Albhabets in white= Both the ending and the beginning vowels are replaced by a single vowel;

Alphabets in black = Single substitution of the ending vowel.

replaces
() replaces /optional

 : remains unchanged : is changed to : is Optionally changed Sibilants - , ,
to


: : : : : : :

= | = =
= =
= =
= = = or
= or = or

: changed to : is dropped Semi-vowels , , ,

= = =
= = =
= =
= = =
= =

=
= : : =
: : = = : =
= : =
= =
=
 When is preceded by and is followed by , : is changed to while
the following is elided (changed to )
o = = =
| =

: is dropped

= : = =
= =

=

=
=
= = : =
=

: is changed to

= = : =
= = : =
= = :
= : = : = : =
= =
Special Rules:
The of and is dropped when followed by any letter other than
o = = =
= = : = :
= : = : =

The final ( ) of a word is changed to a if it is followed by nothing or

by a hard guttural ( , ) labial ( , ) or sibilant ( , , , )
o = = = ( is not
changed because it is followed by a soft consonant)
12/6/13 sanskrit.jnu.ac.in/elearning/combination_of_letters.html

Website Home Multimedia-Elearning Home Back

Sanskrit E-Learning and Multimedia (Secondary Level)

-
Click here to practice Sandhi

Sandhi( ): Sandhi means the sound chages in

combination of two letters coming in immediate contact
with each other.
As for example- +=, += etc.

There are three types of Sandhi:

1. or (The combination of final and

initial vowels)
2. or (The combination of final
consonants with vowels and consonants)
3. (Visargasandhi) -

(Vowel Joining): Vowel sandhi means the

changes occur in a word because of the combination of
final and initial vowels.

It is of various types. Such as :

1.

2.
3.

4.
5.
6.

7.
8.

: If a simple vowel, short or long, be

followed by a similar vowel, short and long, the
substitute for them both is the similar long vowel, is
known as , ( //)

+
+
+
+
+
+
+

sanskrit.jnu.ac.in/elearning/combination_of_letters.html 1/9
12/6/13 sanskrit.jnu.ac.in/elearning/combination_of_letters.html

+

+
+


+

+


+

+

: When or is followed by , , , , ,
and , the letter corresponding to the letter takes
the place of both and (as: =+, =+, =
+ and =+)
is known as
, ( //)

+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

: When or is followed by or , or
and or are respectively substituted for both and
(as: =+ or +, =+ or +, =+ and
=+
) is known as , ( // )

+


+ ++



+
+
+
+

+
+
+
+

: When , , , , , or , at the end of a
word followed by a dissimilar vowel,
,, and
are
respectively substituted for them,then it is , (
//)

+
+
+
+
+


+


+
+


+

+

+
+
+

sanskrit.jnu.ac.in/elearning/combination_of_letters.html 2/9
12/6/13 sanskrit.jnu.ac.in/elearning/combination_of_letters.html

: When , , , and followed by a vowel,

they are changed into ,,, respectively,
then it is known as , ( //)

+
+

+


+
+
+

+

+
+

: When or at the end of a word is
followed by , the latter merges into the former and the
sign is written in its place, then it is known as

,( //)

+
+
+
+
+

+

(consonant joining)

( //) : An Anuswara,
followed by any consonant except ,, and is
changed to the nasal of the class to which the following
letter belongs, necessarily when in the middle and
optionally when at the end of a word.

1. () An Anuswara, followed by the any letter of

is changed into .

+
+
+
+
+

+


+

+

+

+

+
+

() An Anuswara, followed by the any letter of is

changed into .

+


+



+


+

+


+

sanskrit.jnu.ac.in/elearning/combination_of_letters.html 3/9
12/6/13 sanskrit.jnu.ac.in/elearning/combination_of_letters.html

+



+

+




+

+
+
+

+
+

() An Anuswara, followed by the any letter of is

changed into .

+

+

+
+

+




+

+

+

+

+


+
+
+
+

+

() An Anuswara, followed by the any letter of is

changed into ''

+

+

+


+

+

+
+
+
+

+

+
+

+

() An Anuswara, followed by the any letter of '' is

changed into '
.

+



+




+


+

2. An Anuswara, followed by any consonant except ,,

or is changed to the nasal of the class to which the
following letter belongs, when at the end of a word.

+ (
) (
)

sanskrit.jnu.ac.in/elearning/combination_of_letters.html 4/9
12/6/13 sanskrit.jnu.ac.in/elearning/combination_of_letters.html

+
+

+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+


+

II. ( ) : When preceded by a word

ending in any of the first four letters of a class and
folowed by a vowel, a semi-vowel, a nasal or is
optionally changed into .

+

+

+

+

+




+
+


+

sanskrit.jnu.ac.in/elearning/combination_of_letters.html 5/9
12/6/13 sanskrit.jnu.ac.in/elearning/combination_of_letters.html

+

+

+
+
+
+
+

+

+
+

+

+

+

+


+
+
+


+

+

+
+

+

III.

I.
is necessarily inserted between and the preceding
short vowel at the end of a word.

+
+
+
+
+
+

+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

II.
is necessarily inserted between when preceded
by long vowel.

III.
is optionally inserted between when a long

sanskrit.jnu.ac.in/elearning/combination_of_letters.html 6/9
12/6/13 sanskrit.jnu.ac.in/elearning/combination_of_letters.html

vowel at the end of a word.

+

+

+

+

+

+

+

+


+

+

IV. When the particle and the preposition precede,

is inserted between .

+
+
+


+

IV. : When
at the end of a word is
changed into an Anuswara when followed by a
consonant.

+

+
+

+
+

+
+

+

+

+
+

v. : When the last letter of a word is the first,

second, third and fourth one, then it changed into the
third letter of the same class. For example - becomes
,
becomes , is , is and becomes .

+


+

+
+

sanskrit.jnu.ac.in/elearning/combination_of_letters.html 7/9
12/6/13 sanskrit.jnu.ac.in/elearning/combination_of_letters.html

+
+

+


+


+

+

+

Some examples from the text-book ' ' :

+
+
+

+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

+
+
+
+
+
+ +
+
+
+
+
+
+

+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ +
++


+
+
+
+
+
+

sanskrit.jnu.ac.in/elearning/combination_of_letters.html 8/9
12/6/13 sanskrit.jnu.ac.in/elearning/combination_of_letters.html

+
+

+
+
+

+
+
+
+
+
+ +
++
+

+
+
+
+
+
+

+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

+


+

+
+
+

+
+
+
+
+

sanskrit.jnu.ac.in/elearning/combination_of_letters.html 9/9
 : Notes

Exercise-1

1. : A + 14. A +

2. A + A +
15.

3. A +
16. A

4. A +
17. :A

5. : A
18. A +
6. : A + :
19. A +
7. A +
20. A +
8. A +
21. A +
9. :A + :

22. :A
+ :
10. A +

23. A +
11. A +

12. A + : A + :
24.

13. :A + :
25. :A

By: 1