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Gita Society of Belgium © 2001 - 2012
Branch of the International Gita Society (IGS/USA)
Self-help Sanskrit Grammar
for
Bhagavad Gita Students
by
Philippe L. De Coster, B.Th.,D.D.
Read, Understand and Chant.
Gita Satsang Ghent
© 2012 Philippe L. De Coster, Ghent, Belgium
2
The Sanskrit Grammar
for Bhagavad Gita Students
Foreword
Since Sanskrit is one of the oldest languages of our planet, your ability to read,
understand, write and speak it amounts to a unique experience (and perhaps your
special status). It may be said that Sanskrit is really the world-language. Its
knowledge helps in studying:
a. European things of the past as a lot of technical terms are similar between
Sanskrit, Latin, Greek, even Hittite etc. in many technical fields like
medicine, law, physics, chemistry, mathematics, astronomy, philosophy
and many more.
b. The languages, religion and cultures of the Middle East like Persian,
Iranian and Arabic which owe a lot of similarity.
c. Indian things whether religions, philosophy, arts, science (like Ayurveda,
Vedic mathematics, Vastu, Tantra, Kriyayoga and other specialisations)
which are all the popular subjects in today’s world.
d. A glimpse of ancient world religions, languages, customs, traditions,
culture can be easy to get through the glass of Vedic and Sanskrit
literature.
The key to learning the Sanskrit alphabet is repetition. While I was a schoolboy
my father used to say while doing my home-work for school, “bene, bene
respondare”, and is that which you must do too. Review the alphabet as often as
possible during the course of the day, which takes only a few minutes to bring it
to mind. If you feel any hesitation in remembering the letters, immediately
search the answers in this book. Repeat often and aloud if at all possible.
Memorisation should be easy, but relaxing and regular. If surrounding permits,
say each letter aloud as you write it. While the numbered arrows on the letters
indicate the suggested order for writing, they are only suggestions, while you
may follow another order if you prefer and is easier for you.
The Sanskrit language is a language of nature, the more that there is a direct link
between the sound and signs. Writing Sanskrit is based on the sound of the
spoken form. In other words, Sanskrit has no spelling; there are no silent letters
3
either. In contrast to Sanskrit, you cannot read many English words properly
unless you know English to a certain extent. This means that a student is
assumed to have known already the English language before one starts learning
it!
There is only one set of alphabet in Sanskrit. This avoids many complexities of
writing capital, small and italic letters as they are in the Roman alphabet. There
are not many punctuation marks in the Sanskrit (Devanagari) language; while
for writing this language of nature, any comprehensive alphabet can be used and
vice versa.
Thanks to its phonetic scripts, there is an easy-flowing, natural and logical way
to proceed while learning this outstanding language of nature, and to write any
language after that. In contrast to this, see how difficult it is to learn the spelling-
oriented Western languages whose silent letters add to the complications as in
French, English and Dutch, and others. By careful examination of the Roman
alphabet we notice that some sounds are repeated in it while many other sounds
are left out.
There is logic in its sound system, and a natural continuity in its word-making as
well as sentence-making. Compare this with pronouncing and spelling of the
languages of other countries than India.
There is logic in the Sanskrit sound system, and a natural continuity in its word-
making as well as in sentence-making. Compare this with pronouncing and
spelling of the languages outside India.
Sanskrit sentence structure is flexible. The declensions and the conjugations
have a wide range, and every student has, therefore, more freedom in composing
sentences in Sanskrit. As we mentioned above in Sanskrit the order of words in
a sentence does not matter.
Sanskrit words possess a special vibration of sound waves whose resonance is
very effective. People use Sanskrit Mantras for healing. They owe this mystic
character and holiness to the essential spiritual character of Sanskrit. Spirituality
has moulded into Sanskrit! Hence its name, - perfection to be reached by any
word.
On the racial discriminations, Sanskrit was once an ancient language owned by
the Aryans; that it was a member of the Indo-Aryan family of languages; for the
overdoing of this theory which is only a speculation or a hypothesis, that the
non-Aryan races can think they should have no interest or discourage any efforts
favouring Sanskrit. This is an over reacting to the idea of the Aryans race who
4
are blamed as the oppressors of the indigenous cultures of certain countries.
