Dec 8, 2013

हरिः ॐ | नमो नमः |
HariH OM| namo namaH|

After reviewing the new words that our class members had found using the online dictionary, and their bahuvachana-ruupam or plural form,  we moved on to a new topic, sanskrit numerals. 

संख्याः - Numerals 

Numerals or Numbers can be classified as Cardinal and Ordinal numbers.

Cardinal numbers are the number forms used to count, and they answer the question "How many?"
The sanskrit word to question "How many?" is कति .
Devanagari also has symbols to represent the numerals 0 - 9. We learned the cardinal numbers 1 - 20 in their neuter gender form, and their symbolic representation.

The teachers then asked simple questions, which required the students to answer with a count. Here are few examples.

Q: अस्माकं कक्ष्यायां कति छात्राः सन्ति | (How many students are there in our class?)
A: सप्तदश छात्राः सन्ति | (The class counted and answered, "Seventeen students")
Q: कुरुवंशे कति पाण्डवाः सन्ति |
A: पञ्च पाण्डवाः सन्ति |
Q: संगीते कति स्वराः सन्ति |
A: सप्त स्वराः सन्ति |
Q: विष्णोः अवताराः कति |
A: दश अवताराः |
Q: क्रिखेट् क्रीडायां एकस्मिन् दले कति क्रीडकाः सन्ति |
A: एकादश क्रीडकाः सन्ति |
Q: भगवद् गीतायां कति अध्यायाः सन्ति |
A: अष्टादश अध्यायाः सन्ति |

Numbers 5 and above when used to qualify a noun, are always used in napumsaka linga and bahuvachanam. However numbers 1 - 4 are special and they have variations to match the gender of the noun that they qualify.

Number 1, is always used with singular nouns, and depending on the gender of the word that it qualifies, it takes the form एकः, एका , एकं for masculine, feminine and neuter genders respectively.
Ex: एकः बालकः | एका बालिका | एकं फलं |

Number 2, is always used with dual nouns, and depending on the gender of the word that it qualifies, it takes the form द्वौ, द्वे, द्वे  for masculine, feminine and neuter genders respectively.
Ex: द्वौ बालकौ | द्वे बालिके | द्वे फले |

Number 3, is always used with plural nouns, and depending on the gender of the word that it qualifies, it takes the form त्रयः, तिस्रः, त्रीणि for masculine, feminine and neuter genders respectively.
Ex: त्रयः बालकाः  | तिस्रः बालिकाः  | त्रीणि फलानि |

Number 4, is always used with plural nouns, and depending on the gender of the word that it qualifies, it takes the form चत्वारः , चतस्रः , चत्वारि  for masculine, feminine and neuter genders respectively.
Ex: चत्वारः बालकाः | चतस्रः बालिकाः | चत्वारि फलानि |

Thankfully number 5 and above do not have variations based on gender :) Here is a table that summarizes cardinal numbers 1 - 5 for all three genders.

Numeral	पुंल्लिङ्गः - Masculine	स्त्रीलिङ्गः - Feminine	नपुंसकलिङ्गः  - Neuter
1	एकः   ekaH	एका     ekaa	एकं    ekam
2	द्वौ    dvau	द्वे     dve	द्वे    dve
3	त्रयः   trayaH	तिस्रः   tisraH	त्रीणि    triiNi
4	चत्वारः    chatvaaraH	चतस्रः    chatasraH	चत्वारि    chatvaari
5	पञ्च    pa~ncha	पञ्च    pa~ncha	पञ्च    pa~ncha

Here are the rest of the numbers until 20.

6	षट्     ShaT
7	सप्त   sapta
8	अष्ट     aShTa
9	नव     nava
10	दश     dasha
11	एकादश     ekaadasha
12	द्वादश     dvaadasha
13	त्रयोदश    trayodasha
14	चतुर्दश     caturdasha
15	पञ्चदश     pa~nchadasha
16	षोडश   ShoDasha
17	सप्तदश     saptadasha
18	अष्टादश     aShTaadasha
19	नवदश             navadasha एकोनविंशतिः  ekonaviMshatiH
20	विंशतिः     viMshatiH

Homework Assignment: 

1. Find out the gender of the word "sa~NkhyaaH". 
2. Practice writing the numerals 1 - 10 in sanskrit, and reading them in sanskrit texts.
3. Memorize the cardinal numbers, 1 - 20, in sanskrit.

With closing prayers, we concluded our class.

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः |

Nov 24, 2013

हरिः ॐ | नमो नमः |
HariH OM| namo namaH|

We quickly reviewed what we had learned in the previous class: the correct gender usage of the pronouns etad and kim.

We then learned about the three gender forms of 'tad', the root word, meaning "that".

सः	saH	M. (Masculine)
सा	saa	F. (Feminine)
तत्	tat	N. (Neuter)

We formed simple question and answers using the three forms of the pronoun 'tat'.

Q: सः  कः |  (pointing at a tree outside the classroom, What is that?)
A: सः वृक्षः | (That is a tree.)
Q: सा   का |  (pointing at a creeper/climbing vine, What is that?)
A: सा  लता | (That is a creeper.)
Q: तत्   किम् |  (pointing at a leaf, What is that?)
A: तत्  पत्रम्  | (That is a leaf.)

'tat' is used when the object being identified is far from the speaker. 'etat' is used when the object being referred to is very close to the speaker.

