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Entry Level – Module 1 Sanskrit Alphabet - Lesson 9 - Sanskrit Vowel Signs

प्रावेशिकः स्तरः - प्रथम-विभागः – वर्णमाला - नवमः पाठः - स्वरमात्रा:

We learn about........

Akshara and Varna

Sanskrit alphabet system is named as Aksharamala or Varnamala. What is the difference between an Akshara (अक्षरः) and a Varna(वर्णः)? A varna is the smallest unit used in writing Sanskrit letters. Akshara is a letter that can be sounded and hence can be counted as a syllable. Svara Varnas are sounded independently and hence they are all Aksharas. Vyanjana Varnas or Pure consonants can be uttered only when conjoined with a vowel and hence are not Aksharas. Pure consonants in in Sanskrit are hence called Vyanjana Varnas (व्यञ्जनवर्णाः) or just Vyanjanani (व्यनञ्जनानि). A consonant in conjunction with a vowel qualifies to be an Akshara.

We learned to read and write Sanskrit consonants using their conjunct forms with Svara अ like क, ख, ग, घ etc. We used these Akshara Forms of consonants to learn the way they are sounded. How do we write and recognize the consonants in conjunction with other Vowels? This lesson teaches you the signs used for different vowels which are called Svaramatras (स्वरमात्रा:) or Gunikas (गुणिकाः). The table shows all conjunct forms for the consonant ka (क्). It is also shown how to recognize each conjoint form using example words. Learners are requested to learn and understand the forms by writing them. Please do not worry about what the words mean right at this moment. They are given only to show how to separate letters in a word. The sounds of letters or words can be heard by clicking the cell they are present in.

Vowel SignsConjoint FormDisjoint letters in a word
अक् + अ = क (ka)कथा = क् + अ + थ् + आ (Katha)
आ - ाक् + आ = का (kaa)काकः = क् + आ + क् + अः (Kaakah)
इ = िक् + इ = कि (ki)किरातः = क् + इ + र् + आ + त् + अः (Kirathah)
ई = ीक् + ई = की (ki)कीचकः = क् + ई + च् + अ + क् + अः (Kiichakah)
उ = ुक् + उ = कु (ku)कुम्भः =क् + उ + म् + भ् + अः (Kumbhah)
ऊ = ूक् + ऊ = कू (Koo)कूर्मः = क् + ऊ + र् + म् + अः (Koormah)
ऋ = ृक् + ऋ = कृ (Kru)कृष्णः = क् + ऋ + ष् + ण् + अः ( Krishnah)
ॠ = ॄक + ॠ = कॄ (Kruu)
ए = ेक् + ए = के (Ke)केशः = क् + ए + श् + अः ( Kes ̅ah)
ऐ = ैक् + ऐ = कै (kei)कैवल्यम् = क् + ऐ + व् + अ + ल् + य् + अ + म् ( Kaivalyam)
ओ - ोक् + ओ = को (ko)कोकिलः = क् + ओ + क् + इ + ल् + अः (Kokilah)
औ - ौक् + औ = कौ (kow)कौमारम् = क् + औ + म् + आ + र् + अ + म् (Koumaram)
अं = ंक् + अं = कं (kam)कंसः = क् + अं + स् + अः (Kamsah)
अः = ःक् + अः = कः (kah)कः = क् + अः(Kah)

You may notice the matra for the vowel ऌ is not given as those forms are rarely used. The letter ऌ itself is used as the symbol as in क्ऌ. The downward stroke or hal chinha used to indicate pure consonants with is also called Virama. These letter forms are also called Svara Yuktha Vyanjanani

Well, it is practice time now. The first row in the table shows all matra forms or vowel symbols to be joined to the consonants. The subsequent rows show conjoined forms for all consonants. Using the table as a guide, practice writing the all matra forms for the remaining consonants. Click each letter to get an enlarged view of the letter and hear their sounded forms. For reading the table clearer please use the horizontal view in mobiles or tablets.