Falling prey to these widespread misnomers and some intimidating aspects
which are often deliberately commissioned that, unfortunately, people shy away
from studying Sanskrit. They either give up after some trial or never try to own
this treasure of human wisdom stored in Sanskrit literature. However, see how
many virtues and advantages Sanskrit language and literature has to offer to all
of us.
It is said that Brahma was the creator and introduced Sanskrit language to the
Sages of celestial bodies. Therefore, this language is also called Dev Vani,
which means the language of gods. It was during eighteenth century when a
similarity between Sanskrit, Latin and Greek was found, which gave the reason
to study and discover the relationship of all Indo-European languages. The
earliest form of Sanskrit language was Vedic Sanskrit that came approximately
around 1500-200 B.C. This was the period when knowledge was imparted orally
through the generations.
The Sanskrit language is truly a fountainhead, if one surveys its three thousand
years of its existence. The story of the origin of Sanskrit began right from the
Vedic age, sailing through the post-Vedic years and centuries later till today.
The Aryans collected the mass of hymns, rituals and poems about their gods in
the four Vedas (10th century BC) which document the various dialects that they
brought to India (but that was not the Sanskrit we know of today). From the
Punjab, where the Aryans settled first after they came from Central Asia, their
speech spread along the east as far as present Bihar by about 600 BC. Obviously
this Vedic or Old Indo-Aryan language met with the language of the Dravidians
(who were then not restricted to just the southern regions) and Austrics, and
some give and take happened. The result was Prakrit or Middle Indo-Aryan
dialect which soon engulfed the whole country in the north, east and centre. The
Aryan invasion was moving towards completion.
From the Bhagavad Gita:
The Supreme Lord said: From where has this dejection come into your
mind in this perilous hour? This is unknown to an Aryan, not leading to
heaven but causing disgrace, O Arjuna. (2.02)
With a glorious life of over three thousand years, Sanskrit continues to be a
living language even today, bobbing up during Hindu ceremonies when mantras
(ritual verses) are chanted. And though restricted, it is still a medium of literary
expression, but “great and inspiring works” have long stopped being written.
5
The Bhagavad Gita, literally translated as the “Song of God”, is a part of the
immense Indian epic, the Mahabharata, a story of the enmity and ensuing war
between the Pandavas and the Kauravas. The Gita or Mother Gita, as it is also
called, enjoys an exalted position in India's culture and philosophical milieu.
This brilliant chronicle is regarded as the highest philosophy in the Hindu
pantheon.
The Bhagavad Gita starts with a scene on the battlefront at Kurukshetra, wherein
Arjuna (or Partha as he is also referred to) prepares to confront the Kauravas.
Lord Krishna Himself becomes his charioteer (hence the name Paarthsaarathi)
and drives his ratha into the battlefield.
On seeing his own family, the legendary Bhishma Pitaamah and his Guru,
Acharya Drona on the other side of the battlefield, Arjuna is overcome by waves
of sadness, anxiety and emotion. He is convinced that he would be committing
an unforgivable sin by slaying his own kith and kin. Arjuna suddenly feels weak
and shaky and slumps down on the chariot, laying down his bow and arrow. He
declares to Krishna that he would not be fit to wage war against his own
relatives and requests him to take him away from the battlefield. In the verses 28
and 29 of Chapter 1, Arjuna says: (the author’s own translation.)
When the son of Kunti (Arjuna) saw that all those standing there in the
ranks of the two armies were his kinsmen, he was overwhelmed with
deepest pity and consequently said in sorrow: (1:27-28a)
Arjuna said: Seeing these kinsmen, O Krsna, ranged, eager for combat, my
limbs fail, and my mouth is dried up, my body quivers and my hair stands
on end. (1.28b-29)
The Supreme Lord Krishna comes to the rescue of Arjuna and reveals to him the
Ultimate Truth of Advaita (oneness with Godhead). Krishna further inspires
Arjuna by telling him to go ahead, discharge his duty as a Kshatriya (warrior)
and fight to destroy wrongdoers without having hatred for them in his heart.
The Supreme Lord Krishna explains about Ananta Prakriya - about how the
process of creation is endless and continues as a cycle in between birth and
death. The human soul (Jeevatma), which is but a part of the Universal Soul
(Paramatma), is not affected by death and so, cannot actually be killed. Hence,
the Supreme Lord Krishna says, it is only right action, without concern about the
result, which is truly important to achieve in life.
