Step by Step Sanskrit Learning Programme Month 16

Level 1 - Month 16 Lessons 61

www.chitrapurmath.net Shri Chitrapur Math 2002-2012

355/362
Lesson 61.
Swara Sandhi and Visarga Sandhi.
~lll-l: / l~lllll-l:

In my early days of enthusiastic Sanskrit studies, I picked up the
Panchatantra to 'improve' my language skills. One look at the text a long
never ending word that filled 25 lines (if I exaggerate, it is only for
effect.believe me, I do not lie. Ever.) and I figured that I had to get my
Sandhi rules firmly understood first.
Sandhi is the joining of two words into a single word. The last letter of a
word and the first letter of the adjoining word form one letter.
Sandhi-vicheda, ll-ll~l7:, describes the process by which one letter
( whether single or cojoined) is broken to form two words. Part of the
broken letter remains as the last letter of the first word and part of the
letter forms the first letter of the next letter.
Over time I still find it easier to break words than to join them but here
are a few tips that have kept me in good stead either way:
1. Sandhis take place whenever there is a presence of a swara.a
vowel ; the presence of a consonant WITH a halanta ( for example
~l ); the presence of a visarga (for example ~l: )
2. S Siren's on!! Trip up alert:
Whenever I see a l, ~l, 7, 7, ll, ll, l, 7l, 'l, , in a "more or less"
long word, my antennae go up. Chances are that I have a Sandhi staring at
me in the face. I always potter around these letters to help me decide
whether the occasion has presented itself to break two words.

The more I read, the more I was convinced that there were a trillion
sandhi rules to follow. But ever so slowly it began to filter in that
amongst those trillion rules a few are oft repeated and they are the only
ones that one need really remember to follow Sanskrit classical texts.
Buy a book that lists all sandhi rules so that you can refer to it if you
come across an occasional sandhi that I have not dealt with. But for all
practical purposes, these are enough. Lesson 61 will deal with 1) a revision
of swara sandhi rules plus a few more new ones AND 2) with visarga
sandhi rules. A tabular column works well for reference.
Swar Sandhi.
Step by Step Sanskrit Learning Programme Month 16
Level 1 - Month 16 Lessons 61
www.chitrapurmath.net Shri Chitrapur Math 2002-2012

356/362

The name
of the
sandhi
The first word
should end in:
The second
word should
begin with:
Result
of the
sandhi
Example
. ll
ll-l
l or ll l or ll ll ll + llll:
=lllll: '
l~lll + lll
=l~lllll '
> or > > or > > ~ll~l + >-7:
= ~l~ll-7: '
ll + >7l:
=ll7l: '
or or -ll-l + l:
= -ll-ll: '
~ll + l:
= ~lll: '

-. ll
ll-l
l or ll > or > 7 l + >7l: =
l7l:'
ll + >7l: =
l7l: '
l or ll or ll ll + l =
llll '
ll + ll =
llll: '
l or ll l or l l ll + ll'l:
= ll'l: '
l or ll l ll l~l + l~ll:
= l~l~ll: '
. ~llT l or ll 7 or 7 7 ll + 7~l: =
Step by Step Sanskrit Learning Programme Month 16
Level 1 - Month 16 Lessons 61
www.chitrapurmath.net Shri Chitrapur Math 2002-2012

357/362
ll-l ll~l:'
~l + 7lll
=~llll '
l or ll ll or ll ll 'l +
ll-ll =
'll-ll '
ll + ll'lll
= ll'lll '
l or ll
( 'lll a prefix )
l or l ll 'l + l7ll
( to go, to
become
difficult ) =
'll7ll '
l or ll
( 'lll a prefix)
l lll 'l + l~ll:
= 'll~ll: '

. ll
ll-l
> or >
vowel that is
not an > or >
l >ll + lll=
>lll'
or
vowel that is
not an or

~l ~ll + lllll=
~l~lllll'
l or l
vowel that is
not an l or
l
l'll + ll:ll =
l'lll:ll
l
vowel that is
not l
l l + ll~lll
= ll~lll '

'. llll
ll-l
7

any vowel
(except for
l if the 7
ll + 7
=l '
~ll-l + >ll
Step by Step Sanskrit Learning Programme Month 16
Level 1 - Month 16 Lessons 61
www.chitrapurmath.net Shri Chitrapur Math 2002-2012

358/362
ending is that
of a declined
noun.
= ~ll-lllll /
~ll-l >ll
7
any vowel
lll -l + l~l: =
-lll~l: '
ll + ll'l =
lllll'l /
lll ll'l '
ll

any vowel
(except for
l if the ll
ending is that
of a declined
noun.
l~l 'll+ l-l: =
'l~l-l: '
-ll-ll + >l
= -ll-ll~ll /
-ll-l >l
ll
any vowel

ll~l 'll + l~l: =
'll~l~l:'
-ll + ll'l =
-ll~ll'l /
-ll ll'l

. 'l~l'l
ll-l
A declined noun
ending in an 7
or an ll
l
instead
of l
~l~ll +ll=
~l~lll '
llll +ll =
lllll '

