Lesson 6

In this lesson, you will learn:

• The structure of the verbal sentence (agent and verb form)
• The formation of verb forms (Parasmaipada, Ātmanepada, Passive)
• The moods and tenses of the verb
• Indicative Present (laṭ) and the primary endings of the 3rd person
• The formation of the present stem (Classes 1, 4, and 6)
• Sound gradation (Ablaut: Guṇa and Vṛddhi)

6.1. The Verbal Sentence

Schema I: Verb Form

• e.g., yajati = यजति = "He (she, it) worships with a sacrifice," "He (she, it) sacrifices"

Schema II: Agent (kartṛ m. = कर्तृ) – Verb Form

• e.g., rāmo yajati = रामो यजति = "Rāma worships with a sacrifice," "Rāma sacrifices"

When the agent (kartṛ m. = कर्तृ) is mentioned in a verbal sentence that is not in the passive voice, the agent appears in the Nominative (first case, prathamā = प्रथमा). In number (vacana n. = वचन), the agent and verb form then agree.

6.2. On the Formation of Verb Forms

A finite verb form, i.e., a verb form with personal endings, expresses in Sanskrit the following:

1. Meaning (artha m. अर्थ)

2. Person and Number (vacana n. = वचन) (I, you, he <she, it>, we two, you two, they two, we, you, they)

3. Mode of action (genus verbi):

   1. Parasmaipada (n. = परस्मैपद) ("word form with reference to another"): Active. e.g., yajati = यजति = "He worships with a sacrifice" (namely, the priest who performs the sacrifice for someone else)
   2. Ātmanepada (n. = आत्मनेपद) ("word form with reference to oneself"): Middle. e.g., yajate = यजते = "He worships with a sacrifice for his own interest" (namely, the sacrificer who sacrifices for himself and his family)
   3. Passive (karman n. = कर्मन्). e.g., ijyate = इज्यते = "It is worshipped with a sacrifice"

   In many cases, the semantic nuance of the Ātmanepada can no longer be discerned; furthermore, even skilled poets often use the Ātmanepada without any semantic difference from the Parasmaipada. Nevertheless, when translating, one must always pay close attention to whether such a semantic nuance is present.

   Verbs that are used in both the Parasmaipada and Ātmanepada (in the specific Ātmanepada sense) are called Ubhayapada verbs (ubhayapada n. = उभयपद = "both word forms").

   Some verbs are used either only in the Parasmaipada or only in the Ātmanepada. In these verbs, the Ātmanepada or Parasmaipada has no specific meaning. e.g., manyate = मन्यते = "he (she, it) thinks" (without specific Ātmanepada meaning).

4. Mode of statement (Mood):

   1. Indicative: Statement form
   2. Optative: Wish form and possibility form
   3. Imperative: Command form

5. Time (Tense):

   1. Present: Present time
   2. Imperfect
   3. Perfect
   4. Aorist
   5. Future: Future time
   6. Conditional

The tenses are formed by tense stems: present stem, aorist stem, perfect stem, future stem.

6.3. Indicative Present (laṭ = लट्)

The present is the tense of the present, particularly also of duration.

The indicative (declarative form) present is formed by adding the so-called primary endings to the present stem.

Examples:

Root (dhātu)	Present Stem	3. Person Singular Indikativ Present Parasmaipada
viś = विश्	viśa = विश	viśati = विशति = "he (she, it) enters"
bhū = भू	bhava = भव	bhavati = भवति = "he (she, it) arises"
nṛt = नृत्	nṛtya = नृत्य	nṛtyati = नृत्यति = "he (she, it) dances"

6.4. Primary endings of the third person (prathama m. = प्रथम = "first (!) person")

	Singular (Einzahl) ekavacana n. एकवचन	Plural (Mehrzahl) bahuvacana n. बहुवचन
Parasmaipada n. परस्मैपद	-ti -ति	-nti -न्ति
Ātmanepada n. आत्मनेपद	-te -ते	-nte -न्ते

Example yaj = यज् = "to honor with a sacrifice", "to sacrifice":

• Present stem: yaja = यज
  • 3rd sg. P. yajati = यजति
  • 3rd pl. P. yajanti = यजन्ति
  • 3rd sg. Ā. yajate = यजते
  • 3rd pl. Ā. yajante = यजन्ते