Everyone reading the Bhagavad Gita finds in it a part which he or she can
completely identify with, in his or her own personal life. All of us go through a
6
dilemma at some point of time or the other. This is where Mother Gita comes to
our aid, guiding us to do what is right and prevent us from treading the path of
wrong or sin.
What makes the Bhagavad Gita stand out as an incomparably brilliant gem is
that it adopts a pane-theistic attitude rather than a pantheistic one. This means,
that the Bhagavad Gita completely accepts the philosophy that God is the
Universe and everything that we see in it. But it also goes one step ahead and
proclaims that God is everything, plus something more that we normally do not
perceive. What is that something more?
Pane-theism expounds the theory of God as being a Supreme Force that is
greater than the Universe itself - that He is a Synergy. Not only that, it says that
God is affected by both gross and subtle changes in the Universe, so He learns
and evolves with the evolution in the Universe as well.
The Bhagavad Gita, not only propounds the theory of Advaita to the maximum,
but it also states that all His creations in this Universe are also co-creators, who
help Him achieve His mission!
This attitude of the Bhagavad Gita takes into consideration all practical aspects
of life, without relying wholly and solely on the karma theory of pantheism.
The Bhagavad Gita can also be viewed as being one of the most powerful
expressions of pantheism among the scriptures of the world. This aspect
acknowledges the Presence of God residing in everything and in all things and
all beings - good and evil, darkness and light and so on.
Ever since the revelation of the Bhagavad Gita by the Supreme Lord Krishna,
many attempts have been made to translate the works into foreign languages.
The original Bhagavad Gita was narrated in Sanskrit, the then prevalent Indian
language. Charles Wilkins was the one to first translate this work into English in
1785. Schlegel then translated this into Latin in the year 1823, after which Von
Humbolt gave a German version of the Gita in 1826. Lassens converted the
work into French in 1846 and Galanos did a Greek translation in the year 1848.
The Bhagavad Gita has further been translated into Russian, Japanese, Chinese,
Hebrew, Dutch, Portuguese, Arabic and so on, and has become a world-wide
Sacred Book, at a time when the traditional Western religions suffer a serious
decline, not only because of many scandals as child abuse, but because their
teaching are no longer compatible with today’s science.
7
An up-to-date translations, responding today’s scientific revelations, is the
Bhagavad Gita version translated by Dr. Ramananda Prasad, Ph.D., founder of
the International Gita Society (IGS/USA). You can buy the book on-line:
http://www.gita-society.com/content2011/buygita4edition.html
Sanskrit Transliteration and Pronunciation Guide
Sanskrit is one of the world's most ancient languages and is derived from the
same proto mother language as Latin and Greek so many of the words are
common. In this manuscript Devanāgari characters are transliterated along the
scheme adopted by the International Congress of Orientalists (ICO) at Athens in
1912. There are fifty-two (52) alphabets in the Sanskrit language. Forty-nine
(49) most usual alphabets are given below. The alphabet ‘a’ at the end of
English transliteration of Sanskrit words should be pronounced very softly, or
should not be generally pronounced at all; but never pronounced as “ā”, except
in Sanskrit poetry or in chanting. As an example, the word “Rāma” should be
pronounced as Raam, not as Rāmā or “Raamaa”, except in chanting.
All Sanskrit sounds are pronounced at one of five different points of contact in
the mouth, as indicated in the diagram below (page 10).
The word "alphabet" is not usually applied to Sanskrit or other Indian languages.
There is a subtle difference between the notion of "alphabet" and the "aksharas"
as the letters of Sanskrit are called. When we think of the word "alphabet" we
normally think of the letters of the language and a name given to each letter to
identify it. In most languages the letters of the alphabet have names which may
give a clue to the sound associated with the letter. In Sanskrit and other Indian
languages, there is no specific name given to the letters. The sound the letter
stands for is actually the name for the letter. In a phonetic language reading
becomes easy since the reader will be reading out the letters by uttering the
sound associated with the “akshara”. More information on this is given in a
separate section on Sanskrit and Phonetics.
© September 2012 Philippe L. De Coster, B.Th.,D.D.
10
The chart below shows the first twenty-five consonants. Each row lists all the
sounds that are pronounced at a given point of contact. The “a” is added for the
sake of pronunciation.
