Sandhi Tables

Introduction to Sandhi
 “Sandhi” means ‘junction/connection’. When two words are joined together, the
euphonic junction of the final and initial letters follows rules known as sandhi rules. It
should be borne in mind that there are certain irregularities and exceptions, and certain
alternative sandhi-s are possible.
 The sandhi can be broadly classified into three: vowel sandhi, consonant Sandhi and
anusvāra sandhi.
 At the outset, it is important to bear in mind that only the following eight consonants are
permitted to stand at the end of a word: k, ṭ, t, p, ṅ, m, n, ḥ. All vowels, other than ṝ and ḷ,
can stand at the end.
 Another point to remember is classification of Sanskrit consonant into soft and hard, also
known as voiced and unvoiced.
 sandhi mostly occur with soft consonants, not hard consonants.
 The hard consonants refers to consonants that require more breath to pronounce and soft
The following table displays hard and soft consonant.
 Vowel Sandhi (svāra sandhi स्वार सन्धि)

Internal Sandhi rules

 The sandhi that occurs between two internal components of a word is called internal
sandhi.
 When two similar vowels appear, usually they are combined and produces a long
vowel. For instance:
i. a+a= ā: nīta-artha→nītārtha नीतर्थ ‘explicit meaning’
ii. ā+a=ā: upāsikā-asmi→upāsikāsmi उपासिकास्मि ‘I’m a female lay devotee’.
iii.a+ā=ā: buddhasya-ārāme→buddhasyārāme बुद्धस्यारामे ‘monastery of the Buddha’

 Similarly any similar vowels either long or short combined into one, and produces a
long vowel.
 Vowel Sandhi (svāra sandhi स्वार सन्धि)

 Dissimilar vowels:
 When two dissimilar vowels come together, usually they undergo some changes. For instance:

 pañca-indriya → pañcendriya ( a + i → e)
 smṛti-upasthāna → smṛtyupasthāna (final -i in front of a vowel → -y-)

External sandhi vowel sandhi

The sandhi that takes place between separate words is called external sandhi.
 upajāyate eva → upajāyata eva
(-e before vowels, other than a-, → -a )
gacchati aśvam→gacchaty aśvam
(-i before vowels, other than i/ī, →y).
 Vowel Sandhi Table
Final vowels Initial vowels
a/ā i/ī u/ū ṛ ai e o au
ā ya va ra āa e‘ o‘ āva a
ā ya vā rā āā aā aā āvā ā
e ī vi ri āi ai ai āvi i
e ī vī rī āī aī aī avī ī
o yu ū ru āu au au āvu u
o yū ū rū āū aū aū āvū ū
ar yṛ vṛ ṛ āṛ aṛ aṛ āvṛ ṛ
ai ye ve re āe ae ae āve e
ai yai vai rai ā ai a ai a ai āvai ai
au yo vo ro āo ao ao āvo o
au yau vau rau ā au a au a au āvau au
 anusvāra sandhi अनुस्वार सन्धि (ṃ)

 The anusvāra refers to a nasal sound m with a dot below in roman script.
 In Devanagāri script, it is represented with a dot on a top of a letter.
 The sandhi rule of anusvāra is simple: the anusvāra must always be applied except at
the end of a sentence or in front of a vowel.
evaṃ mayā śrutam | (end of a sentence)
kim atra | (before a vowel)
 Visarga (ḥ) sandhi

• The visarga sandhi is most frequently encounter sandhi in Sanskrit because a large
number of Sanskrit words end in visarga.
• 1. If the first word ends in -aḥ and the second word begins with –a then -aḥ becomes
-o; the beginning a- of the following word is deleted. The deletion is marked by an
apostrophe known as avagraha in Sanskrit:
 aḥ>a= o ’
• Example:
buddhaḥ atra→buddho ’tra ( बुद्धऽत्र ) The Buddha is here.
 bodhisattvaḥ apagacchati →bodhisattvo ’pagacchati (बोधिसत्त्वो ऽपच्छति) Bodhisattva
goes away.
 Visarga (ḥ) sandhi

 If the first word ends -aḥ the second word begins with any other vowel (other than
a), -aḥ becomes –a; and there is no change in the following word.
 aḥ>vowel (except a) =a
 Example:
 buddhaḥ āgacchati→buddha āgacchati (बुद्ध आगच्छति) The Buddha comes.
 buddhaḥ idha āgacchati→buddha idha āgacchati (बुद्ध इध आगच्छति) the Buddha
comes here.
 buddhaḥ utpādayati→buddha utpādayati (बुद्ध उत्पादयति) the Buddha arises.
 Visarga (ḥ) sandhi

 If the first word ends in -āḥ and the second word begins with any vowel, the visarga
is dropped: āḥ>vowel =ā
 Example:
buddhāḥ iti→buddhā iti (बुद्धा इति)
narāḥ atra vasanti→narā atra vasanti (नरा अत्र वसन्ति) men live here.

