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Utseende
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Utseende
If one wants to express that someone or something causes or brings about that another person or thing does or experiences something expressed by a root (with or without prefix), the causative is used (णि, णिच्, कारित).
Example:
गम् "to go" » Causative: गमयति "he causes someone to go; he sends"
दृश् "to see" » Causative: दर्शयति "he causes to see = he shows"
Schema 1:
If the root underlying the causative (with or without prefix) is INTRANSITIVE (i.e., cannot take an accusative object) or expresses movement, knowledge, information, or eating:
Agent (कर्ता) of the causative in the Nominative (प्रथमा) — Agent of the caused action in the Accusative (द्वितीया) — (Goal of movement, object of knowledge, etc. in the Accusative = द्वितीया) — Verb in the Causative
Examples:
दुर्जनो रामं मोहयति = "an evil person causes Rāma to be confused = confuses Rāma = causes Rāma to err"
Result: रामो मुह्यति = "Rāma is confused / deluded / errs."
रामः शत्रून्स्वर्गं गमयति = "Rāma causes the enemies to go to heaven = sends the enemies to heaven"
Result: शत्रवः स्वर्गं गच्छन्ति = "the enemies go to heaven / come into heaven"
गुरू रामं वेदार्थं वेदयति = "The teacher causes Rāma to know the meaning of the Veda = explains / teaches Rāma the meaning of the Veda"
Result: रामो वेदार्थं वेत्ति = "Rāma knows / understands the meaning of the Veda"
स रामं वेदमध्यापयति = "he teaches Rāma the Veda"
Result: रामो वेदमधीते "Rāma studies the Veda"
रामो देवानामृतमाशयति = "Rāma causes the gods to eat nectar = gives the gods nectar to eat" (अश् 9 "to eat")
Result: देवा अमृतमश्नन्ति "The gods eat nectar"

Fig.: स नरान्प्रबन्धविज्ञानमध्यापयति
ISKCON Temple Bangalore.
(Bildekilde: Detaljer)
Constructed according to Schema 1, among others, is the root दृश्:
Exceptions to Schema 1 see under Schema 2
Example:
(स) रामं पुत्रं दर्शयति = "he shows the son to Rāma"
The following verse summarizes examples for the causative formation according to Schema 1 (the verbal forms are each in the 3rd person Imperfect Parasmaipada):
शत्रूनगमयत्स्वर्गं वेदार्थं स्वानवेदयत् । आशयच्चामृतं देवान् वेदमध्यापयद्विधिम् । आसयत्सलिलै पृथ्वीं यः स मे श्रीहरिगतिः ॥
My refuge and my goal is Hari,
Who sent the enemies to heaven,
Who taught his followers the meaning of the Veda,
Who fed the gods with nectar,
Who taught the Creator the Veda,
Who placed the earth in the water.

