EXCEPTIONS OF यण्-सन्धि

In the following case, there is an alternative option instead of यण्-सन्धि when NOT in a समास (compounded word).

• When the vowels - इ, ई, उ, ऊ, ऋ, ॠ, लृ occur at the end of a word and are immediately followed by a dissimilar vowel, the यण्-सन्धि is optional. The vowels are kept as they are and if long, are shortened. E.g. नदी + अत्र = नद्यत्र । OR नदि अत्र । मधु + अस्ति = मध्वस्ति । OR मधु अस्ति ।     

EXCEPTIONS OF वृद्धि-सन्धि - 2

In the following cases, instead of the substitution of वृद्धि vowels in place of गुण vowels occurring after अ/आ, गुण vowels are only substituted.

• When अ/आ occurs before एव showing an indefinite sense in a sentence.
  E.g. क्व + एव असि? क्वेव असि? "Where are you now?" (The place is not definitely known)
• The अ/आ occurring before ओम् is dropped.
  E.g. ब्रह्मा + ओम् = ब्रह्मोम् (not ब्रह्मौम्) ।      
• The अ/आ occurring before आ(उपसर्ग) is dropped.
  E.g. ब्रह्मा + एहि = ब्रह्मा + आ + इहि = ब्रह्मेहि ।
• In a समास, when a पद ending in अ/आ occurs before ओतु - a cat , or ओष्ठ - the lower lip, the वृद्धि substitution is optional.
  E.g. स्थूल + ओतुः = स्थूलोतुः or स्थूलौतुः ; and बिम्ब + ओष्ठी = बिम्बोष्ठी or बिम्बौष्ठी ।

EXCEPTIONS OF गुण-सन्धि - 2

In the following cases, instead of the substitution of गुण vowels, वृद्धि vowels are substituted.

• When the word ऋण (from root ऋ -1 प, 3 प. = debt)  occurs immediately after प्र, वत्सतर, कम्बल, वसन, ऋण, दश in a समास.
  E.g. प्रार्णम्, वत्सतरार्णम्, कम्बलार्णम्, वसनार्णम्, ऋणार्णम्, दशार्णः । 
• When a prefix ending in अ/आ is used before a root beginning with ऋ or लृ. However, for the denominative root, this वृद्धि substitution is optional.
  E.g. प्र+ऋच्छति = प्रार्च्छति (from root ऋ -1 प.) ; However, for the denominative root-form प्र+ऋकारीयति= प्रर्कारीयति or प्रार्कारीयति and प्र+लृकारीयति= प्रल्करीयति or प्राल्कारीयति । 

In the following case, the गुण-सन्धि is optional.

• In a समास, when the initial पद ending in अ/आ occurs before a पद beginning with ऋ.
  E.g. ब्रह्मा + ऋषिः = ब्रह्मऋषिः OR ब्रह्मर्षिः ।
  ग्रीष्म + ऋतुः = ग्रीष्मऋतुः OR ग्रीष्मर्तुः ।        

यण्-सन्धि

This सन्धि is the substitution of यण्- semivowels - for the corresponding vowel when they occur immediately before a dissimilar vowel.

• इ/ई + Dissimilar vowel = य् + Dissimilar vowel  
• ऋ/ॠ + Dissimilar vowel = र् + Dissimilar vowel 
• लृ + Dissimilar vowel = ल् + Dissimilar vowel 
• उ/ऊ + Dissimilar vowel = व् + Dissimilar vowel

EXCEPTIONS OF सवर्णदीर्घ-सन्धि

 In the following cases, instead of lengthening of the homogeneous vowels occurring together, the second vowel is substituted for both the adjoining vowels. These are समासs (compounded words) but are shown using '+' for ease of understanding the सन्धि.

