Understanding Prayatna in Sanskrit Phonetics

What is Prayatna (प्रयत्न)?

In Sanskrit phonetics (as described in texts like Paniniya Shiksha), Prayatna simply means "effort." It is the effort or action made by our speech organs (tongue, lips, vocal cords, etc.) to produce a sound.

Prayatna is divided into two main categories:

1. Ābhyantara Prayatna (आभ्यन्तर प्रयत्न): The Internal Effort
2. Bāhya Prayatna (बाह्य प्रयत्न): The External Effort

1. Ābhyantara Prayatna (Internal Effort)

This is the effort that happens inside the mouth, just before the sound is produced. It describes how the tongue and lips act to shape the sound. According to the Paninian tradition, there are five types of internal effort.

1. Spṛṣṭa (स्पृष्ट) - "Touched"
   • What it is: The tongue fully touches the place of articulation (like the palate, teeth, or lips), completely blocking the airflow for a moment.
   • Example: When you say 'ka' (क), your tongue's back touches the soft palate. When you say 'pa' (प), your lips touch each other. This group is from 'ka' (क) to 'ma' (म).
2. Īṣat-spṛṣṭa (ईषत्-स्पृष्ट) - "Slightly Touched"
   • What it is: The tongue gets very close to the place of articulation but only touches it lightly, allowing air to pass.
   • Example: 'ya' (य), 'ra' (र), 'la' (ल), 'va' (व). Notice how your tongue doesn't block the air completely.
3. Īṣat-vivṛta (ईषत्-विवृत) - "Slightly Open"
   • What it is: The tongue is held slightly open from the place of articulation, creating a narrow gap. Air is forced through this gap, creating a "hissing" or friction sound.
   • Example: 'śa' (श), 'ṣa' (ष), 'sa' (स), 'ha' (ह).
4. Vivṛta (विवृत) - "Open"
   • What it is: The mouth is open, and the tongue doesn't touch any part to block the air. The sound is produced freely.
   • Example: 'a' (अ), 'ā' (आ), 'i' (इ), 'u' (उ), etc.
5. Saṃvṛta (संवृत) - "Closed"
   • What it is: This is a special case. It means "closed" or "contracted."

2. Bāhya Prayatna (External Effort)

This is the effort that happens at the source of the sound—the vocal cords and the breath. It describes the state of the vocal cords (vibrating or not) and the amount of breath used. There are eleven types of external effort.

We can group them to make them easier to understand:

Group A: Effort of Vocal Cords (for Consonants)

1. Vivāra (विवार): "Opening" (the vocal cords are open)
2. Śvāsa (श्वास): "Breath" (a voiceless, breathy sound is produced)
3. Aghoṣa (अघोष): "Voiceless" (the vocal cords do not vibrate)
4. Saṃvāra (संवार): "Closing" (the vocal cords are contracted)
5. Nāda (नाद): "Resonance" (a resonant, voiced sound is produced)