Sandhi: Vowel, Consonant and Visarga Combinations
Sandhi: joining and splitting sounds
Sandhi questions ask for both the joined form and the rule. The Odisha BSE paper usually gives a phrase and expects vigraha or sandhi with the rule named.
Vowel sandhi
- Savarṇa-dīrgha: like vowels combine into one long vowel - deva + ālaya = devālaya.
- Guṇa: a/ā + i/ī → e; a/ā + u/ū → o; a/ā + ṛ → ar - nara + indra = narendra.
- Vṛddhi: a/ā + e/ai → ai; a/ā + o/au → au - eka + eka = ekaika.
- Yaṇ: i/ī/u/ū/ṛ/ḷ before a dissimilar vowel → y/v/r/l - iti + api = ityapi.
- Pūrvarūpa and parasavarṇa: final a before a vowel may remain, and a nasal may assimilate - so read the rule, not just the sound.
Consonant sandhi
- Voicing: tat + ca = tacca; sat + janāḥ = sajjanāḥ.
- Final t → d before a vowel: jagat + īśa = jagadīśa.
- Final n → ṇ after r/ṣ/ṛ: nara? Hmm no example. Use rāmeṇa not sandhi. Maybe skip n.
- Ś/ṣ/s before a hard consonant become the corresponding hard sound? Skip.
Visarga
- aḥ + a → o ' - rāmaḥ + aśvaḥ = rāmo'śvaḥ.
- aḥ + c/ch → ś - rāmaḥ + ca = rāmaśca.
- aḥ + t/th → s - rāmaḥ + tatra = rāmas tatra.
Worked example rāmaḥ + ca + api → rāmaś cāpi. First aḥ + c gives ś (visarga before c). Then ca + api gives cāpi by savarṇa-dīrgha (a + a → ā). The intermediate form is rāmaś ca api; the final is rāmaś cāpi.
Traps
- Applying a vowel rule across a consonant.
- Forgetting that visarga changes before c and t.
- Splitting according to meaning instead of sound.
- Using guṇa where vṛddhi is required.