March 1, 2015 - March 15, 2015

हरिः ॐ | नमो नमः |

After opening prayers and the theme song of the year, we started our study of sanskrit. After reviewing genitive case, we moved on to the next topic.

 सप्तमी  विभक्तिः - Locative Case:

A noun is declined in locative case, when it is used to express relative location in space or time. When constructing sentences the place associated with the action/verb, or, the time associated with the action/verb shall be expressed in locative case.

In English the prepositions typically used to express location and time would be " in, on, and, at"

Ex: 

The Lion lives in the forest.

The book is on the table.

The sanskrit class starts at 11 AM.

As with other vibhakti-s, the ending of the noun is modified in sanskrit to indicate locative case.

Spatial location

We first reviewed vocabulary words that indicate relative position: अत्र, तत्र, एकत्र, अन्यत्र, सर्वत्र, कुत्र.
We practiced answering questions using these words. These are indeclinables, and hence their form does not change with gender or number.

Then we studied how the nouns in all three genders would be modified to express location, in singular form.

Gender	Nominative Case	Genitive Case
पुल्लिङ्गः	रामः	रामे
स्त्रीलिङ्गः	सीता	सीतायाम्
स्त्रीलिङ्गः	देवी	देव्याम्
नपुंसकलिङ्गः	वनम्	वने

We practiced constructing sentences adding location.

1. सिंहः वने वसति |
2. पुस्तकानि  स्यूते  सन्ति |
3. पुस्तकम् उत्पीठिकायाम् अस्ति |
4. बालकः नद्यां तरति |

We learned few new words that describe town, state, country, continent, etc. and practiced using those in saptamI vibhakti. The question word to ask "in what" in samskrutam is कस्मिन्.

Chronological location

We reviewed how to tell time in the clock in sanskrit.
Please click here to review cardinal numbers 1 - 20.
Then click here to review time.

After a quick review students answered time related questions, describing when an event or action happened.

Q: भवान् कदा सम्स्कृतगृहपाठम् करोति ?
A:  अहं शनिवासरे सायंकाले  अष्टवादने सम्स्कृतगृहपाठम् करोमि |
Q: भवान्  कदा स्नानं करोति ?
A: अहं प्रातःकाले सार्ध-सप्तवादने  स्नानं करोमि |
Q: संस्कृतकक्ष्या कदा आरभते ?
A: संस्कृतकक्ष्या  एकादशवादने आरभते |

The kids wanted to understand how to describe AM, PM in sanskrit. This lead to the discussion of how the day is divided into segments based on the relative position of sun. The time within a day is expressed relative to sunrise / dawn, mid-day, sunset / dusk, and, midnight. "At 8AM" would hence be stated as प्रातः काले अष्टवादने, and at 8PM would be सायंकाले अष्टवादने.

Please review the vocabulary words learned as part of these lessons.

Reading & Comprehension

We analyzed the following shloka that is chanted in the morning after waking up, and identified all the locative case endings.

कराग्रे वसते लक्ष्मीः  करमध्ये सरस्वती |
करमूले तु गोविन्दः   प्रभाते करदर्शनम्  ||

Goddess Lakshmi resides in the tip of the hand, or,  fingers. Goddess Saraswati resides in the middle of the hand, or in the palm. Lord Vishnu resides in the base of the hand, or the wrist. (Some variations of this shloka have sthitaa gaurI, instead of tu govindaH). In the early morning, one should look at one's hand.

Though this is the literal translation, the verse suggests that, one's destiny is in one's own hands. In order to earn money, one has to work with the hands, in order to gain knowledge, one has to study, and in order to stay strong, one has to actively perform one's duties. God has given us hands, thus blessing us with wealth, knowledge, and health.

When we rise in the morning, chanting this shloka reminds us that our actions alone shape our destiny; thus inspires us to do our best!

Homework

1. Find a shloka that has saptamI vibhakti ending words.
2. Write 5 sentences each using a subject, verb and a noun declined in saptamI vibhakti.
3. Review the vocabulary words. There will be a quiz in the next class.

We concluded with Prayers.
We shall meet again on March 22nd.

ॐ  शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ||

Feb 2, 2014

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

We reviewed telling time, and reviewed the usage of locative case by describing when an action occurred. We analyzed a verse from Moha Mudgara, popularly known as Bhaja Govindam, that had saptamii vibhakti usage.

We learned the following अव्ययाः , or, indeclinables, to describe the day relative to the current point of time. The term अव्ययः in this context means that the word form remains the same, irrespective of the number, gender, or part of speech.

परह्यः     --->                   ह्यः   --->   अद्य  ---> श्वः    --->    परश्वः 
day-before-yesterday   yesterday     today    tomorrow   day-after-tomorrow

We then learned the seven days of the week, and frequently used synonyms.

Sunday       =    भानुवासरः   (रविवासरः)
Monday      =    इन्दुवासरः    (सोमवासरः )
Tuesday      =    भौमवासरः   (मङ्गलवासरः )
Wednesday =    सौम्यवासरः  (बुधवासरः )
Thursday    =     गुरुवासरः

Friday         =    भृगुवासरः     (शुक्रवासरः )
Saturday     =    स्थिरवासरः   (शनिवासरः )

We then practiced forming few sentences with locative case to describe where an action occurs.

Q: सिंहः  कुत्र वसति ?  (Where does a Lion live?)

A: सिंहः  वने वसति |  (Lion lives in the forest.)

Q: लेखनी  कुत्र अस्ति ? (Where is the pen?)

A: लेखनी  पेटिकायाम्  अस्ति |  ( Pen is in the box.)

Q: अण्डानि  कुत्र सन्ति ?  (Where are the eggs?)

A: अण्डानि  नीडे  सन्ति |  (Eggs are in the nest.)

