Learn·Sanskrit
The alphabet, by ear.
Sanskrit's letters are ordered by the body: each row of consonants is made at one place in the mouth, from the throat forward to the lips, and each row runs unvoiced to voiced to nasal. Learn the map and the script becomes a description of sound rather than a set of shapes.
Tap any letter to see it large and hear it. Say it back before moving on.
Svara · vowels
Vyañjana · consonants, by where they are made
Kaṇṭhya
from the throat
Tālavya
from the palate
Mūrdhanya
tongue curled back
Dantya
tongue at the teeth
Oṣṭhya
from the lips
Antaḥstha
semivowels
Ūṣman
sibilants and the breath
First words
The forty words that recur most across the Gītā's word-by-word glosses, with the meaning given at their first occurrence. Each links to a verse where you can hear it in place.
- chaand×383
- evacertainly×159
- ahamI×101
- apialso×94
- māmme×84
- tatthat×78
- saḥthat×75
- yatbecause×71
- itithus×64
- yaḥone who×62
- karmareward-seeking actions×48
- tathāthus×43
- idamthis×38
- pārthaArjun, the son of Pritha×38
- asmiI am×38
- tvamyou×31
- jñānamknowledge×30
- uchyateis said×28
- śhrī-bhagavānuvāchathe Supreme Lord said×27
- manaḥmind×26
- evamthus×25
- tasmāthence×25
- etatthis×24
- paramafter×24
- kaunteyaArjun, the son of Kunti×24
- viddhiknow×24
- ayamthis×24
- sarvaall×24
- mamaour×23
- tataḥthereafter×23
- brahmain the Vedas×23
- arjunaḥuvāchaArjun said×22
- mayāby me×22
- bhāratadescendant of Bharat×22
- arjunaArjun×22
- buddhiḥintellect×21
- kimwhat×20
- yathāas×20
- mayiunto me×20
- tasyahis×19
Now play it
Hear a letter and find it · turn the mātrā wheel · rebuild a Gītā word · match letters to sounds.
The letter sounds come from your browser's Hindi voice where one is installed; it is close for most letters and only approximate for ṛ, ṅ and the retroflex row. Hearing a teacher remains the best guide.