Lesson 4

 


The full declension of the masculine and neuter "a-stems" is as follows:

 

For masculine:

 

deva (m., "god")

Sg. Du. Pl.
Nom. devah devau devah
Acc. devam devau devan
Ins. devena devabhyam devaih
Dat. devaya devabhyam devebhyah
Abl. devat devabhyam devebhyah
Gen. devasya devayoh devanam
Loc. deve devayoh devesu
Voc. deva devau devah

 

And for neuter:

phala (n., "fruit")

Sg. Du. Pl.
Nom. phalam phale phalani
Acc. phalam phale phalani
Ins. phalena phalabhyam phalaih
Dat. phalaya phalabhyam phalebhyah
Abl. phalat phalabhyam phalebhyah
Gen. phalasya phalayoh phalanam
Loc. phale phalayoh phalesu
Voc. phalam phale phalani


Meaning of the cases:

Nominative: the subject (I go),

Accusative: the object (I see you), the goal of the motion (I go to the city),

Instrumental: instrumental and comitative sense (as the English "with"), the agent in a passive construction, as English "through", "by means of ", "because of", "by" (with the Buddha, by carriage),

Dative: the indirect object, giving, telling (to the boy),

Ablative: expresses the relationship "from"; is also used to denote reason (from anger),

Genitive: possesive sense (elephant's tusk),

Locative: the location, circumstances (in the city); it can also denote the goal of the motion (to the village),

Vocative: the address (Who are you, man?).


Some thematic verbs add a nasal consonant in front of the final consonant of the root. This additional consonant always belongs to the same group as the original one (ie. n for t, b for c and j, m for p, j and sibilants).

For example: muc-, mubcati (see Vocabulary).


There is no indirect speech in Classical Sanskrit. The particle "iti" is used to denote quotation and direct speech (iha vasami iti vadati ksatriyah - the fighter says that he lives here).


Sandhi rules:

-ah at the and of the word and before a voiced consonant becomes -o: narah gacchati -> naro gacchati (the man goes). If the following word beggins with a short a-, this gets lost and is changed into the avagraha (in transliteration the apostrophe is used): putrah atra -> putro 'tra (the son is here).

-ah at the end of the word and before a voiced consonant and all the vowels becomes -a: narah atra -> nara atra (the men are here); narah gacchanti (the men go).

-i before any vowel (except for -i, -i; see Lesson 3) changes into -y: tisthami atra -> tisthamyatra.

-u before any vowel (except for -u, -u; see Lesson 3) changes into -v: na tu iha -> na tviha (but not here).

 


Main adverbs:

 

close far question relative all
where atra tatra kutra yatra sarvatra
when adya tada kada yada sada
why/where from atah tatah kutah yatah sarvatah
how iti tatha katham yatha sarvatha


Text (read and translate):

 

1. dhanani grhesu guhanti |

2. hastabhyaj kuntansada ksipamah |

3. ksiraj necchami jalaj tvicchamiti balo vadati |

4. putrah sukheneha janakasya grhe tisthanti |

5. megha jalaj sibcanti |

6. rane ksatriyah waranmubcanti |

7. jalaj hastena kij sprwasi |

8. ksetrani lavgalaih krsanti |

9. gajah kutradhuna caranti |

10. duhkhattatraivaj janako vadati |

11. ksatriyasya hastau nrpah kutah krntati |

12. ksatriyah waranvisena limpanti |

13. kumaraya vipro danaj yacchati |

14. janakah putrena marge gacchati |

15. balena duhkhaj na jayasi |

16. wivaj dvija hutairyajanti |

17. aranyesu mrgah sarvatra caranti |


The exercise key


Translate to Sanskrit:

 

1. Traveler walks on the way to the village.

2. People want happiness, but not suffering.

3. Trees do not grow on high mountains.

4. From the city to the village goes the father with two sons.

5. "I give gifts only to the poor" tells now brahmin to the boys.

6. People do not live in forests.

7. The water of clouds sprinkles the fields.

8. Men with boys go to the forest.


The exercise key


Vocabulary:

 

krt-, krntati (VI): to cut

car-, carati (I): to walk, to roam, to practise

muc-, mubcati (VI): to free, to discharge

yaj-, yajati (I): to sacrifice

lip-, limpati (VI): to smear

sic-, sibcati (VI): to sprinkle, to discharge

aranya-, n.: forest

kumara-, m.: prince, young man

janaka-, m.: father

duhkha-, n.: suffering

dvija-, m.: "twice-born", brahmin

pathika-, m.: traveler

parvata-, m.: mountain, hill

bala-, n,: power, force, strength

mrga-, m.: deer

rana-, m./n.: battle

rama-, m.: Rama (personal name)

lavgala-, n.: plough

vipra-, m.: brahmin

viwa-, n.: poison

wiva-, m.: Shiva

sukha-, n.: happiness

hasta-, m.: hand

huta-, n.: oblation, offering

ucca-, adj.: high

iti, part.: so

kim, adv.: what?, why?

kutah, adv.: where from?, why?

tu, part.: but


The exercise key