Grammar: Concepts and Rules

Question 1

How many tenses are there in Samskrita?

Answer 1

10

Question 2

What are the rules when conjugating verbs in the past tense for words that begin with the letter ‘अ’ ?

Answer 2

The prefix used is ‘आ’ instead of ‘अ’

Example: अटति (Present Tense)

             आटत् (Past Tense)

Question 3

Do pronouns have the vocative case (सम्बोधन) ?

Answer 3

No

Question 4

Recall the rules for Genitive Case (षष्ठी विभक्ति)

Answer 4

1. The response for questions like ‘whose’, ‘of which’ are ‘his’, ‘their’, ‘of them’. This reply will be in the Genitive case.
2. Genitive case is also used for the words meaning ‘among these’.Example: Dharmaraja is the eldest among Pandavas
   पाण्डवानां धर्मराज ज्येष्ठ:
   पाण्डवानां - translates to among the Pandavas

Question 5

What are indeclinables (अव्ययानि) ?

Answer 5

Indeclinables are words that do not change according to gender, number and case.

Question 6

Recall the rules for Instrumental Case (तृतीया विभक्ति)

Answer 6

1. The answer to the question ‘by/with what’ when put to the verb will be in the instrumental case.
2. The answer to the question ‘together with whom / along with what’ will be in the instrumental case.

The indeclinables ‘ सह, साकं, सार्धम् ‘ mean ‘along with / together with’. The nouns associated with these will be declined according to the Instrumental case.

3. If adverbs are stated, then we use the abstract nouns in the Instrumental case to express the same meaning.

Example, instead of saying ‘He ate happily’, one would say ‘He ate with pleasure/happiness’.

Question 7

Recall the rules for Accusative Case (द्वितीया विभक्ति)

Answer 7

1. When the questions ‘What, Whom’ are put in a sentence, the answer that is received is the object. In Active Voice, the object is in the Accusative Case.
2. When the preposition (उपसर्गः) अधि (at) precedes the verbs तिष्ठति and वसति, the noun/object expressing location will be in the Accusative Case (and not Locative Case).
3. When the indeclinables अभितः, परितः, and उभयतः are used, words expressing the sense of Genitive Case (6th Vibhakti) should be in the Accusative Case instead.
4. When the indeclinable विना is used, the nouns/words governed by it are in the Accusative Case.

Question 8

Recall the usage of स्म

Answer 8

The indeclinable ‘स्म’ is suffixed to a present tense verb form at the end of the sentence to indicate Past Tense (more specifically past continuous tense).

Example: He was studying or he used to study

Question 9

Recall the rules for when Anusvara is applied

Answer 9

Anusvara is applied under the following scenarios:

1. If Anusvara is followed by a vowel, then हलन्त ( म् ) should be written in its place.
2. If Anusvara is at the end of a sentence, then too हलन्त ( म् ) should be written in its place.
3. In the rest of the instances (i.e. if an Anusvara is followed by any consonant), it should be written with a dot above the letter as ( ं )