Let's dive into the Devanagari script — it's the beautiful and logical writing system used for Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathi, Nepali, and several other Indian languages.

🕉️ What is Devanagari Script?

Devanagari (देवनागरी) literally means "the script of the city of gods" (Deva = god, Nagari = city-like/script). It is a syllabic script that is:

• Phonetic (what you see is what you say)

• Left to right

• Abugida (each consonant has an inherent vowel sound)

🔤 Structure of Devanagari Script

🅰️ 1. Vowels (स्वर - Svarāḥ)

There are 13 vowels:

🔤 2. Consonants (व्यंजन - Vyañjanāḥ)

There are 33 main consonants, arranged systematically by:

• Place of articulation (e.g., throat, palate)

• Voicing and aspiration

Here’s a simplified table:

Semi-vowels: य (ya), र (ra), ल (la), व (va)
Sibilants: श (śa), ष (ṣa), स (sa)
Aspirate: ह (ha)

🪢 Matras (मात्राएँ) – Vowel Symbols

When vowels attach to consonants, they use matras. For example:

🔗 Conjuncts (संयुक्ताक्षर – Samyuktākṣara)

When two or more consonants come together, they form ligatures or conjunct letters.

Examples:

• क् + ष = क्ष (kṣa)

• त् + र = त्र (tra)

• ज् + ञ = ज्ञ (jña)

📏 Other Features

• Horizontal Line (शिरोरेखा): All letters are connected with a top line.

• No Capital Letters: Devanagari doesn’t use uppercase/lowercase.

🎯 Why It’s Logical

• Devanagari is phonemic: each letter has a unique and consistent pronunciation.

• Ideal for chanting, recitation, and clarity in spoken Sanskrit.