Lesson 34

34.1. The Perfect (लिट्)

In Classical Sanskrit, the perfect stem has only indicative and participle forms.

There are two types of perfect formation:

• the reduplicated perfect = द्वित्वलिट्
• the periphrastic perfect = अनुप्रयोगलिट्

The periphrastic perfect (अनुप्रयोगलिट्) is used:

1. with derived conjugations (causative, desiderative, frequentative, denominatives)
2. with roots that begin with a long vowel (except ā-) or with a vowel (except a-) before two consonants
3. with some other roots

34.2. The reduplicated perfect (द्वित्वलिट्)

34.2.1. Stem gradation

Formation:

strong stem: singular parasmaipada

• reduplicated strong-grade or guṇa-grade root + perfect ending

weak stem: all other forms

• reduplicated weak-grade root + perfect ending

Generally (also outside the perfect), roots of the following form do not undergo stem gradation:

• (consonant)-vowel-long vowel-consonant
• (consonant)-vowel-vowel-consonant-consonant

In the perfect, additionally, roots of the following form do not undergo stem gradation:

• a-consonant
• ā-consonant

34.2.2. The perfect endings

	3rd singular	3rd plural
parasmaipada	-a	-ur
ātmanepada	-e	-re

34.2.3. Connecting vowel -i-

Before the ending of the 3rd plural ātmanepada (-re), the connecting vowel -i- always appears; before other consonant-initial endings in the plural, for most roots.

34.2.4. Reduplication of roots beginning with a consonant

The rules given in Lesson 33 apply to the reduplication of initial consonants.

The reduplicative vowel for roots beginning with a consonant is the short root vowel.

Diphthongs before a consonant are reduced to the corresponding short low-grade vowel.

ṛ, ṝ, ḷ, and final diphthongs are reduplicated with -a-.

Examples:

Root	3. sg. Perf. P.
भिद्	बिभेद
मुच्	मुमोच
भृ	बभार

Some roots beginning with y- or v- reduplicate with i- or u-, which "merges" with the root vowel in the weak forms.

Examples:

Root	3. sg. Perf. P.	3. pl. Perf. P.
वच्	उवाच u-vāc-a	ऊचुर् u + uc-ur
यज्	इयाज i-yāj-a	ईजुर् i + ij-ur

34.2.5. Reduplication of roots beginning with a vowel

1. Initial a-, ā- is reduplicated with a-, resulting in ā-.

Examples:

Root	3. sg. Perf. P.
अस् 2 "to be" and अस् 4 "to throw"	आस a + as-a

2. Roots with initial i- have iy- as the reduplicative syllable in the strong stem, and i- in the weak stem, which merges with the root vowel to form ī-. The same applies analogously to initial u-.

Examples:

Root	3. sg. Perf. P.	3. pl. Perf. P.
इ	इयाय iy + ai + a	ईयुर् i + iy-ur
इष्	इयेष iy-eṣ-a	ईषुर् i + iṣ-ur

3. Roots that begin with a- before two consonants or with ṛ-, have ān- as their reduplicating syllable

Examples:

Root	3. sg. Perf. P.	3. pl. Perf. P.
अञ्ज्	आनञ्ज	आनञ्जुर्
एध्	आनर्ध	आनृधुर्

34.3. Types of the reduplicated perfect

Classification principle: Particularities of stem gradation:

• Perfect without stem gradation: Type I
• Perfect with stem gradation: Types II - V
• irregular perfect formations

34.4. Perfect Type I: Perfect without stem gradation

Perfect Type I (without stem gradation) are formed by roots of the types:

• (Consonant)-Consonant-Long Vowel-Consonant
• (Consonant)-Consonant-Vowel-Consonant-Consonant
• a-Consonant
• ā-Consonant

Examples:

Root	3. sg. Perf.	3. pl. Perf.
बन्ध् 9P	बबन्ध ba-bandh-a	बबन्धुर्
जीव् 1P	जिजीव	जिजीवुर्
आप् 5P	आप a + āp-a	आपुर्
अस् 2P "to be" अस् 4 "to throw"	आस a + as-a	आसुर्
अश्	आनशे irregular reduplication!	आनशिरे

34.5. Perfect Type II: Strong stem full grade, weak stem zero grade

Formed by roots of the form:

• (Consonant)-(Consonant)-i/u/ṛ/ḷ-Consonant

Formation:

• strong stem: full grade
• weak stem: zero grade

Examples:

Root	3. sg. Perf. P.	3. pl. Perf. P.	3. sg. Perf. Ā.	3. pl. Perf. Ā.
भिद्	बिभेद	बिभिदुर्	बिभिदे	बिभिदिरे
इष्	इयेष	ईषुर्
मुच्	मुमोच	मुमुचुर्	मुमुचे	मुमुचिरे
वृत्			ववृते	ववृतिरे
कॢप्			चकॢपे	चकॢपिरे

34.6. Word List

क्षिति f. = पृथ्वी = मही = भूमी

शस्य = सस्य n. sg. and pl.: seed, crop, grain

Fig.: सस्यम्
Rice field in India.
(Image source: Details)

यावत् : how long, how large

तावत् : as long, as large

उत्तम 3: highest

द्वीप m.n.: island, continent

Fig.: लक्षद्वीपाः
Lakshadweep Islands Map.
(Image source: Details)

मर्त्य 3: mortal (to मृ)

तिल m.: sesame (seed) (Sesamum indicum L.)

Fig.: तिलाः
Sesame seeds.
(Image source: Details)

Fig.: Sesamum indicum L.
Sesame plant flowering.
(Image source: Details)

स्वर्ण n.: (beautifully colored =) gold

Fig.: स्वर्णम्
Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib), Amritsar.
(Image source: Details)

निकेतन n.: dwelling, temple

कोटि f.: tip; 10 million

श्रेष्ठ 3: best

तल m.n.: plain, surface

ऋषभ m.: bull

Fig.: ऋषभः
Nandi Bull statue, Chamundi Hills, Mysore.
(Image source: Details)

यम् 1P यच्छति : to restrain, hold, offer, grant

यम् + प्र 1P प्रयच्छति : to hold out, offer, deliver

या 2P याति : to go, travel

कन्या f.: girl, maiden

34.7. Exercise

Form the corresponding perfect tense forms for person, number, and gender from the following verb forms:

1. रक्षिष्यन्ति
2. स्रक्ष्यति
3. सिञ्चते
4. वर्तते
5. प्रवेक्ष्यति
6. भनक्ति
7. लुभ्यन्ति
8. रुन्धते
9. रोदितi → रोदिति
10. बध्नाति
11. युध्यन्ते
12. युङ्क्ते
13. मुह्यन्ति
14. मुञ्चते
15. जीवन्ति
16. भोक्ष्यते
17. आप्नुवन्ति
18. भिन्त्ते
19. भोत्स्यन्ते
20. नर्तिष्यति
21. अश्नाति
22. द्वेष्टि
23. पश्यन्ति
24. दुग्धे
25. सन्ति
26. आदेक्ष्यन्ति
27. छिनत्ति
28. क्रुध्यति
29. अस्यति
30. कुप्यन्ति
31. इच्छन्ति

34.8. Translation Exercise

Translate the following text from the पद्मपुराण regarding gifts to Brahmins:

क्षितिं सशस्यां यो दद्याद्ब्राह्मणाय द्विजोत्तम । विष्णुलोके सुखं भुङ्क्ते यावदिन्द्राश्चतुर्दश ॥१॥
sig[सप्त]द्वीपां महीं दत्त्वा यत्पुण्यं प्राप्यते द्विज । तत्पुण्यं प्राप्नुयान्मर्त्यो धेनुं यच्छन्द्विजातये ॥२॥ तिलप्रमाणं स्वर्णं यो ब्राह्मणाय प्रयच्छति । हरिनिकेतनं याति युक्तं कोटिकुलैरपि ॥३॥ सालङ्कारां द्विजश्रेष्ठ कन्यां यच्छति यो नरः । स गच्छेद्ब्रह्मसदनं पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते ॥४॥ अन्नं वारि द्विजश्रेष्ठ येन दत्तं महीतले । तेन दत्तानि दानानि सर्वाणि च द्विजर्षभ ॥५॥

Explanations:

Vocative singular of masculines/neuters ending in -a ends in -a: e.g. देव "O God!"

चतुर्दश fourteen

सप्त seven

जन्म Nom./Acc. sg. of जन्मन् n. birth

सर्व 3 "all, hel" (böjs enligt pronominal deklination)

Abb.: सालङ्कारां द्विजश्रेष्ठ कन्यां यच्छति यो नरः । स गच्छेद्ब्रह्मसदनं पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते ॥४॥

Hinduistisches Hochzeitsritual.
(Bildkälla: Details)