6.5. Formation of the present stem

6.5.1. Verbs of the 6th present class (tudādi = तुदादि = "tud etc.")

Present stem = root in guṇa grade (as it is listed) + a-

Root (dhātu m.) धातु	Present Stem
viś विश्	viśa- विश-
sṛj सृज्	sṛja- सृज-

6.5.2. Verbs of the 1st present class (bhvādi / bhūvādi = भ्वादि / भूवादि = "bhū etc.")

Present Stem = Root in Hochstufe (selten Dehnstufe) + a-
Root (dhātu m.) धातु	Strong grade	Strong grade before a-	Present Stem
bhū भू	bho भो	bhav भव्	bhava- भव-
nī नी	ne ने	nay नय्	naya- नय-
smṛ स्मृ	smar स्मर्	smar स्मर्	smara- स्मर-
yaj यज्	yaj यज्	yaj यज्	yaja- यज-
Steht der Vokal in langer geschlossener Silbe, d.h. Kurzvokal vor zwei oder mehr Konsonanten, unterbleibt die Formation der Hochstufe
nind निन्द्	nind निन्द्	nind निन्द्	ninda- निन्द-

6.5.2.1. Word sandhi of e and o

Before vowels, within the word, e is replaced by ay, o by av.

6.5.2.2. Sound gradation (Ablaut)

Weak grade zero grade	Hochstufe Vollstufe Guṇa m. गुण	Dehnstufe Vṛddhi f. वृद्धि
ø	a	ā
i / ī	e	ai
u / ū	o	au
ṛ / ṝ	ar	ār
ḷ	al	āl

6.5.3. Verbs of the 4th Present Class (divādi = दिवादि = "div etc.")

Present stem = Root in guṇṣta (weak) form (as listed) + ya-

Root (dhātu m.) धातु	Present Stem
nṛt नृत्	nṛtya- नृत्य-
muh मुह्	muhya- मुह्य-
yudh युध्	yudhya- युध्य-
man मन्	manya- मन्य-

6.5.4. Thematic Vowel, Thematic Present Classes

The a in the present class stem-forming suffixes is called the thematic vowel. Present classes with a in the stem-forming suffix are therefore called "thematic present classes".

6.6. Spoken Sanskrit: Further Questions (praśna m. = प्रश्न)

• N. N. kiṃ karoti? = N.N. किं करोति = "What is N. N. doing?"
• N. N. (plural) kiṃ kurvanti? = N.N. किं कुर्वन्ति = "What are the N.N.s doing?"
• (karoti, kurvanti from kṛ = कृ 8 U: "to do, to make")
• kiṃ kuśalam? = किं कुशलम् = "Are you well?, How are you?"
• Answer: sarvathā kuśalam = सर्वथा कुशलम् = "(It is going) well in every respect."

6.7. Word List

In Sanskrit, verbs are listed in the root form. The number following the root indicates the conjugation class.

• P: Root is only Parasmaipada
• Ā: Root is only Ātmanepada
• U: Ubhayapada ("both word forms"): Root is used in both Parasmaipada and Ātmanepada.
• (): In parentheses is the 3rd person singular present indicative (laṭ).

Learn the following words:

• yaj 1 U (yajati) यज् यजति : to honor with a sacrifice, to sacrifice
• bhū 1 P (bhavati) भू भवति : to become, to arise, to be
• smṛ 1 P (smarati) स्मृ स्मरति : to make present, to remember
• nṛt 4 P (nṛtyati) नृत् नृत्यति : to dance
• nī 1 U (nayati) नी नयति : to lead
• man 4 Ā (manyate) मन् मन्यते : to think
• muh 4 P (muhyati) मुह् मुह्यति : to be confused
• yudh 4 Ā (yudhyate) युध् युध्यते : to fight
• viś 6 P (viśati) विश् विशति : to enter
• sṛj 6 P (sṛjati) सृज् सृजति : to release, to let out, to emanate

6.8. Exercise

A) Form verbal sentences with the roots specified in parentheses by inserting them:

1. brāhmaṇas ... (yaj, nṛt, viś, man, yudh, nī, muh)
   ब्राह्मणस् ... यज्, नृत्, विश्, मन्, युध्, नी, मुह्
2. devas ... (nṛt, yudh, smṛ, sṛj)
   देवस् ... नृत्, युध्, स्मृ, सृज्
3. kavis ... (man, smṛ, viś)
   कविस् ... मन्, स्मृ, विश्
4. dhenus ... (viś, bhū)
   धेनुस् ... विश्, भू

B) Put the sentences formed in Exercise A into the plural.

C) Translate into Sanskrit:

1. He sacrifices with a sacrifice. (The sacrificial priest for a sacrifice lord)
2. Śiva dances.
3. Rāma leads.
4. Śūdras are confused.
5. The Kṣatriya women enter.
6. The LORD emanates.
7. The Kṣatriya sacrifices with a sacrifice. (as a sacrifice lord)
8. Śūdra women dance.
9. Kṣatriyas fight.
10. Holy men lead.
11. They remember.
12. Who (fem.) dances?
13. The (mentioned) Brahmin woman dances.

Śivo nṛtyati = शिवो नृत्यति
Śiva Naṭarāja (नटराज), Kadavul Hindu Temple, Kauai, Hawaii
(Image source: Wikipedia, CC-BY-SA 2.5)

6.9. Review Exercise

A) Insertion Exercise: Form questions to which the sentences you form after the following insertion exercises are answers:

1. devas ... (īśvara, nṛt, sṛj, agni, indra)
   देवस् ... ईश्वर, नृत्, सृज्, अग्नि, इन्द्र
2. (dvija, sādhu, kavi) ... brāhmaṇaḥ
   द्विज, साधु, कवि ... ब्राह्मणः
3. (śruti) ... vedaḥ
   श्रुति ... वेदः
4. (veda) ... śrutiḥ
   वेद ... श्रुतिः
5. (brāhmaṇa, guru) ... yajanti
   ब्राह्मण, गुरु ... यजन्ति
6. (devī) ... indrāṇī
   देवी ... इन्द्राणी
7. (śūdra, śūdrā, devī) ... nṛtyanti
   शूद्र, शूद्रा, देवी ... नृत्यन्ति
8. (kṣatriya) ... yudhyante
   क्षत्रिय ... युध्यन्ते
9. (brāhmaṇa, brāhmaṇī) ... viśanti
   ब्राह्मण, ब्राह्मणी ... विशन्ति
10. (guru) ... candrakīrtiḥ
    गुरु ... चन्द्रकीर्तिः
11. (sādhu) ... rāmaḥ
    साधु ... रामः

B) Put into the plural:

1. brāhmaṇo yajati. = ब्राह्मणो यजति
2. kaiṣā. = कैषा
3. kṣatriyo yajate. = क्षत्रियो यजते
4. sādhvī smarati. = साध्वी स्मरति
5. vaiśyā muhyati. = वैश्या मुह्यति
6. sṛjati. = सृजति
7. devī manyate. = देवी मन्यते
8. gururviśati. = गुरुर्विशति
9. ko 'yam. = को ऽयम्
10. iyaṃ devī nṛtyati. = इयं देवी नृत्यति
11. eṣa devo yudhyate. = एष देवो युध्यते
12. sa sṛjati. = स सृजति
13. paśurdhenuḥ. = पशुर्धेनुः
14. keyam. = केयम्

C) Form the Ātmanepada for:

1. rāmo yajati. = रामो यजति
2. kṣatriyā nayanti. = क्षत्रिया नयन्ति

D) Form the Feminine for:

1. śūdro nayati. = शूद्रो नयति
2. sādhurviśati. = साधुर्विशति
3. brāhmaṇaḥ smarati. = ब्राह्मणः स्मरति
4. kṣatriyo yudhyate. = क्षत्रियो युध्यते
5. devo guruḥ. = देवो गुरुः

E) Translate:

1. devatānnapūrṇā. = देवतान्नपूर्णा
2. śūdretarā. = शूद्रेतरा
3. vaiśyastulādhāraḥ. = वैश्यस्तुलाधारः
4. kavirmāghaḥ. = कविर्माघः
5. devyumā. = देव्युमा
6. śrutirvedaḥ. = श्रुतिर्वेदः
7. dhenurviśati. = धेनुर्विशति
8. guruścaitanyaḥ. = गुरुश्चैतन्यः
9. devīndrāṇī. = देवीन्द्राणी
10. sādhurguruḥ. = साधुर्गुरुः
11. gururyajate. = गुरुर्यजते

F) Translate into Sanskrit:

1. Rāma sacrifices (as the sacrificer).
2. Durgā is a goddess.
3. Mīnākṣī is a goddess.

Mīnākṣī (मीनाक्षी), Mīnākṣī Temple, Madurai, Tamil Nadu
(Image source: Wikipedia, Public domain)

4. They are confused.
5. Rāma is a holy man.
6. Who is the LORD?
7. Indra is the LORD.
8. The livestock enter.
9. Viṣṇu causes to emanate = Viṣṇu creates.
10. Twice-born are good.
11. The triple (knowledge) is the Sāmaveda, the Ṛgveda and the Yajurveda. (2 possibilities)
12. This goddess is good.
13. The five "torments" are: ignorance, ego-illusion, passion (love), hatred, attachment to the body. (2 possibilities)
14. "Abidance states of Brahman" are: friendly benevolence, compassion, sympathetic joy, equanimity. (2 possibilities)
15. These Brahmins sacrifice on behalf of others.
16. Brahmins, Kṣatriyas and Vaśyas are twice-born. (2 possibilities)
17. The sciences (for a prince) are: philosophy, the triple (Vedic knowledge), economics and politics. (2 possibilities)
18. Are you well?
19. (It goes for me) in every respect well.