Velar kanthya ka kha ga gha ña
Palatal tālavya ca cha ja jha ña
Retroflex Mūrd-
hanya
ta tha da dha na
Dental dantya ta tha da dha na
Labial osthya pa pha ba bha ma
The first row lists all the sounds said in the throat, referred to as “velar”.
11
The second row lists the “palatal” sounds, with the tongue touching the
soft palate, at the top of the mouth.
The third row lists the “retroflex” sounds, so called because they curl the
tip of the tongue upward toward the head, with the tongue touching the
hard palate – the ridge behind the upper teeth.
The sounds in the fourth row are pronounced with the tongue flat and the
tip of the tongue touching the point at which the upper teeth meet the
gums.
The sounds in the fifth row are pronounced with the lips.
You will notice that the third and fourth rows are very identical. The only
difference between them is the point of articulation, and that is, the place where
the tongue touches the upper part of the mouth.
Gutterals
The first group of consonants are the gutterals.
क ख ग घ ङ
ka kha ga gha na
क sounds like the first sound in cup.
ख is the aspirated form of क.
ग sounds like the 'g' in gum.
घ is the aspirated form of ग.
ङ sounds like the ng in finger.
Palatals
The second group consists of the palatals.
12
च छ ज झ ञ
ca cha ja jha ña
च sounds like chair.
छ is the aspirated form of च.
ज sounds like the 'j' in jar.
झ is the aspirated form of ज.
ञ
sounds similar to the last syllable of the Spanish word
espana, where the 'n' has the combination sound of the
English 'n' and 'y'.
Cerebrals
The third group of consonants are the cerebrals.
ट ठ ड ढ ण
ta tha da dha na
ट sounds similar to the 't' in taylor.
ठ is the aspirated form of ट.
ड sounds similar to the 'd' in day, differ, etc.
ढ is the aspirated form of ड.
ण sounds similar to the 'n' in fund.
13
Dentals
The fourth group is made up of the dentals.
त थ द ध न
ta tha da dha na
त sounds like the first sound in thirty.
थ is the aspirated form of त.
द sounds like the first sound in thus.
ध is the aspirated form of द.
न sounds like the 'n' in null, name, etc.
Labials
The fifth group of consonants are the labials.
प फ ब ध म
pa pha ba bha ma
प sounds like the 'p' in pun.
फ is the aspirated form of प.
ब sounds like the 'b' in butter.
ध is the aspirated form of ब.
म sounds like the 'm' in man.
14
The Vowels
The Vowels
In Sanskrit, the vowels form an independent group from the consonants. There
are fifteen vowels which comprise five short ones, eight long ones and two
support vowels. Among these fifteen, only thirteen are in normal use these days.
The vowels are called "swaras" in Sanskrit.
Short Vowels
अ इ उ ऋ ऌ
a i u r l
अ is pronounced as in cup, bus, etc.
इ is pronounced as in inform, init., etc.
उ is pronounced as in look, book, etc.
ऋ has no direct equivalent and is pronounced somewhere between ri and ru, like
crystal.
ऌ is also like ऋ and is pronounced somewhere between li and lu, similar to
glycerin.
Long Vowels
The eight long vowels are:
आ ई ऊ ॠ ए ऐ ओ औ
a i u r e ai o au
The first four are the long forms of the corresponding short vowels.
ए and ओ are long vowels which do not have short forms in Sanskrit.
ऐ and औ are often likened to diphthongs though they are not strictly
combinations of two vowels.
15
आ is pronounced as in far, bar, fall, etc.
ई is pronounced as in easy, eagle, etc.
ऊ is pronounced as in rooster, fool, etc.
ॠ is the long form of ऋ
ए is pronounced as in fable, gray, etc.
ऐ is pronounced as in my, fly, etc.
ओ is pronounced as in road, goat, etc.
औ is pronounced as in down, noun, etc.
Support Vowels
The two support vowels are known as "ubhayakshara" and are mostly appended
to syllables. They are not used independently like other vowels.
They add specific sounds to the syllables they are appended to. These two
support vowels are represented using the vowel अ
आ आ am ah
The first is known as the "anuswara" and the second "visarga". The anuswara
adds a sound similar to the sound of 'm' in "sum" to the syllable. The visarga
adds a sound similar to "ha" to the syllable. The "ha" will change depending
upon the vowel ending the syllable. The visarga more or less extends the vowel
in the syllable with h+the same vowel as in the syllable.