• -aḥ before a soft (voiced) consonant, becomes -o; the following consonant is
unchanged.
naraḥ vadati→ naro vadati (नरो वदति) | man speaks.
 Visarga (ḥ) sandhi

 -aḥ and -āḥ, before c-/ch-, becomes -aś and -āś, respectively.
 bodhisattvaḥ carati → bodhisattvaś carati
 adharmāḥ caiva → adharmāś caiva.

 -aḥ and -āḥ, before ṭ-/ṭh-,t-/th-, becomes -aṣ/-āṣ and -as/ -ās, respectively
 ācāryaḥ ṭīkāṃ likhati → ācāryaṣ ṭīkāṃ likhati.
 yaḥ tathāgatena deśitaḥ → yas tathāgatena deśitaḥ.
 Visarga (ḥ) sandhi

 Visarga (-ḥ) with vowels other than -a-/-ā- in front a vowel or soft
consonant changes to -r.
 Examples:
 śubhūtiḥ utthāya āsanāt → śubhūtir utthāya āsanāt ...
 bhikṣuḥ evaṃ manyate → bhikṣur evaṃ manyate.
 Visarga (ḥ) sandhi Table
Final letters of the first word First letter of the second word
Any vowel with ḥ aḥ āḥ
(other than a, ā)
r a ā vowel
r o ā g/gh
r o ā j/jh
r o ā ḍ/ḍh
r o ā d/dh
r o ā b/bh
r o ā n/m
r o ā y/v
ḥ disappears o ā r
r o ā l
r o ā h
ś aś āś c/ch
ṣ aṣ āṣ ṭ/ṭh
s as ās t/th
 Sandhi for final t

 Final -t changes to -d before vowels

 buddhāt avagacchati→ buddhād avagacchati ‘he understands from the
Buddha.
 grāmāt āgacchati→ grāmād āgacchati ‘he comes from village’.
yat anityam→yad anityam ‘ which is impermanent’
Final -t changes to -d before soft consonants (except all nasals n/ṅ/ñ/m and j/jh, l)
buddhāt dharmaḥ→buddhād dharmaḥ ‘dharma from the Buddha’.
vanāt gajaḥ→vanād gajaḥ ‘elephant from the forest’.
 Sandhi for final t

 Final -t changes to -n before all nasals (n/m)

 tasmāt manyati→tasmān manyati ‘therefore he thinks’
 saṃsārāt niryāti→saṃsārān niryāti ‘he goes out from cycle of birth and
death’.
 Final -t changes to -c before c/ch
 buddhāt ca śrāvakāt ca→buddhāc ca śrāvakāc ca ‘from the Buddha and
from the disciple’
 Sandhi for final t

 Final -t changes to -j before j/jh

 tasmāt jñātavyaḥ →tasmāj jñātavyaḥ ‘therefore he should know’
 pustakāt jñānam→pustakāj jñānam ‘knowledge from the book’
 Final -t changes to -ṭ before ṭ/ṭh
buddhāt ṭa→buddhāṭ ṭa
 Final -t changes to -l before l
 ācaryāt labhati- buddhāl labhati ‘he obtains from teacher’
 Final -t changes to -c before ś and ś also changes to ch
The below table summaries all the sandhi
involved with final t

Final t Initial letter of the

following word
d Vowel
d Soft consonants

n n/m
j j/jh
ṭ ṭ/ṭh
ḍ ḍ/ḍh
l l
c (the following ś changes to ch) ś
 Sandhi final n

 When final n / ṅ is preceded by a short vowel and the next word beings with a
vowel, the n/ṅ become double:
smayan iva→smayann iva
 The final n before c/ch changes to ṃś
 The final n before t/th change to ṃs
 The final n before ṭ/ṭh change to ṃṣ