on the first letter of the
following word.
• If the next word begins with a ‘k’ or a ‘kh’ after the visarga, then the visarga should be
pronounced somewhat like a ‘kh.’ For e.g., maitraḥ karuṇa eva ca = maitraḥ (kh) karuṇa
eva ca
• If there is a ‘p’ or a ‘ph,’ after the visarga, then it should be pronounced somewhat like a ‘ph.’
For e.g., tataḥ padaṃ tatparimārgitavyam = tataḥ (ph) padaṃ tatparimārgitavyam
• Note: The visarga does not really change the ‘pa’ into a ‘pha’ or a ‘ka’ into a ‘kha.’ It is
simply that wherever the visarga is placed, you make a half-aspirating sound keeping your
mouth ready to say the following ‘pa’ or ‘ka.’
• If there is an ‘s,’ ‘ś’ or ‘ṣ’ after the visarga, then it should be pronounced as ‘s,’ ‘ś’ and ‘ṣ’
respectively. For e.g., santuṣṭaḥ satatam = santuṣṭassatatam
yo madbhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ = yo madbhaktassa me priyaḥ
ūrdhvamūlamadhaḥ śākham = ūrdhvamūlamadhaśśākham
manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi = manaṣṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi
Special Case: If there is a ‘kṣa’ after the visarga, then it is pronounced as ‘ha,’ ‘hi,’ ‘hu,’ or
‘he’ in accordance with Rule 1. For e.g., tejaḥ kṣamā = tejaha kṣamā

VISARGA SANDHI -
In Śrīmadbhagavadgītā, at several places, the visarga is converted into an r, s, ś, or ṣ. This
conversion is based on the principles of 'Sandhi' in Sanskrit.
For e.g., buddhiḥ yo = buddhiryo, parayopetāḥ te = parayopetāste, vedaiḥ ca = vedaiśca
The theory and principles of Sandhi are a bit complex, so they'll be discussed in more detail in
advanced levels. For now, we advise you to simply read and learn the pronunciations the way they
are indicated in the PDFs.
AVAGRAHA ( ऽ ) ( ’ ) -
Avagraha, denoted by an apostrophe sign, is placed between two parts of a word and it simply
indicates that the letter ‘a’ had once been in that position. It has no pronunciation of its own.
For e.g., kleśo’dhikatarasteṣāma, abhyāse’pyasamartho’si, bhaktāste’tīva
RULES FOR ‘ĀGHĀTA’ (STRESSED PRONUNCIATION) -

• At the occurrence of a conjunct consonant (a joined letter made up of a combination of two or
more consonants), stress should be placed on the first consonant by reading the first consonant
twice. Examples of conjunct consonants: kṣa(k+ṣa), tra(t+ra), jña(j+ña), tya(t+ya),
vya(v+ya), pra(p+ra).
Examples of āghāta: mavyaktam = mav + vyak + ktam, me priyaḥ = mep + priyaḥ
• Please note if a consonant is combined with a vowel, then it is not considered a conjunct
consonant. Hence, there is no stress in pronunciation. For e.g., In the word ‘visŗjamyaham,’
‘sṛ’ is not a conjunct consonant (as it is made up of a consonant and a vowel ‘s’ + ‘ṛ’).
Therefore, there will be no emphasis on the ‘vi’ preceding the ‘sṛ.’ Stress is given only on
letters preceding conjunct consonants.
• Āghāta is also not given on an ānusvāra, visarga, or consonants. For e.g., In ‘Vāsudevam(v̐)
Vrajapriyam,’ even though ‘vra’ is a conjunct consonant, there will be no stress on the letter
before it because of the presence of the ānusvāra.
• In your PDFs, Āghāta is indicated by '||' on the letters that need to be stressed.
There are some exceptions to Stress - Āghāta Rules
• Stress is not given if - the same consonant occurs twice, example - on ‘ma’ in ‘mayyāveśya’ –
‘ya’ repeated twice, on ‘u’ in ‘uttiṣṭha’ – ‘ta’ repeated twice.

• The joined letter is made up of 3 letters, example - on the ‘bha’ in ‘bhaktyā’, where the three
consonants are ‘ka’, ‘ta’ and ‘ya’
• There is a presence of ‘Ra’ – ‘Rafaar’ (half Ra) or ‘Ha’ – ‘Hakaar’ (half Ha) sounds, example
- on ‘sa’ in ‘sarvatra’, or ‘gu’ in ‘guhya’

MOUTH POSITIONS OF THE CONSONANTS -
In Sanskrit, the alphabets are ordered and grouped scientifically based on the place and manner of
their articulation as shown in the diagram below. A study of these sounds with their specific mouth
positions can help us achieve greater clarity and accuracy in pronunciation. The unique scientific
basis, precision and profundity of Sanskrit are also evident in this diagram.
|| Iti ||

ROMAN - Guide For Sanskrit Pronunciation 6.0

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

ROMAN - Guide For Sanskrit Pronunciation 6.0

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

ROMAN - Guide For Sanskrit Pronunciation 6.0

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

VERSION 6.

LEVEL - 1 GUIDE FOR

RULES FOR ‘SHORT’ (HRASVA) AND ‘LONG’ (DĪRGHA) SOUNDS -

RULES FOR PRONUNCIATION OF ĀNUSVĀRA -

Learngeeta.com geetapariwar.org Page 1 of 6

‘ṬA’ (ट) GROUP

‘TA’ (त) GROUP

‘PA’ (प) GROUP

• p, ph, b, bh, m are labials as they are produced by the lips.

Learngeeta.com geetapariwar.org Page 2 of 6

ANUSVĀRA PRECEDING CONSONANTS ‘YA’ TO ‘HA’ WITHIN A WORD -

• y saṃyama [saṃ(y̐)yama], saṃyogitā [saṃ(y̐)yogitā], saṃyukta [saṃ(y̐)yukta]

ANUSVĀRA FOLLOWED BY CONSONANTS ‘YA’ TO ‘HA’ AT THE END OF THE WORD -

Learngeeta.com geetapariwar.org Page 3 of 6

RULE 1- FOR PRONUNCIATION OF VISARGA AT THE END OF THE LINE -

Visarga pronunciation according to the preceding vowel -

RULE 2– PRONUNCIATION OF VISARGA WHEN IT OCCURS BETWEEN TWO WORDS -

Learngeeta.com geetapariwar.org Page 4 of 6

RULES FOR ‘ĀGHĀTA’ (STRESSED PRONUNCIATION) -

‘ya’ repeated twice, on ‘u’ in ‘uttiṣṭha’ – ‘ta’ repeated twice.

Learngeeta.com geetapariwar.org Page 5 of 6

Learngeeta.com geetapariwar.org Page 6 of 6

You might also like