Example: if the syllable ends in vowel इ then the visarga would add a sound like
"hi".
There may be differences in the manner in which these two are introduced in
conventional Sanskrit primers. When reading Sanskrit, it will be necessary to
render the visarga in a way that will distinguish it from the syllables ha, hi, hu,
etc. This may be accomplished by shortening the vowel in the visarga.
16
One is tempted to ask, "Well how can Sanskrit be a phonetic language then, if
the sound for the letter is context-dependant?". We shall answer this in a later
section dealing with phonetics.
Semi-vowels, sibilants, etc.
The sixth group of consists of three subgroups.
Semivowels
य र ल व
ya ra la va
Sibilants
श ष स
śa sa sa
Aspirate
ह
ha
17
Pronouncing and tracing the vowels
The letter is a. It is “a” like the “a” for America and Agni. To be pronounced
several times.
Now write the letter several times.
18
The letter is “ā” like the “a” in father and ātman.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
19
The letter is “i”, like the “ea” in heat, for example agni.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
20
The letter is “ī”, like the “e” in “be”, for example “gītā”.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
21
The letter is “u” like in suit, for example “guru”.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
22
The letter is “ū”, like the “oo” in fool, for example sūrya.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
23
Exercise
Practice pronouncing the letters you have learned so far.
Sanskrit Pronunciation guide summary before going any further
For the precise pronunciation of the Sanskrit, we recommend to listen together
with your Bhagavad Gita book with Sanskrit and English texts which includes
the Roman transliteration. You find the Gita chants on:
http://www.vmission.org.in/files/talks/index.htm
Approximate pronunciation can be learned by reading the transliteration of the
text while listening to above recordings. In addition, the following notes will be
useful:
k g c j t d t d p b (all consonants) are pronounced with minimal breath,
much less than is used in the release in English.
the 'h' which follows the same consonants (kh, gh, etc.) designates
additional breath released simultaneous to the consonant.
t th d dh n are cerebral, pronounced by turning the tip of the tongue up
towards the very front of the upper roof of the mouth (not on the slope
down to the teeth as in English).
t th d dh n are dental, pronounced with the tongue at the back of the upper
teeth.
r and r are cerebral and are created by lightly touching the tip of the
tongue, rather than by shaping the mouth as in the English 'r'.
s is palatal, pronounced as 'shh' with the tongue at the same position as y;
s is cerebral like 'sh' with the tongue the same as in r.
m can be pronounced simply as 'm'. The dot placed under indicates the
option of pronouncing an 'n' blended with the first letter of the following
word (ex: nilam kamalam could optionally be nilankamalam).
24
More vowels
The letter is “ŗ” like the “ri” in river (as a rule not rolled), for example ŗk.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
25
The letter is like the “ree” in reed, but held longer than ŗ, for example
dātrn.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
26
The letter “Į” is like the “Iry” in jewelry, for example kĮp.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
27
The letter is “e” like the “e” in “they”, for example devatā.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
28
The letter is “ai” like the “ai” in aisle, for example vaidya.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
29
The letter is “O” like the “o” in pole, for example ojas.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
30
The letter is “au” like the “ou” in loud, for example apauruşeya.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
31
Exercise
Practice pronouncing the letters you have learned so far.
The Consonants
The consonants in Sanskrit are known as "vyanjanani" and total thirty-three in
number, though in recent times, a few additional ones have been included to
support some frequently used syllables.
The consonants are grouped into six groups. The first five have five consonants
each and the last one has eight. The grouping is based on the natural ordering of
sounds such as gutterals, palatals, etc.
An interesting observation is that the letters of Sanskrit are given names exactly
matching the sound they represent. A consonant derives its name from the sound
when the basic vowel "a" is sounded with the consonant. In Sanskrit and in other
Indian languages, each consonant has a generic form in which its pronounciation
will not have any vowel sound associated with it. The generic form is required
when more than one consonant is used in forming syllables and there are many
such combinations in Sanskrit. It was common practice to introduce the
consonants to the children learning the language, not in their generic form but in
the form where they are used with the first vowel "a". The writing system in
32
Devanagari has a representation for the generic form of a consonant through the
use of a special mark written at the bottom of the consonant's familiar
representation. This mark is known as the "nether stroke" or the "halanth".
