Sanskrit Visarga Sandhi

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When Do Visarga Sandhi Rules Apply?

First Word ending in ः (visarga)
+
Second Word starting with any letter
रामः + गच्छति

"राम:" ends with visarga → Apply visarga sandhi rules

Steps

Step 1: Look at the first letter of the second word
Step 2: Check if it's a SKiP letter
  • SKiP letters are: 
        S     K      P
  स श ष  क ख   प फ
sa śa ṣa ka kha pa pha
  • If YES → Skip! No change - keep visarga as is
    Example: नरः + पठति → नरः पठति
  • If NO → Continue to Step 3
Step 3: Check if it's a TouCH letter
  • TouCH letters are: 
           T   ou CH
    त थ ट ठ    च छ
ta tha ṭa ṭha  ca cha
  • If YES → Join the words and replace visarga with the matching sibilant:
    • For त थ → use sa (स)
      Example: नामः + तत्र → नामस्तत्र
    • For ट ठ → use ṣa (ष)
      Example: चक्षुः + टीकते → चक्षुष्टीकते
    • For च छ → use śa (श)
      Example: शिशुः + चरति → शिशुश्चरति
  • If NO → Continue to Step 4
Step 4: If the vowel before visarga is 'a' (अ), follow the steps below. If NO → Continue to Step 5.
  • If second word starts with 'a' → Change to 'o' + avagraha
    Example: देवः + अयम् → देवोऽयम्
    Teacher explaining a + a vowel transformation
  • If second word starts with any consonant → Change to 'o'
    Example: ग्रामः + यात्रा → ग्रामो यात्रा
    Teacher explaining vowel transformation to student
  • If second word starts with any vowel (except 'a') → Drop the visarga
    Example: पुत्रः + उवाच → पुत्र उवाच
Step 5: If the vowel before visarga is 'ā' (आ), drop the visarga. If NO → Continue to Step 6.
  • Drop the visarga
    Example: कन्याः + आगच्छति → कन्या आगच्छति
    Support staff explaining long ā vowel rules
Step 6: If the vowel is an "ic" vowel (इच् - i, ī, u, ū, e, ai, o, au)
  • Apply "redness" transformation
    Example: हरिः + वदति → हरिर्वदति
  • Exception: If second word starts with 'r', just drop the visarga
    Example: नदीः + रक्षति → नदी रक्षति
    Illustration for ic vowel exception
Special Exception: For pronouns सः (saḥ) and एषः (eṣaḥ)
  • When सः or एषः is followed by a consonant, simply drop the visarga
    Example: सः + गच्छति → स गच्छति (he goes)
    Example: एषः + नरः → एष नरः (this man)
  • When followed by a vowel, follow the regular rules for visarga sandhi
Special Exception: For पुनः (punaḥ)
  • Since the root form is actually पुनर् (punar), when followed by a vowel, it becomes पुनर् again
    Example: पुनः + आगच्छत् → पुनरागच्छत् (came again)
  • When followed by consonants, follow the regular rules for visarga sandhi

Worked Examples

Example 1: रामः + वनम्

  1. First letter of second word = व्
  2. Is व् a SKiP letter (स, क, प groups)? NO
  3. Is व् a TouCH letter (त, ट, च groups)? NO
  4. Now check the vowel before visarga = अ
  5. Since vowel is अ and second word starts with consonant → Change to 'o'
  6. Result: रामो वनम्

Example 2: रामः + कार्यम्

  1. First letter of second word = क्
  2. Is क् a SKiP letter? YES (it's in the K group)
  3. Skip! Keep visarga unchanged
  4. Result: रामः कार्यम्

Example 3: हरिः + वदति

  1. First letter of second word = व्
  2. Is व् a SKiP letter? NO
  3. Is व् a TouCH letter? NO
  4. Now check the vowel before visarga = इ
  5. Since इ is an "ic" vowel → Apply "redness" transformation
  6. Result: हरिर्वदति

Example 4: बालः + चलति

  1. First letter of second word = च्
  2. Is च् a SKiP letter? NO
  3. Is च् a TouCH letter? YES (it's in the C group)
  4. Replace visarga with śa (श) for C group
  5. Result: बालश्चलति

Example 5: सोदरः + अवदत्

  1. First letter of second word = अ
  2. Is अ a SKiP letter? NO
  3. Is अ a TouCH letter? NO
  4. Now check the vowel before visarga = अ
  5. Since vowel is अ and second word starts with अ → Change to 'o' + avagraha
  6. Result: सोदरोऽवदत्

Practice Exercises

Apply the steps you have learned to determine the correct sandhi form.

