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Lesson 12

In this lesson you will learn:

  • The Perfect Passive Participle (PPP)
  • The meaning of the PPP
  • The formation of the PPP
  • Laws of sound combination in words
  • Passive and PPP of the roots learned so far

12.1. Perfect Passive Participle (PPP)

One way to form passive sentences of the past is the construction with the so-called Perfect Passive Participle (PPP).

In reality, the PPP is not a true participle, as it is not formed from a tense stem. Rather, it is a nominal formation from the root with the primary suffix -ta or -na. Therefore, in Indian grammar, one speaks of the suffix kta.

12.1.1. सकर्मकधातूनां योजना

Agent (kartṛ) in the Instrumental (tṛtīyā) -- direct object (karman) in the Nominative (prathamā) -- Perfect Passive Participle

In this case, the PPP agrees with the object in number, case, and gender.

An auxiliary verb ("to be") is not necessary.

Examples:

sādhunā svarga āptaḥ = साधुना स्वर्ग आप्तः = "(By the saint, a heaven was attained) = The saint has attained a heaven."

brāhmaṇena devīṣṭā = ब्राह्मणेन देवीष्टा = "(By the Brahmin, the goddess was worshipped with a sacrifice) = The Brahmin has worshipped the goddess with a sacrifice."

12.1.2. अकर्मकधातूनां गतिधातूनां च योजना १

Agent (kartṛ) in the Nominative (prathamā) -- Perfect Passive Participle

In this case, the PPP agrees with the agent in number, case, and gender. The Perfect Participle "Passive" has active meaning with intransitive verbs (verbs without a direct object) and verbs of motion.

Example:

kṣatriyā nagaraṃ gatā = क्षत्रिया नगरं गता = "The Kṣatriya woman has gone into the city."

12.1.3. अकर्मकधातूनां गतिधातूनां च योजना २

Agent (kartṛ) in the Instrumental (tṛtīyā) -- PPP in the Nominative Singular Neuter

Example:

kṣatriyeṇa (nagaraṃ) gatam = क्षत्रियेण (नगरं) गतम् = "(By the Kṣatriya, (into the city) was gone) = The Kṣatriya has (gone into the city)."

The construction according to Schema II is much rarer than the construction according to Schema I.

12.2. On the meaning of the PPP

Thus, while the so-called "Perfect Passive Participle" for transitive verbs has primarily passive meaning (āpta = "reached (been)") and for intransitive verbs and verbs of motion active meaning (gata = "gone"), there are some verbs for which the PPP can have both active and passive meaning:

e.g.

  • gata = गत = "gone" (active); but also: gato mārgaḥ = गतो मार्गः = "a gone path" (passive)
  • āpta = आप्त = "reached (been)" (passive), "having reached" (active)

12.3. Formation of the PPP

The following forms of formation occur (for each root, its PPP must be learned!):

(mostly) strong-grade root

  • + -ta
    • with connecting vowel -i- before: -ita
    • without connecting vowel: -ta
  • + -na

The feminine stems are: -tā, -itā, -nā; the neuter declines like phala n.

12.3.1. PPP in -ta (kta)

12.3.1.1. Without connecting vowel -i- (aniṭ)

aniṭ = “without (an-) the suffix preceding (-i-) t” (i.e., without the connecting vowel i).

Without a connecting vowel, the PPP is generally formed from roots ending in a vowel as well as from many other roots, without there being a fixed rule for this, regarding at which structured roots the connecting vowel occurs or does not.

A list of aniṭ roots can be found in Kielhorn, Grammar § 298.

Examples:

RootPPP (kta)
bhū 1 P
(भू)
bhū-ta
(भूत)
smṛ 1 P
(स्मृ)
smṛ-ta
(स्मृत)
nṛt 4 P
(nṛt-ta)
(नृत्त)
nṛt-ta
(नृत्त)
1 U
(नी)
nī-ta
(नीत)
man 4 Ā
(मन्)
ma-ta (*mn-ta)
(मत)
su 5 U
(सु)
su-ta
(सुत)
gam 1 P
(गम्)
ga-ta (< *gm-ta)
(गत)
ji 1 P
(जि)
ji-ta
(जित)
śru 5 P
(श्रु)
śru-ta
(श्रुत)
kṛ 8 U
(कृ)
kṛ-ta
(कृत)
tan 8 U
(तन्)
ta-ta (< *tn-ta)
(तत)
iṣ 6 P
(इष्)
iṣ-ṭa
(इष्ट)

12.3.1.2. With connecting vowel -i- (seṭ)

seṭ = sa-iṭ = “with (sa-) the suffix preceding (-i-) t” (i.e., with the connecting vowel i).

