Lesson 11

11.1. Double Accusative

Some verbs can govern a double accusative (dvitīyā): accusative of the person and accusative of the thing.

These include:
Verbs of speaking: to speak to someone (accusative) about something (accusative); to say something (accusative) to someone (accusative)
Verbs of asking: to ask someone (accusative) about something (accustive)
Verbs of teaching: to teach someone (accusative) something (accusative)
some further verbs, which are noted in the word lists

When such a construction is put into the passive voice, the person (who is asked etc.) is placed in the nominative (prathamā), while the thing (about which one is asked etc.) remains in the accusative.

e.g. rāmo brāhmaṇaṃ dharmaṃ pṛcchati = रामो ब्राह्मणं धर्मं पृच्छति = "Rāma asks the Brāhmaṇa about dharma."
» Passive: rāmeṇa brāhmaṇo dharmaṃ pṛcchyate = रामेण ब्राह्मणो धर्मं पृच्छयते

This rule applies only when both person and thing are objects. If a thing is the sole object, it stands in the nominative (prathamā) according to the basic scheme of the passive sentence:

e.g. rāmo dharmaṃ pṛcchati = रामो धर्मं पृच्छति = "Rāma asks about dharma."
» Passive: rāmeṇa dharmaḥ pṛcchyate = रामेण धर्मः पृच्छयते

11.2. Vocabulary List

Learn the following words:

iti इति : thus
Appears after the formulation of a thought, wish, utterance, or quotation, functioning like quotation marks (").
e.g. sādhavaḥ svargaṃ gacchantīti brāhmaṇā vadanti "Brahmins say: 'The righteous go to heaven'" = "Brahmins say that the righteous go to heaven".
Sanskrit has no indirect speech; formations with iti often need to be rendered in German as indirect speech.
... (quotation) ... iti śrutiḥ = "thus it is heard in the Veda".
Often a verb of thinking can be inferred after iti: "thinking: '...' he does that". Render idiomatically in German (e.g. "Because he is hungry, he goes...").

evam एवम् : thus (adverbially, e.g. evaṃ jayati "thus he conquers").
na न : not
Negates individual words (stands immediately before them: na sādhuḥ "a not-good person") or entire sentences (stands at the beginning or immediately before the verb).

putra m. पुत्र : son (In India it was necessary to beget a son who could perform the sacrifices for the ancestors.)
dharma m. धर्म : ("that which holds fast", i.e.) right, law, custom, character.
Corresponds most closely to natural law/moral law. Everyone has their own duties (svadharma) according to varṇa and āśrama (stage of life).
adharma m. अधर्म : wrong (opposite of dharma).
iṣ 6 P (icchati) इष् इच्छति : to wish (iṣ-ccha-ti).

Some nominal formations:

vad 1 P वद् : to say
vāda m. वाद : utterance, statement, word
vadana n. वदन : speaking; instrument of speech: mouth, face

Fig.: vadanāni = वदनानि
(Image source: Details)

prach 6 P प्रच्छ् : to ask
praśna m. प्रश्न : question (suffix -na as in yaj-ña)

iṣ 6 P इष् : to wish
iṣṭi f. इष्टि : wish (iṣ + -ti)

11.3. Exercise

A) Translate the following sentences:

1. ऋषिः सत्यं वदति ।
2. ब्राह्मणः पुत्रमिच्छति ।
3. साधुः स्वर्गं गच्छति ।
4. ब्राह्मणो ऽनृतं न वदतीति स्मृतिः ।
5. क्षत्रियो ब्राह्मणं धर्मं पृच्छति ।
6. एवं ब्राह्मणो यज्ञेन देवं यजति ।
7. पुत्रः पापं करोतीति वैश्या मन्यते ।
8. क्षत्रियः क्षत्रियेण सह युध्यते
9. अधर्मो ऽनृतमिति पुत्रः पापं न करोति । |
10. अयं क्षत्रियो धर्मं रक्षति । |
11. को ऽग्निं यजते । |
12. स श्रावको बुद्धं धर्मं पृच्छति ॥

B) Convert the sentences from A) into passive constructions.

C) In the sentences of A), where appropriate, change the subject, object, and predicate to the plural.

D) Form the passive construction for the sentences formed in C).

Fig.: śrāvako mahākāśyapaḥ = श्रावको महाकाश्यपः
(Image source: Details)

11.4. Review Exercise

A) Translate into Sanskrit using passive constructions:

1. Vaiśya women ask Brāhmaṇas about the Dharma.
2. The teacher utters a mantra.
3. Holy women attain to heaven.
4. A Vedic sage does no evil.
5. Brāhmaṇas worship the goddess with offerings as sacrificial priests.
6. The Śūdra woman goes to the village.
7. Who sees the truth?

B)

1. Use a dvandva to state the duties of all twice-borns. Resolve the compound into Sanskrit.
2. Use a dvandva to state the duties of the Vaiśyas. Resolve the compound into Sanskrit.

C) Translate:

1. श्रवणेन श्रूयते । |
2. कर्षर्कैः कृष्यते । |
3. श्रावकेणेश्वरो नेज्यते । |
4. रक्षिक्या गुरू रक्ष्यते । |
5. ब्राह्मणेनानृतं नोद्यते । |
6. शूद्रेतरा । |
7. शिक्षा कल्पो व्याकरणं निरुक्तं छन्दो ज्योतिषमङ्गानि । |
8. आन्वीक्षिकीत्रयीवार्त्तादण्डनीतयो विद्याः ॥

D) Translate and put the agent, object, and verb into the plural in Sanskrit:

1. फलमश्नुते । |
2. गुरुणा सत्यमुद्यते । |
3. वैश्यः पशुं लभते । |
4. पुत्रः पुण्यं करोति ॥

E) Transform sentences C) 1-5 into active constructions.

Fig.: karṣakeṇa kṛṣyate = कर्षकेण कृष्यते
(Image source: Details)