'. 'l'l
ll-l
a prefix ending in an
l
a conjugated
verb
beginning with
an 7 or an ll
l is
elided.
l~l + 7l
=l~ll'
'l +ll'lll
='ll'lll'

. l~ll-l words ending l~ll-l word
Sandhi
~l~ll + 7ll
Step by Step Sanskrit Learning Programme Month 16
Level 1 - Month 16 Lessons 61
www.chitrapurmath.net Shri Chitrapur Math 2002-2012

359/362
'l~lll-ll~l
ll-l
in >, , 7
where its
first letter is
a vowel.

does not
take
place
=~l~ll 7ll
l + >ll
=l >ll

Indeclinables
(l~lls) ending in an
an ll or an ll
vowel Sandhi
does not
take
place
ll ll
-ll~l-l
ll 7~l -l
l-ll


I came across very peculiar sandhis during the course of my study.
Unfortunately, I have not been able to find a rule in grammar texts that
authenticates such sandhis. However, I'll place them before you and if
you do come across references regarding this please let me know so that
I may share it with others.
1. Words that end in l/ll and when combined with words beginning
with l/ll have sometimes been written like this:
lll + ll'l = llll'l
ll + ll'l =llll'l
l7l +ll= l7ll
2. The occurrence of two l~llll( s ( ) together tell you that
an ll is present at that point.



Step by Step Sanskrit Learning Programme Month 16
Level 1 - Month 16 Lessons 61
www.chitrapurmath.net Shri Chitrapur Math 2002-2012

360/362
Visarga Sandhi:
Before we do the Visarga Sandhi, it is important to have a table that
differentiates the soft consonants from the hard ones.










The shaded consonants are the ~lcl~ll-lll-l hard consonants.
The rest are l-~ll-lll-l soft consonants.

The following table should be helpful

visarga preceded by followed by results in

l
any soft
consonant OR l
coalesces into ll (for
a soft consonant)
ORll (for an l)
~l: + ll'l = ~lll'l '
An indeclinable
(l~ll) ending in
anl
any vowel OR any
soft consonant
except for
is replaced by
'l-l: + ll = 'l-ll '
'l-l: + l7ll =
'l-ll7ll '
An indeclinable
(l~ll) ending in
anl

visarga is dropped and
the l becomes ll
'l-l: + ll = 'l-ll ll '
The vocative case,
l~lll-l, of a l
any vowel OR any
soft consonant
changes to
l'll: + ~l- = l'll~l- '
Step by Step Sanskrit Learning Programme Month 16
Level 1 - Month 16 Lessons 61
www.chitrapurmath.net Shri Chitrapur Math 2002-2012

361/362
ending noun

l
any vowel except
l
is elided
~l: + ~lll = ~l ~lll
'




ll
any vowel OR any
soft consonant
is elided
~llll: + ll = ~llll ll
'
ll: + l7l-l = ll
l7l-l '

any vowel except
l, ll
any vowel OR any
soft consonant
except

changes into
ll-l: + >ll = ll-llll '
any short vowel
except l


the short vowel
becomes long
-l'lll: + lll = -l'lll
lll '
any vowel

l , 7 ,
, c ,
l , l
7l , 'l , l
changes into
7l ,
'l ,
l '
7l , 'l , l '

l ~l , 'l l
-ll: + ~llll =
-ll~llll '
'l~llll '
7'l:/
l:

Any consonant or
vowel except for
l
elision of the visarga.
l l7ll '
Step by Step Sanskrit Learning Programme Month 16
Level 1 - Month 16 Lessons 61
www.chitrapurmath.net Shri Chitrapur Math 2002-2012

362/362

Name of
the
sandhi
visarga
preceded
by
followed
by
effect example
.~l l: ll l-l: + l: = l-lll:'
l: ll ll ll ~l: + lllll = ~ll lllll '
l: ~l ll ~l 7ll: + ~lll = 7lll ~lll '
l: l ll l l7l: + ll-ll = l7ll ll-ll '
l: l ll l ll: + l-ll = lll l-ll '
l: l ll ~l: + ll'l = ~lll'l '
l: + ll'l = lll'l '

-. l~l l: l ll -ll: + l = -lll '
l: l7 ll: + l~ll = ll7l~ll '
l: l ll ~l: + lll = ~llll '

. ~l : l l -ll-l: + lll = -ll-lll '
: 7ll: + l-l = 7lll-l '
>: l >l ll-l: + ll: = ll-lll: '

. ll'l l: ll l ll ll-l: + lll7ll = ll-l
lll7ll '
l: > l > ll: + >7ll = ll >7ll '
l: l ~l: + ~lll = ~l ~lll '
ll: ll ll ll -ll: + lllll-l = -ll lllll-l '
~llll: + lll7l-l = ~llll
lll7l-l '
ll: l ll l ~ll: + l7l-l = ~ll l7l-l '