beginner - 10 min
Devanagari Consonants (व्यञ्जनानि)
The 33 consonants in 5 varga groups
Sanskrit consonants are organized by the place of articulation in the mouth — a remarkably scientific arrangement.
The 5 vargas (groups)
Each varga has 5 consonants — unvoiced unaspirated, unvoiced aspirated, voiced unaspirated, voiced aspirated, and the nasal:
- Kaṇṭhya (velar): क ख ग घ ङ
- Tālavya (palatal): च छ ज झ ञ
- Mūrdhanya (retroflex): ट ठ ड ढ ण
- Dantya (dental): त थ द ध न
- Oṣṭhya (labial): प फ ब भ म
Semivowels and sibilants
- Antaḥstha (semivowels): य र ल व
- Ūṣma (sibilants): श ष स
- Aspirate: ह
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