Fig.: स मे श्रीहरिगतिः
Jadavpur University Management building.
(Bildekilde: Detaljer)
Schema 2:
For transitive verbs (except those mentioned under Schema 1). Also for all verbs, when the action denoted by the causative is caused (i.e., when the causative is a causative of a causative):
Agent (कर्ता) of the causative in the nominative (प्रथमा) — Agent of the caused action in the instrumental (तृतीया) — Object of the caused action in the case it would take with the simple verb (i.e., usually in the accusative) — Verb in the causative
Examples:
(स) रामेण भार्यां त्याजयति = "He causes Rāma to abandon his wife"
Result: रामो भार्यां त्यजति = "Rāma abandons his wife"
विष्णुमित्रो रामेण गोविन्दं गमयति = "Viṣṇumitra causes Rāma to cause Govinda to go = Viṣṇumitra has Rāma send off Govinda"
Result: रामो गोविन्दं गमयति = "Rāma sends off Govinda"
Result of this result: गोविन्दो गच्छति = "Govinda goes"
Exceptions to Schema 1:
The following verbs also construct according to Schema 2:
Causative of:
नी "to lead"
वह् "to travel" (only when the agent of the caused action is not a driver)
स्मृ "to remember" (there are exceptions to this)
अद् "to eat"
खाद् "to chew"
Examples:
रामो भृत्येन भारं नाययति वाहयति वा = "Rāma has the servant lead or drive the burden"
Result: भृत्यो भारं नयति वहति वा = "The servant leads or drives the burden"
रामो बालेनान्नमादयति खादयति वा = "Rāma has the boy eat or chew food"
Result: बालो ऽन्नमत्ति खादति वा = "the boy eats or chews food"
(स) रामेण स्मारयति = "He causes Rāma to remember"
Result: रामः स्मरति = "Rāma remembers"
The following causatives can be constructed according to both Schema 1 and Schema 2:
हृ "to hold, to fetch"
कृ "to do, to make"
Ātmanepadakausativ to दृश्
Examples:
रामो भृत्यं कटं कारयति हारयति वा = "Rāma has the servant make or fetch a mat (कट m.)"
or:
रामो भृत्येन कटं कारयति हारयति वा
Result: भृत्यः कटं करोति हरति वा = "The servant makes or fetches a mat"
रामो बालं प्रतिमां दर्शयते = "Rāma has the boy see the portrait = shows the boy the portrait (for his own benefit)"
or:
रामो बालेन प्रतिमां दर्शयते
Result: बालः प्रतिमां पश्यति = "the boy sees the portrait"
When the causative is used in a passive construction, the following schema is almost always applied:
Schema A (Passive Construction):
Agent of the causative in the Instrumental (तृतीया) — Agent of the caused action in the Nominative (प्रथमा) — Object of the caused action in the case it would have according to the simple verb (i.e., usually in the Accusative) — Verb in the causative
Examples:
गुरुणा रामो ग्रामं गम्यते = "The master sends Rāma to the village"
Result: रामो ग्रामं गच्छति = "Rāma goes to the village"
रामेण भृत्यः कटं कार्यते = "Rāma has the servant make a mat"
Result: भृत्यः कटं करोति = "The servant makes a mat"
रामेण भृत्यो भारं हार्यते = "Rāma has the servant fetch the load"
Result: भृत्यो भारं हरति = "The servant fetches the load"
The thematic endings of the present stem are added to the causative stem
There are various formation types:
Formation Type 1: (usually) guṇa-grade root + -aya-
Examples:
| Root | Causative 3rd sg. Indicative Present | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| विश् | वेशयति | he/she/it causes to enter, leads in |
| लुभ् | लोभयति | to cause desire, to make desirous, to entice |
| दृश् | दर्शयति | to cause to see = to show |
| वृत् | वर्तयति | to cause to turn, to turn (transitive), to roll (transitive), to set in motion |
Formation Type 2: dīrgha-grade root + -aya-
Often with roots ending in a vowel, and with roots where a single final consonant follows -a-.
Examples:
| Root | Causative 3rd sg. Indicative Present | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| भू | भावयति (aus: bhau-aya-ti) | to cause someone or something to become, to produce |
| इ | आययति (aus: ai-aya-ti) | to cause someone to go |
| नी | नाययति (aus: nai-aya-ti) | to cause to lead |
| कृ | कारयति (kār-aya-ti) | to cause to do |
| वच् | वाचयति (vāc-aya-ti) | to cause to speak, to make speak, (to have a text spoken =) to read aloud |
Formation Type 3: zero-grade root + -aya-
Occurs.
Example:
| Root | Causative 3rd sg. Indicative Present | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| दुष् | दूषयति (dūṣ-aya-ti) | to corrupt (someone) |
Formation Type 4: Root + -paya-
For roots ending in -ā and some other roots.
Examples:
| Root | Causative 3. sg. Indicative Present | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| स्था | स्थापयति (sthā-paya-ti) | to make stand, to set up |
| इ + अधि "to study" | अध्यापयति (out of: adhi+ā-paya-ti) (for explanation see Thumb-Hauschildt Vol. I,2 p. 341) | to cause to study, to instruct |
Irregular formations:
Native grammarians consider the following forms as causatives:
han : Caus. ghātayati¹ "to cause to strike, to kill"
pā 2 "to guard": pālayati² "to bring across, to save, to protect"
Notes:
The passive of the causative is formed as follows:
Causative stem WITHOUT -aya- + Passive suffix -ya-
Examples:
bhāvyate (bhāv-ya-te) "he/she/it is caused to be"
sthāpyate (sthāp-ya-te) "he/she/it is caused to be set up"
While the passive of the original root is usually formed from the zero-grade root, one can generally recognize the passive of the causative by the fact that it is formed from the strong or lengthened-grade root.
The future of the causative is formed from the causative stem, whereby the final -a- of the causative suffix drops:
-ay-iṣya-
Example:
budh Future-Causative: bodhayiṣyati (bodh-ay-i-ṣya-ti): "he/she/it will awaken"
Causative stem in -ay- (without final a) + -i- + -ta
Examples:
gam — gamayati — gamita (gam-i-ta) "sent" (PPP of the simple root: gata)
sthā — sthāpayati — sthāpita (sthāp-i-ta) "placed"
The absolutives in -tvā are formed from the causative stem in -ay- (without final a):
Causative stem in -ay- + -i- + -tvā
Example:
sthāpayitvā (sthā-pay-i-tvā) "after having placed"
The absolutives in -ya usually attach to the causative stem WITHOUT -aya- for causatives with prefixes
Examples:
prabudh — prabodhayati — prabodhya (pra-bodh-ya) "after having awakened"
ānī — ānayati — ānāyya (ā-nāy-ya) "after having caused to lead up, after having caused to bring"
However, if the root syllable of the causative contains a short -a- before a single consonant, the -ya of the absolutives attaches to the causative stem in -ay- (without final a)
Example:
āgam — āgamayati — āgamayya (ā-gamay-ya) "after having caused to come"
The infinitive for the causative is formed from the causative stem in -ay- (without final a):
Causative stem in -ay- + -i- + -tum
Example:
jan — janayati — janayitum (janay-i-tum) "to produce"
In the same way as causatives, some roots of the 10th present class form their present (and other tenses) without being causatives.
Examples:
The forms of the causative for verbs of the 10th present class are identical to the forms of the simple verb. The decision as to whether a causative is present can only be made based on meaning or sometimes on construction.
विद् 2P वेत्ति, विदन्ति: to know, to recognize
Fut. vediṣyati
Pass. vidyate
Caus. vedayati
PPP vidita
Inf. vediṣyum
from which: vidyā f., veda m.
विद् 6U विन्दति (!): to find
Fut. vediṣyati / vetsyat
Pass. vidyate: there is, it exists
Caus. vedayati
PPP vinna / vitta
Inf. vediṣtum / vettum
i + adhi 2A adhīte, adhīyate: to study, to memorize
Caus. adhyāpayati: to cause to study, to teach
from which: adhyayana n.: study (esp. of the Veda); adhyāya m.: lesson, chapter (section for memorization)
कम् 10Ā कामयते: to love
Fut. kāmayiṣyate / kamiṣyate
Pass. kāmyate
Kaus. kāmayati
PPP kānta (!)
Inf. kāmayitum / kamitum

