A compact map of Sanskrit to Prakrit
February 15, 2026
A compact map of Sanskrit to Prakrit (general Middle Indo-Aryan), parallel to the Pāḷi one.
Prakrit varies by region: Śaurasenī, Māgadhī, Mahārāṣṭrī — but these are the common tendencies.
Consonant Cluster Simplification (Even Stronger than Pāḷi)
r in Clusters Often Disappears
| Sanskrit | Meaning | Prakrit | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| karma | action | kamma | action |
| dharma | law, doctrine | dhamma | doctrine |
| varṇa | color, class | vaṇṇa | color |
Same pattern as Pāḷi; this is a core Middle Indo-Aryan development.
kṣ -> kk / kh / kkh
| Sanskrit | Meaning | Prakrit | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| kṣetra | field | khetta / ketta | field |
| kṣānti | patience | khanti | patience |
jñ -> ññ / ṇṇ / ñ
| Sanskrit | Meaning | Prakrit | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| jñāna | knowledge | ñāṇa | knowledge |
| ajña | ignorant | aṇṇa / añña | ignorant |
dhy -> jh (Like Pāḷi)
| Sanskrit | Meaning | Prakrit | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| dhyāna | meditation | jhāṇa | meditation |
| dhyāyati | meditates | jhāi / jhāe | meditates |
This is a general Middle Indo-Aryan development.
Loss of Final Consonants (Very Strong in Prakrit)
Prakrit often drops final consonants more aggressively than Pāḷi.
| Sanskrit | Meaning | Prakrit | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| sat | being | sa | being |
| lokas | world | logo / loe | world |
Intervocalic Stop Weakening
Between vowels, stops may weaken or disappear.
| Sanskrit | Meaning | Prakrit | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| loka | world | loa / loga | world |
| nagara | city | nagara / nayara | city |
This is stronger in some Prakrits than in Pāḷi.
Sibilants Collapse
Sanskrit ś ṣ s -> usually s (sometimes h in Māgadhī-type dialects)
| Sanskrit | Meaning | Prakrit | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| śiva | auspicious | siva | auspicious |
| ṣaṭ | six | cha / sa | six |
Diphthong Simplification
| Sanskrit | Meaning | Prakrit | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| maitrī | loving-kindness | metti | loving-kindness |
| gaurava | respect | garava | respect |
- ai -> e
- au -> o
Aspirates Often Weaken (More than in Pāḷi)
In some Prakrits:
- bh -> b
- dh -> d
- gh -> g
| Sanskrit | Meaning | Prakrit | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| bhavati | becomes | hoti / bavi (dialectal) | becomes |
| laghu | light | lahu | light |
Pāḷi preserves aspiration more consistently than many literary Prakrits.
Big Picture: Sanskrit -> Prakrit vs Pāḷi
| Feature | Pāḷi | Literary Prakrit |
|---|---|---|
| Cluster simplification | strong | very strong |
| Final consonant loss | moderate | strong |
| Aspiration | often preserved | often weakened |
| r in clusters | lost + gemination | same |
| dhy -> jh | yes | yes |
Structural Trend
Old Indo-Aryan (Sanskrit) -> Middle Indo-Aryan (Pāḷi, Prakrits) -> New Indo-Aryan (Hindi, Bengali, etc.)
The overall direction is:
- Complex -> simpler
- Clusters -> doubled consonants or single consonants
- Distinctions -> merged
- Final consonants -> dropped