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Niggahīta Sandhi

Niggahīta Sandhi

Niggahīta sandhi takes place when a word ending in ṃ is followed by a word beginning with a vowel or a consonant.

Possibility #1

When ṃ is followed by a consonant, it may remain unchanged.

e.g. evaṃ vutte > evaṃ vutte

In Kaccāyana this is called (30) aṃ byañjane niggahitaṃ.

ṃ + consonant

       
taṃ   kissa hetu why is that?
ayaṃ   kho this indeed
parikkhayaṃ   gacchanti they get destroyed
gandhaṃ   ghāyitvā having smelled a scent
cārikaṃ   caramāno wandering on tour
sīsaṃ   chindanti they cut off the head
evaṃ   jānāti knows thus
paṭhamaṃ   jhānaṃ the first jhāna
dutiyaṃ   ñāṇaṃ the second knowledge
ekamantaṃ   ṭhito standing to one side
kāyasmiṃ   ḍāho burning in the body
yaṃ   taṃ whatever that
catutthasmiṃ   thane in the fourth place
apāyaṃ   duggatiṃ hell, a bad destination
imaṃ   dhammaṃ this teaching
ekamantaṃ   nisīdi sat down on one side
anekavihitaṃ   pubbenivāsaṃ various kinds of past lives
disaṃ   pharitvā pervading the directions
evaṃ   bahulīkatā often practiced in this way
cittaṃ   bhāveti develops the mind
alaṃ   me it is suitable for
yathābālaṃ   yathāmūḷhaṃ so stupidly, so foolishly!
sabbaṃ   rūpaṃ all form
ayaṃ   loko this world
ayaṃ   vuccati this is called
ekaṃ   samayaṃ one time
pahānaṃ   hoti is abandoned
saṃ   khitta saṃkhitta
saṃ   sandati saṃsandati
evaṃ   diṭṭhī evaṃdiṭṭhī

Why make a rule if it remains unchanged?