We then practiced chanting the opening and the first verse from Bhagavad Geeta Chapter 14, with a sanskrit hand-out.

With that we concluded our session.

Assignment: Please find an article, prayer, or, quote that has saptamii vibhakti usage and bring it to share with the class next week.

ॐ  शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः|

Jan 26, 2014

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

We reviewed the concept of Vibhakti, or, Declensions in Sanskrit and revised the usage of genitive case, known as ShaShTI vibhakti in all three genders, and in singular number. 

समयः - Time

Having learned the cardinal numbers from 1 - 20, today we learned to apply these numbers in telling time. 

वादनम्  in sanskrit is equivalent to O'clock in English.

एकवादनम्  = 1 o'clock        सप्तवादनम्  = 7 o'clock

द्विवादनम् = 2 o'clock         अष्टवादनम्  = 8 o'clock

त्रिवादनम्  = 3 o'clock           नववादनम्  = 9 o'clock

चतुर्वादनम् = 4 o'clock          दशवादनम्  = 10 o'clock

पञ्चवादनम्  = 5 o'clock       एकादशवादनम्  = 11 o'clock

षड्वादनम्  = 6 o'clock          द्वादशवादनम्  = 12 o'clock

सार्ध ( स + अर्ध ) when prefixed to the hour, is equivalent to the usage "Half past" in English. Here are some examples:

सार्धनववादनम्  = Half past Nine, or, 9:30.

सार्धत्रिवादनम्  = Half past Three, or, 3:30.

सपाद ( स + पाद ) when prefixed to the hour, is equivalent to the English usage "Quarter past". Examples:

सपादसप्तवादनम्  = Quarter past Seven, or, 7:15.

सपादद्विवादनम्  = Quarter past Two, or, 2:15.

पादोन ( पाद + ऊन ) when prefixed to the next hour, is equivalent to "Quarter to" the next hour in English. Please note that the hour shall be the next approaching hour in this case. Examples:

पादोनषड् वादनम्   = Quarter to Six, or, 5:45.

पादोनत्रिवादनम्  = Quarter to Three, or, 2:45.

इदानीम् समयः कः ?
What is the time now?
Look at the clock images, and try telling the time in sanskrit.

द्वादशवादनम्
12 o'clock
(12:00)

सपादद्वादशवादनम्
Quarter past Twelve
(12:15)

सार्धद्वादशवादनम्
Half Past Twelve
(12:30)

पदोनएकवादनम्
Quarter to One
(12:45)

To tell time to the minute, one option is to add the the minute count to the required hour. The minute count should be combined with the word अधिक, meaning more, and then prefixed to the current hour. 

For example, 3:10 shall be दशाधिकत्रिवादनम् , ten past three, or ten after three.

When the minute is over thirty, another option, is to deduct the minutes from the next approaching hour. In this case, the minute count to be deducted should be combined with the word ऊन,  meaning less, and then prefixed to the next approaching hour.

For example, 6:50 in sanskrit shall be दशोनसप्तवादनम् , ten to seven. It can also be said as पञ्चाशतधिक षड् वादनम् , fifty past six, which is a less common usage.

After practicing to tell time in the clock, we moved on to the locative case, known as सप्तमी विभक्ति, or the seventh case.  Locative case is used to specify the time and place of the action, or specify the context of an action.

Nominative Case	Locative Case	Locative Case description
रामः	रामे	in Rama
प्रातः कालः	प्रातः काले	in the morning
निशा	निशायाम्	in the night
उत्पीटिका	उत्पीटिकायाम्	on the table
गृहम्	गृहे	in the house
सप्तवादनम्	सप्तवादने	at seven o'clock

We practiced forming few sentences with locative case. We discussed other nouns related to time, such as today, now, year, month, fortnight, week, etc. Please refer to the vocabulary list for these words.

In the beginning of yajnas and poojas, the place and time where the pooja/ritual is performed is specified in sanskrit, as part of the samkalpa. It is a good reference for saptamii vibhakti usage. One of our classmates recited the samkalpa and shared with the class. It is as follows:

मम उपात्त समस्त दुरितक्षयद्वारा श्री परमेश्वर प्रीत्यर्थम्:
Followed by astronomical description of time and place where the pooja is performed, all in locative case:
शुभे शोभने मुहूर्थे
आद्य ब्रह्मणः द्वितीयपरार्धे
श्री श्वेतवराह कल्पे
वैवस्वत मन्वन्तरे
अष्टाविंशतितमे कलियुगे
प्रथमे पादे
(Geographical location, that varies depending on where the pooja is performed)
जम्बू द्वीपे भारतवर्षे भरतखन्डे मेरोः दक्षिणे पार्श्वे  (Corresponding to India)
क्रौञ्चद्वीपे रमणकवर्षे इन्द्रखन्डे मेरोः पश्चिमे पार्श्वे (Corresponding to US)
(Time, varies depending on the year and date)
विजय नाम संवत्सरे  ( -- संवत्सरे )
उत्तरायणे ( -- अयणे )
-- ऋतौ   (saptamii vibhakti eka vacana roopam for ukaaraanta shabda - rtu, or season)
-- मासे
-- पक्षे
-- तिथौ  (saptamii vibhakti eka vacana roopam for ikaaraanta shabda - tithi or lunar day )
-- नक्षत्र युक्तायाम्
-- वासर युक्तायाम्
------- अस्याम् शुभतिथौ
(Followed by the desired intention of the pooja and the name of the pooja)
--- सिद्‍ध्यर्थम् --- पूजाम् करिष्ये।

With that we concluded our session. Please practice to tell time in sanskrit, and look for saptamii vibhakti usage in articles that you read or prayers that you chant.

ॐ  शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः|