Q: Should we pronounce कृष्ण as “Krushna” or “Krishna.” Most people say “Krishna.” But my Sanskrit teacher, my grandmother (a well-educated woman), and couple of people on YouTube have pronounced it as “Krushna.”
I strongly recommend studying this entire video, Sanskrit Pronunciation Crash Course, especially paying attention to the sections on Ṛ.
The sound in question is the ऋ (Ṛ) – the ृ in कृष्ण – the “ṛ” in “kṛṣṇa.”
This sound is unfamiliar to modern people because it is not really acknowledged in most modern linguistics and most modern languages. The difference between R and Ṛ (र् / ऋ) is simply what role the sound plays. There is, in my opinion, no difference in the sound itself, only in how it is used with other sounds.
There are two ways to use sounds, as vowels or as consonants. A consonant is a momentary sound that modifies a vowel. A vowel is the most significant tone itself.
र् / R is a consonant.
ऋ / Ṛ is a vowel.
An example of R as a consonant is रूप (rūpa). The main sound in its syllable is “ū”, the r is just modifying the beginning of that.
An example of R as a vowel (Ṛ) is कृत्तिका (kṛttikā). The “r” is the main sound in its syllable. Its beginning is modified by the K, its end by the T.
People tend to mix in a more familiar vowel as an artifact after the Ṛ. Pronunciation, however, is an organic thing. Its a product of mouths, so it is subject to the mechanics of how the lips and tongue can – or tend to – move.
Some people make an “i” sound after the “r” (making a sound like “Krishna”). Others, a “u” (making “Krushna”). Maybe there is even more variance than that if we researched it carefully (some might actually be saying “Krashna” or “Kroshna” if you listen really carefully). The variance just depends on the shape your mouth/lips tend to take when your tongue is the main instrument for a sound (as it is with R).
My opinion is that the ideal way to pronounce कृष्ण is without an artifact of an additional vowel. After all, that is the whole point of ऋ – the R literally is the vowel. So, “Krrshna.”
But some variance at the end of the R is normal, and even fun. It really doesn’t matter if it is “ri” or “ru” or anything else, since none of them are technically correct. The type of sloppiness would depend on the regionally preferred vowels the person grew up with, which in turn depends on the body types from that region – especially the variances in lip size and shape.
र् R is a consonant (i.e. its attached to a vowel)
ऋ Ṛ is a vowel (i.e. consonants are attached to it)
my personal opinion is that an “r” is an “r” there is no difference between the sound R and Ṛ. The difference is how it is being used. In R the sound is subordinate to a vowel (like रूप (rūpa), the r is subordinate to the ū). In Ṛ the sound IS a vowel, (like कृत्तिका (kṛttikā) the K and the T are consonants carried by the R).
When people pronounce words with Ṛ in it, they tend to mix in some other vowel sound with the Ṛ, as a result of the mechanics of the mouth itself (the tongue, etc have to move to pronounce the next consonant and syllable).
The most common is that a “I” tends to be audible after the R. This happens when people pronounce Ṛ with the mouth/lips pulled back (as for “4th postion” sounds, like I).
Almost just as often we hear a “u” after the R. This happens when people pronounce Ṛ with a more relaxed mouth and lips (as for 5th and 1st position sounds). Alternatively this little artifact can sound a little bit like almost any vowel, depending on the tiny details of the mouth shape.
So, my opinion is that the ideal way to pronounce कृष्ण is “Krrshna” – neither “Krishna” nor “Krushna” nor “krashna” etc. But some variance at the end of the R is totally normal, and it really doesnt matter which variance it is – that will depend on the regionally preferred vowels, which in turn depends on the body types from that region – expecially the variances in lip size and shape.
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