FAMILIARISE YOURSELF WITH SANSKRIT

                                                                          LESSON – 2

The present tense 
forms of root अस् (to
be) are :

                 
Singular      dual     plural     

     3rd
person     अस्ति        स्तः     सन्ति 

     2nd
person     असि         स्थः     स्थ

     1st
person     अस्मि        स्वः     स्मः

Examples :

अहं कः अस्मि ?  Who am I?

त्वं छात्रः असि  
You are a student.

त्वं कः असि ?  Who are you? 

अहं शिक्षकः अस्मि  
I am a teacher

सः कः अस्ति?  Who is he?

सः सेवकः अस्ति 
He is a servant.

Most of the time, 
the above sentences are written omitting the verb which is understood :

 त्वं छात्रः असि  
->    त्वं छात्रः   
(असि is
understood)

 अहं शिक्षकः अस्मि  
-> अहं शिक्षकः  (अस्मि is understood)

 सः सेवकः अस्ति  
-> सः सेवकः 
(अस्ति is
understood) 

In practice,  the words are joined as under when the verb is
supplied:

त्वं छात्रः असि   
-> त्वं छात्रोऽसि  (छात्रः + असि = छात्रोऽसि)

अहं शिक्षकः अस्मि 
->  अहं शिक्षकोऽस्मि (शिक्षकः + अस्मि = शिक्षकोऽस्मि)

सः सेवकः अस्ति -> सः सेवकोऽस्ति (सेवकः + अस्ति = सेवकोऽस्ति)

Some more pronouns:

    3rd person      Singular      dual    
plural     

                      अयं         इमौ       इमे 
=  this ( masculine) 

                       इयं         इमे       इमाः = 
this (feminine)

                       इदं         इमे       इमानि = 
this (neuter)    

                       एषः        एतौ       एते 
=   this ( masculine)         

                       एषा        एते        एताः =  this (feminine)

                      एतत्        एते       एतानि  =  this
(neuter)    

अयं बालकः  = This is a
boy    (‘अस्ति’  is
understood)

इयं बालिका  = this is
a  girl   
(‘अस्ति’  is understood )

इदं छत्रं = this is an umbrella   (‘अस्ति’  is understood
)

इमौ बालकौ These two are boys 
(स्तः is
understood)

इमे बालिके These two are girls   
(स्तः is
understood)

इमे छत्रे  These two are
umbrellas (स्तः is
understood)

इमे बालकाः  these are
boys  (सन्ति is understood)

इमाः बालिकाः  these are
girls  (सन्ति is understood)

इमानि छत्राणि  these are umbrellas (सन्ति is understood)

एषः मम वामः ह्स्तः 
this is my left hand

एषः मम दक्षिणः हस्तः 
this is my right hand

एतौ मम हस्तौ  These are my two hands

Case
endings for masculine nouns ending with ‘ अ’ – देव शब्दः  

Nominative  (subject)                   देवः       देवौ      देवाः

Accusative  (direct object)           देवं        देवौ      देवान्

Instrumental                                  देवेन      देवाभ्याम्   देवैः

Dative (indirect
object)                देवाय     देवाभ्याम्   देवेभ्यः

Ablative                   देवात्     देवाभ्याम्   देवेभ्यः  

Possessive                                       देवस्य     देवयोः     देवानाम्

Locative                                            देवे         देवयोः     देवेषु   

Vocative                   देव       देवौ        देवाः 

Case
endings for masculine nouns ending with ‘ अ’ – राम शब्दः  

Nominative  (subject)                   रामः      रामौ          रामाः

Accusative  (direct object)           रामं       रामौ          रामान्

Instrumental                                  रामेण    रामाभ्याम्      रामैः

Dative (indirect
object)                रामाय    रामाभ्याम्      रामेभ्यः

Ablative                   रामात्    रामाभ्यांम्      रामेभ्यः   

Possessive                                       रामस्य    रामयोः       रामाणाम्

Locative                                            रामे        रामयोः       रामेषु

Vocative                   राम      रामौ         रामाः

रामो राजमणिः सदा विजयते रामं रमेशं भजे

रामेणाभिहता निशाचरचमू  रामाय तस्मै नम:।

रामात् नास्ति परायणं परतरं रामस्य दासोऽस्म्यहम्

रामे चित्तलयः सदा भवतु मे भो राम मामुद्धर ॥

All case endings for ‘राम’ शब्द (singular) are in the above
sloka.  Commit this to memory for easy
recall.

रामः राजमणिः सदा विजयते – Rama, the jewel among  kings, is ever victorious

रामं रमेशं भजे – (I)
worship Rama,  consort of Lakshmi  (I is understood)

रामेण अभिहताः निशाचरचमू   By Rama were killed the armies of
rakshasas

रामाय तस्मै  नमः – For that Rama are my prostrations

रामात् नास्ति परायणं परतरं – there is none greater than Rama
in whom one can take

refuge.

रामस्य दासः अस्मि अहम् 
–  I am the servant of Rama

रामे चित्तलयः सदा भवतु मे –  Let my mind
always dwell in Rama

भो राम मामुद्धर  – O Rama! lift
me up from this (samsara etc)

All words of masculine gender ending with ‘अ’  will have
their case endings similar to the ‘राम’ शब्द given
above.  Annexure I gives a detailed list
of these words.

Note the ण and णां 
instrumental singular and possesssive plural.   This will be न  and नां respectively in शिवः , कृष्णः  etc  (शिवेन, शिवानां;  कृष्णेन, कृष्णानां) and many other
words.  नरः  will be नरेण 
and नराणां as in
the case of ’राम’ .

‘न’  becomes ‘ण’   in the
following cases:

In single words (समानपद)  when preceded by ‘र्’ 
or ‘ष्’   as  inनृणाम् , पितॄणाम् ,

भ्रातॄणाम् . चतुर्णाम् , पुष्णाति, मुष्णाति etc.

When in  समानपद 
‘र्’ ओर् ’ष्’   is preceded
by any of the following letters:

Any vowel, ह्, य्, व्, र्, क्, ख्, ग्, घ्, ङ्, प्, फ्, ब्, भ्, म्, anuswara or upasarga

as in the following examples:

करणम् , हरणम् , तरणम् , मरणम् , कराणाम्, नराणाम् , कुमाराणाम् , हरिणा, ऋषिणा, हरीणाम्, ऋषीणाम् ,  प्रभुणा, गुरुणा, नरेण, करेण, कुमारेण, उत्तरायणम्, अग्रणी, ग्रामणी, इक्षुवण्म्, आम्रवणम्, पूर्वाह्णः, अप्राह्णः etc.    

Exercise :  Given in the annexure
are words of masculine gender ending with ‘अः’

in nominative case, singular.  
Write out as many words as possible in the eight vibhaktis, in singular,
dual and plural forms as per the ’राम’ शब्द given above