The Aruna Sanskrit Language Series The Aruna Sanskrit Grammar Reference A.K. Aruna PDF version Sample Pages Upasana Yoga Media Second edition 2012 Copyright 2012 Upasana Yoga All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher. ISBN (PDF): 978-1-938597-00-8 Published by Upasana Yoga Media Palm Desert, CA www.UpasanaYoga.org This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. Invocation ¥ËËÕË ËmË@ ¥Ë«Ë‚Ä;Å• Ë ¥ËÕ@ ëËe’Ë ¥ËÕË+ß•Ë«Ë«Ë}| ™+’ËÎ@ ‚ËÕ‚’Ë•ËÎ@ ëËe’Ë •Ë•ËË+ jË Ë«ËÏ™ÎÕ Ë+•Ë}G Nārāyaṇaṃ namaskṛtya naraṃ caiva narottamam. Devīṃ sarasvatīṃ caiva tato jayam udīrayet. Bowing to Lord Nārāyaṇa (Kṛṣṇa), to Nara, the best of men [namely Arjuna], and to the Goddess [of knowledge] Sarasvatī, then may one commence the [lore called] Jaya (Victory). Mahābhārata 1.1 The Aruna Sanskrit Language Series The Aruna Sanskrit Language Series is a groundbreaking series of media that enriches the study of both the Sanskrit language and Vedanta. The six titles currently in the series are highly flexible and cross-referenced, guiding readers through Sanskrit basics to proficient level—unlocking the vocabulary and grammar and helping them comprehend the deeper meaning of the Bhagavad Gita. These titles are available through the publishing arm of Upasana Yoga at www.UpasanaYoga.org. Other Titles in The Aruna Sanskrit Language Series (available in Print & PDF) The Aruna Sanskrit Grammar Coursebook: 64 Lessons Based on the Bhagavad Gita Chapter Two The Bhagavad Gita Dictionary The Bhagavad Gita Reader: Sanskrit/English Parallel Text The Bhagavad Gita Sanskrit Key: Verse-by-Verse Grammar & Vocabulary The Sanskrit Reading Tutor: Read It, Click It, Hear It! (only in PDF) Other Titles by A.K. Aruna The Bhagavad Gita: Victory Over Grief And Death Patanjali Yoga Sutras: Translation and Commentary in the Light of Vedanta Scripture Patanjali Yoga Sutras: A Translation in the Light of Vedanta Scripture Contents Acknowledgements Pg. 10 Abbreviations 11 Introduction 13 Using this book 13 Introduction to Sanskrit 13 The origins of Sanskrit 15 Vedic Sanskrit versus Classical Sanskrit 18 If Panini wrote the definitive grammar book, then why are we offering this work? 19 Why is this series better for learning Sanskrit? And to whom is this work intended? 21 The Aruna Sanskrit Language Series 22 Section 1: Sanskrit Grammar Ch. 1 The Alphabet Pg. Ch. 3 Declension (cont.) Pg. Sounds of Saṃskṛta language 27 Consonant-ending changeable stems 54 Devanāgarī alphabet 28 Two-form stems 55 Conjunct consonants 32 Stems in !Ë•Ë}, «Ë•Ë}, ’Ë•Ë} 56 Accent 38 Stems in u#v Ë‚Ë} 57 Ch. 2 Rules of Coalescence ‚ËÍ¥ØË Stems in "¥Ë}, Í«Ë¥Ë}, Í’Ë¥Ë } 58 Three-form stems 59 Vowel strengthening 41 Stems in ’Ë‚Ë} 60 General ‚ËÍ¥ØË 42 Stems in !Ë¥Ë} 60 Vowel ‚ËÍ¥ØË 42 Stems in «Ë¥Ë}, ’Ë¥Ë} 61 Permitted final consonants 43 Stems in !ËëË} 62 Í’Ë‚ËâËŒ u:v ‚ËÍ¥ØË 44 Vowel-ending noun stems 63 Consonant ‚ËÍ¥ØË 45 Stems in !Ë, !ËË 64 Internal ‚ËÍ¥ØË 46 Stems in ", $ 65 Ch. 3 Declension Stems in #, $Å 69 Normal case terminations 51 Stems in & 71 Accent in declension 52 Stems in %+, !ËË+, !ËËe 72 Consonant-ending unchangeable stems 52 7 CONTENTS Ch 4 Pronouns and Numerals Ch. 6 Formation of Words (cont.) Pg. Pronouns Participles 114 Personal !ˉ«Ë}, •’Ë«Ë} 73 Verbal compounds 120 Common Pronominal terminations 74 Independent prepositions 122 Relative proximity of pronouns 74 Prepositional adverbs, participles, nouns 122 Demonstrative u%v•Ë™}, "™«Ë}, !Ë™‚Ë}, %¥Ë™} 75 Adverbs formed with suffixes 124 Relative Ë™} 77 Conjunctive and adverbial particles 127 Interrogative ÈÄÅ«Ë} 77 Interjections 129 Reflexive 78 Nominal stem formation 130 Possessive 78 Bare roots 132 Pronominal adjectives 78 Comparative & superlative suffixes 132 Compound pronouns 80 Primary suffixes 133 Numerals Secondary suffixes 136 Cardinals 81 Gender 139 Ordinals 84 Nominal Compounds 139 Numeral adverbs and derivatives 84 Compound types and accent 141 Oblique case •Ë•ºËÏ)‡Ë 142 Ch. 5 Conjugation of Verbs Negative ¥ËöË}Y•Ë•ºËÏ)‡Ë 142 Overview of conjugation 87 Same case ÄÅ«ËŒØËËÕ Ë 142 Ten classes of roots 88 Numerical È™÷âËÏ 143 The four verbal base tenses and moods 88 Prepositional ºËœËÈ™ 144 Reduplication rules 93 Indeclinable âËÍ•Ë 144 Irregular verbal bases and forms 95 Non-independent $ºËºË™ 144 Perfect tenses 98 Adjectival ¿Ë‰Ï’ËœÎȉ 145 Aorist tense 102 List ™÷¥™ ÷ 147 Benedictive mood 104 Indeclinable-like !Ë’ Ë ËάËË’Ë 147 Future tenses 105 Ch. 7 Syntax Conditional mood 106 Passive 106 Prose sentence order 149 Causatives 109 Definite and indefinite articles 151 Desideratives 110 Number 151 Intensive or frequentives 111 Agreement 151 Denominatives 112 Pronouns 152 Nominative case 153 Ch. 6 Formation of Words Accusative case 153 Parts of speech 113 8 CONTENTS Ch. 7 Syntax (cont.) Pg. Ch. 7 Syntax (cont.) Pg. Instrumental case 154 Potential mood 168 Dative case 156 Benedictive mood 168 Ablative case 157 Conditional mood 169 Genitive case 158 Passive and impersonal construction 169 Locative case 159 Causatives 169 Locative and genitive absolute 161 Desideratives 170 Participles 162 Intensive or frequentives 170 Tenses and Moods 165 Denominatives 170 Present tense 165 Past tense 166 Glossary 171 Future tense 167 Bibliography 177 Imperative mood 167 Index 179 About the Author 196 9 Abbreviations a. or adj. adjective(s) encl. enclitic abl. ablative esp. especially acc. accusative ex. except act. active difference (delta) adv. adverb f. or fem. feminine(s) aor. aorist (tense) fr. from ~ as first member fut. future ~ as second member fut. pt. future participle (active) aspir. aspiration gram. grammar !ËË~ or Ā. Ātmanaipada gutt. guttural(s) aug. augment impf. imperfect b/4 before impv. imperative bene. benedictive in. indeclinable cf. compare in. pt. indeclinable participle ch. chapter inf. infinitive changes to init. initial (letter) cj. conjunction intens. intensive(s) cmpd. compound interj. interjection(s) conj. conjugation irreg. irregular conj. cons. conjunct consonant(s) m. or masc. masculine(s) cons. consonant(s) mid. middle (Ātmanaipada) corr. correlative n. or neut. neuter(s) cpv. comparative nom. nominative cs. causal num. numeral decl. declension(s) opt. optional(ly) den. denominative(s) orig. originally des. desiderative ºËÕ~, Par. or P. Parasmaipada du. dual(s) pt. participle(s) 11 Abbreviations (cont.) pcl. particle(s) reflex. reflexive ps. passive rel. relative past act. pt. past active participle resp. respective(ly) pp. past participle (passive) root perf. perfect (tense) s. strong peri. periphrastic s.f. stem final pl. plural sec. secondary poss. possibly semiv. semivowel(s) poss. prn. possessive pronoun sibi. sibilant(s) pot. potential (mood) sg.singular pot. ps. pt. potential passive participle spv. superlative prep. preposition(s) suff. suffix(es) pr. present term. termination(s) pr. pt. present participle (active) therefore pr. mid. pt. present middle participle vow. vowel(s) pri. primary w. weak prn. pronoun w/ with prn. a. pronominal adjective w/wo with or without redup. reduplicated/reduplication redup. perf. pt. reduplicated perfect participle (active) 12 Introduction !ËË+«Ë} Using This Book This book provides the succinct grammar rules and structures for the Sanskrit language. If you are unfamiliar with Sanskrit grammar and wish to learn how to understand and apply these rules and structures for reading Sanskrit, please get the companion book, The Aruna Sanskrit Grammar Coursebook: 64 Lessons Based on the Bhagavad Gita Chapter Two by this author. The Aruna Coursebook and the Grammar Reference are designed to work together and are fully cross-referenced. To start this course of learning to read Sanskrit, begin with the Aruna Coursebook, which will assign specific sections of rules from this grammar book. In following all the lessons in the Aruna Coursebook, you will cover the entire grammar in this book and be able to fluently read with understanding the second chapter of the Bhagavad Gita in its original Sanskrit. To go even further into the study of Sanskrit so that you can completely read and understand the entire Bhagavad Gita, get the full set of The Aruna Sanskrit Language Series, of which this Grammar Reference and the Aruna Coursebook are the initial texts. The design and benefit of this series will be fully explained below within the context of Sanskrit and the methods of learning this language using The Aruna Sanskrit Language Series. Introduction to Sanskrit Sanskrit is a living language with ancient Vedic roots. Here I am using the term “living language” in its obvious sense—that it is still existing, still spoken, still studied, still communicative (and not just descriptive of what once was), and at least in one most highly desirable and non-academic area of study, namely, the Vedanta studied by people who newly come to its study to this day in the hundreds or thousands every year, is an irreplaceable medium for its full appreciation. Recent archeological and related studies, just now scratching the surface, are seeing some indications of what could be described as the Vedic culture in the Indus-Saraswati civilization at its first urban development peak between 2600 to 1900 B.C. and its antecedent development in the same area starting at least eight thousand years ago including the large settlement of Mehrgarh (168 acres, one-quarter sq.