Alphabet Grouping

sanskritstudy.blogspot.com/2009/10/alphabet-grouping.html

अ to औ are called स्वर (swara) - vowels

अ इ उ ऋ लृ - ह्रस्व स्वर (hrasva swara) - short vowels

आ ई ऊ ॠ ए ऐ ओ औ - दीर्घ स्वर (deergha swara) - long vowels (note that ए ऐ ओ औ are
nitya deergha, no hrasva for them)

अं is called अनुस्वार (anuswaara)

अः is called विसर्ग (visarga)

क to ह are called व्यञ्जन (vyanjana) - consonants

क to म are called वर्गीय व्यञ्जन (vargIya vyanjana) - grouped consonants

य to ह are called अवर्गीय व्यञ्जन (avargIya vyanjana) - un-grouped consonants

वर्गीय व्यञ्जन (vargIya vyanjana) - grouped consonants, are further divided into
अल्पप्राण (alpapraaNa) - the 1st and 3rd alphabet of each वर्ग (varga) group
महाप्राण (mahaapraaNa) - the 2nd and 4th alphabet of each वर्ग (varga) group
अनुनासिक (anunaasika) - nasal consonants - the 5th alphabet of each वर्ग (varga)
group

Further, the SAME vargIya vyanjana-s are regrouped as -

कर्क श (karkasha) - Hard consonants - the 1st & 2nd alphabet of each varga (group)
मृदु (mRudu) - Soft consonants - the 3rd & 4th alphabet of each varga (group)
अनुनासिक (anunaasika) - nasal consonants - the 5th alphabet of each varga (group)

Also, each varga is identified by the starting alphabet of that particular varga - कवर्ग, चवर्ग,
टवर्ग, तवर्ग, पवर्ग (ka-varga, cha-varga, Ta-varga, ta-varga, pa-varga). As per the origination
of the sound, the vyanjana-s are classified as thus -
कवर्ग, ह, : (visarga) -> कण्ठ्य (ka-varga, ha, -H -> kaNThya) - Gutturals - Pronounced
from the throat

चवर्ग, य, श -> तालव्य (cha-varga, ya, sha -> taalavya) - Palatals - tongue touches the
front of the palate

टवर्ग, र, ष -> मूर्धन्य (Ta-varga, ra, Sha -> mUrdhanya) - Cerebrals - tongue rolls all the
way, as if towards the head

तवर्ग, ल, स -> दन्त्य (ta-varga, la, sa -> dantya) - Dentals - tongue touches the teeth

पवर्ग, व -> ओष्ठ्य (pa-varga, va -> oShThya) - Labials - lips are essential in their
pronunciation

अवर्गीय व्यञ्जन (avargIya vyanjana) - ungrouped consonants are of 3 types

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 य र ल व -> अन्तस्थ (antastha) - Semi-vowels - soft consonants
श ष स -> ऊष्म (uShma) - Sibilant - hard consonants - made with a hissing noise
ह -> महाप्राण (mahaapraaNa) - Aspirate - soft consonant

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