![Deva-ka](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/Deva-ka.png)
Ka (कK) (कवर्ण ''kavarna'') is the first consonant of the
Devanagari
Devanagari ( ; , , Sanskrit pronunciation: ), also called Nagari (),Kathleen Kuiper (2010), The Culture of India, New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, , page 83 is a left-to-right abugida (a type of segmental Writing systems#Segmental syste ...
abugida
An abugida (, from Ge'ez language, Ge'ez: ), sometimes known as alphasyllabary, neosyllabary or pseudo-alphabet, is a segmental Writing systems#Segmental writing system, writing system in which consonant-vowel sequences are written as units; ...
. It ultimately arose from the
Brahmi
Brahmi (; ; ISO 15919, ISO: ''Brāhmī'') is a writing system of ancient South Asia. "Until the late nineteenth century, the script of the Aśokan (non-Kharosthi) inscriptions and its immediate derivatives was referred to by various names such ...
letter 𑀓 (), after having gone through the
Gupta
Gupta () is a common surname or last name of Indian origin. It is based on the Sanskrit word गोप्तृ ''goptṛ'', which means 'guardian' or 'protector'. According to historian R. C. Majumdar, the surname ''Gupta'' was adopted by se ...
letter
![Gupta allahabad k](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Gupta_allahabad_k.svg)
. Letters that derive from it are the
Gujarati
Gujarati may refer to:
* something of, from, or related to Gujarat, a state of India
* Gujarati people, the major ethnic group of Gujarat
* Gujarati language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by them
* Gujarati languages, the Western Indo-Aryan sub ...
letter ક, and the
Modi
Narendra Damodardas Modi (; born 17 September 1950) is an Indian politician serving as the 14th and current Prime Minister of India since 2014. Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and is the Member of Parliament from ...
letter 𑘎.
Usage
In all languages, क is pronounced as or when appropriate. In the following example, क implements its inherent vowel, the
schwa
In linguistics, specifically phonetics and phonology, schwa (, rarely or ; sometimes spelled shwa) is a vowel sound denoted by the IPA symbol , placed in the central position of the vowel chart. In English and some other languages, it rep ...
:
*
नकली = ''nakali'' "fake"
In this example, क
deletes the inherent schwa for correct pronunciation:
*
बकवास = ''bakvās'' "nonsense"
![Devanagari matras](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Devanagari_matras.png)
Certain words that have been borrowed from
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
and
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
implement the
nukta ়
The nuqta (Hindi–Urdu: //, fa, , noqte; from ar, نقطة, nuqṭa, dot; sometimes also spelled nukta) is a diacritic mark that was introduced in Devanagari and some other Indic scripts to represent sounds not present in the original scrip ...
to more properly approximate the original word. It is then transliterated as a ''q''.
*
क़दम = ''qadam'' "footstep"
Conjuncts with क
*क + त(t̪) gives us क्त kt̪ with a somewhat irregular form.
![Devanagari ligature Kta](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/Devanagari_ligature_Kta.svg)
*क + ष(ʂ) gives us the fully ligated क्ष kʂ with a very irregular form.
![Devanagari ligature Kssa](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/Devanagari_ligature_Kssa.svg)
*ङ(ŋ) + क gives us the vertical conjunct ङ्क ŋk with the ङ placed above the क.
![Devanagari ligature Ngka](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Devanagari_ligature_Ngka.svg)
*क + ख(kʰ) gives us क्ख kkʰ with the क placed above the ख.
*क + क gives us क्क with the क placed above another क.
![Devanagari ligature Kka](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Devanagari_ligature_Kka.svg)
*क + ल(l̪) gives us क्ल kl̪ with the क placed above the ल.
![Devanagari ligature Kla](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/Devanagari_ligature_Kla.svg)
*क + व(ʋ) gives us क्व kʋ with the क placed above the व.