Let us look at the first consonant. क (ka)
The generic form of क is क . The nether stroke is attached below the letter क.
Now, the familiar form of a consonant in Sanskrit is the form when it is sounded
with the first vowel, ie: आ. Thus क + आ = क
Producing a consonant in its generic form requires that no vowel sound be added
to the generic consonant sound. The generic sound is quite similar to the sound
associated with a basic phoneme corresponding to a consonant in English. For
the consonant क the associated generic sound will be like the ending syllable of
words "lake", "bake", etc.
A pure consonant is linguistically defined to be one without any vowel attached
to it. Consonants can be meaningful in practice only when uttered along with a
vowel. Ancient linguistic scholars referred to vowels as "life giving" aksharas
while the consonants were likened to the body.
It is common practice to introduce the consonants to the student, in the form
where the first vowel आ forms the syllable with the generic sound of the
consonant. Thus the student learns that क is pronounced like the first sound of
"cup". In India, children are often taught the aksharas in this manner.
Consonants
33
Conjunct consonants
There are about a thousand conjunct consonants, most of which combine two or
three consonants. There are also some with four-consonant conjuncts and at least
one well-known conjunct with five consonants.
34
Tracing the Consonants
The letter is “ka” like the “k” in skate, for example kavi.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
35
The letter is “kha”, the “kh” in bunkhouse, for example sukham.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
36
The letter is “ga”, like the “g” in garland, for example Gañgā.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
37
The letter is “gha” like the “gh” in loghouse, for example ghoşavat.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
38
The letter is “n”(with stroke on n), like in sing, for example Gañgā.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
39
The letter is “ca”, like the “c” in cello, for example cit.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
40
The letter is “cha” like the “ch” in charm, but using more breath, for example
chāya.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
41
The letter is “ja”, like the “j” in justice, for example jalam.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
42
The letter is “jha” like the “j” in justice (using more breath), for example jhat.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
43
The letter is ña, the “n” like in enjoyable, for example Patañjali.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
44
Exercise
Practice pronouncing the letters you have learned so far.
Devimahatmya manuscript on palm-leaf, in an early Bhujimol script, Bihar or
Nepal, 11th century
45
Consonants continued
The letter “t” like “t” in stable (tongue touching hard palate, see diagram page 10). Example: drsti. (Normally dots under r s t.)
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
46
The letter th (dot under t) like “t” in table, for example hath.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
47
The letter is “d” (dot under d), like the “d” in dynamic (tongue touching hard palate, see page 10). Example pandit.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
48
The letter “ḷ”, like the “l” in lake, for example agnim īle. If the “da” is found
between two vowels in the Veda, then “da” becomes “ḷa”.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
49
The letter is “dha” (dot under d) like the “dh” in redhead (tongue touching hard palate), for example vyūdham.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
50
The letter is “ḷh” like the “l” in lake, for example aşāḷha. If thje “dha” occurs
between two vowels in the Veda, then the “dha” become ḷha.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
51
The letter is “ṇ” like the “n” in gentle (tongue touching hard palate), for
example Pāndu.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
52
The letter “ta” as “t” like the “t” in stable (tongue at base of teeth), for example
tat.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
53
The letter “th” like the “t” in table, (using more breath, tongue at base of teeth),
example Sthāpatya.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
54
The letter “da” like “d” in dynamic (tongue at base of teeth), like devatā.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
55
The letter “dha” like the “dh” in redhead (tongue at base of teeth), like dhātu.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
56
The letter “na” like the “n” in gentle (tongue at base of teeth), for example
Namaste.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
57
Exercise
Practice pronouncing the letters you have learned so far.
