Lesson 21

21.1. Further present stems in -nt

21.1.1. Present Participle (लडादेशः) Parasmaipada

This participle is a nominal formation derived from the present stem, thus constituting a true participle. It functions as an adjective indicating that someone or something is currently performing the action expressed by the verbal root (+ prefix) while another event occurs. It can also express a continuous state.

Examples:

"While the father reads, he smokes = the reading father smokes"
"a being (= real, genuine) friend"

Formation of the Present Participle Parasmaipada for thematic present stems:
Masculine, Neuter
	strong stem	present stem + -nt-
	weak stem	present stem + -t-
Feminine
		present stem + -nt- + -ī (declension like devī देवी)
	6th present class	present stem + -nt- + -ī oder::brpresent stem + -t- + -ī

Examples:

1. Present class:

yajant :brयजन्त् "one who worships with a sacrifice"

		Masculine पुंस्	Neuter नपुंसक	Feminine स्त्री
Singular एकवचन	1. Nominative प्रथमा	यजन् aus yaja-nt-s	यजत् yaja-t-Ø	यजन्ती yaja-ant-ī
	2. Accusative द्वितीया	यजन्तम् yaja-nt-am	यजत्	like devī देवी
	3. Instrumental तृतीया	यजता yaja-t-ā	यजता
	6. Genitive षष्ठी	यजतस् yaja-t-as	यजतस्
Plural बहुवचन	1. Nominative प्रथमा	यजन्तस् yaja-nt-as	यजन्ति yaja-nt-i
	2. Accusative द्वितीया	यजतस् yaja-t-as	यजन्ति
	3. Instrumental तृतीया	यजद्भिस् aus yaja-t-bhis	यजद्भिस्
	6. Genitive षष्ठी	यजताम् yaja-t-ām	यजताम्

Note the identical form of यजन्ति (Nom. pl. Neuter) with the 3rd person plural!

4. Present class

नृत्यन्त् "dancing"

• Masculine Nom. sg. नृत्यन्
• Neuter Nom. Acc. sg. नृत्यत्
• Feminine Nom. sg. नृत्यन्ती

6. Present class

विशन्त् "entering"

• Masculine Nom. sg. विशन्
• Neuter Nom. Acc. sg. विशत्
• Feminine Nom. sg. विशन्ती । विशती

Formation of the Present Participle Parasmaipada for athematic present stems (except 3rd present class):
Masculine, Neuter
	strong stem	Present stem + -ant-
	weak stem	Present stem + -at- (The final sound of the weak present stem is identical to that before the 3rd Plural P.)
Feminine
		Present stem + -at- + -ī (Declension like devī देवी)

2. Present class:

अस् "to be": सन्त् "being, true, good, real"

		Masculine पुंस्	Neuter नपुंसक	Feminine स्त्री
Singular एकवचन	1. Nominative प्रथमा	सन् from s-ant-s	सत् s-at-Ø	सती s-at-ī
	2. Accusative द्वितीया	सन्तम् s-ant-am	सत्	like devī देवी
	3. Instrumental तृतीया	सता s-at-ā	सता
	6. Genitive षष्ठी	सतस् s-at-as	सतस्
Plural बहुवचन	1. Nominative प्रथमा	सन्तस् s-ant-as	सन्ति s-ant-i
	2. Accusative द्वितीया	सतस् s-at-as	सन्ति
	3. Instrumental तृतीया	सद्भिस् from s-at-bhis	सद्भिस्
	6. Genitive षष्ठी	सताम् s-at-ām	सताम्

¹ सती "a good (faithful) woman (who has herself burned with her husband after his death)" English: sati

Fig.: सती memorial plaque
सती memorial plaque in the palace of Jodhpur - ⟪जोधपुर / Rajasthan - ⟪राजस्थान
(Image source: Details)

5. Present class:

सु "to press": सुन्वन्त्

• Masculine Nom. sg. सुन्वन्
• Neuter Nom. Acc. sg. सुन्वत्
• Feminine Nom. sg. सुन्वती

8. Present class

कृ "to do": कुर्वन्त्

• Masculine Nom. sg. कुर्वन्
• Neuter Nom. Acc. sg. कुर्वत्
• Feminine Nom. sg. कुर्वती

21.1.2. महान्त् "great"

Masculine, Neuter
	strong stem	महान्त्
	weak stem	महत्
Feminine
		महती like devī देवी

		Masculine पुंस्	Neuter नपुंसक	Feminine स्त्री
Singular एकवचन	1. Nominative प्रथमा	महान् from mahānt-s	महत् mahat-Ø	महती mahat-ī
	2. Accusative द्वितीया	महान्तम् mahānt-am	महत्	like devī देवी
	3. Instrumental तृतीया	महता mahat-ā	महता
	6. Genitive षष्ठी	महतस् mahat-as	महतस्
Plural बहुवचन	1. Nominative प्रथमा	महान्तस् mahānt-as	महान्ति mahānt-i
	2. Accusative द्वितीया	महतस् mahat-as	महान्ति
	3. Instrumental तृतीया	महद्भिस् from mahat-bhis	महद्भिस्
	6. Genitive षष्ठी	महताम् mahat-ām	महताम्

As the first member of a compound, instead of महत् महा:

Examples:

महादेव "the great god" (e.g. शिव)
महादेवी "the great goddess, the chief wife of a king (देव)"

Fig.: महादेवो विष्णुः
"A 4th-6th century CE Sardonyx seal representing Vishnu with a worshipper. The inscription in cursive Bactrian reads: "Mihira, Vishnu and Shiva".
(Image source: Details)

"A 4th-6th century CE Sardonyx seal representing Vishnu with a worshipper. The inscription in cursive Bactrian reads: 'Mihira, Vishnu and Shiva'."

