Visarga Sandhi is one of 3 major categories of Sandhi rules in Sanskrit grammar. This sandhi rule is outlined in Pāṇini's Aṣṭādhyāyī . These rules are highly significant to understanding the scientific method of transformations of alphabets in the context of phonetical changes influenced by specific preceding sounds. Here is a detailed explanation of the rules governing Visarga Sandhi, including Satva Sandhi, Rutva Sandhi, Utva Sandhi, and Visarga Lopa Sandhi in Sanskrit. These are transformations of the visarga (:) when interacting with specific sounds.
Visarga Sandhi Rules
Visarga Sandhi refers to the changes that occur to the visarga (:) in specific phonetic contexts.
1. Rutva Sandhi (रुत्व सन्धि)
Visarga becomes “r” when followed by a vowel other than अ /आ and having any one of the following alphabets i.e. 3rd, 4th, 5th letter of 5 Vargas, य्, र्, ल्, व्, ह् as the first letter of the उत्तरपद.
Example:
गजः + आगच्छति = गजरागच्छति (gajaḥ + aagacchati = gajaraagacchati).
नि: + बल: = निर्बल: (nih + balah = nirbalah)
मुनि: + अयम् = मुनिरयम् ( munih + ayam = munirayam)
पितु: + इच्छा = पितुरिच्छा ( pituh + ichha = piturichha )
मातु: + वन्दे = मातुर्वन्दे ( maatuh + vande = maaturvande)
मुनिः + इति = मुनिरिति ( munih + iti = muniriti)
भानुः + असौ = भानुरसौ ( bhaanuh + asau = bhaanurasau )
वधू: + इव = वधूरिव ( vadhUh + iva = vadhUriva)
2. Satva Sandhi (सत्व सन्धि)
In Sanskrit Varnamala, there are three sibilants, श्, ष् and स्. Under certain rules of Satva Sandhi visarga changes to one of the sibilants as mentioned above. This occurs when visarga (ः) is followed by the sounds श, ष and स. The visarga changes into the corresponding sibilant (स or श), producing a geminated (doubled) sound.
When visarga (:) is having च्, छ्, / श् in uttarpada then विसर्ग (:) becomes श्
[ : + च्, छ्, / श् = श् ]
When visarga (:) is having ट्, ठ्, / ष् in uttarpada then विसर्ग (:) becomes ष्
[ : + ट्, ठ्, / ष् = ष् ]
When visarga (:) is having क्, ख्, त्, थ्, प्, फ् / स् in uttarpada then विसर्ग (:) becomes स्
[ : + क्, ख्, त्, थ्, प्, फ् / स् = स् ]
Examples:
आत्मः + स्यन्दनः = आत्मस्स्यन्दनः (aatmaḥ + syandanaḥ → aatmassyandanaḥ).
· गजः + शरणम् = गजश्शरणम् (gajaḥ + śaraṇam → gajaśśaraṇam).
यः + शिष्यः = यश्शिष्यः (yaḥ + śiṣyaḥ → yaśśiṣyaḥ).
रामः + टीकते = रामष्टीकते ( raamah + teekate = raamashteekate )
· शिशु: + तरति = शिशुस्तरति (shishuh + tarati = shishustarati )
· रामः + चिनोति = रामश्चिनोति (raamah + chinoti = raamashchinoti )
· मन: + चंचल = मनश्चंचल (manah + chanchalah = manaschanchalah)
· तप: + चर्या = तपश्चर्या (tapah + charyaa = tapashcharyaa)
· रामः + च = रामश्च (raamah + cha = raamascha)
· धनु: + टङ्कार = धनुष्टङ्कारः ( dhanuh + tankaarah = dhanushtankaarah)
3. Utva Sandhi (उत्व सन्धि)
There are two rules where visarga becomes उ .
a) This sandhi occurs when the visarga is followed by उ or ऊ.
If visarga is followed by “अ” and “अ” is there in uttarpada also, then visarga becomes “उ” . The first “अ” and “उ” jointly becomes (अ + उ = ओ) “ओ” . The “अ” in the uttarpada becomes अवग्रह (S) | अ + : + अ = अ + उ + अ = ओS
b) If visarga is followed by “अ” and has any one of the following alphabets i.e. 3rd, 4th, 5th letter of 5 Vargas, य्, र्, ल्, व् as the first letter of the उत्तरपद then visarga becomes उ and the first “अ” and “उ” jointly becomes “ओ” |
Examples:
आत्मः + ऊष्णम् = आत्मूष्णम् (ātmaḥ + ūṣṇam → ātmūṣṇam).
देवः + उपदेशः = देवूपदेशः (devaḥ + upadeśaḥ → devūpadeśaḥ).
प्रथम: + अध्याय = प्रथमोSध्याय: ( prathamah + adhyayah = prathamoSdhyayah )
मन: + अस्ति = मनोSस्ति ( manah + asti = manoSsti)
श्याम: + अपि = श्यामोSपि ( shuamah + api = shyamoSpi )
राम: + अवदत् = रामोSवदत् ( raamah + avadat = raamoSvadat)
राम: + गायति = रामोगायति ( raamah + gaayati = raamogaayati )
* S = symbol of avagraha
4. Visarga Lopa Sandhi (विसर्ग लोप सन्धि)
This involves the elision (disappearance) of the visarga when followed by specific sounds, especially in poetic or Vedic contexts.
स: + पठति = स पठति ( sah + pathati )
राम: + आनन्द = राम आनन्द ( raamh + aananda = raam aananda )
देवा: + इन्द्र = देवा इन्द्र ( devaah + indra = devaa indra )
a). When after स: and एष: no other alphabet comes other than ‘अ’, then the visarga present in स: and एष: gets elided (लोप)|
b). When visarga is followed by ‘अ’ and there is another vowel except अ in उत्तरपद then visarga gets elided.
c). When visarga is followed by ‘आ’ and visarga has any other vowels than आ, or one of the following alphabets i.e. 3rd, 4th, 5th letter of 5 Vargas, य्, र्, ल्, व्, ह् as the first letter of the उत्तरपद, then visarga gets elided.
Examples:
राजः + राजन् → राजा राजन् (rājaḥ + rājan → rājā rājan).
विष्णुः + अनुग्रहः → विष्णु अनुग्रहः (viṣṇuḥ + anugrahaḥ → viṣṇu anugrahaḥ).
Conclusion
Each type of sandhi involving visarga showcases Sanskrit's phonetic precision and fluidity, ensuring harmony between words in a sentence. These rules are fundamental for correctly understanding and reciting Sanskrit texts, especially in classical and Vedic contexts. Mastery of these sandhis also enhances fluency and comprehension of the language.
By Dr. Kakali Roy Chowdhury
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