Rigveda (padapatha) manuscript in Devanagari, early 19th century
58
More Consonants, Semi-Vowels, Sibilants
Consonants
k – regular k as in kayak. Example: kriyā
kh – like the t_h in teak_house Example: sukha
g – regular g as in God Example: guṇa
gh – like the g_h in big_house Example: ghat
ṅ – as in ring Example: piṅgala
c – regular ch as in chant Example: cakra
ch – like the ch_h in ranch_house Example: gacchati
j – regular j as in Jesus Example: jīva
jh – like the geh in hedgehog Example: jhalā
ñ – as in cañyon Example: Patañjali
ṭ – pronounce the letter t with the tongue rolled up. Example: kuṭastha
ṭh – same as above, followed by an aspirated h. Example: haṭha
ḍ – pronounce the letter d with tongue rolled up Example: kuṇḍalinī
ḍh – same as above, followed by an aspirated h (rare)
ṇ – pronounce the letter n with tongue rolled up. Example: prāṇa
t – regular t as in talk Example: sat
th – like the t_h in light_house Example: tathā
d – regular d as in disciple Example: deva
dh – like the d_h in red_house Example: samādhi
n – regular n as in nectar Example: nirvikalpa
p – regular p as in prayer Example: Paramahamsa
ph – like the ph in upheaval (not f sound) Example: phalam
b – regular b as in blessing Example: Bābā
bh – like the bh in rubharb Example: bhakti
m – regular m as in master Example: Mahāraj
Semi-vowels
y – as in yellow Example: yuga
r–- rolled r Example: rāja
l – regular l as in life Example: līlā
v – regular v as in vacuum, Example: vyāna
Sibilants
ś – sh sound pronounced at the back of the palate. Example: śrī
ṣ – as in sharp Example: Upaniṣad
s – regular s as in spirit Example: sādhana
59
The letter is pa like the “p” in spin, for example Patañjali.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
60
The letter is ph like the “ph” in shepherd, for example phalam.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
61
The letter is ba like the “b” in beautiful, for example buddhi.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
62
The letter is bha like the “bh” in clubhouse, for example Bhagavad.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
63
The letter “ma” is like “m” in mother, for example māyā.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
64
The letter is “ya” like the “y” in yes, example Yagur.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
65
The letter is “ra” like the “r” in red, example rajas.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
67
The letter is “va” like the “v” in victory (however closer to a “w”), example
vāk.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
68
The letter is “śa” like the “sh” in shine, example śānti. This is pronounced at the
same point of contact as “ca”. See page 10.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
69
The letter is “ṣa” like the “c” in efficient, for example puruṣa. This is
pronounced at the same point of contact as ṭa (see page 10).
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
70
The letter is “sa” like the “s” in sweet, for example Sītā.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
71
The letter is “ha” like the “h” in hero, for example Hanumān.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
72
The letter is “aṃ” (with dot under m). The “ṃ” (with dot under ṃ) is called
“anusvāra”. It causes the last portion of the vowel before it to be nasal (like
“bonjour” in French). Anusvara (Sanskrit: अनसु्वारः anusvāra) is the diacritic
used to mark a type of nasalization used in a number of Indic languages.
Depending on the location of the anusvara in the word and the language within
which it is used, its exact pronunciation can vary greatly.
Definition of anusvāra.
1. A Sanskrit postvocalic nasal sound or group of sounds occurring in the
interior of a morpheme only before , , s, or h and at the end of a
morpheme only before an initial consonant of a following morpheme.
2. A sign used in writing Sanskrit to represent the anusvara sound or sounds
and in some manuscripts and editions certain other postvocalic nasal
sounds.
How it is written How it is pronounced
saṃjaya sañjaya
śaṃkara śaṅkara
saṃskṛta sanskṛta
saṃbuddha sambuddha
Maybe you are wandering why the letter is used at all? Indeed, some Sanskrit
texts do not. Saṃjaya, for example, can appear as sañjaya. But the anusvāra is
useful because it marks the places where the letter m changes pronunciation. All
of the words above are formed with the term sam, and the m of this term
changes in front of the consonants that follow it. There is no necessity to
remember this fact now; we will see it later on.
74
The letter “aḥ” is called visgarga. It is an unvoiced breathing, usually at the end
of a word, for example yogasthaḥ.
Summary of the two words anusvāra and visarga
The visarga and anusvāra are not quite like consonants, but they are not quite
like vowels either. For this reason, they are usually placed with the vowels as
shown:
a ā, i ī, u ū, ṛ ṝ, e ai, o au, aṃ, aḥ
ka kha ga gha ṅa
ca cha ja jha ña
ṭa ṭha ḍa ḍha ṇa
ta tha da dha na
pa pha ba bha ma
ya ra la va
śa ṣa sa ha
76
The letter stands for “h” and “h” (with under the h).
The “h” is called “jihvāmūlīya”. It is sometimes used in place of a visarga
before ka or kha.
