Page:Sanskrit Grammar by Whitney p1.djvu/36

 hook opening to the right (much like the sign of the vowel, as written under a consonant: 10 e): thus, र्क , र्ष , र्त्व , र्म्य , र्त्स्न.

Then, if a consonant-group thus containing as first member is followed by a vowel that has its sign, or a part of its sign, or its sign of nasality (: 70, 71), written above the line, the -sign is placed furthest to the right: thus, र्के, र्कं , र्कि , र्की , र्को , र्कीं , र्कों.

If is pronounced after another consonant, whether before a vowel or before yet another consonant, it is written with a straight stroke below, slanting to the left: thus, प्र, ध्र , ग्र , स्र ,  , न्त्र , ग्र्य ,  , न्त्र्य ; and, with modifications of a preceding consonant-sign like those noted above (13), त्र , द्र , श्र , ह्र.

When र is to be combined with a following ऋ, it is the vowel which is written in full, with its initial character, and the consonant in subordination to it: thus,.

Further combinations, of three, four, or even five consonant-signs, are made according to the same rules. Examples are:
 * of three consonants, त्त्व, द्ध्य , द्व्य , द्र्य , ध्र्य , प्स्व , श्च्य , ष्ठ्य , ह्व्य ;
 * of four consonants, क्त्र्य, ङ्क्ष्य , ष्ट्र्य , त्स्म्य ;
 * of five consonants, र्त्स्न्य.

The manuscripts, and the type-fonts as well, differ from one another more in their management of consonant combinations than in any other respect, often having peculiarities which one needs a little practice to understand. It is quite useless to give in a grammar the whole series of possible combinations (some of them excessively rare) which are provided for in any given type-font, or even in all. There is nothing which due familiarity