FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH SANSKRIT: LESSON 1 FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH SANSKRIT LESSON -1 The idea behind these lessons is to make the reader familiar with sanskrit in terms of vocabulary, the different forms nouns, pronouns and adjectives take conforming to the rules of grammar in respect of person (1st, 2nd and 3rd persons) number (singular, dual and plural) gender (masculine, feminine and neuter) and the conjugation of verbs from a vast store house of roots from which verbs are formed in the various tenses (present, past, future) and moods (commands, wishes, blessings etc.) in addition to infinitives, causative and other forms. The lessons may not enable the reader deveop facility in speaking and writing in sanskrit but, it is hoped, will enable him to understand and enjoy the vast treasure of writings in Sanskrit at a reasonable level. For this purpose it is not necessary that one should be able to reproduce from memory the multiplicity of forms nouns, pronouns, adjectives and roots of verbs take, but to recognise the various forms when one sees them in print. Coupled with a reasonably good vocabulary it should be possible to read and understand many texts in Sanskrit without the help of translations. Most of the modern Indian languages have generously drawn words from Sanskrit, either in their original form or with minor modifications, especialy in serious works of literature in those languages (Tamil is an exception in this regard). Therefore such words will be recognised by those who have ordinary proficiency in one of those languages. With the help of a dictionary of Sanskrit words one can improve one’s vocabulary. Reading through these lessons a few times, it is hoped, will familiarise the reader with the peculiarities of the language which he will be able to recognise when he sees them used in literary and other works in Sanskrit. Familiarity with the Devanagari script and high school level knowledge of English are assumed in the following lessons. Knowledge of any of the languages of India which generously use words from Sanskrit will be helpful as indicated above. प्रार्थना (prayer) दिक्कालाद्यनवच्छिन्नानन्तचिन्मात्रमूर्तये । स्वानुभूत्यैकलभ्याय नमः शान्ताय तेजसे ॥ Prostrations to that supremely calm effulgence which is beyong the limitations of time and space, which is infinite, which is of the form of pure consciousness and which can be attained only by one’s own deepest experience. We start the study with pronouns for the first, second and third persons both singular and plural. Sanskrit has an additional number, dual to indicate two of a category. The different forms taken by these personal pronouns are given below: First Person (both masculine & feminine) Singular अहं (अहम्) I Dual आवां (आवाम्) We two Plural वयं (वयम् ) We Second Person (both masculine & feminine) Singular त्वं (त्वम्) You Dual युवां (युवाम्) You two Plural यूयं (यूयम्) You all Note: The forms given within brackets ending with ‘म्’ are used generally at the end of a sentence or when a vowel follows. Third Person (masculine) Singular सः He Dual तौ They two Plural ते They Third Person (feminine) Singular सा She Dual ते They two Plural ताः They Let us now look at the roots of some common verbs in sanskrit and see what form these verbs take in relation to singular, dual and plural subjects in the present tense Root क्रीड् to play Third person क्रीडति क्रीडतः क्रीडन्ति Second person क्रीडसि क्रीडथः क्रीडथ First person क्रीडामि क्रीडावः क्रीडामः सः क्रीडति He plays तौ क्रीडतः They two play ते क्रीडन्ति They play सा क्रीडति She plays ते क्रीडतः They two play ताः क्रीडन्ति They play त्वं क्रीडसि You play युवां क्रीडथः You two play यूयं क्रीडथ You play अहं क्रीडामि I play आवां क्रीडावः We two play वयं क्रीडामः We play Note that the form of the verb does not change when the subject is of the feminine gender as in Hindi and some other Indian languages. Some more roots, the present tense forms of which are obtained in the same manner as given above, are listed below: खाद् to eat खादति खादतः खादन्ति etc. हस् to laugh हसति हसतः हसन्ति etc. चल् to walk चलति चलतः चलन्ति etc. भ्रम् to wander भ्रमति भ्रमतः भ्रमन्ति etc. त्यज् to abandon त्यजति त्यजतः त्यजन्ति etc. A few other roots are पच् to cook, रक्ष् to protect, वस् to live, reside, भज् to worship or serve, जल्प् to prattle, talk - for these present tense forms are derived in the same manner. Exercise: 1. Write out the present tense forms in the third, second and first persons singular, dual and plural for the following roots (as given above for the root क्रीड् to play ) निन्द् to blame, क्रन्द् to cry, पत् to fall, व्रज् to go, वह् to carry कूज् to chirp, चर् to go, to graze, पठ् to read, धाव् to run, 2. Use the above verbs in present tense sentences with personal pronouns as subjects- as given above for the verb क्रीडति etc. 3. Make sentences with the following nouns as subjects and verbs formed of any of the roots given above. 1 बालक: boy, बालिका girl, अध्यापकः teacher, अध्यापिका female teacher, विद्यार्थी student, माता mother पिता father गोपः cowherd छात्रः student mama aacharya anugarahath krutham karyam... dhanyavadha: Gopal Vasan Typing courtesy Govindan Vaduvur dhanya vadha: swamina...
Posted on: Tue, 02 Jul 2013 13:59:41 +0000
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