# Sanskrit Script Teacher *Learning to read the original script, one syllable at a time* --- The Script Teacher helps you learn to read Devanāgarī script—the alphabet used for Sanskrit verses in the books. Hover over any syllable to see how it's pronounced. Use autoplay to hear the natural rhythm of a verse. > **In this article:** How to use it · Pronunciation guides · Articulation points · The autoplay rhythm ### How to Use 1. **Enable**: Press `T` on your keyboard, or click Settings → Script Teacher 2. **Hover**: Move your mouse over any syllable to see its pronunciation 3. **Autoplay**: Click the play button to walk through the verse automatically 4. **Speed**: Choose Slow (learning), Normal (recitation), or Fast When active, Devanāgarī text spreads into individual syllables you can explore: ``` धर्मक्षेत्रे → [धर्म] [क्षे] [त्रे] ↓ +------------+ | dharma | | dh: dental | +------------+ ``` ### Pronunciation Guide Each syllable shows: - **IAST transliteration** — The standard Roman alphabet representation - **English approximation** — A familiar word with similar sound - **Articulation point** — Where in your mouth to form the sound | Sound | English Approximation | |-------|----------------------| | a | as in "about" | | ā | as in "father" (long) | | i | as in "bit" | | ī | as in "machine" (long) | | k | as in "skip" (unaspirated) | | kh | as in "inkhorn" (aspirated) | ### Where Sounds Are Made Sanskrit has five main places where consonants are formed: | Place | Sanskrit | Sounds | How to Make It | |-------|----------|--------|----------------| | **Guttural** | कण्ठ्य | k, kh, g, gh, ṅ | Back of throat | | **Palatal** | तालव्य | c, ch, j, jh, ñ | Hard palate | | **Retroflex** | मूर्धन्य | ṭ, ṭh, ḍ, ḍh, ṇ | Tongue curled back | | **Dental** | दन्त्य | t, th, d, dh, n | Tongue touches teeth | | **Labial** | ओष्ठ्य | p, ph, b, bh, m | Both lips | The difference between *ta* (dental) and *ṭa* (retroflex) is crucial—one touches your teeth, the other curls your tongue back to touch the roof of your mouth. ### Autoplay Rhythm The autoplay doesn't just move through syllables at a constant speed—it follows traditional Sanskrit prosody (chandas), the science of verse rhythm. **Heavy and Light Syllables:** Sanskrit poetry distinguishes between: - **Guru** (गुरु) — Heavy syllables, held for 2 beats - **Laghu** (लघु) — Light syllables, held for 1 beat A syllable is heavy if it contains a long vowel (ā, ī, ū, e, ai, o, au) or ends in anusvāra (ṁ) or visarga (ḥ). Otherwise it's light. **Example: धर्मक्षेत्रे (dharma-kṣetre)** ``` dhar-ma-kṣe-tre L L G G 1 1 2 2 beats ``` The autoplay respects this rhythm, pausing longer on heavy syllables. It also adds natural pauses at verse-quarter marks (।) and verse ends (॥). --- > [!question] Frequently Asked Questions > > **Q: Does this change the book content?** > No. The Script Teacher operates entirely on the display layer. It reads the Devanāgarī characters that exist in the files and provides pronunciation guidance. The source files are never modified. > > **Q: Will this teach me Sanskrit?** > It teaches you to *read* the script and *pronounce* the sounds. For grammar, vocabulary, and meaning, formal study is recommended. > > **Q: Is the pronunciation authoritative?** > The phonology follows standard academic Sanskrit (IAST transliteration, Pāṇinian classification). Sanskrit pronunciation is not a matter of opinion—it's been precisely documented for over 2,500 years. > > **Q: Does it work on mobile?** > Yes. Tap any syllable instead of hovering. The autoplay works with touch controls. --- > [!abstract]- The Complete Consonant Chart (Varṇamālā) > > The Sanskrit alphabet organizes consonants by both **place** (where in the mouth) and **manner** (voicing and aspiration): > > | | Unvoiced | Unvoiced+Aspirated | Voiced | Voiced+Aspirated | Nasal | > |---|---|---|---|---|---| > | **Guttural** | क (k) | ख (kh) | ग (g) | घ (gh) | ङ (ṅ) | > | **Palatal** | च (c) | छ (ch) | ज (j) | झ (jh) | ञ (ñ) | > | **Retroflex** | ट (ṭ) | ठ (ṭh) | ड (ḍ) | ढ (ḍh) | ण (ṇ) | > | **Dental** | त (t) | थ (th) | द (d) | ध (dh) | न (n) | > | **Labial** | प (p) | फ (ph) | ब (b) | भ (bh) | म (m) | > > Plus semivowels (य र ल व), sibilants (श ष स), and aspirate (ह). > > The classification follows Pāṇini's Aṣṭādhyāyī (4th century BCE) and traditional Śikṣā texts. IAST is the International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, the standard used in academic publications worldwide. > [!abstract]- Technical Implementation > > **Module:** `ScriptTeacher` in `publish.js` > > **Process:** Detects Devanāgarī blockquotes → tokenizes into syllables using Unicode-aware parsing → maps each to IAST → renders interactive spans with hover tooltips > > **Data structure:** Each syllable stored as `{dev, iast, type, id}` in a Map for O(1) lookup > > **Performance:** Parsing once per page load, syllables cached, no network requests, minimal DOM manipulation during autoplay --- *This tool is offered as a service to those learning to read Sanskrit. It follows standard IAST transliteration, Pāṇinian phonology, and traditional prosody (chandas-śāstra). Corrections from qualified Sanskrit scholars are welcome.*