Fig.: कृष्णो राधां कामयति
Painting by राजा रवि वर्मा (1848 - 1906)
(Bildekilde: Detaljer)
चुर् 10 चोरयति: to steal
Fut. corayiṣyati
Pass. coryate
Kaus. corayati
PPP corita
Inf. coritum
Pay special attention to the meaning of the causatives for the following verbs:
dṛś — darśayati: to show
man — mānayati: to esteem, to honor (but is probably a denominative from māna "honor")
vac — vācayati: also: to read aloud (to cause someone to speak a text)
vad — vādayati: also: to cause a musical instrument to speak = to play a musical instrument

Fig.: वीणां वादयति
Vīṇā-Spielerin.
(Bildekilde: Detaljer)
भार m.: burden

Fig.: बाला भारं हरति
Girl carrying burden. Near Ahmedabad.
(Bildekilde: Detaljer)
भृत्य m.: subordinate, servant
A) Form the causative of the following verb forms and participial forms, and provide their meaning:
1. With strong-grade root:
2. With root in the strengthened grade:
3. Causative in -पय
4. Pay special attention to and learn the following causative formations
B. Translate the following sentences, resolve the compounds into Sanskrit, and form sentences using the simple verbs that express what happens when the action denoted by the causative is brought about:
Example: रामो दासं भारं हारयति » दासो भारं हरति शत्रुजयाय क्षत्रियो ब्राह्मणेन हरिहरं याजयित्वारीन्योत्स्यते ॥१॥ गुरुर्बालान्वेदमध्याप्य गृहं गतः ॥२॥ गर्भगृहे देवीप्रतिमा दृश्यते ॥३॥ यजन्नग्निनान्नमादयति पानं च पाययति ॥४॥ पुत्रे जाते ब्राह्मणी दासं ब्राह्मणं गमयति । ब्राह्मणस्तं दासं गृहं प्रवेश्य पुत्रं पृच्छति । सुभगः पुत्र इति दासो वक्ति । तच्छ्रुत्वा ब्राह्मणो सुखतां गच्छति ॥५॥ स्तुवता नरेण देवा महाकवेः स्तोत्राणि श्राविताः ॥६॥ आर्ययोधैर्महायुद्धे ऽरयो मार्यन्ते ॥७॥ सत्क्षत्रिया ब्राह्मणेनेष्टदेवतापूजां कारयति । स ब्राह्मणः पूजां कृत्वा क्षत्रियाया धनमेषिष्यति ॥८॥ धनं जेतुं महाक्षत्रियो योधव्याघ्रैर्व्रतानि चारयिष्यति ॥९॥ पापान्मोक्षार्थेन सुगत आर्यजनानार्यसत्यानि बोधयति ॥१०॥