In the previous lesson, we met the Sanskrit
consonants.
Now we will learn something very important:
how a vowel joins a consonant.
When a vowel follows a consonant in Devanāgarī,
it is generally written as a vowel sign,
or mātrā, attached to the consonant.
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🔑 The most important idea
Look carefully at this letter:
क
ka
The consonant क already carries
the inherent vowel a.
So:
क→ka
We do not need to add a separate mark for
अ.
To create other vowel sounds, we add their
corresponding vowel signs.
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📖 The vowel signs with क
Let us use one consonant —
क — and watch how it changes.
Vowel
With क
Reading
अ
क
ka
आ
का
kā
इ
कि
ki
ई
की
kī
उ
कु
ku
ऊ
कू
kū
ऋ
कृ
kṛ
ए
के
ke
ऐ
कै
kai
ओ
को
ko
औ
कौ
kau
👁️ See the pattern
Watch the same consonant transform:
क → का → कि → की → कु → कू
कृ → के → कै → को → कौ
The consonant remains क.
The vowel changes.
And therefore the syllable changes.
🪷 Build the Syllable
Tap a vowel and see what happens to
क.
क
Choose a vowel below
क
ka
📚 Practice Reading
Read slowly. Do not rush.
क
का
कि
की
कु
कू
कृ
के
कै
को
कौ
🧠 Quick Check
Let us see what you have discovered.
Question 1
Which one represents kī?
Question 2
Which one represents kau?
Question 3
Which one represents kṛ?
Question 4
Which one represents ke?
Question 5
What does का represent?
🪷 Manana — Contemplate
🌱
A consonant carries its inherent sound.
A vowel joins it and gives it a new form.
The vowel has not disappeared;
it has joined the consonant
in a new form.
Observe this quietly:
क → का → कि → की → कु → कू
Sanskrit begins to reveal itself
not merely as something to memorise,
but as something to observe.
🌼 A small step forward
You have now learned how a consonant
and a vowel come together.