Anunāsika Sandhi — Nasalisation Rule
अनुनासिक संधि
How Stops Become Nasals Before Nasal Consonants · Class 7-8
Key Points to Remember
- ▸Anunāsika = nasal — stops become nasals of their own class before nasal sounds
- ▸Vāṅmaya (literature) = vāk + maya — k→ṅ; the word for all Sanskrit literature
- ▸Unnati (progress) = ut + nati — t→n before n; common in modern Hindi too
- ▸The nasal must be from the SAME row as the original stop in the consonant chart
Grammar Explained
Anunāsika Sandhi (anusvāra/nasal assimilation) applies when a final hard consonant meets a nasal (ṅ, ñ, ṇ, n, m). The final consonant is replaced by the nasal of its own class (row in the consonant chart).
k-class final + nasal → ṅ
क् + nasal → ङ्
वाक् + मय → वाङ्मय
vāk + maya → vāṅmaya
speech + made of = literature (all that is made of speech); k→ṅ before m
t-class final + nasal → n
त् + nasal → न्
उत् + नति → उन्नति
ut + nati → unnati
up + going = progress, elevation; t→n before n
सत् + मार्ग → सन्मार्ग
sat + mārga → sanmārga
true + path = the right path; t→n before m
Exercises (2)
Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks
Apply Anunāsika Sandhi
1. वाक् + मय = ?
Hint: k→ṅ before m
Show answer
वाङ्मय (vāṅmaya — all literature/speech)
2. उत् + नति = ?
Hint: t→n before n
Show answer
उन्नति (unnati — progress)
3. सत् + मार्ग = ?
Hint: t→n before m
Show answer
सन्मार्ग (sanmārga — the right path)
Exercise 2: Multiple Choice
Identify the sandhi
1. उन्नति (unnati — progress) uses which sandhi?
Show answer
Anunāsika
2. In Anunāsika sandhi, which consonant in वाङ्मय shows the change?
Show answer
ङ
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