Question 1

मुनिः + वदति

मुनिर्वदति
मुनिः वदति
मुनि वदति
मुनो वदति
  1. First letter of second word = व्
  2. Is व् a SKiP letter? NO
  3. Is व् a TouCH letter? NO
  4. Now check the vowel before visarga = इ
  5. Since इ is an "ic" vowel → Apply "redness" transformation
  6. Result: मुनिर्वदति

Question 2

गुरुः + कथयति

गुरुर्कथयति
गुरुः कथयति
गुरु कथयति
गुरो कथयति
  1. First letter of second word = क्
  2. Is क् a SKiP letter? YES (it's in the K group)
  3. Since it's a SKiP letter → No change to visarga
  4. Result: गुरुः कथयति

Question 3

बालः + तरति

बालः तरति
बालो तरति
बालस्तरति
बाल तरति
  1. First letter of second word = त्
  2. Is त् a SKiP letter? NO
  3. Is त् a TouCH letter? YES (it's in the T group)
  4. For T group → Replace visarga with स्
  5. Result: बालस्तरति

Question 4

जनाः + उपविशन्ति

जनाः उपविशन्ति
जनो उपविशन्ति
जना उपविशन्ति
जनोपविशन्ति
  1. First letter of second word = उ
  2. Is उ a SKiP letter? NO
  3. Is उ a TouCH letter? NO
  4. Now check the vowel before visarga = आ
  5. Since vowel is आ → Drop the visarga
  6. Result: जना उपविशन्ति

Question 5

मुनिः + रचयति

मुनिः रचयति
मुनिर्रचयति
मुनी रचयति
मुनि रचयति
  1. First letter of second word = र्
  2. Is र् a SKiP letter? NO
  3. Is र् a TouCH letter? NO
  4. Now check the vowel before visarga = इ
  5. Since इ is an "ic" vowel and second word starts with र् → Special case: drop visarga and lengthen the vowel
  6. Result: मुनी रचयति

Question 6

शिष्यः + पठति

शिष्यः पठति
शिष्यस्पठति
शिष्यो पठति
शिष्य पठति
  1. First letter of second word = प्
  2. Is प् a SKiP letter? YES (it's in the P group)
  3. Since it's a SKiP letter → No change to visarga
  4. Result: शिष्यः पठति

Question 7

मनः + टीकते

मनः टीकते
मनो टीकते
मनष्टीकते
मन टीकते
  1. First letter of second word = ट्
  2. Is ट् a SKiP letter? NO
  3. Is ट् a TouCH letter? YES (it's in the Ṭ group)
  4. For Ṭ group → Replace visarga with ष्
  5. Result: मनष्टीकते

Question 8

कविः + उवाच

कविः उवाच
कविर्उवाच
कवीउवाच
कविरुवाच
  1. First letter of second word = उ
  2. Is उ a SKiP letter? NO
  3. Is उ a TouCH letter? NO
  4. Now check the vowel before visarga = इ
  5. Since इ is an "ic" vowel → Apply "redness" transformation
  6. Result: कविरुवाच

Question 9

पुष्पाः + लभते

पुष्पाः लभते
पुष्पा लभते
पुष्पास्लभते
पुष्पो लभते
  1. First letter of second word = ल्
  2. Is ल् a SKiP letter? NO
  3. Is ल् a TouCH letter? NO
  4. Now check the vowel before visarga = आ
  5. Since vowel is आ → Drop the visarga
  6. Result: पुष्पा लभते

Question 10

नरः + चरति

नरः चरति
नर चरति
नरश्चरति
नरो चरति
  1. First letter of second word = च्
  2. Is च् a SKiP letter? NO
  3. Is च् a TouCH letter? YES (it's in the C group)
  4. For C group → Replace visarga with श्
  5. Result: नरश्चरति

Question 11

सः + नयति

सः नयति
सो नयति
स नयति
सर्नयति
  1. We're dealing with सः (saḥ) + नयति
  2. The first word is the pronoun सः
  3. Second word starts with consonant न्
  4. Special exception applies: For सः before a consonant, simply drop the visarga
  5. Result: स नयति

Question 12

सः + अत्र

सः अत्र
सोऽत्र
स अत्र
सत्र
  1. We're dealing with सः (saḥ) + अत्र
  2. The first word is the pronoun सः
  3. Second word starts with vowel अ
  4. The special exception only applies for सः before consonants
  5. So we follow the regular rules: First letter of second word = अ
  6. Is अ a SKiP letter? NO
  7. Is अ a TouCH letter? NO
  8. Now check the vowel before visarga = अ
  9. Since vowel is अ and second word starts with अ → Change to 'o' + avagraha
  10. Result: सोऽत्र

Question 13

पुनः + वायौ

पुनः वायौ
पुनो वायौ
पुनस्वायौ
पुनर्वायौ
  1. We're dealing with पुनः (punaḥ) + वायौ
  2. The first word is पुनः, which has a special exception
  3. The root form is पुनर् (punar)
  4. When followed by a vowel or consonant, it reverts to this root form
  5. Result: पुनर्वायौ
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