Thread by @Sampadananda

Namaste...suprabhatam...Welcome to the 4th session of #LearnSamskritam twitter chat. In the last session I had given a general introduction to the Sanskrit alphabet. Today we will be focusing our discussion on the vowel sounds of Sanskrit.

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A vowel sound in Sanskrit is called स्वरवर्ण svaravarṇa. The word स्वर svara means that which shines by itself (स्वयं राजते इति svayaṁ rājate iti). This shows that the vowels are self-shining/independent sounds (निरपेक्ष nirapekṣa / स्वतन्त्र svatantra). 4/1

The other meaning of स्वर svara is that which resonates (स्वर्यते इति svaryate iti). The vowels are intoning sounds. One can sing those sounds with mouth open. So the vowels are known as open sounds (विवृत vivṛta). 4/2

As the vowel sounds are open sounds and are sounds with no contact in the mouth, the Sanskrit phoneticians call a vowel sound as अस्पृष्ट aspṛṣṭa – free flowing and contact-less sound. So the vowels are continuous, independent and enduring in their resonance. 4/3

The vowels add प्राण prāṇa to the language. Tamil therefore has preserved a beautiful word for a vowel sound - உயிர் எழுத்து (uyir ezhuththu). This literally means living or breathing sound. That’s exactly is the nature of a vowel sound. 4/4

There are thirteen vowel sounds in Sanskrit: अ a, आ ā, इ i, ई ī, ऋ ṛ, ॠ ṝ, लृ lṛ, उ u, ऊ ū, ए e, ऐ ai, ओ o, औ au. Though there are many divisions of vowels, but for practical purpose vowels are divided into two groups - ह्रस्व hrasva or short, दीर्घ dīrgha or long. 4/5

This division of the vowel sounds in Sanskrit is based on the duration (मात्रा mātrā) of their articulation. A short vowel is of one मात्रा mātrā (एकमात्रो ह्रस्वः ekamātro hrasvaḥ) and a long vowel is of two मात्रा mātrās) (द्विमात्रो दीर्घः dvimātro dīrghaḥ). 4/6

How do we decide what is one mātrā? What is the exact duration of a short vowel? As per the ancient Indian phoneticians the amount of time required to blink once (अक्षिपक्ष्मनिमेषः akṣipakṣmanimeṣaḥ) or snap once (अङ्गुलिस्फोटः aṅgulisphoṭaḥ) is one mātrā. 4/7

A long vowel takes two mātrās. But this unit of mātrā differs from person to person and letter to letter. For example, though अ a इ i ऋ ṛ लृ lṛ and उ u are short, yet the duration of their articulation, if analysed properly, is not the same. 4/8

This also applies to the long vowels. Also, there is a difference when articulated by a man and when done by a woman. All these differences are not so important. So, in general, all the short vowels are considered to be of one mātrā and the long vowels are of two mātrās. 4/9

Out of thirteen vowels in Sanskrit five (अ इ ऋ लृ and उ) are short/hrasva and the remaining eight (आ ई ॠ ऊ ए ऐ ओ औ) are long/dīrgha . Further अ इ and उ are the three basic vowel sounds which are pure and rest are either modifications of these three vowels or mixed vowels. 4/10

That's all for today's session...keep reflecting, and will see you next Sunday with more information about the sounds of Sanskrit... shubhamastu...
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