Examples:

RootPPP (kta)
kup 4 P
(कुप्)
kup-i-ta
(कुपित)
khād 1 P
(खाद्)
khād-i-ta
(खादित)
rakṣ 1 P
(रक्ष्)
rakṣ-i-ta
(रक्षित)
vad 1 P
(वद्)
ud-i-ta (< *vd-i-ta)
(उदित)

12.4. Laws of phonetic combination in the word

In aniṭ formations, the following laws of phonetic combination in the word must be observed. These laws are very important for the understanding of the entire Sanskrit morphology.

1. k, t, p before a voiceless stop (e.g. t, th) remain unchanged:pt, tt, kt = प्त्, त्त्, क्त्
2. ct is replaced by kt = क्त्:muc + ta » muk-ta = मुक्त
3. śt is replaced by ṣṭ = ष्ट्:dṛś + ti » dṛṣṭi = दृष्टि
dṛś + ta » dṛṣṭa = दृष्ट
viś + ta » viṣṭa = विष्ट
4. A voiced unaspirated stop – except j – before a voiceless sound is replaced by the corresponding voiceless unaspirated sound:d + t(h) » tt(h) = त्त्, त्थ् (important for the 2nd present class)
5. jt is replaced by kt or ṣṭ (not facultative!):yuj + ta » yuk-ta = युक्त
yaj + ta » iṣ-ṭa = इष्ट (< *yj-ta)
sṛj + ta » sṛṣ-ṭa = सृष्ट
sṛj + ti » sṛṣ-ṭi = सृष्टि
6. Voiced aspirated stop + voiceless stop » voiced unaspirated stop + voiced aspirated stop (Bartholomae’s Aspirate Law):bh-t » b-dh:
labh + ta » lab-dha = लब्ध
dh-t » d-dh:
budh + ta » bud-dha = बुद्ध
yudh + ta » yud-dha = युद्ध
krudh + ta » krud-dha = क्रुद्ध
7. h-t wird replaced by ḍh with lengthening of a preceding i or u; or by gdh. Before such a ḍh, a is replaced by o, rarely by ā:dah + ta » dag-dha = दग्ध
guh + ta » gūḍha = गूढ (guh 1 (gūhati) „etwas verbergen”)
muh + ta » mug-dha / mūḍha = मुग्ध / मूढ
sah + ta » soḍha = सोढ

12.5. Word List

  • budh 4 Ā (budhyate) / 1 U (bodhati), PPP buddha बुध् बुध्यते बोधति बुद्ध : to awaken, to awaken to knowledge, to recognize; PPP buddha 3 awakened, hence Buddha = “the Awakened” (not: the Enlightened)


Fig.: गौतमो बुद्धः
(Image source: Details)

  • dah 1 P (dahati), PPP dagdha दह् दहति दग्ध : to burn (something)
  • sah 1 Ā (sahate), PPP soḍha सह् sahate soḍha : to overcome, to endure, to endure patiently = to forgive
  • mṛga m. मृग : wild animal
  • mārga m. मार्ग : path (paths were often game trails)


Fig.: मार्गः
(Image source: Details)

  • api अपि : also (postposed)

Some roots are counted by indigenous grammarians among the 6th conjugation class, which form the present stem with nasal infix and thematic vowel a, e.g.:

  • muc 6 U (muñcati), PPP mukta मुच् मुञ्चति मुक्त : to unfasten, to release, to liberate; to liberate from the cycle of rebirths (saṃsāra m.) = to save
  • sic 6 U (siñcati), PPP sikta सिच् सिञ्चति सिक्त : to sprinkle

Regarding word formation:

  • muc: mokṣa m. मोक्ष : release, liberation, salvation
  • sic + abhi-: abhiṣeka m. अभिषेक : sprinkling of a king during the royal consecration, royal consecration
  • budh: bodhi m./f. बोधि : awakening (through which a Buddha or Jina attains liberating insight)


Fig.: महावीरो जिनः
(Image source: Details)

  • buddhi f. (budh + -ti) बुद्धि : knowledge, organ of knowledge.

