Given that it originally was an m, my own practical solution to pronouncing the anusv��ra ��� is to simply speak an m, but without letting the lips touch each other. This can be practised by putting two fingers between them ��� stopping before the teeth, of course ��� and then trying to say "sa���yoga" or "sa���s��ra." You can think of the dot in ��� as the finger in this case, but in my experience, two fingers are needed.

Now this is only one way to pronounce it, but it's simple and working (tested with students also). Most importantly, it prevents one from speaking an actual m in words like "sa���sk���ta." I personally have the feeling that P�����ini would have approved of it, but of course I do not have proof for this!

D Haas

The two articles by S.K. Chatterji both titled "The Pronounciation of Sanskrit" but written 30 years apart address the pronounciation of anusvara in different parts of India and also whats considered "correct" pronounciation of sanskrit.  I've attached one article and given you a link to the second one on archive.ort

Indian Linguistics 21:  pages 61-82

I've attached this article

K. B. Pathak Commemoration volume  pages 333 - 350  

https://archive.org/download/k.b.pathakcommemorationvolumes.k.belvalkar_272_w/K.B.%20Pathak%20Commemoration%20Volume%20-S.K.%20Belvalkar.pdf

Harry Spier

On Mon, Apr 20, 2020 at 10:51 PM Madhav Deshpande via INDOLOGY <indology@list.indology.info> wrote:

Dear George,

     As per P�����ini's rules, a word-final m changes to anusv��ra before any consonant [mo 'nusv��ra���, hali].  Then come option rules.  Before y/v/l, an anusv��ra can optionally change to nasal versions of y/v/l.  Before the stops, it can optionally change to a nasal homogeneous with the following stop [parasavar���a].  This leaves r/��/���/s/h, and before these it remains anusv��ra.  In some Vedic traditions, in this last environment, it becomes n��sikya or ra���ga.  Then there are rules which change n into an anusv��ra in some environments.  This is the general description according to P�����ini.  Some other grammars do allow an m occurring at the end of an occurrence before a pause to change into anusv��ra, reflecting some local variation.  Of course, the actual pronunciation of an anusv��ra probably differed regionally as we notice today, and different Vedic traditions have conventionally settled ways of its pronunciation.  Also rules that are optional in P�����ini don't necessarily remain optional in various Vedic tradition.  In most Vedic recitations I have heard, the change of an anusv��ra into a parasavar���a nasal is almost done invariably.

Madhav

Madhav M. Deshpande

Professor Emeritus, Sanskrit and Linguistics

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

Senior Fellow, Oxford Center for Hindu Studies

[Residence: Campbell, California, USA]

On Mon, Apr 20, 2020 at 6:59 PM George Hart via INDOLOGY <indology@list.indology.info> wrote:

I���ve been enjoying the discussion on Indology. A friend had a question about Sanskrit that I could not answer properly. It involves the pronunciation of anusv��ra before various consonants. I believe that before y, r, l and v, it is nasalized. Assuming that is correct, is it also nasalized before ��, ���, s and h? Some people say samsk���ta, with an m sound, but I always assumed it was a nasal sound. I think the nasal is put in the same phonetic category as the �� etc. ��� i.e.in a�����a it is a palatal nasal, in sa���sk���ta it is a dental nasal, and in si���ha it is sort of a velar nasal sound. The problem is, everyone seems to say simha (m sound), not the nasal sound. What do the grammarians say? Is there a correct pronunciation, or can one choose between the nasal and the ���m��� before ��, ���, s and h? George Hart
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