The “h” (with under the h) is called “upadhmānīya”. It is sometimes used in
place of a visarga before pa or pha.
These Vedic letters are written the same way, but called “jihvāmūlīya” when
placed before ka or kha, and upadhmānīya when placed before pa or pha.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
79
The letter is “gā” like the “go” in got, for example Gārgī.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
80
The letter is “gi” like the “gee” in geese (kept shorter), for example girā. In most
Sanskrit literature, the curved line on top usually does not touch the horizontal
bar. When written by hand, the curved line should touch the horizontal bar at the
point where it meets the vertical line.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
81
The letter is “gī” like the “gee” in geese, for example Gītā.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
82
The letter is “gu” like the “goo” in goose, for example guru.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
83
The letter is “gū” like the “goo” in goose, only kept longer, for example gūrti.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
84
The letter is “gŗ” like the “gri” in grip, for example gŗhya.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
85
The letter is “gṝ” like the “gree” in green, for example gṝ.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
86
The letter is “ge” like the “ga” in gate, example geya.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
87
The letter is “gai” like the word “guy”, for example gai.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
88
The letter is “go” like the English word “go”, for example gopī.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
89
The letter is “gau” like the “gow” in gown, for example Gaurī.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
90
The letter “ru” is like the “roo” in root, for example guru.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
91
The letter is “rū” like the “ru” in rule, for example rūpam.
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
92
The letter “hr” (with dot under the “r”), for example hrdayam (dot under the r).
Now write the letter several times, filling each row.
93
Pronounce the following letters
c cā ci cī
Now write the letters several times, filling each row.
94
Pronounce the following letters
pe pai po pau
Now write the letters several times, filling each row.
95
Pronounce the combined word:
This may also be written as “rik”.
Now write the word several times, filling each row.
97
Pronounce these words:
Jaya Guru Deva
The word “Jai” is derived from the Sanskrit Jaya.
Now write the words several times, filling each row.
98
Pronounce the word:
In this word only, the last syllable ends with consonant.
Now write the word several times, filling each row.
100
Exercise
Practice pronouncing the letters you have learned so far.
Find in previous pages the pronunciation of these letters.
Trace the following letters, they are purposely not indicated with an arrow.
rā
ni
ho
ji
tu
au
103
rājan karunā
madhu meru
vāk prthivī
Mantras can aid in your quest for Truth, which is Enlightenment.
They are ancient, powerful, and holy. Chant them with reverence,
humility, and devotion.
104
Conjunct Consonants
As a reminder (see page 33), there are about a thousand conjunct consonants,
most of which combine two or three consonants. There are also some with four-
consonant conjuncts and at least one well-known conjunct with five consonants.
Here's a selection of commonly-used conjuncts:
107
Answers from page 106 :
nyā Nyāya
Smr (dot under r) Smrti (dot under r)
jyo jyoti
ste namaste
ňja Pataňjali
gni Agni
sthā Sthāpatya
124
Devanagari (Sanskrit writing) digits are written as follows:
० 0 १ 1 २ 2 ३ 3 ४ 4
५ 5 ६ 6 ७ 7 ८ 8 ९ 9
This suffices for now, the count from 1 to O
Read and transliterate from the Bhagavad Gītā:
129
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130
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Contents
Foreword 2
Sanskrit Transliteration and Pronunciation Guide 7
A recommended study book on the Sanskrit Grammar (among many
others)
8
The Sanskrit Alphabet and general information 9
The Vowels 14
Pronouncing and tracing vowels 17
Exercise 23
Sanskrit Pronunciation guide summary before going any further 23
More vowels to trace 24
Exercise 31
The Consonants 31
Tracing the Consonants 34
Exercise 44
Consonants continued 45
Exercise 57
More Consinants, Semi-Vowels, Sibilants 58
Writing letters continued 59
Definition of anusvāra. 72
Writing letters continued 73
Summary of the two words anusvāra and visarga 74
“jihvāmūlīya” and “upadhmānīya” 76
Exercise 77
Vowels after Consonants, and ‘r’ Symbols 78
Writing letters continued without arrow guidance 79
Pronouncing letters and write them 93
Pronouncing combined words and write them 95
Exercise, and tracing letters 100
Conjunct Consonants 104
Pronouncing letter combinations and answers 105
Repetition (test yourself) 120
Devanagari (Sanskrit writing) digits are written as follows: 124
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