Sanskrit Alphabets : Magic of Sound
The sanskrit alphabets chart is as under :-
This table, also known as VarnaMatrika, the mother of the sanskrit language, appears to uninitiated simple arrangements of letters. Sanskrit consists of all conceivable sounds and vibrations that human vocal faculty can produce. We use throat, tongue, soft-palate, hard-palate, lips, nose to produce sound. Air is thrown with different shapes made by these parts to produce different sound. The efforts made are different. These letters are arranged in a particular order which has basis in how these sounds are produced.
There are the 9 sounds which can be produced independently without help of any other sound, these are vowels (स्वर) अ, इ, उ, ऋ ,लृ, ए,ऒ,ऐ,औ. The place of pronunciation is throat for अ, palate for इ, cerebral for ऋ, dental for लृ, lips for उ, throat and palate for ए, ऐ and throat and lips for ऒ,औ. Vowels have three meter (मात्रा) — small (ह्रस्व), long (दीर्घ), extra-long (प्लुत). Small अ, इ, उ, ऋ ,लृ, long आ, ई, ऊ, ऋृ, ए, ऐ, ऒ, औ extra-long आ3, ई3, ऊ3, ऋृ3, ए3, ऐ3, ऒ3, औ3. To pronounce long you have to take twice the time of small sound. Extra long is the sound we use to call someone. It is like how a cockcrow “kokdooo koo”. लृ has no long and ए,ऐ,ऒ,औ has no small.
These vowels could be pronounced with nasal sound, this is nasal vowel (अनुनासिक). In this way, with different combination अ could be pronounced in six ways, small, long, extra-long, with nasal and without nasal. This is not all. As vowels can be pronounced from three places deep throat, middle of the mouth and front of the mouth, there are EIGHTEEN ways a अ can be pronounced. Same is for all other vowels except that some has no small or long as already mentioned above.
Now come to consonants (व्यजंन). These are the sounds which cannot be pronounced independently. Pronounce क (Ka) it always accompanied with a vowel. It is actually क्अ. A क् can be pronounced if attached to a vowel or a consonant e.g. अक्, क्इ-कि, कउ-कु, रक्त, कृष्ण etc. Vyanjan are arranged in 7 subsets. First five subsets of five letters each are arranged in the order of place of pronunciation deep inside the mouth to outside i.e throat to lips. Kantha (कखगघङ): are pronounced using throat and back of the tongue. Talavya (चछजझ़ञ): are pronounced using soft palate and tongue. Murdhanya (टठडढण) : are pronounced using hard palate and front of tongue. Dantya(तथदधन): are pronounced using teeth and front of tongue. Oshtya (पफबभम) : are pronounced using lips. These sets end in nasal sounds (ङ़ञणनम). As the tongue touches the different parts of the mouth to produce the sound these letters are also called touch (स्पर्श).
There are two more subsets of four each of fricative sounds. Anthasth (यरलव): are semivowel. Ushana (शषसह ) : are letters which produce heat due to hiss like action. And finally a Visarga (:) Ah. य and श are pronounced from soft palate, र and ष from hard palate, ल and स from teeth, व from lips, ह and अ: from throat.
There is another classification regarding the efforts made for producing these sounds. If you throw less air it is called AlpaPrana, if effort is more it is called MahaPrana. Try Ka (क), now repeat with exhaling more air it becomes Kha (ख). But however you increase the effort it will not become Ga (ग). Take up Ga (ग), throw more air it will become Gha (घ). Look at the vertical classification. First (कचटतप), third (गजडदब) and fifth letters (ङ़ञणनम) and semi-vowel (यरलव) are AlpaPrana. Second (खछठथफ), fourth (घझढधभ) and sibilants (शषसह) are MahaPrana.
All conceivable sounds which can be produced by human vocal system and way to reduce it in writing are incorporated in the alphabet table, The concept of Matra (का,कि.कु,की,कू,कृ etc) for joining words is unique to Sanskrit and Devanagari Lipi . Words are not differently pronounced when they combined with others. It is written as it is spoken. Rules of pronunciation are strict. It is because of this that oral tradition in india are able to preserve the books containing more than lacs of shlokas through millennium. Learning of Sanskrit is reputed to have capacity to increase memory of individuals.
Sanskrit the language of all our scripture, Vedas, Geeta, Epics is believed to be not just an ordinary human language but consists of sounds and vibrations of the cosmic mantras to govern every aspect of the universe. It is language of vedas and yoga that facilitates the awakening of higher awareness. Do not take anyone’s word for it. Practice correct pronunciation, understand the meaning of any one of the Vedic Mantras and recite it a few times daily at a fixed time. There will be perceptible change in your life. Let us make a start. It is never too late.
