Reading Sanskrit on this website
This website uses IAST transliteration across its books, translations, biographies, and reference pages, so Sanskrit terms can be read consistently in English while preserving their original sounds and meanings. This page provides a simple guide to IAST letters and diacritics, showing how to read them, how they map to Devanāgarī and Telugu scripts, and how to interpret common spellings you will see throughout the site.
| Sanskrit Letter (Devanagari) | IAST Representation | Telugu | Sample words (IAST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| अ | a | అ | agni, arjuna, ananta |
| आ | ā | ఆ | ātman, ānanda, ācārya |
| इ | i | ఇ | indra, iti, iha |
| ई | ī | ఈ | īśa, īśvara, īkṣaṇa |
| उ | u | ఉ | upaniṣad, ukta, uttama |
| ऊ | ū | ఊ | ūrdhva, ūṣman, ūhā |
| ऋ | ṛ | ఋ | ṛṣi, kṛṣṇa, vṛtti |
| ॠ | ṝ | ౠ | kṝta, dṝḍha, ṝṇa |
| ऌ | ḷ | ఌ | kḷpta |
| ॡ | ḹ | ౡ | |
| ए | e | ఎ | eka, deva, netra |
| ऐ | ai | ఐ | aishvarya, aitihya, kailāsa |
| ओ | o | ఒ | om, loka, yoga |
| औ | au | ఔ | auṣadhi, gaurī, kautuka |
| अं | aṃ | అం | aṃśa, saṃsāra, haṃsa |
| अः | aḥ | అః | namaḥ, prātaḥ, antaḥ |
| क | ka | క | karma, kavi, kalyāṇa |
| ख | kha | ఖ | khyāti, khaṇḍa, khelā |
| ग | ga | గ | guru, gītā, gaṅgā |
| घ | gha | ఘ | ghana, ghaṭa, ghora |
| ङ | ṅa | ఙ | aṅga, gaṅgā, śaṅkara |
| च | ca | చ | candra, caritra, citra |
| छ | cha | ఛ | chāyā, chandas, chinna |
| ज | ja | జ | jana, jala, jagat |
| झ | jha | ఝ | jhaṣa, jhaṅkāra, jhala |
| ञ | ña | ఞ | pañca, añjali, puñya |
| ट | ṭa | ట | ṭīkā, ṭaṭa, ṭaṅka |
| ठ | ṭha | ఠ | ṭhakkura, ṭhaṭha, ṭhāna |
| ड | ḍa | డ | ḍamaru, ḍākā, ḍola |
| ढ | ḍha | ఢ | gāḍha, dṛḍha, ūḍha |
| ण | ṇa | ణ | praṇava, guṇa, kāraṇa |
| त | ta | త | tapaḥ, tattva, taruṇa |
| थ | tha | థ | tathā, sthala, artha |
| द | da | ద | dharma, deva, dāna |
| ध | dha | ధ | dhyāna, dhāraṇā, dhenu |
| न | na | న | nara, nāda, namas |
| प | pa | ప | puṇya, pāpa, pada |
| फ | pha | ఫ | phala, phena, phāṇita |
| ब | ba | బ | bala, bhava, buddha |
| भ | bha | భ | bhakti, bhagavān, bhāva |
| म | ma | మ | mantra, māyā, mokṣa |
| य | ya | య | yoga, yajña, yatra |
| र | ra | ర | rāma, rāja, rasa |
| ल | la | ల | loka, līlā, lakṣmī |
| व | va | వ | veda, vāyu, varṇa |
| श | śa | శ | śiva, śāstra, śrī |
| ष | ṣa / sha | ష | viṣṇu, ṣaṭ, ṣaḍaṅga |
| स | sa | స | satya, sādhu, saṃskṛta |
| ह | ha | హ | hari, aham, hṛdaya |
| क्ष | kṣa / ksha | క్ష | kṣetra / kshetra, kṣamā / kshamā, kṣīra / kshīra |
| ज्ञ | jña | జ్ఞ | jñāna, jñeya, jñātvā |