We then learned that the three number forms of the root word tat, in nominative case are:

एकवचनम्  - Singular	द्विवचनम्  - Dual	बहुवचनम्  - Plural
सः  saH	तौ    tau	ते   te
सा   saa	ते    te	ताः   taaH
तत्   tat	ते   te	तानि   taani

When we stumbled on a word with a new ending, नदी (nadii), iikaaranta shabdaH, we discussed about ways to tell the gender of a word that one encounters for the first time. A simple way would be to look up the word in an online dictionary, as in the simple Spoken Sanskrit Dictionary. Another traditional option is to use ruupa-chandrika or shabda manjarii to locate the word, find the gender, and all the declensions or cases. However one is expected to know the root word for this exercise.

We found out that iikaaranta shabdaa-H are usually feminine gender nouns, or striilinga shabdaa-H. Hence saa kaa, the feminine gender form of the pronouns were used in the question.

To practice using ruupa-chandrika, we tried to look up a new word, and find the gender and then the singular, dual and plural number forms of the nominative case. The root form of the word we took for this example was केयूर (keyuura). This was an akaaranta shabda; on look-up we found out that it was a napumsaka linga shabda, or a neuter gender word.

That lead to an interesting discussion of a subhaaShitaH from Bhartruhari's niiti shatakam.

Though this might be a little overwhelming on first dose, as we progress step by step, understanding nouns and declensions, and, verbs and conjugations, the patterns shall sink in!! Hang in there!! It is not as difficult as it appears at first sight. Staying in constant touch with the concepts learned and practicing them helps tremendously. As we have a long break before our next session, here is an assignment to help you stay in touch.

Homework:

Look up nouns in the spoken sanskrit dictionary. Identify the gender. Build your list of 5 masculine, 5 feminine and 5 neuter gender nouns.

Challenge: Write the plural forms of these nouns in your vocabulary.

We concluded our learning with Prayers.

ॐ  शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः

Nov 17, 2013

हरिः ॐ | नमो नमः |
HariH OM| namo namaH|

We reviewed what we had learned in the last session about gender. There are three genders in sanskrit language:

1. पुल्लिङ्गः   (pullingaH)  = masculine gender
2. स्त्रीलिङ्गः   (strIlingaH) = feminine gender
3. नपुंसकलिङ्गः  (napumsakalingaH) = neuter gender

संभाषणम्  (sambhaaShaNam) - Conversation

We then learned about the three gender forms of 'etad', the root word, meaning "this".

एषः	eShaH	M. (Masculine)
एषा	eShaa	F. (Feminine)
एतत्	etat	N. (Neuter)

We had learned about the word किम्  (kim), meaning "what?", in our previous conversations. The three gender forms of this word are:

कः	kaH	M.
का	kaa	F.
किम्	kim	N.

We then reviewed the parts of the body listed in Page.1 of the book लतिका (latikaa). By examining the last syllable of each word, we tried to guess the gender of the word. Then picking the correct gender form of the pronouns, 'this' and 'what' in sanskrit, we formed simple questions and answers.

Q:  एषः कः |  (pointing at one's head, What is this?)
A: एषः शिरः| (This is head.)
Q:  एषा  का |  (pointing at one's nose, What is this?)
A: एषा  नासिका | (This is nose.)
Q:  एतत्  किम्  |  (pointing at one's eye, What is this?)
A: एतत्  नेत्रं  | (This is eye.)

That was fun. We realized today that in sanskrit language, the ending of a word, plays a significant role in determining the gender, and the pattern of operations to be performed. There are exceptions to the normal patterns, which we will explore in a later stage and period.

Topic: वचनम् (vachanam) - Number

We discussed that Sanskrit nouns have singular, dual and plural numbers. Dual number is used to refer the count, two and Plural number is used to refer the count, more than two. The numbers in sanskrit are:

1. एक वचनम्  (eka vachanam)  = Singular Number
2. द्वि वचनम्  (dvi vachanam) = Dual Number
3. बहु वचनम् (bahu vachanam) = Plural Number

We briefly looked at the three number forms of few akaaraanta pullinga shabda-s, aakaaraanta striilinga shabda-s and halanta napumsakalinga shabda-s, in nominative case.
[Note: akaaraanta pullinga shabda, means, a word/noun that ends with the vowel 'a', and is of masculine gender. ajanta shabda, means a word/noun ending with a vowel. halanta shabda, means a word/noun ending with a consonant.]

Please note how the patterns are identical based on the ending letter/sound of the word.

एकवचनम्  - Singular	द्विवचनम्  - Dual	बहुवचनम्  - Plural	Vowel Ending
रामः raamaH	रामौ  raamau	रामाः raamaaH	akaaraantaH (followed by visarga)
शिरः  shiraH	शिरौ  shirau	शिराः shiraaH	akaaraantaH (followed by visarga)
बालिका baalikaa	बालिके  baalike	बालिकाः baalikaaH	aakaaraantaH
कुञ्चिका  kuñchikaa	कुञ्चिके kuñchike	कुञ्चिकाः kuñchikaaH	aakaaraantaH
फलम् phalam	फले phale	फलानि phalaani	akaaraantaH (followed by anusvaara)
नेत्रम्  netram	नेत्रे  netre	नेत्राणि netraaNi	akaaraantaH (followed by anusvaara)

We shall continue to explore this topic in detail in the next session.

We concluded our learning with Prayers.

ॐ  शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः