Sanskrit Gerunds — Noun forms derived from verbs
Some Illustrations of fixed and declinable Krudantas
After seeing the overwhelming forms of the nouns and verbs, the krudantas avyaya words come in as a pleasant surprise. These words are derived from the verb roots and hence called krut-anta oR krudanta. A pratyaya is added at the end to give it a specific role.
What makes krudanta avyayas interesting and lightweight is that these are avyaya and indeclinables. The same word can be used across all vachana and purushas.. And each of pratyaya family lends a style of expression, some of which is interestingly exhibited in English.
I could gauge and bucket these forms in my Data Science on Bhagawad Gita project. With the lessons in grammar, my adulations to these simple and versatile forms, and the framework of grammar. This post is more like a snapshot into krudantas, some illustrations, and references for myself. And may not be enjoyable for reading purposes.
1. “tva” :: “having done xxx”
क्त्वाच् प्रत्यय
When a doer does an action before another action… the act of the past can be expressed using the “tva” pratyaya
रामः लङ्कां गच्छति । रामः रावणं हन्ति । =>
रामः लङ्कां गत्वा रावणं हन्ति ।
Having gone to Lanka, Rama kills Ravana
~
Some examples from Gita chapter 2.
क्षुद्रम् हृदय-दौर्बल्यम् त्यक्त्वा उत्तिष्ठ परन्तप -2.3
Having cast off the faint-heartedness, arise O parantapa..
यान् एव हत्वा न जिजीविषाम 2.6
if having them killed, I have no desire to live.
उक्त्वा तूष्णीम् बभूव ह 2.9
having told these words, he became quiet
श्रुत्वा अपि एनम् वेद न च एव कश्चित् 2.33
even having heard about it, some people do not understand yet
अस्य रसः अपि परम् दृष्ट्वा निवर्तते 2.59
having seen the supreme, the rasa stops to linger
~
In his poem Meghadootha, Kalidasa uses this ‘tva’ form quite a bit in the opening words in many verses.
In the mandaakini meter, the first few syllables are deergha and these slow 2 syllabled words paint the action of the poem like slow strokes and fit the bill of the meter..
gatvā, dṛṣṭvā, nītvā, hitvā, kṛtvā, bhittvā
2. “ya”: “having done xxx” :: verb roots with prefixes
ल्यप् प्रत्यय
It serves the same purpose as tva pratyaya.. Here, the verb roots has an attached upasarga prefix. Instead of the “tva” ending, we see the “ya” ending here.
कृत्वा with prefixes => प्रकृत्य, अनुकृत्य, विकृत्य, अधिकृत्य, अपकृत्य, सुकृत्य, प्रतिकृत्य, उपकृत्य
~
वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय नवानि गृह्णाति नरः -2.22
Like man having cast off old clothes and then wearing new clothes
विहाय कामान् यः सर्वान् 2.59
he who having cast off his desires…
स्वधर्मम् अपि च अवेक्ष्य न विकम्पितुम् अर्हसि
having seen the swadharma, one ought not tremble.
यः सर्वत्र अनभिस्नेहः तत् तत् प्राप्य शुभ-अशुभम् ।न अभिनन्दति न द्वेष्टि तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता
having obtained shub-ashub and not excited, his mind is well established.
~
A popular Hanuman Bhajan
Ullangya sindhoh salilam saleelam
yah s’oka vanhim janakatmajaayaah |
Aadhaya tenaiva dhadaaha lankaam
Namaami tam praanjaliraanjaneyam ||
Having leapt the deep waters.. Ullangya..
maryaada ka ullangan is a common phrase meaning “crossing the boundary of decency”.. It comes from ut + langhanam. Infact, the first chapter of Sundara kaandam is on Hanuman crossing the waters and hence titled ‘langhanam’
Having leapt the deep waters.. Ullangya..
My obeisance to Anjaneya with palms joined (tam praanjaliranjaneyam), who having leapt across the deep sea (salilam) in a playful manner (sa leelam) and picking up the fire of grief of Jankakumari (janakatmajaayaah s’oka vanhim), burnt Lanka with the very same (tenaiva) fire of grief.
~
This ‘ya’ pratyaya also calls for a joke. There was a young lady well versed in Sanskrit. To check out the knowledge level of her suitor, she asks him a trick question. What does he think about “vihaaya” and “vihasya”?
Unaware of the indeclinable krudantas and seeing some similarity with fourth and sixth vibhakti forms like shivaaya shivasya, the young man blurts out… these are 4th and 6th vibhakti forms.
She further asks about the aham and katham.. He again blurts out these are 2nd vibhakti.
Pat comes her reply.. “He who mistakes vihaaya and vihasya for 4th and 6th, aham and katham as 2nd, how can I (aham katham)make him my 2nd..”
yasya shashtii chathurthii cha vihasya cha vihaaya cha
aham katham dvitiiyaa syaat dvithiiyaa syaam aham katham ?
3. णमुल् (अम्) “having done.. having done”
This usage is quite seen in South Indian languages and Hindi. Verb is repeated to indicate the intensity. My first time seeing it in Sanskrit.
शिशोः वचनं श्रावं श्रावं पितरौ नन्दतः
Parents were delighted delighted listening to the words of their toddler.
पुत्रस्य पत्रं पाठं पाठं माता पुलकिता ।
Mother was excited having read having read her son’s letter..
This verse captures the woes of Radha. Everybody except her is having a doubly good time.
पाठं पाठं स्तुतिमिह समे युष्मदीयाश्च जाताः कारं कारं भजनमिह ते त्वन्मनस्का ह्यभूवन् । गामं गामं तव च चरणौ त्वत्पदं यान्ति गोपाः
ध्यायं ध्यायं व्रजकुलजनी राधिका नैव चाप्नोत् ॥
4. “tum” pratyaya: “to do xxx”
A sense of “Inorder for a goal, an act is done..” is conveyed.
kriyaartha kriya.. for an act, an act.. for a verb, a verb..
छात्राः पठितुं विद्यालयं गच्छन्ति । In order to read, the students go to the school
Other usecases with “to”
She knows to speak
She knows to dance
She knows to sing
भाषितुं जानाति
नटितुं जानाति
गातुं जानाति
She wishes to sing.
She is able to give.
She deserves to know.
At 5.00 pm, time to bAthe..
गातुम् इच्छति
दातुं शक्नोति
ज्ञातुम् अर्हति
प्रातः ५.०० स्नातुं समयः
~
Some illustrations from Gita
न कश्चित् कर्तुम् अर्हति -2.22
nobody has the capacity to do (slay the immortal)
न एनम् शोचितुम् अर्हसि -2.26
ought not to lament
न विकम्पितुम् अर्हसि -2.31
ought not to tremble
भक्त्या तु अनन्यया शक्यः अहम् एवम्-विधः अर्जुन ।
ज्ञातुम् द्रष्टुम् च तत्त्वेन प्रवेष्टुम् च परन्तप ॥ 11.54
हे परन्तप अर्जुन ! अनन्यया भक्त्या एवम्-विधः अहम् तु तत्त्वेन द्रष्टुम् ज्ञातुम् च प्रवेष्टुम् च शक्यः।
In order to be seen, in-order to be known, in order to be entered.. it is only by means of tattva
Professor Madanmohan Jha had shared these pictures in SLG FB group. At that time, I was unsure what these were. Glad that I had these pictures saved. A variety of root words, their meaning, and when run through different krudantas..
Declinable Krudantas
So far we, have seen “tva”, “ya”, “tum” pratyayays have a constant form. Now we shall see exapmles of gerunds which change according to vachana, linga and vibhakthi.
1.1 शतृ-प्रत्यय: :: ‘t’/’n’ :: “while doing xxx” :: Parasmaipada Verbs
Here there are 2 verbs.. In one of the verb, there is a continuous sense of “while xxx”.
वह पुस्तक पढता हुआ जा रहा हैः — सः पुस्तकं पठन् गच्छति ।
वह खाते हुए देख रहा है — स खादन् पश्यति
1.2 शानच् प्रत्यय :: ‘aan’, ‘maan’ :: “while doing xxx” :: Atmanepada Verbs
This suffix is tagged with Atmanepadi Dhaatus like करुते , वन्दते. Same usage as the previous शतृ-प्रत्यय:
He is begging. सः याचमानः अस्ति
She is begging. सा याचमाना अस्ति
~
And being gerunds krudantas, they function as nouns and only depend on linga and vachana of the karta.
From the verb पठ, we have in masculine prathama vibhakti
पठन् — — पठन्तौ — — -पठन्तः
~
Illustration from Vishnusahasranama
युधिष्ठिर उवाच -
किमेकं दैवतं लोके किं वाप्येकं परायणम्।
स्तुवन्तः कं कमर्चन्तः प्राप्नुयुर्मानवाः शुभम्॥८॥को धर्मः सर्वधर्माणां भवतः परमो मतः। किं जपन्मुच्यते जन्तुः जन्मसंसारबन्धनात्॥९॥
In the first verse, the karta is manavaah and hence plural stuvantah archantah.. while doing stuthi.. while doing Archana..
Second verse, jantu is the karta.. hence japan.. doing japa
भीष्म उवाच -
जगत्प्रभुं देवदेवमनन्तं पुरुषोत्तमम्। स्तुवन् नामसहस्रेण पुरुषः सततोत्थितः॥१०॥
तमेव चार्चयन्नित्यं भक्त्या पुरुषमव्ययम्। ध्यायन् स्तुवन् नमस्यंश्च यजमानस्तमेव च ॥११॥
Stuvan archan dhyayan naman are ekavachana pullinga forms in shatr pratyaya..
Yaja is atmane pada.. hence its ending will have ‘maan’ and not ‘an’.. yajamaana.. This is shaan ach pratyaya..
~
Illustration from Gita
While seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, walking, breathing,
While speaking, ejecting, holding, opening closing eyes,
Some tatvavit gyaanis think it is alchemy of senses in action and it is not ‘me’ doing.पश्यन् शृण्वन् स्पृशन् जिघ्रन् अश्नन् गच्छन् स्वपञ् श्वसन्
प्रलपन् विसृजन् गृह्णन् उन्मिषन् निमिषन् अपि ।l
न एव किञ्चित् करोमि इति युक्तः मन्येत तत्त्ववित् । इन्द्रियाणि इन्द्रिय-अर्थेषु वर्तन्ते इति धारयन् ॥
~
These pratyayas have vibhakti roopa somewhat like the Bhagawat halanta shabda.. They act as qualifiers to the karta in their vibhakti forms.
Illustration from Gita Govindam in 4th vibhakti Sampradaana. I bow to you Krishna.. “To the reviver of Vedas , to the bearer of this earth , to the uplifter and supporter of earth , to the killer of Hiranyakashyapa
पठते — — -पठद्भ्याम् — — -पठद्भ्यः
वेदान् उद्धरते
जगन् निवहते
भूगोलम् उद्धिभ्रते
दैत्यं दारयते ..
कृष्णाय तुभ्यं नमः ॥
2.1 Past Tense / क्तवतु प्रत्यय / ‘vaan, vat, vati’
The common form in 3 genders are
गतवान्, गतवती, गतवत्
पतितवान्, पतितवती, पतितवत्
I went to temple
अहं देवालयं गतवान् ।You went to school
त्वं विद्यालयं गतवान् ।
Being krudantas, they are independent of the पुरुष and makes the usage simple. These forms follow the वचन, लिङ्ग of the subject and aid active voice.
**Their vibhakti forms are similar to भवत् , नदी and श्रीमत् shabda.
http://sanskrit.samskrutam.com/en.grammar-tutorial-verb-form-suffixes-ktavatu.ashx
2.2 Past Tense / क्त प्रत्यय / ‘ta’
These forms cab be used in passive voice where the कर्ता will be in 3rd vibhakti and the verb will follow the कर्म .
रामेण विद्यालयः गतः ।
raameNa vidyaalayaH gataH
मया ग्रामः गतः ।
mayaa graamaH gataH
The vibhakti forms follow बाल , लता and फल in 3 genders making it simple.
Active voice, Adjective, a-karma prayoga illustrations -http://sanskrit.samskrutam.com/en.grammar-tutorial-verb-form-suffixes-kta.ashx
3. ‘neeya’ :: “Should be done”::Karma Prayoga
It gives an imperative mood / sense of request / sense of time and reminder. It is a कर्मणि प्रत्ययः and hence अनीयर् follows the लिङ्ग and वचन of कर्मपद. And when कर्म is absent, it follows the neuter gender.
पाठः पठनीयः — भगवद्गीता पठनीया — रामायणं पठनीयम्
हिमालयः दर्शनीयः — गङ्गा दर्शनीया — राजस्थानं दर्शनीयम्
A popular Motivational Song on “Ideals that should be followed.”
मनसा सततं स्मरणीयम्।
वचसा सततं वदनीयम्।
लोकहितं मम करणीयम्॥
4. Verb As Object / ल्युट् प्रत्यय ‘am’
This helps substituting complex verb forms with simpler alternatives. Note that the same krudanta can be used irrespective of vachana, linga, purusha
Instead of गमिष्यति, शयाते, पठिष्यथः , the future tense forms according to the purusha / vachana rules of verbs.
बालकः गमनम् करिष्यति ।
सा शयनम् करिष्यति ।
अहं पुस्तकस्य पठनम् करिष्यामि ।
If the sentence has a कर्म, it is modified to its 6th form in this usage, like illustrated in the example अहं पुस्तकस्य पठनम् करिष्यामि ।
5. Doership ण्वुल्
Sense of ‘वाला’
पढ़ने वाला (पाठक:)
खाने वाला (भक्षकः) करने वाला (कारक:)
पकाने वाला (पाचकः)
कृ + ण्वुल् = कारकः
पठ् + ण्वुल् = पाठकः
पाठि + ण्वुल् = पाठकः
शिक्ष + ण्वुल् = शिक्षकः
दृश् + ण्वुल् = दर्शकः
भुज् + ण्वुल् = भोजकः
अस् + ण्वुल् = भावकः
ब्रू + ण्वुल् =. वाचकः
Source
https://sanskritbhasi.blogspot.com/p/3.html?m=1
More Reading
https://sanskritbhasi.blogspot.com/p/3.html?m=1
http://sanskrit.samskrutam.com/en.grammar-tutorial-verb-form-suffixes-lyuT.ashx
http://www.iimchyderabad.com/econtent/IIMC-%20Sanskrit%202ndyr%20-%20Grammar%20Material.pdf
http://sanskrit.samskrutam.com/en.grammar-tutorial-verb-form-suffixes-tumun.ashx
