Lesson 4

4.1. Simple Alternative Questions (Word Questions) and Answers

4.1.1. Interrogative Pronouns and Demonstrative Pronouns

4.1.1.1. Interrogative Pronouns (praśnārthakasarvanāma n. = प्रश्नार्थकसर्वनामन्)

	Nominative singular	Nominative plural
Neuter	kim = किम्	kāni = कानि
Masculine	kas = कस्	ke = के
Feminine	kā = का	kās = कास्

4.1.1.2. Demonstrative Pronouns (nidarśakasarvanāmāni n. = निदर्शकसर्वनामानि)

Stems
	tad = तद् "he, she, it; the" (mentioned)	etad = एतद् "this" (very close to the speaker)	idam = इदम् "this" (close)
Nominative singular
Neuter	tad = तद्	etad = एतद्	idam = इदम्
Masculine	sa, so saḥ = स सो सः	eṣa, eṣo, eṣaḥ = एष एषो एषः	ayam = अयम्
Feminine	sā = सा	eṣā = एषा	iyam = इयम्
Nominative plural
Neuter	tāni = तानि	etāni = एतानि	imāni = इमानि
Masculine	te = ते	ete = एते	ime = इमे
Feminine	tās = तास्	etās = एतास्	imās इमास्

Regarding Nom. sg. masc.:
sa, eṣa (स एष) stands before all sounds except short -a
so, eṣo (सो एषो) stands before -a, which is elided (omitted) with Avagraha
saḥ, eṣaḥ (सः एषः) stands only in pause (end of sentence, end of verse)

In order to form sentences with these pronouns (sarvanāman n.), knowledge of the following sandhi rules is still necessary:

4.1.2. Sandhi of final -m

Final -m is replaced by Anusvāra (-ṃ) before consonants. At the end of a sentence or verse, and before vowels, -m remains unchanged.

4.1.3. Sandhi of final -e

1. before a-: -e remains unchanged; the initial a- is elided with Avagraha:
   e.g. ete + agnayas » ete 'gnayaḥ = एते ऽग्नयः "These fires"

2. Before vowels other than short a-: -e is usually replaced by -a with hiatus. Replacement by -ay also occurs:
   e.g. ime + īśvarās » ima īśvarāḥ = इम ईश्वराः (rarely: imay īśvarāh = इमयीश्वराः) "These LORDS"

4.1.4. Sandhi of final -d

Final -d is replaced by -t in pause, as well as before voiceless gutturals (k, kh) and labials (p, ph).

Replacement before other consonants will be discussed later. Avoid such sound collisions for now!

4.1.5. Question formulas

Using these pronouns, one forms question formulas such as the following:

Singular	Neuter	tat kim? /kiṃ tat? तत्किम्, किं तत् etat kim? /kim etat? एतत्किम्, किमेतत् idaṃ kim? / kim idam इदं किम्, किमिदम्	"What is that?"
	Masculine	sa kaḥ? / kaḥ saḥ? स कः, कः सः eṣa kaḥ? / ka eṣaḥ एष कः, क एषः ayaṃ kaḥ? / ko 'yam? अयं कः, को ऽयम्	"Who is that?" "What is he?"
	Feminine	sā kā? / kā sā? सा का, का सा eṣā kā? / kaiṣā? (= kā + eṣā) एषा का, कैषा iyaṃ kā? / keyam? (= kā + iyam) इयं का, केयम्	"Who is that?" "Who is she?"
Plural	Neuter	tāni kāni? / kāni tāni? तानि कानि, कानि तानि etāni kāni? / kāny etāni? एतानि कानि, कान्येतानि imāni kāni? / kānīmāni? (= kāni + imāni) इमानि कानि, कानीमानि
	Masculine	te ke? / ke te? ते के, के ते ete ke? / ka ete? एते के, क एते ime ke? / ka ime? इमे के, क इमे
	Feminine	tāḥ kāḥ? / kās tāḥ? ताः काः, कास्ताः etāḥ kāḥ? / kā etāḥ? एताः काः, का एताः imāḥ kāḥ? / kā imāḥ? इमाः काः, का इमाः

Another example of other questions:

viṣṇuḥ kaḥ? = विष्णुः कः Answer: viṣṇur īśvaraḥ = विष्णुरीश्वरः. (In a nominal sentence, the subject can be placed at the beginning to emphasize the connection to the question.)

NOTE: The answers you can give to such questions with your current Sanskrit knowledge do not, of course, yet correspond in every respect to idiomatic good Sanskrit.

4.2. Exercise

A) Form questions orally using the following words according to the pattern viṣṇuḥ kaḥ (विष्णुः कः) and answer the questions in Sanskrit:

śruti, śiva, brāhmaṇa, dvija (plural), indrāṇī, dhenu, tulādhara, kālidāsa

= श्रुति, शिव, ब्राह्मण, द्विज (बहुवचनम्), इन्द्राणी, धेनु, तुलाधर, कालिदास

B) Form questions for the following reading exercise according to the pattern etat kim (एतत्किम्) and answer the questions using the specified words and demonstrative pronouns, e.g. eṣa bālaḥ (एष बालः):

(Bildekilde: Detaljer)