• शक + अन्धुः = शकन्धुः । Similarly, कर्क + अन्धुः = कर्कन्धुः ।
• सार + अङ्गः  = सारङ्गः (an antelope with spotted skin OR a kind of bird)।
• मार्त + अण्डः  = मार्तण्डः । 
• कुल + अटा = कुलटा ।

EXCEPTIONS OF वृद्धि-सन्धि - 1

In the following cases, instead of the substitution of वृद्धि vowels in place of गुण vowels occurring after अ/आ, गुण vowels are only substituted.

• When an उपसर्ग ending in अ/आ is used before a root beginning with ए/ओ. However, for the denominative root, this गुण is optional.
  E.g. प्र + एजते = प्रेजते, प्र + ओषति = प्रोषति । However, उप + एडकीयति = उपेडकीयति or उपैडकीयति ; and उप + ओघीयति = उपोघीयति or उपौघीयति ।
  COUNTER EXCEPTION wherein वृद्धि is only substituted:-
  A.When an उपसर्ग ending in अ/आ is used before एति (from root "इ - 2 प.") and एधति (from root "एध् - 1 आ.") where the form of the root has an initial ए. E.g. उप + एति = उपैति, (but अव + एहि = अव + आ + इहि = अवेहि - because here 'इहि' does not have an initial ए by itself) । उप + एधति = उपैधति ।B.When प्र is used before एष, एष्य (from root इष् - 4 प., 6 प. and 9 प.). E.g. प्रैषः , प्रैष्यः (but प्रेषः ; derived from root ईष् and not इष्) ।

EXCEPTIONS OF गुण-सन्धि - 1

In the following cases, instead of the substitution of गुण vowels, वृद्धि vowels are substituted.

• When ऊह (formed from root वाह् - 1 आ. ) occurs immediately after अ/आ.
  E.g. प्रष्ठ+ऊह= प्रष्ठौहः ।   
• When ऊह , ऊढ or ऊढि (from root वह् -1 प.) occur immediately after the prefix प्र.
  E.g. प्रौहः , प्रौढः , प्रौढिः । (But प्रोढवान्, because ऊढवत् is not included here)       
• When अक्ष is compounded with ऊहिनी to form "अक्षौहिणी" - "an army consisting of 21870 chariots and elephants, 65610 horses and 109350 men". (Change of न् to ण् will be explained in detail later)
• When ईर, ईरिन्/ईरिणी (from verb-root ईर् - 1 प., 2 आ., 10 उ.) occur immediately after स्व.
  E.g. स्वैरः , स्वैरी, स्वैरिणी । 
• When ऋत (from root ऋ -1 प, 3 प.) occurs after a पद ending in अ/आ in an Instrumental तत्पुरुष समास.
  E.g. सुखार्तः ।( सुखेन ऋतः । )

वृद्धि-सन्धि

This सन्धि is the substitution of वृद्धि syllables (vowels) in place of the corresponding एच् vowels - diphthongs - when they occur after अ/आ .

• अ/आ + ए/ऐ = ऐ 
• अ/आ + ओ/औ = औ 

 However, there are certain exceptions wherein गुण is only substituted for गुण vowels - ए/ओ.   

गुण-सन्धि

This सन्धि is the substitution of गुण syllables (vowels) in place of इक् vowels when they occur after अ/आ.

• अ/आ + इ/ई = ए  
• अ/आ + उ/ऊ = ओ 
• अ/आ + ऋ/ॠ = अर् 
• अ/आ + लृ = अल् 

However, there are certain exceptions wherein वृद्धि vowels are substituted instead of गुण. 

झर् AFFIX

The following image shows the झर् affixes, also known as the झर् consonants :- 

 

It includes all consonants EXCEPT nasals, semivowels and ह्. It is also a 'प्रत्याहार'. 

