About the blog

Namaste,

This blog is an effort to put together the scripts of some commonly used prayers.  A keen attempt has been made to keep the accuracy of the script.  If you find any discrepancies, please write them in the comments section.

The button can be used to view/print/download the respective PDFs.

The resource will be more useful, if some nuances of reading the blog are understood.  The scripts are in sync with the Sanskrit rules for pronunciation.  Below are a few pointers to keep in mind while reading the English versions.
  • Any doubled up vowels or capitalized vowels - should be pronounced as deergha (long vowels) as in calm, seem, loop, etc.
  • A bolded, underlined, colored alphabet (kh, gh, Ch, jh, Th, Dh, th, dh, ph, bh) means mahaapraaNa.  That particular syllable will need to be pronounced with extra emphasis.  (The meanings can completely change if not uttered properly).
  • Any capital letters (except C and M), should be pronounced with a rolled tongue.  (as in, Tongue, Divine, etc.)
  • Visarga, respresented by 'H' (transliteration) or ':' (devanaagari script), differs in its pronunciation, as per the syllable following it.  There are many rules for the same.  To cut down the grammar lesson, the script is given as the pronunciation is supposed to be, in as many places as possible.  
  • The visarga before a ka or pa, or end of a sentence, stays as 'H'.  It must be sounded almost as a half 'H' in a middle of the sentence but a full 'H' before a ',' or '|' 
  • The visarga before a 'kSha' HAS to be pronounced fully.  It is hence indicated with a (H,) to bring the required attention to the visarga. 
  • Any '~n' should be pronounced as a nasal sound.
  • Any 'j~n' should be pronounced almost like 'gn' with a nasal sound (this syllable in Sanskrit is the hardest one to represent in English :).
  • The '.' amidst words stands for the avagraha chinha (ऽ) which stands for an extension of the previous syllable for one maatraa kaalam.  The syllable should neither be too short nor extended too much here.
  • Complex words (samaasa pada-s) have been hyphenated '-' for ease of reading, but not to pause.


[This blog is published by Mrs. Rashmi Kashi, under her pen name - Kaavya Sindhu.]

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