The Sanskrit Alphabet with Vedic Extensions
Description
The Sanskrit Alphabet consists of 56 Letters. There are Vowels, Semivowels, Row Class Consonants, Sibilants and the Aspirate. The Alphabet is called ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ in Sanskrit.
Each letter is clearly enunciated with correct movement of the Tongue. Nasals lend a distinct twang and the Vedic chants are a delight to hear because of Accented Vowels.
Reading an Avagraha, Ayogavaha, Visarga and Anusvara is properly explained as all the letters of the Alphabet are laid out threadbare. A section on Unicodes and Typesetting in Devanagari with fonts and keyboard IME supporting Vedic Extensions adds relevant value.
While reading Vedic Texts, we notice some letters, characters and symbols that are in addition to the standard Sanskrit Alphabet. These characters are the accent marks, sandhi symbols, additional letters and punctuation, that are found in Vedic Sanskrit. There are various samhita recensions of the Veda manuscripts available today, and they differ in the usage of accents and symbols, and also in the enunciation while chanting aloud. Each ashram and gurukul and pundit or scholar needs to be aware of the tone and pitch during recitation and chanting of the Vedas. Even university professors and researchers delving into the Vedas need to be aware of the correct meaning and application of these verses.
Furthermore, as we move from offset printing and metal type setting to the computer and smartphone era, this book serves as an invaluable resource.
This book builds upon our popular title "The Sanskrit Alphabet". Infused with manuscript passages from the Satapatha Brahmana, Vajasaneyi Madhyandina Samhita, Samaveda and Krishna Yajurveda to illustrate Vedic Symbols.
A useful and complete book for the novice, the amateur or the Scholar.
More details
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Content
BLESSINGX
TABLE OF MANUSCRIPT TEXT PLATESXI
INTRODUCTION1
THE SANSKRIT ALPHABET2
ALPHABET AS COMMONLY WRITTEN4
UNICODES FOR LETTERS6
PLUTA VOWELS8
ACCENTED VOWELS9
NASALIZATION OF VOWELS11
PRONUNCIATION OF SANSKRIT LETTERS14
SHIKSHA VEDANGA - SCIENCE OF PRONUNCIATION15
PLACE & EFFORT OF ENUNCIATION16
LETTER NAMES19
AYOGAVAHA20
LETTERS THAT LOOK SIMILAR22
LETTERS THAT SOUND SIMILAR23
CONJUNCTS24
PUNCTUATION MARKS25
VOWEL MATRAS26
WRITING MATRAS27
VEDIC AND CLASSICAL SANSKRIT29
EARLY SCRIPTS AND LANGUAGES32
LANGUAGES THAT USE DEVANAGARI SCRIPT33
A COMPLETE CHARACTER SET34
WRITTEN VERSUS SPOKEN37
AVAGRAHA AYOGAVAHA VISARGA ANUSVARA38
MODERN EDITORS41
FONTS42
DEVANAGARI TYPESETTING43
TRANSLITERATION STANDARDS44
DEVANAGARI LATIN ISO 15919 CHART45
SANSKRIT SCHOOLS46
SANSKRIT BOOK PUBLISHERS47
SANSKRIT SCHOLARS48
A SANSKRIT SPEAKING TOWN49
COMPLETE ALPHABET WITH VEDIC EXTENSIONS50
OM AND SPECIAL SYMBOLS50
PUNCTUATION MARKS50
VOWEL MATRA SYMBOLS51
SYMBOLS USED IN PRINT OR TEACHING BUT UNUSED IN LITERATURE51
AYOGAVAHA SYMBOLS DUE TO SANDHI52
ACCENT SVARA MARKS FOR CHANGE IN PITCH WHILE CHANTING52
ANUSVARA INDEPENDENT SYMBOLS DUE TO SANDHI53
VISARGA ACCENTS54
VISARGA ACCENTS ADDITIONAL DUE TO SANDHI54
VOWELS55
PLUTA VOWELS55
CONSONANTS (SHOWN WITH INHERENT ¿ VOWEL)56
CONJUNCT CONSONANTS57
HALF CONSONANTS OR CONSONANTS WITHOUT VOWEL58
RIGVEDA ACCENT MARKS59
RIGVEDA SANDHI SYMBOLS59
ATHARVAVEDA ACCENTS AND SANDHI SYMBOLS60
SAMAVEDA ACCENTS FOR RECITATION OR SINGING60
SHUKLA YAJURVEDA ACCENTS AND ANUSVARA SYMBOLS63
SHATAPATHA BRAHMANA ACCENTS AND SYMBOLS63
KRISHNA YAJURVEDA KATHAKA SAMHITA ACCENT MARKING SYSTEM63
KRISHNA YAJURVEDA - INDEPENDENT ANUSVARA SANDHI SYMBOLS64
KRISHNA YAJURVEDA MAITRAYANI SAMHITA - ACCENTS AND SYMBOLS65
MANUSCRIPT TEXT PLATES66
MANUSCRIPT TEXT EXPLAINING THE ACCENTS86
VEDIC CHARACTERS & SYMBOLS92
VARIANT SYMBOLS IN PRINT104
RARELY SEEN SYMBOLS106
DEVANAGARI FONTS WITH VEDIC EXTENSIONS111
KEYBOARD IME FOR VEDIC EXTENSIONS111
UNICODE FOR VEDIC EXTENSIONS112
GLOSSARY113
REFERENCES115
EPILOGUE120