12.5.1. Passive and PPP of the roots learned so far

Root
धातु
Passiv Present 3. sg. Indikativ
यक् लट्
PPP
क्त
5 Ā
अश्
aśyate
अश्यते
aṣṭa
अष्ट
āp 5 P
आप्
āpyate
आप्यते
āpta
आप्त
as 2 P
अस्
bhūta
भूत
bhaj 1 U
भज्
bhajyate
भज्यते
bhakta
भक्त
bhū 1 P
भू
bhūyate
भूयते
bhūta
भूत
budh 4 Ā / 1 U
बुध्
budhyate
बुध्यते
buddha
बुद्ध
dah 1 P
दह्
dahyate
दह्यते
dagdha
दग्ध
div 4 P
दिव्
dīvyate
दीव्यते
dyūta
द्यूत
dṛś
दृश्
dṛśyate
दृश्यते
dṛṣṭa
दृष्ट
gam 1 P
गम्
gamyate
गम्यते
gata
गत
grah 9 U
ग्रह्
gṛhyate
गृह्यते
gṛhīta
गृहीत
hṛ 1 U
हृ
hriyate
ह्रियते
hṛta
हृत
i 2 P
īyate
ईयते
ita
इत
iṣ 6 P
इष्
iṣyate
इष्यते
iṣṭa
इष्ट
jan 4 Ā
जन्
janyate
जन्यते
jāta
जात
ji 1 P
जि
jīyate
जीयते
jita
जित
kath 10 U
कथ्
kathyate
कथ्यते
kathita
कथित
khād 1 P
खाद्
khādyate
खाद्यते
khādita
खादित
kṛ 8 U
कृ
kriyate
क्रियते
kṛta
कृत
krudh 4 P
क्रुध्
krudhyate
क्रुध्यते
kruddha
क्रुद्ध
kup 4 P
कुप्
kupyate
कुप्यते
kupita
कुपित
labh 1 Ā
लभ्
labhyate
लभ्यते
labdha
लब्ध
man 4 Ā
मन्
manyate
मन्यते
mata
मत
mṛ 6 Ā
मृ
mriyate
म्रियते
mṛta
मृत
muc 6 U
मुच्
mucyate
मुच्यते
mukta
मुक्त
1 U
नी
nīyate
नीयते
nīta
नीत
paś
पश्
(dṛśyate)
दृश्यते
(dṛṣṭa)
दृष्ट
pat 1 P
पत्
patyate
पत्यते
patita
पतित
prach 6 P
प्रच्छ्
pṛcchyate
पृच्छ्यते
pṛṣṭa
पृष्ट
pūj 10 U
पूज्
pūjyate
पूज्यते
pūjita
पूजित
rakṣ 1 P
रक्ष्
rakṣyate
रक्ष्यते
rakṣita
रक्षित
ram 1 Ā
रम्
ramyate
रम्यते
rata
रत
sah 1 Ā
सह्
sahyate
सह्यते
soḍha
सोढ
sic 6 U
सिच्
sicyate
सिच्यते
sikta
सिक्त
śru 5 P
श्रु
śrūyate
श्रूयते
śruta
श्रुत
su 5 U
सु
sūyate
सूयते
suta
सुत
svap 2 P
स्वप्
supyate
सुप्यते
supta
सुप्त
tyaj 1 P
त्यज्
tyajyate
त्यज्यते
tyakta
त्यक्त
uch
उछ्
uṣita
उषित
vad 1 P
वद्
udyate
उद्यते
udita
उदित
vas 1 P
वस्
uṣyate
उष्यते
uṣita
उषित
vadh
वध्
vadyate
वद्यते
hata
हत
yaj 1 U
यज्
ijyate
इज्यते
iṣṭa
इष्ट
yudh 4 Ā
युध्
yudhyate
युध्यते
yuddha
युद्ध

12.6. Exercise

A) Form passive sentences in the past tense from the active sentences of Lesson 7, Exercise A, using past tense active sentences for intransitive verbs and verbs of motion.

B) Form the corresponding PPPs from the verb forms of Lesson 10, Exercise A. Note that a form like sṛjati corresponds to PPPs in all three genders.

C) Put the sentences from Lesson 10, Exercise C, into the passive voice in the past tense.

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