![Devanagari ligature Kva](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/Devanagari_ligature_Kva.svg)
*क + न(n̪) gives us क्न kn̪ with the न rotated and placed under the hook of the क.
![Devanagari ligature Kna](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/Devanagari_ligature_Kna.svg)
*क + र
is a fully ligated (irregular) conjunct
Mathematics
Āryabhaṭa numeration
Aryabhata
Aryabhata (ISO: ) or Aryabhata I (476–550 CE) was an Indian mathematician and astronomer of the classical age of Indian mathematics and Indian astronomy. He flourished in the Gupta Era and produced works such as the ''Aryabhatiya'' (which ...
used Devanagari letters for numbers, very similar to that of the Greeks, even after the invention of
Indian numerals
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
.
The values of the different forms of क are:
*क = 1 (१)
*कि = 100 (१००)
*कु = 10,000 (१० ०००)
*कृ = 1,000,000 (१० ०० ०००)
*कॢ = 10 (१०
८)
*के = 10 (१०
१०)
*कै = 10 (१०
१२)
*को = 10 (१०
१४)
*कौ = 10 (१०
१६)
Tabla Strokes
क (ka) also seen as कि (ki), or के (ke). This is usually a flat, nonresonant stroke of the left hand. The heel of the hand is left on the drum, while the hand rotates to hit the drum, with the focus of the force being focused between the tips and first joints of the fingers.
Hindu astrology
के (ke) is the abbreviation used for केतु (
Ketu
KETU (1120 AM) is a radio station licensed to serve Catoosa, Oklahoma. The station is owned by Antonio Perez, through licensee Radio Las Americas Arkansas, LLC.
The station was licensed originally to Atoka, Oklahoma, and operated for many years ...
), the descending lunar node. In
Hindu astrology
Jyotisha or Jyotishya (from Sanskrit ', from ' “light, heavenly body" and ''ish'' - from Isvara or God) is the traditional Hindu system of astrology, also known as Hindu astrology, Indian astrology and more recently Vedic astrology. It is one ...
Ketu represents karmic collections both good and bad, spirituality and supernatural influences. Ketu is associated with the
Matsya
Matsya ( sa, मत्स्य, lit. ''fish'') is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya ...
Avatar
Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearanc ...
(Fish Incarnation) of
Vishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...
. Ketu signifies the spiritual process of the refinement of materialization to spirit and is considered both malefic and benefic, as it causes sorrow and loss, and yet at the same time turns the individual to
God
In monotheism, monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator deity, creator, and principal object of Faith#Religious views, faith.Richard Swinburne, Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Ted Honderich, Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Ox ...
. In other words, it causes material loss in order to force a more spiritual outlook in the person. Ketu is a ''karaka'' or indicator of intelligence, wisdom, non-attachment, fantasy, penetrating insight, derangement, and psychic abilities. Ketu is believed to bring prosperity to the devotee's family, removes the effects of snakebite and illness arising out of poisons. He grants good health, wealth and cattle to his devotees.
See also
*
Ka (Javanese)
*
Ka (Egyptian soul)
The ancient Egyptians believed that a soul ( kꜣ and bꜣ; Egypt. pron. ka/ba) was made up of many parts. In addition to these components of the soul, there was the human body (called the ''ḥꜥ'', occasionally a plural '' ḥꜥw'', meani ...
, ancient Egyptian concept of spirit or soul
References
* Kurt Elfering: ''Die Mathematik des Aryabhata I. Text, Übersetzung aus dem Sanskrit und Kommentar''. Wilhelm Fink Verlag, München, 1975,
* Georges Ifrah: ''The Universal History of Numbers. From Prehistory to the Invention of the Computer''. John Wiley & Sons, New York, 2000, .
* B. L. van der Waerden: ''Erwachende Wissenschaft. Ägyptische, babylonische und griechische Mathematik''. Birkhäuser-Verlag, Basel Stuttgart, 1966,
*
*
{{Devanagari abugida
Devanagari letters