अनुस्वार
Special Diacritical Signs
Sanskrit uses special marks above and after vowels to add nasal sounds, breath effects, and sacred meaning. Each mark has its own unique role.
Anusvara
अनुस्वार
Sounds like: a nasal 'ng' or 'n' sound — like the 'm' in 'lamp'
A dot above the line — creates a nasal sound before the next consonant. It is sometimes called bindu (बिन्दु), meaning 'dot'.
संस्कृत
saṃskṛta
Sanskrit — the refined language
अंश
aṃśa
portion / part
रंग
raṃga
colour / hue
शान्तं
śāntaṃ
peaceful
Visarga
विसर्ग
Sounds like: a soft 'h' breath — like a gentle exhale
Two dots after a vowel — produces a soft breath of air. It often appears at the end of words and is a distinctive feature of Sanskrit.
नमः
namaḥ
salutation / bow
देवः
devaḥ
god (masculine)
रामः
rāmaḥ
Rama (masculine)
शान्तिः
śāntiḥ
peace (in mantras)
Chandrabindu
चन्द्रबिन्दु
Sounds like: a soft nasal vowel — sound passes through the nose
Moon-dot — a crescent with a dot above it. It nasalises the vowel below it, making it sound soft and nasal through the nose.
माँ
māṃ
mother
हँसना
haṃsnā
to laugh
चाँद
cāṃda
moon
आँखें
āṃkheṃ
eyes
Om — The Pranava
ॐ प्रणव
Sounds like: A — U — M — then a moment of silence
Om (ॐ) is the most sacred symbol in Sanskrit — the primordial sound of the universe. It is made of three letters: अ + उ + म् followed by silence. It begins every prayer and mantra.
ॐ शान्ति
oṃ śānti
Om Peace
ॐ नमः शिवाय
oṃ namaḥ śivāya
Om, I bow to Shiva
ॐ तत् सत्
oṃ tat sat
Om — That is Truth