SOME GRAMMATICAL TERMS

These terms are commonly known as 'प्रत्याहार' : 

1. अक् = अ, आ, इ, ई, उ, ऊ, ऋ, ॠ, लृ.  
2. अच् = Any vowel.
3. अण् = अ, इ, उ .
4. इक् = इ, ई, उ, ऊ, ऋ, ॠ, लृ.
5. इच् = Any vowel EXCEPT अ.
6. एच् = Dipthongs = ए, ऐ, ओ, औ. 
7. खर् = Any hard consonant.
8. जश् = Any soft-unaspirate consonant.
9. झष् = Any soft-aspirate consonant.  
10. यण् = Any semivowel. 
11. हल् = Any consonant.
12. हश् = Any soft consonant.

सवर्णदीर्घ-सन्धि

It is the lengthening of homogeneous vowels occurring one after another.

• अ/आ + अ/आ = आ 
• इ/ई + इ/ई = ई
• उ/ऊ + उ/ऊ = ऊ
• ऋ/ॠ + ऋ/ॠ = ॠ ( or ऋ ) 
• ऋ/लृ + लृ = ॠ ( or लृ ) - This is because there is no लॄ vowel used in संस्कृत .   

Note: For explaining the occurrence of सन्धि -  '+' sign ;for the सन्धि formed - '=' sign will be used hereafter for all सन्धिs. 

स्वरसन्धि - TYPES

The  स्वरसन्धि can be mainly classified as :-

1. सवर्णदीर्घ-सन्धि 
2. गुण-सन्धि 
3. वृद्धि-सन्धि 
4. यण्-सन्धि
5. पूर्वरूप-सन्धि
6. अयादि-सन्धि
7. प्रगृह्य-सन्धि

सन्धि - TYPES

There are 3 main types of सन्धि :-

1.  स्वरसन्धि - Vowel based सन्धि
2.  व्यञ्जनसन्धि - Consonant based सन्धि
3.  विसर्गसन्धि -  विसर्ग based सन्धि

सन्धि - AN INTRODUCTION

सन्धि- or संहिता -is the coalescence of two अक्षर occurring immediately one after another. सन्धि does not form a single compound word but reduces the number of syllables. It is necessary :

• When prepositions are used for forming verbs.
• While forming -conjugating- verbs and participles.
• When words are joined together to form समास.
• In declension of nouns and पद.

It occurs in sentences and verses as per the wish of the author.     

अनुस्वार - 2

In a sentence, when म् occurs at the end of a word, then :

1. It is shown as म् either when the following word begins with any vowel or when it occurs at the end of the sentence or when followed by ",".
   E.g. - A. त्वम् आगच्छ |
             B. आगच्छामि अहम् |
             C. आम्, आगच्छामि अहम् |
2. It is shown by अनुस्वार( ं) when the following word begins with a consonant.
   E.g. - त्वं गच्छ |

When  ं in a word, does not occur at the end, then :

1. It is written as  ं when followed by any sibilant or sonant-aspirate. सिंह: - सिंह: |
2. It is written as the nasal of the class of the following consonant (not a semivowel). अंगम् - अङ्गम् |
3. When  ं occurs before a semivowel, it is written as  ं . संवदति - संवदति |
   But it usually occurs as a nasal and not  ं. रम्यम् - रम्यम् |

•  ं  never occurs in the beginning of a word but occurs after a vowel or consonant.

         

अनुस्वार - 1

In संस्कृत, अनुस्वार( ं) represents a nasal sound (consonant). The nasal sound is pronounced according to the nasal consonant belonging to the class of the consonant that follows.
Key to pronunciation:

1.  ं+Guttural  = ङ्+Guttural
2.  ं+Palatal  = ञ्+Palatal 
3.  ं+Lingual/Cerebral = ण्+Lingual/Cerebral
4.  ं+Dental  = न्+Dental
5.  ं+Labial = म्+Labial
6.  ं+Vowel = म्+Vowel

If a semivowel follows  ं ,  ं is pronounced as म्. Some, however, pronounce  ं by nasalizing the semivowel (य्, ल्, व्).

Note: This post is only for pronunciation of  ं, not writing. For writing, refer to अनुस्वार - 2.