Conjoint Consonants - स्वरयुक्त-व्यञ्जनानि
ािीुूृॄेैोौंः
ककाकिकीकुकूकृकॄकेकैकोकौकंकः
खखाखिखीखुखूखृखॄखेखैखोखौखंखः
गगागिगीगुगूगृगॄगेगैगोगौगंगः
घघाघिघीघुघूघृघॄघेघैघोघौघंघः
ङङाङिङीङुङूङृङॄङेङैङोङौङंङः
चचाचिचीचुचूचृचॄचेचैचोचौचंचः
छछाछिछीछुछूछृछॄछेछैछोछौछंछः
जजाजिजीजुजूजृजॄजेजैजोजौजंजः
झझाझिझीझुझूझृझॄझेझैझोझौझंझः
ञञाञिञीञुञूञृञॄञेञैञोञौञंञः
टटाटिटीटुटूटृटॄटेटैटोटौटंटः
ठठाठिठीठुठूठृठॄठेठैठोठौठंठः
डडाडिडीडुडूडृडॄडेडैडोडौडंडः
ढढाढिढीढुढूढृढॄढेढैढोढौढंढः
णणाणिणीणुणूणृणॄणेणैणोणौणंणः
ततातितीतुतूतृतॄतेतैतोतौतंतः
थथाथिथीथुथूथृथॄथेथैथोथौथंथः
ददादिदीदुदूदृदॄदेदैदोदौदंदः
धधाधिधीधुधूधृधॄधेधैधोधौधंधः
ननानिनीनुनूनृनॄनेनैनोनौनंनः
पपापिपीपुपूपृपॄपेपैपोपौपंपः
फफाफिफीफुफूफृफॄफेफैफोफौफंफः
बबाबिबीबुबूबृबॄबेबैबोबौबंबः
भभाभिभीभुभूभृभॄभेभैभोभौभंभः
ममामिमीमुमूमृमॄमेमैमोमौमंमः
ययायियीयुयूयृयॄयेयैयोयौयंयः
ररारिरीरुरूरॄरेरैरोरौरंरः
ललालिलीलुलूलॄलेलैलोलौलंलः
ववाविवीवुवूवृवॄवेवैवोवौवंवः
शशाशिशीशुशूशृशॄशेशैशोशौशंशः
षषाषिषीषुषूषृषॄषेषैषोषौषंषः
ससासिसीसुसूसृसॄसेसैसोसौसंसः
हहाहिहीहुहूहृहॄहेहैहोहौहंहः
क्षक्षाक्षिक्षीक्षुक्षूक्षृक्षॄक्षेक्षैक्षोक्षौक्षंक्षः
ज्ञज्ञाज्ञिज्ञीज्ञुज्ञूज्ञृज्ञॄज्ञेज्ञैज्ञोज्ञौज्ञंज्ञः
त्रत्रात्रित्रीत्रुत्रूत्रॄत्रेत्रैत्रोत्रौत्रंत्रः
श्रश्राश्रिश्रीश्रुश्रूश्रॄश्रेश्रैश्रोश्रौश्रंश्रः

The conjoint forms which cannot be effectively sounded are left blank. Hope you enjoyed practicing the matras. It is now time to practice disjoining letters from words and understand their anatomy. Please show the letters involved in forming the words given. Also try reading the word as a whole.

Practice Exercise

Example: गायिका = ग् + आ + य् + इ + क् + आ

  1. पोषकः =
  2. कौशलम् =
  3. भोजनशाला =
  4. सहोदरी =
  5. दुरवाणी =
  6. कृषकः =
  7. पेटिका =
  8. हरिः =
  9. धेनुः =
  10. ऋतुः =

Answers!       

We learned how consonants are sounded with the help of vowels and the vowel symbols or svara matras (स्वरमात्रा:) used to write the conjoint letters.

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Syllables are formed when one or more consonants conjoin a vowel. How do we write when two or more consonants join in bringing out a syllable? We learn about syllable compounds (संयुक्ताक्षराणि) in our next lesson. Lesson 10: Sanskrit compound letters – संयुक्ताक्षराणि

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