Science in Sanskrit Syllables

Science in Sanskrit Syllables
According to NASA, Sanskrit is the most scientific language, suitable to develop computer programming for their Artificial Intelligence program. The grammar also makes Sanskrit suitable for machine learning and even artificial intelligence. The first research paper published in this regard was by NASA scientist Rick Briggs in 1985. In Germany, 14 of the top universities teach Sanskrit. North America - primarily the US - has the largest number of Sanskrit academic institutions. Sanskrit is taught in several other countries such as Russia, Japan etc.

Sanskrit is co-original with the Vedas. The Vedas cannot be studied without the six Vedangas of which the first three deal with the spoken aspects of the language. These are Siksha (how to pronounce the letters of the syllables), Vyakarna (grammar, meaningful word formations), and Niruktam (certain fundamental root words). The fourth, Chandas describes the formation of sentences in metrical form. The remaining two Vedandas are Kalpa and Jyothisha, deal with space and time.
 
What is Akshara:
It is fascinating to trace the science in Sanskrit syllables. Traditionally, syllables (not letters) in Sanskrit are called Akshara, meaning "imperishable (entity)": "atoms" of speech, as it were. Akshara denotes the set of letters of Sanskrit. Akshara (aksha + ra) represents the A to Z of the wheel of creation itself which is characterized by the union of Shakti (aksha) and Shiva (ra) respectively. The sounds and thoughts which manifest from the mantras and sacred syllables (bijaksharas) reflect the power of speech and the power of thought which grows exponentially when they are illuminated by the light of Shiva or intelligence.
 
Science in Akshara:
Each akshara is mapped to a concept or significance. The collection of aksharas could form a set of concepts forming a ‘periodic table’ and by stringing Aksharas in suitable order and composition, one could use sound as a very powerful tool. Select words and seed Mantas (Bijaksharas) in Sanskrit are then interpreted using this conceptual basis. The concept and significance of each Sanskrit syllable has been properly dealt with in an article named - Akshara – The Forgotten Periodic Table by Sai Venkatesh Balasubramanian and Gomathi Balasubramanian.
 
The sound of akshara does not ever get destroyed. There are two aspects of non-destruction:

1. the aksharas retain their sound.
2. the aksharas retain their individual meanings in composed words. For example, the word "guru" - one who dispels darkness (ignorance) of the mind (person). "gu" means darkness and "ru" means the act of removal.

 
Number of Aksharas:
Aksharas are classified mainly into two types: Svara and Vyanjana. A consonant derives its name from the sound when the basic vowel "a", is sounded with the consonant. In Sanskrit and in other Indian languages, each consonant has a generic form in which its pronunciation will not have any vowel sound associated with it.

1. Svara (pratyahara aC): Vowel – 5 short vowels, 8 long vowels & 2 support vowels. Svara akshara: are also known as prana akshara; i.e., they are main sounds in speech, without which speech is not possible. Panini referred to svara as ac pratyahara. Later they became known as ac Akshara.
2. Vyanjana (pratyahara haL): Consonant – these are 33 in number. The grouping is based on the natural ordering of sounds such as Guttural, Palatal, Cerebral, Dental & Labial (five each). The last one has ten syllables.
3. Guttural (Velar - 5) - Using the back of the tongue against the soft palate.
4. Palatal (5)- Using the flat of the tongue against the back of the hard palate.
5. Cerebral (Retroflex - 5) - Using the tip of the tongue against the top of the hard palate
6. Dental (5) - Using the tip of the tongue against the top front teeth.
7. Labial (5) - Using the lips.
8. Semi-vowels (4), Sibilants (3) & Aspirate (1).

3.   Swarayukta-vyanjan¡ni – Consonants with vowels - Any of the consonants can form a syllable with any of the vowels. Each vowel has a special shape associated with it for use with a combining consonant. This is known as a "matra" or simply vowel extension. A matra, when added to the basic shape of a consonant, results in a syllable consisting of the consonant and the vowel.

1. Samyukta-vyanjan¡ni – Conjunct consonants - It represents a syllable made up of two or more consonants from the basic set.

Vasishiha presents a Sanskrit syllable of 68 letters, Panini suggests that there are 63 or 64 letters. Atreya counts 59 letters, while Apishali and Pari list 56 letters each. The Taittirya Pratishakhya presents 51 letters which include 48 aksharas used now-a-days.