COMPOUND CONSONANTS

When two or more consonants occur one after another without the presence of a vowel in between, it is called as a "Compound Consonant" or a "Conjunct Consonant".

The Compound consonants are pronounced according to the order of the consonants present in it -- 

1. First the upper consonant(s) then the lower.
2. First the consonant(s) to the left and then the consonant(s) towards the right.  

• When र् is above consonant(s) ; e.g. - र्द or र्त ; then र् is pronounced first and then the following consonant(s).
• When र् is after consonant(s) ; e.g. - द्र or त्र ; then र् is pronounced after the preceding consonant(s).
• The vowel is taken by the last consonant.
• When compounding consonants, the consonants generally lose their perpendicular strokes ; e.g. स्+य becomes स्य. 
• क्ष = क्+ष्+अ and ज्ञ = ज्+ञ्+अ