21.2. Sandhi for final nasals

After a short vowel, final nasals – except -m – are doubled before an initial vowel.

Example:

जयन् + अरिः » जयन्नरिः "the victorious enemy"

21.3. Polite forms of address

In Sanskrit, one can address someone in the 2nd person singular without being impolite. However, if one wishes to be polite, a noun meaning "Venerable" or similar can be used, and the verb placed in the 3rd person singular or plural, or a passive construction can be used. The escalation of politeness in the use of person when addressing someone is roughly as follows:

2. sg. » 2. pl. » 3. sg. with corresponding noun » 3. pl. with corr. noun

The most important such polite noun is भवन्त् , fem.: भवती . It corresponds in its usage to our polite "You" (formal).
This भवन्त् is a contraction of भगवन्त्, its declension is that of nouns ending in -vant (see Lesson 13). This भवन्त् is to be distinguished from the present participle P of भू "to become" भवन्त् : the nom. sg. masc. of भवन्त् "You" (formal) is भवान्, that of the participle भवन्.

Examples:

किं भवान्करोति = किं भवता क्रियते = "What are you doing?"

polite:

किं भवन्तः कुर्वन्ति = किं भवद्भिः क्रियते

Feminine:

किं भवती करोति = किं भवत्या क्रियते
किं भवत्यः कुर्वन्ति = किं भवतीभिः क्रियते

Further words that can be used similarly to भवन्त्:

• आर्य (f.: आर्या) "Noble". e.g. यदार्य इच्छति "What you wish"
• महाभाग "the one whose share / fortune is great = Noble". Often used by women when addressing or speaking about men of good standing. Very common in modern spoken Sanskrit.

If one wishes to express not only politeness but also reverence for someone, one uses भवन्त् अत्रभवन्त् for someone who is present or nearby, and तत्रभवन्त् for someone absent or distant. अत्रभवन्त् and तत्रभवन्त् can be translated as "you", "Your Grace", "Your Reverence" etc.:

किमत्रभवत्यत्रभवतां भार्या = "Is the gracious (here present) woman your wife?"
किं तत्रभवतां कुशलवृत्तम् (in a letter or telephone conversation) = "Are you well?"

21.4. Vocabulary List

भज् 1 U भजति Pass. भज्यते PPP भक्त : to assign something (Acc.) to someone, to let something come to someone, to love, honor, revere someone

from this:

भक्ति f.: devotion, loyalty, love (in the religious sphere: love and respect for a personal god. see Basham, Wonder p. 332f.)
भाग m.: share, part
भग m.: (good) share, fortune, well-being, dignity
भगवन्त् 3: fortune-having, dignity-having (epithet of विष्णु – कृष्ण)

Fig.: भगवान्कृष्णः भगवान्कृष्णः as जगन्नाथ (right) with his half-sister सुभद्रा (center) and his older brother बलराम, Orissa = ଓଡ଼ିଶा
(Image source: Details)

भगवद्गीता f.: "Song (गीता) of the Worthy One (कृष्ण)"

Fig.: भगवद्गीता भगवद्गीता - Manuscript, 19th century
(Image source: Details)

भिक्ष् 1 Ā भिक्षते Pass. भिक्ष्यते PPP भिक्षित (actually a desiderative to भज्: to wish that one participates): to beg

from this:

भिक्षु m.: beggar, monk

Fig.: भिक्षवः
Luang Prabang = ຫລວງພະບາງ, Laos = ປະເທດລາວ
(Image source: Details)

दुष् 4 P दुष्यति Pass. दुष्यते PPP दुष्ट : to spoil (intransitive), to become bad, to be shamed

दोष m.: error

पच् 1 U पचति Pass. पच्यते (no PPP, instead पक्व 3: cooked, stewed) Absol. पक्त्वा : to cook (transitive) = to boil, fry, roast etc.

21.5. Exercise

A) Translate the following compounds:

१. अनादिकालिकसंसारः २. अनादिमध्यान्तः ३. महामैत्रीकरुणाचित्तः ४. सर्वहतान्धकारः

B) Translate:

मृतं दहन्नग्निः सतीमपि दहति ॥१॥ सद्गुरुर्महाकविस्तोत्रैर्महादेवं स्तौति ॥२॥ महान्ति फलान्यदन्तो बाला जलमापि पिबन्ति ॥३॥ पूजां कुर्वञ्जनो यजते च स्तौति च देवताम् ॥४॥ गुरूपनीतनरो द्विजः ॥५॥

जितक्रोधो घ्नन्तमप्यरिं न द्वेष्टि । क्रोधजितस्तु द्वेष्टि ॥६॥