Sandhi: Visarga

Question 1

aC + s //

What happens to original final s/r
after any vowel
in absolute final position ?

Answer 1

s ➝ ḥ

Original final s
in AFP
becomes visarga (ḥ)
after any vowel

D3.29a for iC
D3.33 for a/ā

Question 2

aC + s // khaR

What happens to original final -s after aC 
before khaR (- chaV)?

Answer 2

s ➝ ḥ

Original final -s after any vowel
before an initial non-voiced consonant
(excluding the chaV stops of the sibilant vargas)
becomes visarga.

Pratyaharas:
KhaR - chaV = kh ph k p ś ṣ s
khaR = all non-voiced (stops and sibilants)
(kh ph ch ṭh th c ṭ t k p ś ṣ s)
chaV = subset of non-voiced stops of the three sibilant vargas
(ch ṭh th c ṭ t)

D3.29, 3.30, 3.31, 3.33

Question 3

aC + s // chaV

What happens to original final -s after aC
before chaV?

Answer 3

s ➝ śaR

Original final s after a vowel
before a nonvoiced stop of the three sibilant vargas
becomes the sibilant of the varga:

s + cu > śc or śch
s + ṭu > ṣṭ or ṣṭh
s + tu > st or sth

Pratyahara:
chaV = subset of non-voiced stops of the three sibilant vargas
(ch ṭh th c ṭ t)

D3.29, 3.30, 3.31, 3.33

Question 4

-as // a-

What happens to original final -as
before short a-?

Answer 4

-as ➝ o’

Original final -as
coalesces into -o
before short a-,
and short a- elides.

D3.34, 3.35

Question 5

-as // āC

What happens to original final -as
before a non-short-a vowel?

Answer 5

-as ➝ a

Original final -as
becomes -a
before a non-a vowel.

D3.36

Question 6

-as // haŚ

What happens to original final -as
before haŚ (a voiced sound, excluding vowels)?

Answer 6

as ➝ o

Original final -as
coalesces into -o
before a voiced sound, excluding vowels.

Pratyahara: 
haŚ = 
voiced vyanjana
set of semi-vowels, nasals, voiced stops
(y v r l ñ m ṅ ṇ n jh bh gh ḍh dh j b g ḍ d)

D3.34, 3.35

Question 7

-ās // aŚ

What happens to original final ās
before any voiced sound
(Including vowels)?

Answer 7

ās ➝ ā

Original final ās
becomes ā
before any voiced sound,
including vowels.

Pratyahara:
aŚ = all voiced sounds (vowels, semi-vowels, nasals, voiced consonants)
(a ā i ī u ū ṛ ṝ ḷ e o ai au h y v r l ñ m ṅ ṇ n jh bh gh ḍh dh j b g ḍ d)

D3.39

Question 8

iC + s // aŚ

What happens to original final s
after a non-a/ā vowel
before any voiced sound (including vowels)?

Answer 8

s ➝ r

Original final -s
becomes -r
after a non-a/ā vowel
before a voiced initial.

If the voiced initial sound happens to be r,
the newly changed -r drops out
and lengthens the preceding vowel.

rr ➝ r

Pratyahara:
iC = “other” vowels (i ī u ū ṛ ṝ ḷ e o ai au)
aŚ = all voiced sounds (vowels, semi-vowels, nasals, voiced consonants) a ā i ī u ū ṛ ṝ ḷ e o ai au h y v r l ñ m ṅ ṇ n jh bh gh ḍh dh j b g ḍ d

D3.29b

Question 9

-as (saḥ/eṣah) // haL

What happens to original final -as
in the nom. sg. masc. pronouns saḥ and eṣaḥ
before any non-vowel?

Answer 9

-as ➝ a

Original final -as
in the nom. sg. masc. pronouns saḥ and eṣah
becomes -a
before any non-vowel
(haL = semi-vowels, nasals, voiced and non-voiced stops, and sibilants)

Pratyahara:
haL =
everything except vowels
(h y v r l ñ m ṅ ṇ n jh bh gh ḍh dh j b g ḍ d kh ph ch ṭh th c ṭ t k p ś ṣ s h)

D 3.37-38