________________
Pronunciation of Sanskrit
CLUSTERS WITH H
Pănini VIII. 3. 23-7 deals with the changes of final m in different situations and incidently treats of n as well. Thus we are told that the final. m of a word, when followed by any consonant (hal), changes into an anusvāra (23), but remains m before a vowel. Both m and n when not finals of a word also become anusvära when any consonant other than a nasal or a semi-vowel (jhal) follows (24). An exception to the rule 23 is noted in Sūtra 25 to explain forms like samrāt, sāmrājyam, etc. Then follow two Sūtras which state that m followed by a group like h+m optionally remains m or becomes anusvāra (26) and followed by h+n optionally becomes n or anusvāra (27). A värttika on 26 adds that m can also optionally become y, , and I when followed by h+y, v, l.
The examples given for the last two rules in Kaśikā may be stated as follows:
kimhmalayati kim hmalayati or kim hmalayati kimhyah kim hyah or kiỹ hyaḥ
kim hvalayati=kim hvalayati or kiv hvalayati kim + hladayati kim hladayati or kil hladayati
kim hnute=kim hnute or kin hnute
If we look into the distribution of the anusvara in the language we find that while it is liable to be assimilated to the following stops as regards the place of articulation and can become nasalized y, v, I before these sounds, it keeps its distinctive nature before others, namely the sibilants (ś, ş, s), r and h, which is thus its exclusive sphere of occurrence. Obviously Sanskrit did not admit nasalized forms of these sounds. The anusvära thus
